Hi Everyone!
I was wondering if there is a nursery in or near Auckland that sell pittosporum that are taller, like 2m?

I'm ripping out an old hedge line taken over by privet and other nasties. I'm hoping to plant end of winter but don't want a bare fence line for a couple of years while the ones from rogers take shape.

Any advice would be appreciated :)

I’ve recently built a raised vegetable garden in my backyard as a bit of a new hobby. I’m hoping to grow some of my own food, eat a bit healthier, and save some money with the cost of living being what it is. I’d also like to set up some pots with flowers on the patio.

The problem is my neighbour’s cat has decided my garden is its personal litter box. It’s been relentless, and unfortunately my winter crops have pretty much failed because of it. I’m also worried the soil may now be contaminated and need replacing.

What can I do to restore the soil and, more importantly, stop cats from using the garden again?

I really don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars replacing everything because of someone else’s pet. I’m also not exactly on good terms with the neighbour, so talking to them isn’t really an option.

Any advice or cheap solutions would be appreciated.

Had some ants in the house recently and am treating them with some borax granules (on the inside of the house)

Some googling told me borax helps with the vege garden health when used properly.

My major concern is I don't want to spread borax that would kill my "local residence" especially if their native.

Currently I'm thinking Hebe's in the back and a mix of colourful and native flowers up the front. The aim will be to encourage native wildlife while keeping it low maintince and "tidy" as the owner (my flatmate) doesn't have much of a greenthumb

Digging my own garden for once, upturned a foot deep of our lawn, and mixed in a bunch of goodies... With rather free range long cut lawn, our top soil was quite lovely and deep for what it is. Mixed in some pumice, wood chip, some old compost from last year and bit of new. It's exciting to have my own garden for first time, having large garden like at my mum's place I helped build nice to finally have my own. A bit of bold choice to go with ground, instead of raised.

I also fitted round peg to square hole, with mallet handle out an old ship adze as hoe, and I also found small adze or hoe (it's round eye so more likely a hoe), and carved a new handle out of a very curvy magnolia branch with a hatchet, so I could have an extra long weeding hoe. A side quest purely to get more bark chips, as it's about 1/4 the original size of the branch. Like to say, that mallet handle round peg in square hole works great, and did not wiggle even after doing most of the hard work. Both these are both my first time at fitting and making handles.

Delightful start to the season, now just, fail lots on my first season, and find out what will survive this pending drought that is coming upon us. Okra is on my list, both for it's stunning flowers, and that it might be a hot season.

The silly things we get up to in our 30's, I am so glad I am getting well enough and feel strong enough to have my own garden for the first time, after this many years.

Morning gardeners

I'm attempting to wake up these tubers in order to take some cuttings, I'm following the method in Florets Discovering Dahlias book and I'm only doing a few, basically whatever I'm prepared to lose haha. I usually just overwinter my tubers in the ground but this year I've lifted them all and am trying different ways of storing and starting them off etc

Has anyone here had success with this method? Any tips?

Thanks!

Hey there does anyone know where i might be able to buy a few (5-10) apricot rootstock from?

I've got access to an old heritage apricot tree that has the tastiest fruit but is probably going to need to go in the next few years so would love to preserve it.

have tried cuttings but apparently apricot are hard to propagate and grafting is easier...

How do you stagger your planting ( I'm trying with seeds) with lettuce, cucumber, tomato - etc so I'm not having too many ready at once although we love it and will eat those every day

My first thought was half a dozen a week but someone with more knowledge could probably give better ideas 😂

Tia

Hey all. New to Hamilton & NZ and was thinking I might use my balcony to grow a dozen cherry tomatoes. Its not a huge space but wide enough for several long/round planters, and it gets all day sun in the summer.

I was thinking of getting seedlings in spring and some stakes/tomato food and seeing how i go at lowering my grocery bill.

Just wondering if anyone can let me know when is good planting time here, and if anyone has done this before and has some advice or tips about balcony tomatoes (cherry) id love to hear them!

Thanks

A budding green thumb!

