Autumn in

Autumn in the garden - May

As May is the last month of autumn there is plenty to keep busy in the garden. There's plenty of fruit to harvest and new crops to plant in the vege patch! Don't forget get your bulbs in the ground too.

With winter is on its way, there are two main things to do in the vege garden now: clean up the last of the summer and autumn crops and plant some new winter veges including brassicas, leafy greens and herbs.

In the fruit garden, the harvest period is coming to a close for pip and stonefruit and the long awaited harvest season is just beginning for feijoas.

It's the last chance to get your bulbs in the flower garden before winter to ensure a beautiful show next spring.

Harvest time is from seedling planting to harvest. For seeds, depending on variety, it will take an extra 6-8 weeks from germination to planting.

Download our planting poster

Our handy calendar shows you when to plant in your region, including harvest dates.

When should I plant

Lemon Growing Guide

This time of the year's great to start planting:

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The Wairarapa Vegetable Gardener's Diary

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Plant

Bok choi, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, kale, leek, lettuce, mesclun, onions, parsley, peas, radish, rocket silverbeet, spinach.

HARVEST

Beetroot, bok choi, broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, kale, leek, lettuce, mesclun, parsley, parsnip, peas, potatoes, radish, rhubarb, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion.

Maintenance

Dig in Tui Compost and Tui Super Sheep Pellets before planting to replenish nutrients used by previous crops.
Pumpkins - pick pumpkins in areas where you want to get rid of vines, as they can take up a lot of room. Cut the stalk from the vine, leaving the handle-type stem on the pumpkin. Store somewhere dry off the ground.
Herbs - protect tender herbs like basil from the cold to prolong the harvest - cover with frost cloth or something similar in the evenings.
Lay Tui Quash to control slugs and snails eating your seedlings.
Feed herbs and winter greens once a month with Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic.
Add thick layers of Tui Mulch & Feed or Tui Pea Straw Mulch to garden beds and pots to conserve water, reduce weeds and add valuable nutrients back to the soil.
Harvest potatoes before the frosts arrive.

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The Wairarapa Fruit Gardener's Diary

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Plant

Apple, pear, plum, strawberry, blueberry, feijoa, lemon, orange, mandarin, lime, grapefruit.

HARVEST

Feijoa, quince, apples, pears, passionfruit.

Maintenance

Collect and compost any rotting fruit from under fruit trees, if it is diseased or harbouring insect pests dispose of in the rubbish.
Remove runners from strawberries. Once removed, plant into potting mix to grow the roots and transplant into the garden once roots are established.
Check harvested fruit to make sure nothing is rotting, remove fruit as soon as its starts to decay. The rot can quickly spread throughout a whole harvest within a week or two.
Keep orchards and the areas around fruit trees weed free. Only use weed sprays that are non-residual near fruit trees.
Add a layer of Tui Mulch & Feed around the base of fruit trees, to keep the soil warmer over the winter months and keep the area weed free.
Collect up fallen leaves, add to the compost, or dispose of if infected with pests and diseases.
Look out for new seasons fruit trees, this is when you get the best selection of varieties.