Gardening guides — New Zealand

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Full of Holes in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Kale full of holes in sub-tropical NZ can genuinely be both caterpillars and slugs at once — this zone does...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 31 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Turning Purple in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Purple kale in sub-tropical NZ has the least room to be harmless cold pigment — check variety first, then f...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 31 · 4 min

Vegetables

Best Tomato Varieties for NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Two sourced varieties actually noted for setting fruit under heat, plus seven more of the 97 tomatoes Kings...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 31 · 6 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Garlic Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Sub-tropical NZ garlic that stays a single round is usually a mild-winter chilling problem first, not bad t...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Silverbeet Leaves Turning Yellow in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Yellow silverbeet leaves in sub-tropical NZ point most often to a genuine nitrogen or magnesium shortfall —...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Bolting in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Lettuce bolting in sub-tropical NZ reflects the narrowest safe sowing window in the country — shade and ste...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Tasting Bitter in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Bitter lettuce in sub-tropical NZ is close to a year-round background risk from heat and humidity, not a se...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Tomatoes Not Ripening in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Sub-tropical NZ tomatoes staying green or ripening with yellow shoulders is usually heat above 30°C stoppin...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Not Setting Pods in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Broad beans flowering but not podding in sub-tropical NZ almost never trace to cold here — wet weather grou...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Basil Leaves Turning Black in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Black basil leaves in sub-tropical NZ are more likely downy mildew than cold damage — this zone's long fros...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Beetroot Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Beetroot with no bulb in sub-tropical NZ almost never traces to cold — heat stress above 26°C is the domina...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Covered in Blackfly in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Blackfly on broad beans build fastest in sub-tropical NZ gardens — this zone's warmth gives a colony the mo...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Courgette Flowers Falling Off in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Courgette flowers dropping in a sub-tropical NZ garden are usually normal male drop — the real risk here is...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Courgette Not Fruiting in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Courgette flowering but not fruiting in a sub-tropical NZ garden is almost always a young male-only plant o...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Peas Not Flowering in NZ Sub-Tropical?

Sub-tropical NZ peas that grow lots of vine but few flowers are usually being pushed by heat and humidity —...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 27 · 4 min

Vegetables

Tamarillo Growing Guide for NZ Sub-Tropical

How to grow tamarillo in NZ's sub-tropical zone — the only NZ zone with a genuine outdoor window for this f...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 25 · 6 min

Vegetables

Best Feijoa Varieties for NZ Temperate vs NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Unique, Mammoth, Apollo and more feijoa varieties compared for NZ gardens — self-fertile options, pollinati...

Jul 25 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Passionfruit Varieties for NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Large Black and Black Beauty passionfruit compared for NZ sub-tropical gardens — the only NZ zone with a ge...

New Zealand — sub-tropical · Jul 25 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Lime Varieties for NZ Temperate vs NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Tahitian, Bearss and Key lime compared for NZ temperate and sub-tropical gardens, including why planting ti...

Jul 25 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Orange Varieties for NZ Temperate vs NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Navel orange varieties compared for NZ temperate and sub-tropical gardens — Johnson's Navel, Australian sum...

Jul 25 · 4 min

Vegetables

Best Lemon Varieties for NZ Temperate vs NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Meyer, Yen Ben, Lisbon, Eureka and Genoa lemon compared for NZ temperate and sub-tropical gardens, with rea...

Jul 25 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Mandarin Varieties for NZ Temperate vs NZ Sub-Tropical Gardeners

Satsuma, Kawano and Encore mandarin compared for NZ temperate and sub-tropical gardens — which variety suit...

