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The Millwater Gardening Competition! Woohoo! We’re in the countdown to the gardening competition – Judging is the week of the 23rd November, so get those entries in now: Here are the categories: Best Lawn; Best Vegetable Garden; and Best OVERALL Garden How to register: email sarah@themillwatermag.co.nz by 20th November The Vegetable Garden Bean Time – November is a great month to start a crop of beans. They are easily grown by directly placing the bean seeds in the soil, where there is a supportive framework for them to grow up. Use a trellis, fence, build a bamboo tepee or invest in a pre-framed bean-pole. Beans need luscious soil – think Living Earth organic Veggie Mix – and plenty of sun. If space is limited or your vegetable garden is in pots, try the dwarf beans that only grow to 0.5 to 1 metre high and can be easily trained up a decorative plant support. Water well. Basil – The best basil crops are grown from now on. Use garden centre raised plants, not culinary ones from the supermarket. The reason is that basil is very tender and the varieties from the garden centre will be hardy! Plant under the tomatoes or in a pot and don’t saturate – they can tolerate dryness. French Tarragon – check the label on the pot because Russian Tarragon has an entirely different flavour! French tarragon is delicious in cheese dips, chicken dishes and with eggs. Broad Beans – Be patient! So many think they aren’t getting beans – but there’s some lead time between the flower drop and the bean pods forming. They’ll be ready soon – all that bee activity around the flowers wasn’t in vain – promise! Codling Moth Alert – Last season home growers experienced great success by spraying with Yates Success Ultra (four sprays per season only), a low toxicity control of this pest at the crucial laying time. Nobody wants to bite into their apples and pears, only to munch on a caterpillar. Start now! Water Conservation – Living Earth has come up with BLACKGOLD Mulch exclusively for Central Landscapes. This is the scientific way to nurture your garden through our region’s dry summers. It’s a blend of natural-dyed, untreated wood chips that suppress weeds and, importantly, lock in moisture to the roots of your plants. And the Living Earth Compost contained in this mulch has an amazing trickle-down effect on the soil beneath! Best layer it on your garden and be ready for summer heat! Hedge trimming – many hedges can be trimmed now, particularly buxus, pictured. The right time is when fresh new growth has ‘hardened off’ to a darker colour. Best done before it gets too hot, or you risk burning newly exposed foliage. Lightly forking compost around the base gives it some great nourishment too! Good Luck in the garden competition Millwater residents! See you in your garden – Sarah, Dean, Heather
