Tag Archives: container gardening

16 Feb

* Troppo's Plant Collection

Banana ‘Musa Acuminata var. Zebrina’ – The Striking Blood Banana

• February 18, 2025
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

Grown in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, NZ, the Banana Musa Acuminata var. Zebrina, popularly known as the Striking Blood Banana, has captivated plant enthusiasts with its vibrant foliage and unique appearance. Its striking red and green speckled leaves add a dramatic flair to any garden or indoor space, m...

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27 Jun

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Fruit Gardener’s Diary for the Year in New Zealand

• February 17, 2025
• By Troppo
• 13 comments

New Zealand’s diverse climate allows for a wide range of fruiting plants to be grown throughout the year. Here is a month-by-month guide to help you plan your fruit garden, including planting, caring, and harvesting activities for the most common fruiting plants grown in New Zealand. January P...

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27 Jun

Flower Gardener's Diary, Monthly Gardening Checklists

Flower Gardener’s Diary for the Year in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 5 comments

New Zealand’s diverse climate allows for a wide range of flowering plants to thrive throughout the year. Here is a month-by-month guide to help you plan your flower garden, including planting, caring, and enjoying the blooms of the most common flowering plants grown in New Zealand. January Pla...

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27 Jun

Monthly Gardening Checklists, Vegetable Gardener's Diary

Vegetable Gardener’s Diary for the Year in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 5 comments

New Zealand’s temperate climate allows for a wide variety of vegetables to be grown throughout the year. Here is a month-by-month guide to help you plan your vegetable garden, including planting, caring, and harvesting activities for the most common vegetables grown in New Zealand. January Pla...

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27 Jun

Flower Gardener's Diary, Monthly Gardening Checklists, Vegetable Gardener's Diary

Fruit Tree, Vegetable, and Gardening Planting Calendar – A Broad Brushstroke for our NZ climate

• February 17, 2025
• By Troppo
• 5 comments

The Bay of Plenty region enjoys a temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters, making it ideal for growing a wide range of fruit trees, vegetables, and other garden plants. Here is a comprehensive planting calendar to help you plan your garden activities throughout the year. Fruit Tree Pla...

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26 Jun

Garden & Plant Questions

How much Tui Enrich Controlled Release fertiliser do I feed my citrus in a wine barrel?

• June 26, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

Question. I have purchased some Tui Enrich for my citrus trees which are in 1/2 wine barrels which hold a couple of bags of container mix. Now after a year they need a feed. They are large advanced grade trees, how much Enrich do I put in each barrel. Answer. Feeding your citrus trees is essentia...

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23 Oct

Garden & Plant Questions

Can I use Tui Strawberry Food on my strawberries in pots?

• June 26, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

Question. I have planted my early strawberries in large plastic containers only to find that Tui Strawberry food is not suitable for plants in pots and containers. Why is this as they have ample root space? Answer.  Planting strawberries in large plastic containers is a great way to enjoy fresh f...

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11 Sep

Growing Guide

Growing Guide for Mini Black Heirloom Popping Corn in New Zealand

• June 26, 2024
• By Troppo
• 5 comments

Mini black heirloom popping corn is a unique and fun variety to grow in your garden. This type of corn is not only decorative but also produces delicious popcorn. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you successfully grow mini black heirloom popping corn in New Zealand. Choosing the Right Location ...

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01 Dec

Flower Gardener's Diary

December – Flower Gardener’s Diary for New New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

December is the height of summer in New Zealand, and your flower garden will be bursting with color and activity. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you manage your flower garden during this vibrant month. Planting Summer Annuals: Continue planting summer annuals such as marigolds, zinni...

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01 Nov

Flower Gardener's Diary

November – Flower Gardener’s Diary for New Zealand

• July 23, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

November is a busy and exciting month for flower gardeners in New Zealand. With the onset of warmer weather, it's the perfect time to get your garden ready for summer. This diary will guide you through essential tasks and tips to ensure your flower garden thrives this season. Early November 1. Soi...

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02 Aug

Garden & Plant Questions

How and when do I refresh my pot plants?

• June 26, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

Question. Hi, we have been using garden pots for some years now and the soil in some of the pots with shrubs in them is very compacted. Do I try to refresh the pots and put in new potting mix, or is there another way? Answer.  Over time, soil in garden pots can become compacted, leading to poor d...

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01 Aug

Flower Gardener's Diary

August – Flower Gardener’s Diary for New Zealand

• July 23, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

August marks the transition from winter to spring in New Zealand, making it an exciting time for flower gardeners. With the promise of warmer weather and longer days, there are plenty of tasks to prepare your garden for a vibrant spring bloom. This diary will guide you through essential tasks and ti...

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01 Jul

Flower Gardener's Diary

July – Flower Gardener’s Diary for New Zealand

• July 23, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

July is a mid-winter month in New Zealand, and while it may be cold, there are still plenty of tasks to keep flower gardeners busy. This diary will guide you through essential tasks and tips to ensure your flower garden is healthy and ready for the upcoming spring. Early July 1. Soil Preparation ...

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28 Apr

Growing Guide

Bok Choi Growing Guide for New Zealand

• July 23, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

Bursting with goodness, these hardy no fuss vegetables are brilliant crops to plant in the winter garden. Bok choi is a very quick growing Asian green that is sweet, tasty and exceptionally easy to cultivate and cook. It is sometimes referred to as pak choi or Chinese celery cabbage.

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01 Dec

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for December in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

December is a busy month in the garden as the weather warms up and plants thrive. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you stay on top of your gardening tasks and ensure your garden flourishes throughout the summer season. General Garden Maintenance Watering: Ensure all plants receive adeq...

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01 Nov

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for November in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

November is late spring in New Zealand, and it's a bustling time in the garden as the weather warms up and plants enter a vigorous growth phase. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you make the most of your gardening activities this month. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly rem...

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01 Oct

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for October in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

October marks the middle of spring in New Zealand, and it's a busy time in the garden as plants begin to grow vigorously. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you stay on top of your gardening tasks this month. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly remove weeds to prevent them from...

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01 Sep

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for September in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

September marks the beginning of spring in New Zealand, and it’s a vibrant time for gardeners as the weather warms up and plants begin to flourish. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you manage your garden tasks in September. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly remove weeds to ...

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01 Aug

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for August in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

August is the tail end of winter in New Zealand, and it's a crucial time to start preparing your garden for the upcoming spring. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you get your garden ready for the new growing season. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Keep on top of weeds to prevent th...

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01 Jul

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for July in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

July is mid-winter in New Zealand, and while the weather can be cold and wet, there are still plenty of gardening tasks to keep you busy. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you maintain and prepare your garden during the winter months. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Keep on top of w...

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01 Jun

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for June in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

June marks the beginning of winter in New Zealand, and it's a time to protect your garden from the cold while preparing for the upcoming spring season. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you manage your garden tasks in June. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Keep on top of weeds to...

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01 May

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for May in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

May marks the beginning of late autumn in New Zealand, and it's time to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter months. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you keep your garden in top shape during May. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly remove weeds to prevent them from com...

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01 Apr

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for April in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

April marks the middle of autumn in New Zealand, and it’s a crucial time to prepare your garden for the cooler months ahead. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you maintain your garden and get it ready for winter. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly remove weeds to prevent them...

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01 Mar

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for March in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

March marks the beginning of autumn in New Zealand, and it’s a time to start transitioning your garden from the summer heat to cooler autumn weather. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you maintain and prepare your garden during March. General Garden Maintenance Weeding: Regularly remove...

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01 Feb

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for February in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

February is the last full month of summer in New Zealand, and it’s an important time to keep your garden thriving and start preparing for the cooler months ahead. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you manage your garden tasks in February. General Garden Maintenance Watering: Ensure your...

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01 Jan

Monthly Gardening Checklists

Gardening Checklist for January in New Zealand

• June 27, 2024
• By Troppo
• 0 comments

January is the height of summer in New Zealand, and it's a busy time in the garden. The warmer weather and longer days mean plants are growing vigorously. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you manage your garden tasks in January. General Garden Maintenance Watering: Ensure your garden i...

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