Jul 25 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Garlic Varieties for NZ Cool/Mountain Gardeners

Cool/mountain's hard winter is exactly what hardneck garlic wants — five sourced varieties compared, includ...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Spinach Varieties for NZ Cool/Mountain Gardeners

Cool/mountain's shorter frost-free season changes which half of this spinach line-up actually earns its pla...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Spinach Varieties for NZ Temperate Gardeners

Six true spinach cultivars sourced for NZ temperate gardens, plus six heat-loving look-alikes sold under th...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Tomato Varieties for NZ Cool/Mountain Gardeners

This zone's tomato season closes a month earlier than a milder garden's — nine sourced varieties compared w...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Tomato Varieties for NZ Temperate Gardeners

Nine standout picks from 97 tomatoes sourced for NZ temperate gardens — spanning earliest-croppers, disease...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Courgette Varieties for NZ Cool/Mountain Gardeners

Courgette's harvest window closes a month earlier in NZ cool/mountain gardens — nine sourced varieties comp...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Best Courgette Varieties for NZ Temperate Gardeners

Nine courgette varieties sourced for NZ temperate gardens compared, from disease-resistant hybrids to heirl...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 23 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Beetroot All Leaf and No Root in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Lush beetroot tops but no bulb underneath? Too much nitrogen or unthinned seedlings are the usual causes — ...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Beetroot Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Beetroot leafy but no bulb in a cool/mountain garden? A cold snap early in the sowing window is the most li...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Beetroot Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Temperate?

Beetroot plant but no bulb underneath? A cold snap or heat stress that triggered bolting is the usual cause...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Carrot Not Germinating in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Carrot row failing to come up in a cool or mountain garden? Cold soil is the extra risk here, on top of the...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Carrot Not Germinating in NZ Temperate?

Carrot row not coming up in a temperate garden? A dry spell during the long germination window is the usual...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Climbing Beans Not Climbing in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Climbing beans stuck on the ground in a cool/mountain garden? They have no tendrils and need a support with...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Not Setting Pods in NZ Temperate?

Broad beans flowering heavily but not podding in a temperate garden? Weather at flowering, not the plant, i...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Best Garlic Varieties for NZ Temperate Gardeners

Five garlic varieties sourced for NZ temperate gardens compared — three true Rocamboles, plus two "garlics"...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Carrot Forking in NZ Temperate?

A split or branched carrot root is almost always a soil or feeding problem, not a variety fault — here's wh...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Carrot Forking in NZ Cool/Mountain?

A forked carrot root usually means the taproot hit a stone or heavy patch, or was fed too much nitrogen — w...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Silverbeet Leaves Turning Yellow in NZ Temperate?

Yellow silverbeet leaves in an NZ temperate garden usually mean the crop needs more nitrogen — though the e...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Silverbeet Leaves Turning Yellow in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Yellow silverbeet leaves in an NZ cool/mountain garden are usually a nitrogen shortfall — the pattern tells...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 22 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Climbing Beans Not Climbing in NZ Temperate?

Climbing beans flopping instead of climbing? They have no tendrils — the stem has to physically find a supp...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Beetroot All Leaf and No Root in NZ Temperate?

Beetroot growing well on top but no bulb below? Overcrowded seedlings and too much nitrogen are the two thi...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 22 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Not Setting Pods in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Broad beans flowering but not podding in a cool/mountain garden usually means cold-weather pollination fail...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 21 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Covered in Blackfly in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Blackfly on broad beans in a cool/mountain garden usually starts on soft tip growth — here's why colonies b...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 21 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broad Beans Covered in Blackfly in NZ Temperate?

Blackfly on broad beans in NZ temperate gardens usually means soft tip growth and fast spring warming — her...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 21 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broccoli Heads Staying Small in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Small, loose broccoli heads in a cool/mountain garden usually trace to spacing or nitrogen rather than heat...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Tasting Bitter in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Bitter lettuce in an NZ cool/mountain garden is usually heat or uneven watering catching up with a plant, n...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Spinach Bolting Straight Away in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Spinach bolting fast in an NZ cool/mountain garden is often set by cold weeks earlier, not heat. Here's the...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Spinach Bolting Straight Away in NZ Temperate?

Spinach bolting fast in an NZ temperate garden is usually day length and heat working together on a late so...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Spinach Leaves Pale and Weak in NZ Temperate?

