Planting now will give you stronger and bigger spring growth, root systems will develop over the winter months, there's less watering and fewer pests and diseases. It's also a lovely time to be tending to maintenance jobs around your garden before the cold weather sets in.
Plant spring bulbs in garden beds, containers or hanging baskets - we have a stunning array of top quality bulbs - daffodils, freesia, tulips, iris, anemone, ranunculus, crocus, hyacinth, muscari, Dutch iris. Stagger your plantings from now until the end of autumn and your garden will be bursting with colour from early winter right through to the end of summer.
For tips on having a fantastic show of flowering bulbs click here.
Note: tulips will flower best if the bulbs are placed in the fridge for 4-6 weeks prior to planting.
Plant new annuals. Remove summer annuals that have now finished flowering and plant new seedlings for spectacular colour in your winter garden - Cineraria, pansy, viola, primula, Polyanthus, stock, poppy, snapdragon, dianthus, ornamental kale ...
Plant perennials - so many gorgeous colours and forms - mini cyclamen, alstroemeria, penstemon, gaura so white....
Hanging baskets or pots filled with colourful flowers will brighten your patios and verandahs over the winter months. We have a large selection of pots in many shapes and colours.
Deadhead annuals and trim perennials as they finish flowering.
Roses can be given their final deadhead before leaving them to "winter".
ORDER NOW for 2024 new season roses.
ARRIVING SOON! We have New Season's Azalea's and Camellia's. Beautiful colours, but make sure to plant in semi-shade or the morning sun!
Continue planting for winter kitchen garden harvests:
Lettuce, spring onions, onions, spinach, silverbeet, carrots, broad beans, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, rhubarb, beetroot, leeks, snowpeas ...
Herb favourites - parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, chives, thyme, coriander, dill...
Add more goodness to the soil when replanting - dig in ican Real Blood & Bone, sheep pellets, compost or vege mix.
Top dress vegetable and annual plants with ican Organic Vegetable Food for great flowers or veges.
ican Ocean Grow is a fantastic liquid fish fertiliser which can be applied regularly and will really get your veges growing.
Plant green crops of mustard, oats or lupin in areas of the vege garden that will not be used over winter.
To view our Vegetable Plants Health Care Programme click here or call in for a copy.
Plant a range of fruit trees and berries and you'll be rewarded with fresh healthy fruit throughout the year. Remember the saying "the best time to plant a fruit tree was 5 years ago, the next best time is NOW".
See our Exclusive ican HARVEST Collection which includes Dwarf Apples, Peaches, Citrus and Blueberries, Figs and Feijoas.
Plant feijoa's - to get the best crops plant several named varieties together - this way they will pollinate one another and you will increase your fruiting period and yield.
Persimmons are fruiting and are a great addition to the home garden as a handsome fruiting tree.
If you haven't already done so, fertilise all citrus with ican Citrus Food or ican Fruit Food to ensure they receive all the nutrients they require.
Maintain your regular fruit tree spray programme. It is important to spray with the correct product at the correct time so please ask one of our knowledgeable staff, come in for your copy of our "Fruiting Plants Health Care Programme" or click here to view/download.
Plant new trees and shrubs - autumn is nature’s natural time to plant! Add in ican Slow Food when planting for top results.
If you love gorgeous autumn colours - Maples, Golden Elm, Albizia, Dogwood, Liquid Amber, Ginkgo and Oaks are spectacular.
Plant new hedges and trim existing hedges before frosts damage new growth. Add in ican Slow Food at planting time.
Fantastic hedging plants are Japanese Box, Camellia Setsugekka, Corokia, Teucrium and NZ's favourite Griselinia Broadway Mint!
Spray box hedging with alternate applications of Grosafe Buxus Blight Fighter and Grosafe Free Flo Copper and Grosafe Enspray 99 Oil to prevent the spread of Box Blight (Japanese Box is far more resistant than English Box to Box Blight). Alternatively, use TopBuxus, specially formulated in Europe.
Fertilise azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons with ican Acid Food.
Fertilise new tree plantings with ican Slow Food at planting time. Top dress existing plantings with general garden fertiliser.
Standards make spectacular landscape features - camellia, michelia, laurel - all beautifully shaped standards.
Dwarf fruit trees and citrus are ideal for small gardens and also grow well in pots and yield an abundance of fruit. We have a new range of dwarf fruit trees now in stock called ican Harvest. They include Dwarf Apple, Peaches, Citrus, Blueberries and a new Feijoas “Sherbet” and "Swan". The Ican Harvest range has been hand picked for you and they will exceed your small garden expectations.
Weeping maples are ideal when space is limited.
Cercis Forest Pansy
Flowering Crab Apple - they look stunning with luscious bright red fruit.
Magnolia - gorgeous colours and varieties to choose from.
Good soil, feeding and watering is the key to great plants, flowers, fruit and vege production:
Ican Real Blood and Bone or Organic Vege Food for annuals and veges;
Ican Fast Food for houseplants and containers;
Ican Ocean Grow liquid fish fertiliser or the Tui range of Citrus, Strawberry and Rose Food; Ican Slow Food for new plantings; and
Ican Ocean Grow for veges, containers and flowers.
Look for our Ican Fertilisers in store.
Hygiene is important in the garden so clear away diseased leaves and prunings and sterilise secateurs, hedge trimmers etc before and after use (bleach is a good sterilant).
Pests and Diseases - check all plants regularly for pests and disease - it's easier to deal with them early before they take hold and do too much damage.
If fungus and bugs are present they need to be kept under control with regular spraying. We recommend:
Grosafe Free Flo Copper to control fungus diseases on all fruit, veges and ornamentals.
Grosafe Enspray 99 Oil for the control of sucking insects on all fruit, veges and ornamentals.
Success Ultra for caterpillars, thrips and leafroller.
Mavrik for sucking insects, mites, aphids.
Roses - continue your regular spray programme - to view our Rose & Ornamentals Health Care Programme click here (or call in for a copy).
Apply Blitzem or Quash (if you have animals) to control slugs and snails - particularly around new seedlings.
Mulch to suppress weeds, preserve water and add nutrients with bales of Pea Straw or Daltons Mulch & Grow.
Autumn is the best time to sow new lawns or renovate existing lawns.
New lawns - spray to eradicate weeds, apply Daltons Premium Lawn Soil, fertilise with Tui Lawn Fertiliser (1-2 weeks prior to sowing), sow with a seed variety suitable to your needs.
Existing lawns - spray with Turfix to eradicate weeds and top dress areas as required.
Slow release fertilisers ensure your lawn gets what it needs over a longer period and avoids any fertiliser burn. For new lawns use Burnets EzyStart Slow Release Lawn Fert.
