Peter Cundall’s best spring gardening tips

some of Peter’s best tips for your garden in spring

Sunlight is now pouring in, warming the soil, and extended daylight hours are stimulating a massive sprouting of new growth. What a marvellous time of the year to get stuck into the whole garden.

Peter has plenty of tips for putting in tomato seedlings. more info

Spring and early summer is always a time of new, soft, sappy shoots and already there are huge armies of greedy pests beginning to feast off them. Most common of all are aphids, and there’s a huge variety. There is also a couple of different ways to tackle the problem. Read more here.

Peter has long suspected our national obsession isn’t really sport — it’s our backyard lemon and other citrus trees. Citrus trees betray tell-tale signs they are under stress, and in some cases the trees may benefit from a heavy pruning. Wait until all frost dangers have passed before planting out a new tree. 

There’s not much point growing a big crop of pumpkins if the varieties selected are poor keepers. Read more of Peter’s tips for growing pumpkins and his favourite varieties here.

Capsicums can be grown from seed or from seedlings obtained from garden centres. In cool districts, strong seedlings are a big advantage in spring because they provide a flying start with earlier yields. 

The best time to plant passionfruit vines in frost-prone regions is late October or when safe to do so.  More of Peter’s tips for passionfruit vines here

Sure, this carrot is funny, but this sort of growth could be a sign there is something wrong in your garden. Peter says it is surprising how many of the most common vegetable disorders, diseases and even pests can be avoided by applying alittle common sense right from the start.

Peter says he always delays pruning certain fruit trees until they are in full bloom. More of his spring pruning advice here.