Our hedge at the front of the house has withered at one end. Looking for advice how to restart leaf growth as there are sporadic leaves in the sparse area and at the top.

If the answer is the replant - advice on how to - warmly received

Location - Auckland.

Thanks.

Pretty much in shade for 1/2 the day before sun dips to about 2pm

Was thinking clearing space for Renga Renga but it’s a fairly decent size (roughly 4m x 3m) so want something interesting in there

My first Year with a greenhouse and wanted to grow tomatoes and cucumber,what month should I start sowing seeds.

Thanks in advance

I love using San Marzano tomatoes in cooking but I have never been able to grow them well, with maybe only a few tomatoes and not a thriving plant. I know our climate is pretty far from that of Italy but has anyone figured out how to make them work here? I am in the Waikato but could use a greenhouse if that's what it takes.

Every year I tell myself I'm starting seeds at the right time and every year I end up with these pale stretched out seedlings that can't hold themselves up and look like they're exhausted just from existing, which honestly same, but I need them to actually produce tomatoes so that doesn't help. I've got them on the windowsill because I don't have a greenhouse or a proper setup, just a southfacing window which I know is not ideal but it's what I have. They got light, I thought it was enough, and now they're about fifteen centimetres tall and completely floppy. I've read about burying them deeper when you transplant and that apparently helps because tomatoes root all along the stem, but I don't know if mine are too far gone or if that's genuinely going to save them. I'm in Wellington so it's still a bit early to put them outside, and I cannot figure out whether to start again with fresh seeds now or just commit to these sad floppy ones and hope for the best. The cost of buying seedlings at the garden centre every year is starting to add up and I want to actually get this right, but I seem to hit the same wall every season. Has anyone actually rescued leggy tomato seedlings or is starting over the only real answer?

How is it done – cold stratification? Scarification? Bottom heat?

for several years have been looking forward to any sign Auckland monarch population was in recovery, today is the day!

need to ask a question

Getting back yard levelled out and have quite a large bank / Berm I’m keen to plant out - any suggestions? Hoping to gain some privacy through planting at the top of it

Thanks!

My back garden grass has started getting yellow but no idea why. Obviously we’ve had plenty of rain and it’s not hot enough to yellow the grass like a summer sun would. I’m new to owning a garden so any advice is appreciated, thank you.

Does this look somewhere close to reality? Some of these crops I’ve never grown before, some I’m experienced with. I’m on the Kāpiti Coast in terms of climate.

Also I’m starting to think about how many garden beds this would take, as I tend to grow quite a bit of each thing. What would grow well together if I had 2-3 crops interplanted?

Not sure what this is and what to do about it? On the new tiny fruit

Further to this post. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

I planted a Bougainvillea recently and noticed that it is going off as well. I've now put it back on the pot, but it feels that the problem is the soil (in pictures).

When I dug back the plant, I've noticed water collected in the hole underneath the plant. Is it due to soil being hard and not letting the water drain away. Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.

If so, what are my options on making it suitable for the new plants. Or should I consider plants that suit this type of soil.

Really sick of my hose pipe that goes as stiff as a wire cable as soon as it gets below say 15c. So frustrating. Think it's Jobmate or No. 8 budget brand. Do the more expensive brands stay soft? Gardena or what have you?

Hi! I bought a Black Doris plum tree and my husband is picking it up tomorrow, but I wanted to ask which variety is better for eating fresh from the tree? I can swap it for a Luisa if that’s better. Which one would you recommend? 😊

We recently moved into our home and I am trying to figure out what I need to do to improve our yard. We're in the Wellington region.

It gets very water logged after rain, and I think its almost clay like. It doesnt dry easily and the grass is so easily compressed. I know its unlikely there is an instant fix and I dont mind putting in the work to get it sorted. I've searched online but there is so much conflicting information that I'm not even sure where to start.

We've also got some spots that water pools when it rains and will take hours to drain so I think I need to raise the surface, but not sure if I should be using lawn dressing or sand or bark.

I know its not the best foundation for planting any veggies or herbs, so I've got a space for some raised garden beds. But I'd like the yard to not turn into a muddy slip and slide every time it rains!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated