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Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

Ocean Organics NZ, 7446 State Highway 2, RD 4, Paeroa (2026)

Years ago, husband and wife, Jill Bradley and Keith Atwood went on a woofers holiday around organic farms of New Zealand. They discovered the true, rich tastes of organic fruit and veges and committed to growing organically for their family. Jill and Keith were educated on the inherent dangers of chemical cocktails applied to soil and plants. An organic farm in the Hawkes Bay impressed them with t

he health, abundance and lack of disease in the organics. The major inputs were seaweed and comfrey... So began a number of years of research. Keith experimented with brewing and Jill experimented with organic growing. Gardening friends soon began asking Jill and Keith to supply them. Ocean Organics was formed to provide organic alternatives for urban gardens. Our Philosophy -

-To produce 100% earth friendly products for the health of soil, plants & people
- To be engaged in the educative process of learning & teaching others about organic growing
- Ensure that organic products are available in a form that is convenient & easy to use
- To keep organic growing solutions cost effective compared with chemicals
- To encourage recycling of packaging
- We believe in the bio-dynamic principle of, NZ seaweed for NZ soil.

01/09/2026

NICKI’S GUIDE FOR SEPTEMBER IN THE GARDEN

There’s something pretty special about spring in the garden. After winter’s slower pace, everything suddenly wakes up - fresh growth and blossoms everywhere. Longer days, warmer temperatures and moist soil make this one of the best times to plant, but don’t put the frost protection away just yet!

Now is the time to plan what you’d like to eat over summer. If starting from seed, sow indoors or in a glasshouse, around twice the seed’s width in depth, and keep moist while germinating.

Spring is prime time for leafy greens - lettuce, silverbeet, bok choy, spinach, celery, cress, sorrel, fennel, rocket, coriander, mizuna, parsley, dill and chives. Sow every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvests.

Brassicas - broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage - should be protected with fine insect mesh from day one to prevent cabbage white butterflies laying eggs.

Root crops including spring onions, beetroot, radish, daikon, parsnips and carrots can be sown directly. Keep carrot seed consistently moist for the roughly two weeks it takes to germinate. Protect from birds and keep up the slug and snail patrol.

Don’t rush summer crops such as tomatoes, chillies, capsicums, cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchini. Soil temperature matters more than a sunny afternoon. Tomatoes need soil temps of at least 18°C and night temps around 13°C or warmer. If conditions are borderline, use a cut-off soda bottle as a mini glasshouse over individual seedlings.

Harden off all seedlings for 4–7 days before planting outdoors, including nursery-bought plants. An Ocean Organics NZ seaw**d feed at planting time can help reduce transplant shock and encourage strong root growth.

Don’t make the garden all about vegetables! Flowers provide colour, habitat and food for pollinators and beneficial insects. Plant sweet peas, calendula, cornflowers, cosmos, poppies, nasturtiums, marigolds, sunflowers, echinacea, snapdragons and zinnias.

Plant your seed potatoes now, get kumara slips underway for planting out in November and when around half the leaves of your garlic have browned, dig up a bulb to check whether the cloves are ready to harvest.

Plant citrus, passionfruit, tamarillos and avocados. Stake young trees securely and keep them well watered while establishing.

Spring winds are an issue, so shelter is an important part of your garden design. Taller plants on the border but also low-growing shrubs in pots can help protect vulnerable areas. Make sure climbing structures are sturdy. Reinforcing mesh strung between two stakes is excellent for tomatoes and other tall crops, while a simple bamboo teepee works well for beans.

As temperatures and humidity increase, watch for aphids, mealybugs and stink bugs. Check new growth and leaf undersides regularly. Squish pests on sight or blast soft-bodied insects off with water; for heavier infestations, regular applications of neem oil can help.

Spring is all about getting ahead - plant little and often, protect young crops, liquid feed, and make plenty of room for flowers. The work you put in now will reward you with a garden full of food, colour and life over the summer months ahead.

Happy growing!
Nicki - Vital Harvest

01/08/2026

NICKI'S GUIDE FOR AUGUST IN THE GARDEN

Spring is just around the corner! While it may still feel like the depths of winter, August is all about preparing for the busy growing season ahead. Stock up on seeds, refresh garden beds, feed your soil, and make any final layout changes before the sowing frenzy begins next month.

What to Sow
If you're in the far north, or have a heat pad and a sunny windowsill, you can get an early start on tomatoes, chillies and capsicums. These heat-lovers, as well as aubergine, cucumbers and zucchini, most definitely need consistently warm soil conditions for successful germination.
Direct sow broad beans and radishes.
Sow peas into cardboard rolls and plant out once established to protect from birds and slugs.
Tray sow brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale), celery, lettuces, spinach, beetroot, bok choy, onions (spring, red and brown).
Carrots can be sown in pots if kept somewhere warm and sheltered.

