1. Prepare Your Soil for Spring Growth with Premium Compost and Garden Mix
August is the perfect month to prepare your soil for the burst of spring growth. After winter rains, soil in Auckland and Waikato can become compacted, drained of nutrients, and biologically inactive.
Begin your garden transformation by enriching your soil with Premium Compost - this will boost microbial activity and organic content. Follow with Premium Garden Mix for raised beds and garden areas, ideal for vegetables, herbs, and ornamental planting.
Add Dave’s Growth Booster Sheep Pellets for a slow-release nitrogen source, especially in high-demand planting zones. Healthy soil is the foundation of every thriving garden, so make this your first task. It’s also a great time to test soil pH and add lime where needed.
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2. Plant and Feed Your Winter Veggies – Harvest Beetroot, Carrots, and Cabbage
Your winter veg garden is at its peak in August! Harvest crops like beetroot, carrots, cabbage, silver beet, and broccoli. At the same time, get ahead by planting fennel, globe artichokes, and hardy herbs like thyme, oregano, coriander, and parsley.
These tolerate cooler conditions and will thrive with a top-up of Premium Garden Mix. For a nutritional boost, apply Dave’s Growth Booster Sheep Pellets around the base of new plantings to encourage strong root development. In frost-free areas, sprouted seed potatoes can go in the ground now - just be sure to mound soil over them as they grow.
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3. Sow Seeds Indoors and Attract Pollinators with Companion Flowers
Get a jump on spring by sowing tomato, capsicum, and zucchini seeds indoors or in covered trays with Premium Garden Mix. Use a heat mat to improve germination in cooler conditions. For better yields later, start planting pollinator-friendly flowers like alyssum, lavender, and calendula now.
These bloom around the same time as your crops, ensuring bees are already active in your garden. Consider sowing pollinator-specific seed mixes to increase biodiversity. Stake up any leggy broad beans and trim perennial herbs like rosemary and thyme. Use Premium Compost to feed tired herb beds and prepare them for warmer growth ahead.
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4. Revive Your Lawn – Aerate, Fertilise, and Control Moss
August is critical for lawn health as the soil warms up but remains wet from winter rains. Start with aeration - use a fork or lawn aerator to improve oxygen and nutrient flow. Apply a high-quality fertiliser like ProLawn Lawn Booster to stimulate deep root growth.
If moss has taken hold, apply moss killer and rake out the dead material. This prevents suffocation of grass roots and sets your lawn up for thick spring growth. Avoid mowing if the lawn is waterlogged - wait for a few dry days before your first cut.
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5. Prune Ornamental Shrubs and Trees for a Strong Spring Start
August is your last chance to prune roses, hydrangeas, hibiscus, and fruit trees before spring sap flow begins. Cut back to a pair of healthy buds and remove dead or crossing branches.
For hydrangeas, apply Aluminium Sulphate to enhance blue blooms or lime for pinks. Spread Ultra Soil or Nutra Soil around pruned shrubs to encourage new root and shoot growth.
Use Timber Sleepers to create structured raised flower beds that add shape and height to your ornamental garden.
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6. Start Planning and Building Raised Garden Beds or Borders
August is the ideal time to begin hardscaping and building infrastructure for your spring garden. Raised beds provide better drainage and warmer soil for earlier planting.
Use Timber Sleepers, Ponga Logs, or recycled edging materials to create long-lasting garden borders. Lay down a base of Scoria and GAP 20 before filling with Premium Garden Mix to block out weeds and provide drainage.
Incorporate Sheep Pellets or Premium Compost into the mix for a nutrient boost.
Read our article and watch our handy video on how to build your own raised garden bed.
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7. Mulch Garden Beds to Suppress Weeds and Lock in Moisture
Weeds begin to germinate quickly in late winter and early spring. Apply a thick layer of Forest Floor Mulch, Arborist Mulch, Bark Mulch or decorative Premium Black Mulch to suppress weed growth and retain valuable moisture as spring approaches.
This also protects emerging bulbs and perennials from temperature swings. For large garden beds or under hedges, Bark Mulch offers long-lasting coverage and organic matter as it breaks down.
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8. Define Your Garden with Paths and Edging Using Decorative Aggregates
Create clean lines and pathways through your garden using White Lime Chip, Pea Metal/Gravel, River Pebbles or Waikato Fleck Pebbles. Not only do they define movement zones and reduce mess, but they also help with drainage and reduce compaction in high-traffic areas.
Combine with Pavers for stable walkways or add steppingstones through garden beds. Edging materials like Timber Sleepers can create a permanent structure.
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9. Tree and Hedge Planting – Time It Right, and Feed Well
Late winter is the perfect time to plant deciduous trees and evergreen hedges. In Auckland and Hamilton, the ground is soft and moist - perfect for root establishment.
Dig wide planting holes, break up any compacted clay, and backfill with a mix of Nutra Soil or Ultra Soil, and existing soil.
Add a handful of Gypsum to clay soils for better drainage. Stake trees and water deeply. For hedging, plant Pittosporum, Griselinia, or Camellia now and mulch.
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10. Plan Ahead: Sketch Your Spring Garden and Stock Up Early
August is the planning month! Take stock of your garden layout, review what worked last year, and start sketching out new beds, lawn shapes, and focal points.
Visit your local Central Landscape Supplies yard to check out our Paving, Decorative Stones, and bulk Garden Mix before spring demand spikes.
Order seeds, seedlings, or Compost now to avoid shortages. Include bird-friendly features like feeders and water sources, and explore vertical gardening ideas for small spaces or privacy screens.
Early planning ensures a smooth transition into spring with fewer supply issues and better results.
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