Friday 23rd January, 2026
Hi
Happy New Year and welcome to 2026 (from me - Tracy). Say it quickly and you will forget that we are already in week three. Yikes. The good news is that its a long weekend coming up if you are like us and have been working while others are lazing at the beach. Its true that plants don't go on holiday especially ones in small bags and pots, so we have been taking care of our 'babies' before they head off to their forever home i.e. your place! Wherever you have been these holidays - there's no place like home...
Harvest Season - time to preserve
If you are like me you will have been enjoying the first of the season's harvest which in my case is plums. We inherited a double grafted plum when we bought the property, so I am not 100 % sure what variety it is (probably
Billingtons Early) but the dogs (Labradors of course) first signaled they were ready by not-so-stealthy trips under the tree to sample the fallen fruit. I have been picking them this week to nab most before the dogs and birds got to them and preserving them - the first lot I just preserved for eating and the second lot I made into plum chutney which is rapidly getting eaten, so unlikely to last very long. When you are faced with such a bounty of fruit its easy to get overwhelmed but there are lots of delicious options for preserving and you don't need a whole lot of equipment or know how to make the most of natures generosity.
Lloyd's Plum Jam
There's a useful link on our website:
https://www.wairere.nz/Bottle-Stone-and-Pip-Fruits about how to go about preserving but I will outline the basics here. The key to successful preserving is making sure your jars and lids are sterile. This is most easily done by heating at a low temperature in the oven. This is quicker and less messy than a water bath with the same principle: once clean and dry , heating to around 120-140 degrees for 10-20 minutes is enough to kill off any bacteria which might be present on the surfaces. Its important to remove skin and pips/stones from your fruit, then cut them into pieces. To make a preserving syrup a rule of thumb is 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water but you can adjust for a lighter syrup. Once this is boiling in a large heavy based saucepan you can add your fruit. Bring to the boil but dont over boil as some fruit will fall apart. Ladle the fruit and syrup into your prepared jars and overflow with syrup. Seal with sterile lids and store for deliciousness whenever you want - desserts, breakfast, cooking - anytime is fruit time.
Ginger and Plum Jam Recipe from Rowan Bishop - yummy
Summer fruit tree tips
Whether you have got loads of fruit already or are anticipating a good harvest in years to come, hopefully you have checked your pollinators and thinned your fruit to ensure big ripe juicy mouthfuls are on offer. Thinning is carried out generally in early to mid summer before your fruit are fully ripening. You can do this on apples, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines and even some citrus. The principal is that your tree has a limited amount of energy to develop juicy, healthy fruit and if you have millions of tiny fruit forming they wont be as well developed as a smaller number of better quality fruit. For plants like plums this is particularly important as branches can break under the weight of massive crops. Light will also struggle to reach and ripen the fruit. Rule of thumb for plums is one fruit every 5-8 cm. If you haven't tried it before give it a go - and enjoy the bounty of your (bigger) fruit. Here's a link to a useful
article.
Apples, pears, plums peaches and nectarines benefit from fruit thinning
Summer flowers
Echinacea
While sun loving perennials may not be front of mind at the moment with our current week of wet weather, once the clouds clear and summer returns the bees will be buzzing (literally) at the sight of these cone shaped beauties. The cone shaped flowers and bright colours make me think of a rainbow of pincushions. There's a big selection of colours and even some which change colour as they mature.
Lagerstroemia
Crepe myrtle plants are one of my favourites for summer flowering and which you see in gardens all over the Waikato at present. These gorgeous deciduous shrubs are known for their spectacular show of crinkly flowers as well as interesting bark which is a feature all on its own. they love the sun and a position which is a little protected from wind
Plumbago Royal Cape
A bit of an unusual growth habit with these which grow bushy and tall - in between a shrub and a climber. Hailing from South Africa they love the sun and will thrive in a hot dry climate next to a wall or fence. Like most from the sunny continent they dont love frost but apart from burning off the outer leaves, they will survive and will bounce back with a hair cut in the spring.
Summer planting
For those with time and a hose on their hands we have a lovely selection of specially priced cherry trees which with a bit of judicious watering are a great bargain. Normally $74.99 or $89.99 they are reduced to $50. Bring your trailer as these guys are BIG (grafted at 1.8 m). The key to successful planting at this time of year is to keep and eye on the rain gauge and the themometer and check whether your tree root ball area is drying out or not. Most trees during the summer ramp back their growth and go semi dormant, waiting for more moderate temperatures and regular rainfall. Specialled varieties include: Awanui, Accolade, Ichiyo, Shirotae, Tai Haku, Yedoensis.
Waikato gardeners will be thanking their lucky stars for gentle summer rain which is a bit different to what some of the rest of the county has been served up. Make the most of the cooler weather to enjoy the break from watering, plan for your next bout of planting, to maybe even try your hand at jam. Whatever your weekend brings ...enjoy. Auckland Anniversary holiday - here we come.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere Team.
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