December Gardening Guide

General

This is a month of rapid growth and your plants will be extra thirsty so it's important to keep your garden well watered. Water before wilting to minimise stress on plants. Apply a compost mulch to help retain moisture in the soil. Also pay particular attention to weeding, feeding and spraying.

Mulch around all plants - whether it is pea straw, grass clippings, or bark, a good layer of mulch will save precious plants from the dry summer heat. Weeding is essential this month. Don’t let unnecessary weeds take valuable water supplies from your vegetables and herbs. Work around the stems of plants with a long-handled hoe.

It is recommended that you install a micro irrigation system like our Kiwi Garden Irrigation Starter Kit. In the long run it saves time, makes watering easy and keeps plants alive.

Water each evening or early morning, especially plants in containers which will dry out quickly in hot or windy weather.

Raise the lawn mower up a level for the summer season. The longer lawn means cooler soil at root level and will aid in moisture conservation and helps to keep the lawn green, apply a fast-acting lawn food such as Kiwi Lawn Fertiliser. Water the lawn after applying the lawn fertiliser.

Fertilise plants during harvesting. Ensure you replenish the soil with Kiwi Garden compost “plus”, Kiwi General Garden Fertiliser and Kiwi Sheep Pellets.

Protect plants from caterpillars and white butterfly with Kiwi Garden Derris Dust.

Edible Garden

Check out our range of seasonal Growfresh vege seedlings in stores. Fresh plants are arriving weekly.

Sow seeds for beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, celery, courgettes, cress, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, leek, lettuce, mustard, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, silver beet, spinach, spring onions, sweet corn, tomatoes and turnips. Sow seeds every 2 weeks to keep a consistent supply of fresh home-grown veggies.

Try planting seedlings for lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, tomato, pumpkin, courgette, capsicum, eggplant, cucumber and gherkin.

Plant fresh summer herbs like basil, parsley, mint, coriander and thyme in containers on the patio for easy access.

Harvest broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, dwarf beans, lettuce, onions, early potatoes, radish, silver beet and tomatoes.

Courgettes, all herbs, early carrots and peas and many other vegetables are now ready for picking. Get to them before the weather is too hot.

Feed tomatoes at least once a week with a fast-acting liquid feed such as Just Liquid Tomato Food. Pinch out laterals (side growths) on tall tomato varieties as they grow and ensure they are firmly staked. This applies to Non grafted varieties.

Mound up the earth around potato plants to give the nodules a chance to sprout and also around Florence fennel, leeks and kumara.

Use Kiwi Garden Derris Dust on broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower and other seedlings to control caterpillars. Set out Kiwi Garden slug and snail bait to prevent snails and slugs from attacking all your seedlings.

Feed fruit trees with Kiwi General Fertiliser for plentiful crops later and water well to prevent fruit drop.

Spray pip and stone fruit with Copper Spray to prevent fungal diseases.

Spray citrus with Kiwi Copper Oxychloride spray to prevent verrucosis and leaf curl. This will help prevent the spread of silver leaf blight and leaf curl.

Harvest strawberries regularly. Use Kiwi Garden Slug & Snail Bait to ensure they’re protected. Use bird netting to protect them from birds.

Flower Garden

Check out our range of seasonal Growflora flower seedlings in stores. Fresh plants are arriving weekly. Try our super colour 4 packs for more advanced flowering plants to give instant colour to patio pots and gardens.

Sow flower seeds of alyssum, cosmos, nasturtium and sunflowers.

Plant seedlings of alyssum, aster, chrysanthemum, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, gypsophila, nasturtium, impatiens, marigolds, petunia, phlox, portulaca, salvia, verbena, viscaria and zinnia for summer colour.

Roses and perennials can still be planted. Keep new plantings well watered. Enrich your soil with Kiwi Garden Compost “plus”.

Prune roses lightly and water well in preparation for autumn flowering. Use Kiwi Garden Rose Fertiliser for feeding, and spray with Kiwi Garden Rose Spray to prevent pests and diseases.

Mulch garden shrubs with compost to conserve moisture and so protect roots from hot sun.

Fill pots with flowering annuals such as petunias, marigolds, phlox or impatiens for long and colourful summer display.

Lift Spring flowering bulbs Daffodils, Tulips, Freesias etc once the leaves have died down completely and store in a cool dry place.