Local seeds are always best. They’ve had time to acclimatise to our unique region. Start saving your own seed.
Southern Seed Exchange
Join the seed exchange online. Membership entitles you to a number of seed packets every season. Great value access to heritage seeds that have been acclimated to South Island conditions.
Koanga Gardens
Legendary seed-saving institute headed by Kay Baxter in the North Island. Many seeds are restricted to members only, all proceeds from sale of seeds go back into saving heritage seeds and food plants.
Kings Seeds
North Island based seed sellers with a huge catalogue of heritage and open-pollinated seeds.
Garden of Eden Seeds
Motueka-based nursery specialising in dye plants and medicinal herbs.
TOOLS
Niwashi
A range of traditional Japanese tools for the New Zealand gardeners. My favourites are the Niwashi traditional (left or right handed) and the Niwashi Grubber.
Ecoshow
A range of scythes, glaser wheel hoes and copper hand tools – almost too beautiful to get dirty.
FERTILISERS
Vermicast
Nature’s natural highly biological goodies from every gardener’s best buddy – the worm. Cost is usually around $13 for a 10kg bag.
Wally’s
Wally’s site is a bit hard to navigate but you can sign up for his informative newsletter. He also has a range of biologically oriented products.
ENVIRONMENTAL FERTILISERS
Their aim is to achieve sustainable production of nutrient dense food and these guys have a smorgasbord of gardening delights for the gardener needing a bit of biological help.
Sheep pellets
A slow release natural fertiliser available from gardening and hardware stores.
Horse manure
Check out local riding schools or keep an eye out for side of the road sales. If you can, check when they last wormed the horses as if it was recently, their poo will kill worms in your soil.
Cow manure
Ask a farmer, the best time to collect is on a cold frosty morning as cow pats are easier to pick up frozen.
Straw
Lucerne, barley, wheat, rye, corn and pea will do the job. If possible, source spray-free. Ask farmers or check in the classifieds or at garden centres.
EXTEND YOUR SEASON
Upcycled cloches
Recycle see through plastic juice or soft drink bottles by cutting the bottom off and inverting them over plants. You can also fashion a cloche from a bit of No. 8 wire, a few clothes pegs and a plastic bag.
Cloche kits
Small easy-to-use kits.
Kerilea hoops
Larger scale cloche and mini-tunnel house systems.
Raised beds
Untreated pine. Source cheap boxing from building supplies shops like Placemakers or Mitre 10.
Macrocapa
Can buy as kitset beds or straight timber from Clutha Milling.
Bricks, corrugated iron
Check the Wanaka Wastebusters yard or classifieds for second-hand materials which can be used to make a raised bed.
Wastebusters delivers the Dr Compost home-composting programme in Queenstown and Wānaka under contract to Queenstown Lakes District Council. Check the Dr Compost Facebook page to see if there are any veggie growing or composting workshops scheduled soon.
Dr Compost can also solve any composting dilemmas for Queenstown Lakes residents, and give you personalised advice to get your composting system humming. Email him your questions to: drcompost@wastebusters.co.nz
