Whether you have a small balcony garden or a big backyard vegetable patch, cultivating a green space at home is one of life’s great joys – the excitement when you see seeds beginning to sprout, the thrill when flowers start to blossom.
But along with these joyful moments can be plenty of challenges. For those starting out, a fear of failure is often one of the biggest barriers to gardening. And even for the most experienced green thumbs, an unlucky incident can be very disheartening.
When these problems do occur, having a friendly expert to answer your questions can make the biggest difference, and even reinstill your passion in the garden.
One-stop shop
As your local garden centre, Kings Plant Barn is a one- stop shop for all your plant needs. More than that, the team are passionate about helping people create
flourishing gardens at home.
When you do have that nagging question – like ‘How can I stop slugs from destroying my crops?’ or ‘What are the best companion plants for my vegetables?’ – the Kings’ Plant Doctors are on hand to help diagnose any problems and offer knowledgeable advice to help you grow well.
Tips for winter
Winter can be one of the toughest seasons for gardeners, with cold frosts and chilly temperatures arriving. While your garden may look a bit bare, it’s also an opportunity to prepare for the coming spring and summer months.
We asked the Plant Doctor for their top tips for winter gardening:
- Protect young seedlings from hungry slugs and snails by applying Tui Quash pellets. Re-apply after rain.
- Protect soft, frost-sensitive plants by covering them with frost cloth.
- Winter vegetable crops are prone to attack from white butterfly caterpillars. Prevention is better than cure; spray with Yates Nature’s Way Organic Citrus, Vegie & Ornamental Spray.
- Aim to keep the soil evenly moist so that your leafy greens do not bolt to seed prematurely.
- Instead of leaving your vegetable garden bare over winter, plant a green crop. Just before flowering, this can be cut up and dug back into the soil – replenishing depleted soil with valuable nutrients.
Do you have a gardening question? Kings’ Plant Doctors are here to help you grow well – upload a photo and description to plantdoctor.co.nz or head in store.
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