Health

We all need a bit of help in the garden sometimes, and the Daltons gardening experts are here to help with your gardening questions. NZ family-owned and operated, Daltons have been manufacturing and supplying growing media made from natural and renewable resources to Kiwis and their gardens for over 75 years. Send in your gardening question and you could win a Daltons gardening prize pack! See entry details below.

I have huge difficulty growing tomatoes in our raised veggie beds. They always begin great but as they get close to picking, the leaves dry up and get a silvery, crunchy texture. No amount of watering or feeding, or anything brings them back. I have tried cherry tomatoes and larger varieties, larger seedlings, but nothing works. Invariably, problems with the successful cultivation of a range of vegetables, stem from the existing soil. The soil in your vegetable beds may be exhausted of basic nutrients, have poor drainage, or the complete opposite and is very free draining and therefore not holding sufficient moisture as the tomato plants mature in the New Year. Cherry tomatoes are exceptionally robust and if they are failing, there is something radically wrong. Cherry tomatoes are exceptionally robust and if they are failing, there is something radically wrong. To improve your soil, add copious amounts of fresh Daltons Enriched Compost into the existing soil. You could also add in some Garden Time and Vegetable Mix (you may need to remove some of the existing soil in the process). Mulch around your tomato plants with pea straw and/or crushed bark to improve water retention over the hot summer months. Feed your plants with our Garden Time™ Tomato Fertiliser and water it in well. Tomatoes need a lot of water, especially around fruiting time. The key is to be consistent and give them a deep watering three times a week – water until they puddle at the base around your mulch, as this indicates water holding capacity has been reached in the soil. Keep soil moist but not wet. Always only water the roots and avoid getting the leaves wet as this can encourage fungal diseases. Other products to try: You may also find it helpful to read our free How To Tomatoes Guide for more gardening advice: daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides. Congratulations to Steve Bosecke with his question about growing tomatoes.

Win an $85 Daltons Summer Care Pack

Mulch is the magic word when it comes to helping your garden survive summer. Adding a thick layer of mulch or compost around plants helps water retention and cool the soil. Help your garden survive summer with our Daltons Summer Care Pack. To enter, email your gardening question to nelsonmag@daltons.co.nz with Daltons prize pack in the subject heading. Giveaway entries must be received by Friday 17 December 2021.