November

Weeding

In all sections of the garden it’s a busy time for hoeing and pulling out weeds. After rain showers they will grow very rapidly. Regular attention prevents weeds from smothering vegetables, flowers and small shrubs

Watering

The golden rule to watering is to water less often, but to water more deeply. This will encourage roots to go further down and seek water from the subsoil. Light watering on the surface every day has the opposite effect. For most gardens, a couple of times a week for a long period is better than watering every evening for a short time.

Stunning Pot Displays

Try these in pots to make vibrant & stunning displays in sunny spots; red & white geraniums, pelargoniums, petunias, blue lobelia with white alyssum.

Protect Plants

Keep an eye on the weather, be prepared to protect young plants with temporary covers from unseasonable cold or hail storm, strong and cold wind or torrential rain which can strike at any time.

Pots in the Shade

Try these for pots in shady areas; impatien, fuchsia, hydrangea, leafy hostas or heuchera with trailing lobelia for added colour.

Planting

Make new plantings, sow seeds, plant out bedding plants & vegetables that are frost tender and take cuttings to increase the numbers of favourites.

Mulching

Time to be thinking about mulching to help retain moisture. While soils might not be dry now, it is time to prepare. Try ‘Natural Bark Feeding Mulch’; it is a bark based much designed to fertilise, improve soil structure & retain moisture.

Irrigation

Time to test, renew & fix watering systems. Water regularly when garden soil is dry, especially with windy conditions that quickly deplete soil moisture levels. If you can keep your gardens moist, plants will grow and perform well in the heat. Water in the early morning and evening. We are lucky in Whanganui to have a good water supply without restrictions.

Hanging Baskets

Renew the potting mix in hanging baskets, pots and containers before replanting. Using a good potting mix such as ‘Natural Bark Potting Mix’ or ‘Tui Pot Power’ will give far superior results.

Flowers to Plant

Time to remove spent winter and spring flowering annuals and replant with summer varieties.

Fertilise and compost garden beds before replanting with summer bedding plants.

There is plenty of choices of bedding plants available in punnets and now is the time to plant any of the following; antirrhinums, alyssum, ageratum, asters, arabis, armeria, begonias, coleus, celosia, cornflowers, candytuft, coreopsis, calendula, chrysanthemum, cosmos, dianthus, delphinium, foxgloves, hollyhock, gazania, impatiens, lobelia, marigolds, nasturtium, nicotiana, nepeta, nigella, pyrethrum, petunia, portulaca, saliva, sweet pea, verbena, viscaria and zinnia.