Weekend gardener: forget them not
Ornamentals
Plant out winter bedding flowers, such as forget me nots. As well as their darling blue flowers in early spring, the beauty of these is that and once you get them in your garden, you will have them forever (unless you are the most fastidious weeder). White and pink varieties are also very pretty but they do not seem to self-seed so readily.
Other early charmers to set among your bulbs and elsewhere include Bellis perennis (that honey of a tiny daisy), wallflowers (with their glorious fragrance), pretty pretty primulas and adorable violas.
Mulch ornamental beds and around shrubs with compost and pea straw.
Plant tulip bulbs.
Tree planting
Time to plant, plant, plant trees... New Zealand is committed to planting 100 million trees over the next year, so do your bit.
Planting holes should be nearly twice as big as the container the plant comes in. Back fill with a little compost and throw in a small handful of fertilisers, such as the slow-release Nitrophoska Blue to give the plants a good start. Should the plant be in a spot that is hard to get water to, then a decent handful of coconut fibre or a similar moisture-retentive material at the base of the hole is beneficial.
Before planting, give the plant a good watering – immersing in a bucket of water till bubbles stop rising ensures a thorough soak.
Place plant and fill in with soil, tamping down firmly. Water well. Stake to minimise damage to roots from wind rock in exposed areas.
Edibles
Feed rhubarb by applying a hearty mulch of well-rotted animal manure (cow is brilliant if you can source it) and/ or compost and/or blood and bone.
If your stonefruit trees have fungal diseases such as brown rot, silverleaf, bacterial blast, bladder plum and leafcurl spray with organic copper oxychloride. (And again in winter.)
Plant citrus trees. (Deciduous fruit trees should not be planted till the leaves have fallen and the plants are dormant.) Generally, citrus trees like sun, rain and shelter from frost and cold winds. Add plenty of organic matter such as compost to planting hole.
Tomato ripening will be slowing down. Green tomatoes will ripen on a sunny window sill, or cook them up or make chutney with them.
Bok choi, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, ‘‘Cavolo Nero’’ kale, corn salad, garlic, lettuce, mesclun, mizuna, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet and spinach may be planted now.