Maintaining Your Urban Garden
Spring is a brilliant time in any garden, where rampant growth of all things green seems to suddenly appear out of nowhere. After the deep slumber of those long and dreary winter months, the growth is almost surprising.
It is a good idea to keep on top of your garden in these solid spring months, to prevent weeds growing rapidly and strangling your plants or sucking the nutrients from the soil. Keep a regular weekly check on your crop and pull out any unwanted plants and weeds, so your soil can give 100% of its nutrients to your future organic tasty meals.
Speaking of McNasties trying to destroy your crops, snails and slugs seem to appear in full army regalia at this time of year. In fact, I have returned this week from 2 and a half weeks in the USA. Before I left, I covered half my garden in a fine net, as I did not want my strawberry, broccoli and cauliflower plants eaten by slimy pests. On return, I found my net covered garden bed had doubled in growth size, with not a single bite on any greenery. However, my two other garden beds, uncovered, had been almost nibbled away till oblivion. Speaking of slimy creatures, on arriving home late last night, I walked past my net covered garden to find a huge snail sloshing around, attempting to reach those delicious green leaves. To no avail. Good result. Keep on top of these midnight feasters and get rid of them quickly!
To keep cabbage, cauliflower and brocolli free from white cabbage butterfly catapillars, regularly sprinkle with organic Derris Dust, or spray with Tui Organic Eco-Pest . This is available from most major garden centers, such a Kings.
A few maintainance tips. Strawberry plants (best planted throughout spring), will need feeding around this time. Use your ready made organic compost made of rotting leaves and grass clippings, or your organic food compost. You can also use organic dried blood and liquid fertilizer. Dried blood meal is a great source of nitrogen, which the soil passes onto your plants. In fact your pre-summer salad lettuce will also love dried blood feed also, so share the love.
I recently gave the how-to on growing tomatoes. As New Zealand weather is as changeable as a teen, you need to be aware that just as you need layers as the day shifts from warm to cold to hot to cold to warm, your veges will suffer also. Shelter or a cover may be necessary in these changeable days, especially if there is heavy rain or flooding. Your crops will begin to flourish in these spring months so make sure to enjoy the fruits of your labour!
By Holly Jean Brooker
For more hints, tips and gardening discussions, go to www.urbanmac.co.nz