Are you feeling sad about the arrival of winter, especially in the Taranaki region? We’ve had a very hot and dry summer, which has been great for getting out to the beach and cycling the Coastal Walkway, but not so good for the garden. However, now the clocks have turned back, and we are still getting glorious sunny days, it’s the perfect time to get out into the garden and start renourishing your plants and soil. There are many plants that you can sow, grow and enjoy in winter. However, timing is everything, and you should know what will grow best in what season. Otherwise, your gardening efforts will be wasted if your plants won’t produce any food or take longer to grow.

This winter gardening guide is for you if you are worried about your winter garden and want to learn what fruits, veggies, and flowers you can plant. Read this winter growing guide till the end to become a pro winter gardener.

Pre-Winter Gardening Preparations

Before winter sets in, it is crucial to make some pre-winter gardening preparation. Let’s have a look at the list you have to do this winter in your garden;

Garden Tools maintenance: Keep your gardening tools ready and finish the sharpening, cleaning, oiling, repairing, and replacing tasks. Also, keep frost cloth and tunnels handy for cold days and nights.

Mulch around plants: Add a 5cm thick layer of mulch around plants to protect them from cold weather and conserve moisture.

Place Bird Feeders: Natural food sources for birds are insufficient during cold weather. Therefore, you should place bird feeders in the garden to provide them with a regular food source.

Feed the soil: All plants need extra strength to cope with winter extremes. Apply organic seaweed tonic once a month to boost root growth, increase immunity and resistance to pests and diseases, and strengthen cell walls.

Winter Vegetables Growing Guide For Taranaki NZ

You can grow a wide range of fruits, veggies, and nuts in the Taranaki region due to this region's lush volcanic loam and unique topography. If you have an established garden, harvest your spring or summer veggies and prepare the planting beds for winter crops. If frost is a problem for your veggie garden, use pots for planting and move them around to receive the midday sun. Snails and slugs can also cause trouble for your vegetables. So, don’t forget to control them from damaging seedlings.

The vegetables you can plant in this region during autumn and winter include; 

●     Broccoli

●     Cabbage

●     Cauliflower

●     Kale

●     Pak Choy

●     Mustard greens

●     Onions

●     Turnip

●     Broad beans

●     Garlic

●     Shallots

●     Carrots

Below are some tips for growing veggies in your winter garden.

Root Veggies: Cooler weather keeps the soil moist for longer. That’s why it is ideal for growing root veggies such as carrots. Root veggies need well-worked soil without lumps to grow nice and straight. Follow these tips for growing carrots;

●     Select a location in your garden that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

●     Dig the soil, break up the clumps and remove hard pieces.

●     Carrot seeds are tiny and are prone to drying if you sow them close to the soil surface. Sow seeds at least 6mm deep and cover the soil with shade cloth or cardboard to retain moisture.

●     Carrot seeds may take three weeks to germinate. Remove the cover as soon as seedlings emerge.

●     Thin out seedlings when they are four weeks old and plant them 5 cm apart. Carrots may take 16 to 20 weeks to mature after sowing seeds.

Cruciferous Veggies: If you want to grow cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce in the warmer areas of New Zealand, plant them in sheltered areas of your garden to avoid the afternoon sun. Also, add compost and sheep pellets before planting to refill the nutrients used by previous crops.

Garlic: Garlic is one of the must-grow veggies in the winter gardens in the Taranaki region. Dig the soil before sowing the cloves and add compost. Garlic cloves should be planted with pointed tips upwards. You can harvest garlic in mid-late summer.

Potatoes: Sprout seed potatoes in July to get ready-to-grow potato plants in August and September.

Winter Fruit Growing Guide For Taranaki NZ

You can enjoy subtropicals and temperate fruits in the Taranaki region. Winter is the time to harvest many fruits such as oranges, kiwifruit, lemons, mandarins, grapefruit, and tamarillos. In short, winter is ideal for planting new season deciduous fruit trees.

The fruits you can plant during winter in Taranaki are;

●     Strawberries

●     Peaches

●     Plums

●     Nectarines

●     Pears

●     Persimmons

●     Hazels

●     Gooseberry

●     Raspberries

Follow these tips in your winter fruit garden.

Mulch for weed control: Mulch around the fruiting trees and shrubs to maintain moisture and keep the weeds at bay.

Cure Leaf Curl: Leaf curl can be a problem in your winter garden since it overwinters in the buds of affected trees. Use copper-based sprays such as copper fungicides and oils to treat leaf curl. Spray every 10 to 14 days until the bud bursts in spring.

Prune Vines: If you have planted raspberries in autumn, prune them to the ground level. Also, prune other vines such as grapefruit and kiwi vines.

Frost Protection: Strawberries do their best in winters in New Plymouth. However, strawberry flowers are prone to frost damage. Therefore, you should wait until the risk of frost is gone or give frost protection to the plants.

Winter Flower Planting Guide Taranaki NZ

Don’t allow winter to stop you from enjoying different shades and colours. The following flowers will be ready to pick in your winter garden.

●     Daphne

●     Camellias

●     Protea

●     Orchids

●     Polyanthus

●     Azaleas

●     Camellias

●     Gerberas

The flowering plants that you can grow in your garden in winters include;

●     Poppy

●     Pansies

●     Polyanthus

●     Snapdragon’

●     Stock

●     Nemesia

●     Calendula

Follow these tips in your winter flower garden.

Frost Protection: Place the flowering plants prone to frost damage at a sheltered location.

Mulch: Apply mulch to prevent weeds. Otherwise, your plants won’t grow at full potential and fight for nutrients. Mulching is also crucial in maintaining soil temperature.

Feed the garden bed: Add compost or sheep pallets to refill nutrients to the garden beds and prepare them for new plantings. Liquid feeding encourages a longer blooming season in winter flowers.

Plant Roses: Plant new season roses in your winter garden and enjoy different colors and fragrances throughout the season.

Pruning and deadheading: Pruning is crucial to tidy-up flowering plants. Remove dead flower heads from plants to encourage new growths.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this winter gardening guide will help you if you want to plant new flowers, vegetables, and fruits in your winter garden. Mulching is crucial in maintaining soil temperature, preventing weeds, and protecting plants in winter. Ensure to grow the right plant at the right spot and right time. Soon, you’ll have pretty flowers and fresh greens to enjoy in late winter or spring.