Pale, weak spinach in an NZ temperate garden is usually a nitrogen shortfall — but check the leaf underside...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Spinach Leaves Pale and Weak in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Pale, weak spinach in an NZ cool/mountain garden is often cold soil holding nitrogen back — but check the l...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Full of Holes in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Holes in cool/mountain kale are usually caterpillars or slugs and snails — check for a slime trail first, t...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Full of Holes in NZ Temperate?

Kale full of holes in an NZ temperate garden is usually white butterfly caterpillars — here's how to tell t...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Turning Purple in NZ Temperate?

Purple kale leaves are often normal, not a problem — check your variety first, then whether it's a passing ...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Kale Turning Purple in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Purple kale in a cool/mountain garden is often the variety doing what it's bred to do — here's how to tell ...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Basil Leaves Turning Black in NZ Temperate?

Black basil leaves in an NZ temperate garden are usually cold damage, not disease — here's how to tell that...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Basil Leaves Turning Black in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Basil turning black in a cool/mountain garden is usually cold injury, not disease — here's how to tell it a...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Basil Bolting in Summer in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Basil bolting in an NZ cool/mountain summer is normal day-length behaviour, not a mistake — here's why it h...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Basil Bolting in Summer in NZ Temperate?

Basil bolting in an NZ temperate summer is normal, day-length-driven behaviour — and this zone's heat can p...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Broccoli Flowering Too Early in NZ Temperate?

Broccoli flowering too early in an NZ temperate garden is almost always heat — here's how to tell that apar...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Broccoli Flowering Too Early in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Broccoli flowering too early in a cool/mountain garden is often traced to an overgrown seedling rather than...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Broccoli Heads Staying Small in NZ Temperate?

Small, loose broccoli heads in an NZ temperate garden usually come from spacing or nitrogen — but summer he...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 20 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Coriander Leggy and Weak in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In NZ cool/mountain gardens, leggy coriander means it's stretching for light, not bolting. Short winter day...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 18 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Tasting Bitter in NZ Temperate?

Bitter lettuce in an NZ temperate garden usually means heat or uneven watering, not bolting — here's how to...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 18 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Bolting in NZ Temperate?

Lettuce bolting in an NZ temperate garden is usually the December-March heat doing exactly what it does mos...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 18 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Lettuce Bolting in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Lettuce bolting in an NZ cool/mountain garden means it's switched to flowering, usually from a hot spell on...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 18 · 5 min

Vegetables

Slugs and Snails in the NZ Vegetable Garden — What Actually Works

Tell slug and snail damage apart from caterpillar holes, understand why seedlings get hit hardest, and whic...

Jul 16 · 6 min

Vegetables

Carrot Rust Fly in NZ — Protecting Your Carrot Crop

Spot carrot rust fly damage before it ruins the harvest, and the barrier, timing and companion-planting def...

Jul 16 · 6 min

Vegetables

Aphids in the NZ Vegetable Garden — Blackfly, Greenfly and Control

Identify blackfly and greenfly aphids on NZ vegetables, understand why numbers explode so fast, and the pre...

Jul 16 · 6 min

Vegetables

White Butterfly and Cabbage Moth on NZ Brassicas (Kale, Broccoli)

Tell cabbage white butterfly caterpillars apart from diamondback moth on NZ kale and broccoli, and the nett...

Jul 16 · 6 min

Vegetables

Tomato-Potato Psyllid in NZ

How to identify tomato-potato psyllid in NZ gardens, what damage it causes on tomatoes and potatoes, and th...

Jul 14 · 6 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Coriander Leggy and Weak in NZ Temperate?

Leggy, weak coriander in an NZ temperate garden is stretching for light, not bolting. Here's how to spot th...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 14 · 5 min

Vegetables

Powdery Mildew on NZ Courgettes and Pumpkins

How to identify powdery mildew on NZ courgettes and pumpkins, slow its spread, and prevent it with spacing,...

Jul 11 · 8 min

Vegetables

Early and Late Blight on NZ Tomatoes

How to tell early blight from late blight on NZ tomatoes, what each disease does, and the prevention steps ...

Jul 10 · 8 min

Vegetables

Rust and White Rot in NZ Garlic

How to tell garlic rust from white rot in NZ gardens, what each disease does, and the practical prevention ...

