Gardening: Wind warning

Broad beans and french beans are in season and ready to be picked. Photo / Getty Images

Spring and early summer are the time for equinoxial gales, and battening down the hatches.

High winds are common this time of year but all risk of frost has now past us. The lovely daylight saving hours means that you can now spend some time in the garden after work. So really there is no excuse not to get stuck in and get all those edible varieties planted for the summer months.

In the vegetable garden

Drying winds and warmer days calls for mulch and lots of it. Mulch will conserve important soil moisture, keep roots cool and stop weeds in their tracks. There are a huge variety of mulches which you can use. My best advice is find something local and cheap or even better free! You can use old woollen carpet, flattened cardboard boxes, compost, straw, pea straw, used coffee grounds or - my favourite - sheep dags! Before you apply any mulch give the soil a really good soaking. Place a sprinkler on the area for at least ½ an hour, remove any weeds and then place the mulch thickly around your plants being careful not to smother any small ones.

Plant these seedlings now: eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kumara, potato, silver beet and tomatoes.

Ripe for the picking

New potatoes are now in season along with the early strawberries. French beans and broad beans are also fresh.

Make the most of the last of the asparagus as this short season is nearly over.

The urban orchard

Now is a good time to start thinning your apples. Thinning means plucking off small and crowded developing fruit. By doing this you allow the larger fruit to develop and you end up with better quality fruit which is tastier.

If any of your fruit trees have developed large leafy branches with very little fruit it is a good idea to prune these off. The reason for this is that this then allows more sunlight into the centre of the tree and makes for easier ripening of the remaining fruit.

If you have strawberries developing now is the time to ensure that they are well watered. Water then at least every second day - in the evening is best. This helps to pump up the fruit and make them extra juicy when it comes times to snack on them.

Remember with any berry fruit birds are your worst enemy. Find a way to protect your developing crop by netting them and placing bird-scarers such as hanging old CDs or reflective tape around and over the top of your berry patch. To avoid your strawberries becoming soiled with dirt, mulch around each plant with straw. This way your fruit will sit on on a clean platform.

Eco tip

As we enter the hotter months why not consider using a fan instead of an air conditioner? If you drape a damp sheet over the fan it is even more cooling! If you have to use an air conditioner ensure all windows and doors are closed so you are not cooling the neighbourhood.

Backyard beekeeping

I have hives on rooftops, balconies, patios, carport roofs and nestled in many an urban garden. Often visitors do not even know they are there.

Bees do very well in urban areas but the most important aspect is to position the hive in an area where the bee's flight path does not come in contact with the public.

The flight path is the stream of bees which are constantly coming and going from the hive's entrance. Once bees leave the hive they quickly disperse in all directions as they go about their busy business of foraging. The secret to good hive placement is to provide what the bees require and to also encourage them to get up high into the air quickly.

A hive is best placed so it faces northeast so it enjoys morning sun. Avoid damp, dark places such as gullies and under large trees.

Provide some protection from the prevailing winds. To encourage the bees to fly high, place the hive three metres in front of a tall hedge or fence or wall. This will encourage the bees to fly high when they leave the hive.

Make sure that when they leave the hive they do not pass over neighbours' clotheslines or parked cars or else they could get splattered in bee poo. This is little drops of hard sticky orange stuff.

Finally, provide your own water source for your bees as they do require a large amount of water on hot days and they could decide to get that from your neighbour's pool.

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