I am hoping to plant green chillies, little Jalapenos, this weekend. Last year I had a super harvest. Is it okay to plant in the same area or is a new area better? I noticed that my lettuce is not doing as well this season as the last. Is it because I planted in the same spot as the previous season?

When is the right time to plant potatoes? We are afraid that frosts will kill the tops. 

Brrrrr winter has definitely arrived and made its presence felt! Although our gardens quieten down a bit during this time of the year, there are still important jobs to be done. Our new videos below provide some expert advice on top of winter tasks you need to undertake.

Also in this issue, learn how to ‘rest’ your garden over winter, plus we have a delicious family recipe of Thai Pumpkin Soup to keep you toasty and warm.

I grew ‘Brightlights’ Silverbeet from seed. These plants have now gone to seed. If I collect this seed, will any new plants still be ‘Brightlights’ or will they revert back to white stem ‘silver beet’?

The past two seasons since I’ve been in my new place I’ve had very leafy crops with small fruits. Is there something I can do to help my soil before I plant this year? 

We’ve been advised that our sewer pipes will have to be dug up and replaced. Can I uproot my Escallonia Apple Blossom shrubs and place them perhaps in tubs while the repairs are carried out, then replant them?

I have a Best’s seedless navel orange tree growing in a large pot. It had four oranges on it last year, but this year it has only one. Does it need to be planted out and what feeding is best?

When is the best time to plant out potatoes in Dunedin? And what is the best method for growing them? 

The leaves on my 2-year-old lemon tree appear to have a yellow hue and subsequently dropped off. There are lemons still blossoming but I’m concerned about how to promote the growth of future leaves. 

How do I get bigger Feijoas? I have plenty of fruit but they are not big.