Jul 10 · 6 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Coriander Bolting Immediately in NZ Temperate?

Coriander bolting straight away in an NZ temperate garden almost always means summer heat and long days. He...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 9 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Pea Pods Staying Empty in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Empty pea pods in cool and mountain NZ often follow frost at flowering, uneven watering, or poor timing. Le...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 9 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Pea Pods Staying Empty in NZ Temperate?

Flat pea pods in temperate NZ usually mean the crop is too young, too dry after flowering, or filling pods ...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 8 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Coriander Bolting Immediately in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Coriander bolting fast in a cool or mountain NZ garden usually means heat, long days, dry soil, or a distur...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 8 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Peas Not Flowering in NZ Temperate?

Peas not flowering in temperate NZ usually means too much nitrogen, dry soil, late sowing, or heat arriving...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 7 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Peas Not Flowering in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Peas not flowering in cool or mountain NZ usually means excess nitrogen, dry soil, heat stress, or frost-da...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 6 · 5 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Courgette Flowers Falling Off in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In cool and mountain NZ, dropping courgette flowers are often unpollinated female fruitlets, not just norma...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Garlic Bolting Early in NZ Temperate?

A flower stalk on temperate NZ garlic is usually normal hardneck behaviour, not a fault — snip it off to si...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Garlic Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In cool and mountain NZ gardens, garlic rarely fails from lack of cold — a single round is almost always a ...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Garlic Not Forming Bulbs in NZ Temperate?

Temperate NZ garlic that stays a single round usually went in too late or grew in starved soil — cold is ra...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Garlic Bolting Early in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In cool and mountain NZ, a garlic scape is normal hardneck behaviour and a sign of a good bulb coming — sni...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Tomatoes Not Ripening in NZ Temperate?

Temperate NZ tomatoes usually ripen fine, so green fruit points to late-set trusses, an over-leafy over-fed...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Tomatoes Not Ripening in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In cool and mountain NZ, tomatoes staying green is the classic short-season problem — cool nights stall rip...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Tomato Leaves Curling in NZ Cool/Mountain?

Curling tomato leaves in cool or mountain NZ are usually harmless stress roll from wind and cold snaps. Her...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Tomato Leaves Curling in NZ Temperate?

Curling tomato leaves in a temperate NZ garden are usually harmless leaf roll from summer heat — not a dise...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Courgette Not Fruiting in NZ Cool/Mountain?

In cool and mountain NZ, courgette flowers but no fruit is usually poor pollination — cold, wet weather gro...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Is My Courgette Not Fruiting in NZ Temperate?

Courgette flowering but no fruit in a temperate NZ garden? It's usually male-only flowers early on, or over...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 4 min

Vegetables

Why Are My Courgette Flowers Falling Off in NZ Temperate?

Courgette flowers dropping off in a temperate NZ garden is usually normal male-flower drop — not a fault. H...

New Zealand — temperate · Jul 5 · 3 min

Vegetables

Silverbeet in NZ: How to Grow It Almost Year-Round

Sow silverbeet in NZ every 6–8 weeks and you'll rarely be without it. Best varieties, when to sow in each z...

Jun 29 · 7 min

Vegetables

Best Peas to Grow in NZ Temperate Spring

Peas are one of the best spring crops for NZ's temperate zones — here are the varieties that actually perfo...

New Zealand — temperate · Jun 29 · 6 min

Vegetables

When to Plant Garlic in Canterbury NZ

Plant garlic in Canterbury from early May to the end of June, close to the winter solstice. Exactly when, w...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jun 29 · 6 min

Vegetables

Growing Courgettes in NZ Cool/Mountain Zone — Timing and Common Problems

Courgettes can thrive in cool/mountain NZ — if you get the timing right and know what goes wrong. Here's ex...

New Zealand — cool/mountain · Jun 29 · 6 min

Vegetables

Why Tomatoes Fail in Wellington — and What to Do Instead

Wellington's wind, cool nights, and short warm season make tomatoes hard — but not impossible. Here's why t...

New Zealand — temperate · Jun 29 · 6 min