SunLive Competition

Garden sheds all over the country are going through a revival; gone are the days when only the tin shed types prevailed. Nowadays garden sheds can be anything from an old packing crate, to recycled wardrobes and water tanks, to the fancy new purpose-built wooden ones that contain everything including the kitchen sink.

It doesn’t matter what your garden shed looks like, what’s important is what it contains.

Whether it is big or small, all garden sheds require a few essentials to ensure a bumper crop. With Christmas looming and folk asking what you would like this year, a few items for the garden shed may be just the answer.

The Essentials

Potting bench – a strong and sturdy bench or table is a vital component for a garden shed. Old doors, picnic tables, ironing boards or up turned drums all work well as a garden work surface. Sowing seeds and potting up is always easiest and more enjoyable when done at waist height.

Tool Kit – well-kept tools will last for years, and if well looked after they can be passed down from one generation to the next. Fork, rake, trowel, spade are all required for planting and digging. Secateurs, craft knife and a string line are essential too. Wheelbarrow, watering can and gloves complete the list.
Ferts and Dirts
Ferts - No good garden can thrive without the right ingredients. Ferts (fertilisers) are the backbone of any successful garden. Ensure you always have on hand the four most important fertilisers: Nitrophoska Blue compound fertiliser for rapid, sustained growth in vegetables, fruits and ornamentals, Tui General Fertiliser to boost soil nutrients and trace elements, Tui Lawn Fertiliser for lawns, and Tui Eco-Fert soluble fertiliser for pots and containers.
Dirts include everything from compost and garden mix to container mixes and seed raising mix. Tui Vegetable Mix is perfect for growing all vegetables in - use it in containers or raised gardens. Using this mix means, you do not need to add any extras into the soil as it has all included in the one potting mix. It’s so versatile you can even plant veggies such as lettuces, broccoli and cabbages straight into the bag and without delay, as it won’t burn roots.
Border patrol – prevention is always the best form of plant protection. Slugs and snails can test the patience of any gardener. Lay Quash slug and snail pellets around all seedlings at planting time and regularly until harvest, to ensure what you munch don’t crunch. As an alternative grow crops under Haxnicks grow tunnels or cloches.  Pests can’t penetrate these protective layers keeping vegetables fresh and intact.
Read all about it – ensure you have at least one good garden reference book, for the veggie garden, seek out The Tui NZ Vegetable Garden.  This easy-to-understand book takes you through each process from sowing seeds and planting, to growing and harvest. The plastic cover of this book makes it a robust companion to live in the garden shed.
Water control – water is a vital ingredient in the garden. Veggie gardens will struggle to flourish without regular supplies of fresh water. Morning watering is ideal; it’s not a good idea to water plants in the evening as this can cause disease problems - hence the golden rule: never put your garden to bed wet. Add Saturaid to the soil to help it hold onto more moisture; this product has super powers as it quickly enables dry soils to hold onto water again.
Watch  weeds - ensure you always have always have time to pull weeds or have some weed spray in the garden shed to deal with unwanted plants around your gardens. Spray or weed as soon as you notice the weeds growing. 

Planters and pots - if space is at a premium in your garden, vegetable planters are the perfect way to economically increase your growing area. Potato, tomato, strawberry and herb planters are widely used.  New this season are the carrot, space saver and cane planters from Haxnicks, which are a welcome addition to any garden and can be stored in the shed during winter months.  With Christmas approaching, they are a brilliant gift idea for that gardener who has everything.

Seat or bench - it is well recognised that a comfy seat or chair placed in your garden shed or green house aids to the well-being of both the garden and the gardener. Select something comfy to rest the limbs and to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Happy gardening!

Win: A garden essentials kit valued at $80, featuring 5kg of Tui General Fertiliser, 40 litres of Tui Vegetable Mix, 2.5 litres of Saturaid and a Haxnicks Vegetable Patio Planter. To enter, you must be logged in. Click here to register for free!

Win: Go in the draw to win a garden essentials kit valued at $80, featuring 5kg of Tui General Fertiliser, 40 litres of Tui Vegetable Mix, 2.5 litres of Saturaid and a Haxnicks Vegetable Patio Planter with SunLive. Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. To enter, you must be logged in, if you are new click here to register for free!

Competition Results

Keith Gower
Ohauiti