After a relatively dry winter across many parts of New Zealand, August is the perfect opportunity to get your garden back into shape before spring arrives. While the warmer weather is just around the corner, the lack of consistent rainfall means many gardens will benefit from a little extra attention before the growing season begins.
August is all about preparation. The work you do now will make a noticeable difference to how your garden performs over the coming months.
Rebuild Your Soil Before Spring
Healthy gardens start with healthy soil.
If your garden has been dry through winter, the soil can become compacted and lose some of the biological activity that plants rely on. Before planting your spring vegetables, spend some time improving your garden beds with organic matter.
Dave’s Organic Humate is an excellent way to improve soil structure, encourage beneficial microbial activity, and help the soil retain moisture when the warmer weather arrives.
For even better results, blend humate into compost before spreading it around the garden. A mix of around 8–10% humate will help accelerate the composting process while adding valuable carbon back into the soil.
Time to Chit Your Potatoes
If you’re hoping to enjoy home-grown potatoes for Christmas, now is the time to start preparing your seed potatoes.
Place them somewhere cool, dry and bright to encourage short, sturdy shoots before planting next month. Most potato varieties take around three months to mature, so getting them into the ground during September will have them ready just in time for summer.
Get Seedlings Off to the Best Start
August is also an excellent month to start raising seedlings indoors.
Tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants can all be started in seed trays while the weather is still cool.
Mix a small amount of Dave’s Organic Humate through your seed-raising mix before sowing. Trials have shown that humate can improve germination, encourage stronger root development and produce healthier seedlings ready for transplanting.
Remember to keep seed trays moist and positioned somewhere warm with plenty of natural light.
Plant These Vegetables Now
Although spring is approaching, there are still plenty of vegetables that can be planted during August, including:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Silverbeet
- Spinach
- Peas
- Onions
- Beetroot
- Herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage
Protect Against Late Frosts
Winter isn’t over just yet.
Late frosts can still damage young plants, particularly in inland and southern regions of New Zealand. Keep frost cloth or cloches handy and avoid planting frost-sensitive vegetables outside until the risk has passed.
If you’re raising seedlings indoors, gradually harden them off before transplanting into the garden.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
Spring is one of the busiest and most rewarding times of the gardening year, and August is your chance to get ahead.
By improving your soil now, preparing seed potatoes, starting seedlings and planting hardy vegetables, you’ll be setting yourself up for a productive season ahead.
Happy gardening,
The Dave’s Garden Products Team