Dig in for winter

A busy month in the garden with many tasks to be completed before the onset of winter

Vegetable garden

Harvest the last of the summer vegetables. Prepare and plant the winter vegetable garden with the following: broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, onions, silverbeet and spinach.

To ensure healthy, vigorous growth of your winter vegetables, prepare the soil thoroughly by adding fresh compost.

Stagger plantings to guarantee continuous harvesting, rather than having crops all maturing at once. Where there are empty beds, sow a green manure crop, eg. mustard, lupins, that can be dug into the soil in late winter/early spring.

This protects the soil over winter and adds organic matter and nutrients back into the soil.

Flowering annuals

Late autumn flowering annuals are now finishing flowering and can be removed. Add fresh compost to the existing soil and plant winter flowering annuals including aquilegia, alyssum, calendulas, cinerarias, cornflower, lobelias, nemesia, pansies, stock, sweet william, and violas.

In the herb garden

The last month to collect fresh herb leaves to dry and store for use in winter. Over winter it may be more convenient to grow herbs in containers in a sunny spot near the kitchen.

Strawberries

April and May are the main months for planting new strawberry plants. Prepare new strawberry ‘beds’ by adding compost and Daltons Garden Time Strawberry Mix to the existing soil, as strawberries grow best in a ‘rich’ soil. Create mounds 200mm above the existing soil and plant strawberry plants spaced 120-150mm apart. ‘Mounding’ the soil improves drainage, and the soil warms up quicker in spring.

■ For more gardening advice or information on the wide range of Daltons products visit daltons.co.nz.

Snip off strawberry runners and pop into pots until ready to plant in the garden in May.

Prepare your winter vegetable and flower garden this month.