Autumn & Winter Garden Guide
For Central Otago
Welcome to our seasonal guide on making the most of your garden during the crisp months of autumn and the cool of winter here in Central Otago. Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just beginning to cultivate your gardening skills, we’ve put together some essential tips and advice to help you nurture your garden and prepare it for the coming spring.
Fruit Tree Pruning
When to Prune and How
As the leaves start to fall and the air grows cooler, it's the perfect time to start pruning your fruit trees. This not only helps to maintain the tree's health and structure but also enhances the fruit quality for the next season. Here’s how to tackle different types of fruit trees:
Apples and Pears: Aim to let light into the center of the tree, which helps with even fruit ripening and reduces disease risk. Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches to boost air circulation and shape the tree to keep growth manageable.
Stone Fruits (Cherries, Apricots, Plums): It’s better to prune these after the coldest part of winter to avoid frost damage and prevent diseases like silver leaf. Focus on removing old wood to promote the growth of new, fruit-bearing branches.
Pruning Tips
Always use sharp and sterile tools to make your cuts, which should be just above a bud facing the outside of the tree. This encourages outward growth, improving light penetration and air flow through the branches.
Rose Pruning
Encouraging Vibrant Blooms
Timing is everything with roses. In Central Otago, we start pruning in winter to prepare for an explosion of spring growth. Here's what you should keep in mind for different rose varieties:
Hybrid Teas and Floribundas: Cut back to about a third or half of their original height, focusing on removing any weak or dead stems and preserving strong, outward-facing buds.
Climbing Roses: Remove older stems that no longer produce and secure the remaining canes horizontally to encourage more blooms.
For All Roses: We also recommend doing a hard cut back every 2-3 years to encourage growth, adjust structure of the plant and reduce disease issues.
Post-Pruning Care
In Spring give your roses a little TLC with some mulch around the base and a bit of slow-release fertilizer to set them up for success in the spring.
Soft Landscaping Work
Perfect Projects for the Cooler Months
With the ground often softer and the days less harsh, autumn and winter are great times for some light landscaping work. Whether it’s installing new garden beds, setting up edging, or laying down weed matting, here’s how to get started:
Creating Garden Beds: Opt for a sunny spot and consider raised beds for better drainage and earlier warming in spring. Use high-quality soil enriched with compost to give your plants the best start.
Installing Edging: A crisp edge can dramatically tidy up your garden’s appearance and keep your beds free from grass and invasive weeds. Materials like natural stone or quality garden edging products work well.
Weed Matting: A hot topic amongst all gardeners with its own set of pros and cons, weed matting helps minimize weeding work by creating a physical barrier for weeds whilst still allowing some air and water to penetrate. We always suggest a high-quality woven weed mat. Although not a complete solution on its own, alongside occasional hand weeding and spraying it can effectively reduce maintenance time required. A great option for large berms and garden beds.
Mulching: Another effective weed barrier that looks great and, depending on the material chosen, can break down to feed plants and improve soil structure over time.
Irrigation
Protect your irrigation system
An essential garden component in our dry part of Aotearoa, irrigation systems are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Here’s our run down for safely winterising your garden’s irrigation:
Turn Off Irrigation: Conserve resources, stop your plants becoming waterlogged and your pipes from freezing. This could be a tap or in-ground valve depending on the system.
Unplug and Remove External Tap Timers: Store these items inside away from frosts and reinstall in spring.
Clean Filters: This is a good opportunity to clean out your irrigation filters which can get clogged with the dreaded “lake snot” during general use.
General Garden Tidying
Prep Your Garden for the Cold
Clear Fallen Leaves: Keep your garden tidy and lawns happy by raking up fallen leaves—these can be added to your compost heap or layer on your garden beds to break down over winter.
Cut Back Herbaceous Perennials: Trim back dead foliage and stems from your perennials to tidy up the garden and encourage resplendent regrowth in spring.
Tool Care: Clean, sterilise and oil your gardening tools so they’re ready to go when you are in spring.
Protect Sensitive Plants: Wrap vulnerable species such as young lemon trees in frost cloth to fend off the intense Central Otago frosts.
By taking a few simple steps to care for your garden during the colder months, you not only protect your cherished plants but also set the stage for a lush, vibrant spring.
Remember, if you have any questions or need help with a specific project, our team is just a phone call or email away. We’re here to help you achieve your gardening dreams, no matter the season!
