The Last Of The Winter Garden

Soggy Days, Budding Hopes: A Mid-Winter Garden Check-In

We are getting to that time of the winter where things are looking soggy, and the garden can get a bit depressing because there’s nothing really growing.

It probably doesn’t help that here in Central Otago we’ve hit that time of the season with the dreaded inversion layer. But every now and then, we get to see the sky and sometimes the sun. The temperatures are still low, but there are signs that the garden is starting to come back to life.

All the fruit trees are starting to bud, and when we get a sunny day, I’ll be out there pruning them.

Making the Most of Midwinter Sun

There are still things you can be doing at this time of year.

For me, when the sun comes out, I try to get out and spend a couple of hours in it when I can, but on the list is…

Clear out the glasshouse and clean it—scrub the panels with eco-friendly hot soapy water to get rid of any mold/moss build-up. Add some organic matter (compost/horse manure), and come the end of August, I’ll sow a green crop in there heavy on the mustard (which helps with cleaning the soil) and check the watering systems.

Winter Prep: Soil Piles, Strawberries, and a Bit of Elbow Grease

Topping up any and all garden beds that may be on the low side, as shown with the tulip bulb picture above. We have an area on the property where, whenever we dig up something and have extra soil, we pile it up, adding to it over the summer with good things like grass clippings, leaves, and pea straw. Then, when it comes to winter jobs, we use this pile to top up beds, adding some extra compost as we go.

I’ll spend a couple of days taking care of the strawberries that are dotted around the place, digging out the spent plants. Remember that strawberries have a lifespan of 4 years, and this last summer I trained 15 or so runners to use as replacements for the old plants.

I’ll tidy up the plants, give them a good feed, and in a couple of weeks, I’ll give them all a good feed of seaweed tonic in preparation for early spring growth.

Winter Work: Nourishing the Garden for a Better Summer

By the end of the month, I'll start incorporating compost and horse manure into all the vegetable gardens and add a bit of horse manure to the large flower gardens, which I have found to be an excellent aid for water retention during the summer.

I pruned the berry bushes last month to manage their growth after a significant spurt over the summer. I'll nourish the blueberries and spray the currants and gooseberries for mealy bugs, which have been increasingly problematic this past season. Starting now and spraying again in September should mean I won't need to address it again until next autumn.

Our raspberry frames will receive some attention this winter. We'll enhance the base so I can replenish and enrich the soil. I felt the soil was lacking nutrients, but I couldn't top it up because it was built into the ground, so we're adding macrocarpa sleepers to the edges for extra height.

Seeds, Plans, and a Fresh Start on the Horizon

The berry patch is looking great after a prune and a feed.

All ready for next summer!

After all of that, it will be time to start planning for next season's planting with less than a month to go before the first seeds are sown. Have you decided what you’d like to plant? Are you trying something new? Are you getting excited?