What to Plant
Brassicas, celery, onions, silverbeet, spinach, parsley, mizuna, tatsoi, rosemary, sage and thyme. Lettuces, beetroot, bok choy, rocket and coriander can be planted out in milder regions. Elsewhere grow them in the greenhouse. Asparagus crowns, rhubarb and yacon.
Winter is the perfect time to plant strawberries, they love a chill - plant into well-fed soils with a layer of mulch.
Add flowers such as alyssum, calendula, borage, cornflowers, cosmos, poppies, snapdragons, hollyhocks and sweet peas to attract beneficial insects.

Feed Your Soil
Dig in established cover crops, add compost, aged manure, vermicast or seaw**d fertiliser, such as Ocean Organics NZ Soil+, then finish with a generous layer of mulch to nourish and protect the soil. Plant summer cover crops of lupins and phacelia if you don’t need the beds for a while.

Pruning
Finish pruning apples and pears, tidy citrus, and prune roses, feijoas, passionfruit, hydrangeas and grapes. Leave stone fruit until summer to reduce the risk of silverleaf disease.
If leaf curl or black spot were problems last season, apply a copper spray as buds begin to swell and repeat two weeks later. Mulch around fruit trees and consider underplanting with comfrey, calendula, chives or herbs.

Potatoes & Kūmara
Start chitting potatoes now if you want a Christmas harvest, and get your kūmara tipu (sprouts) underway by placing kūmara in a moist sandbox or standing upright in half a glass of water.

Garden Jobs
• Liquid feed garlic twice a month to boost bulb development.
• Divide established perennials to prevent overcrowding and rejuvenate plants (leave frost-tender plants until spring).
• Clean pots, seed trays and the greenhouse with warm soapy water to remove fungal spores and insects.
• Sharpen and oil your tools.
• Hunt slugs while it’s quiet and save countless seedlings later!

September is when the garden really bursts into life, so enjoy the quieter pace while it lasts.

Happy gardening!
Nicki - Vital Harvest

01/07/2026

NICKI'S GUIDE FOR JULY IN THE GARDEN

July - the Māori New Year and the start of the gardening year. Check your seed collection, order fruit trees, and plan what you want to grow and eat. With Matariki rising, it is a time to release what no longer serves you before shifting into a new season of growth.

There is no pressure to be sowing seed this month, but late-season veg like broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and cabbage can go in. These seedlings will need protection with cloches, such as cut-off soda bottles or plastic covers. Sow peas, snow peas, and spinach. Radishes, celery, beetroot, coriander, mizuna, rocket, and winter-hardy lettuces are best suited to warmer zones or the greenhouse. Chives, rosemary, sage, thyme, and lemon balm are excellent pest-deterring companion plants.

Flowers such as calendula, cornflowers, alyssum, violas, poppies, stock, and snapdragons will add winter colour to the garden.

Plant crowns of rhubarb, asparagus, yacon, and Jerusalem artichokes, and divide up your strawberry runners. All of them will love a feed of liquid seaw**d, compost, or aged manure.

Get ready for kūmara season by sprouting your own tipu (shoots for planting). This can be done by suspending half a kūmara in a jar of water on a sunny windowsill, or nestling a whole kūmara into damp sand in the greenhouse. Once the sprouts are 20-30 cm long, gently remove them from the kūmara and place them in a jar of water for a week or two while roots form. November is the ideal time for planting tipu.

Fruit trees are our top priority. July is when nurseries send out bare-rooted fruit trees (the best way to order them). They will need to be planted immediately, staked, and mulched with woodchip. Prune existing trees, on a dry day in the week to 10 days following the full moon, when sap flow has slowed. Clear away any rotten fruit from underneath, and deal with fungal issues using a copper spray if you’ve had problems in previous seasons. Come spring, regular seaw**d sprays and neem oil can help keep overwintering bugs in check.

Prune roses, hydrangeas, feijoas, and berries. Deadhead flowers and trim back herbs to encourage fresh growth in spring.

There is no need to race to clear out spent crops - these plants can offer an opportunity to save seed, protect soils or provide shelter for fresh seedlings. If you do need to make space, I encourage you to leave the roots in the soil to rot down and feed the soil microbiology.

Gather leaf litter for compost piles or for making leaf mould, a valuable carbon-rich soil amendment for next year.

Now’s your chance to reflect on last year’s successes - what thrived and what didn’t work so well. You can shift things around, move shrubs and trees if needed, and add infrastructure. Setting up trellises for tall crops, such as beans and tomatoes, will save you a job in spring.

Rejuvenate tired garden beds with cover crops (such as broad beans, oats, peas, or lupins), compost, leaf mould, vermicast, or a generous layer of well-rotted manure and Ocean Organics Full Spectrum Soil+.

Mānawatia a Matariki
Nicki Murray-Orr - Vital Harvest

01/06/2026

NICKI'S GUIDE FOR JUNE IN THE GARDEN

Winter has officially arrived, and it certainly feels like it in Waihi. After the stunningly dry and warm month of May, June has arrived with a wet and blustery bang. With the Winter Solstice just around the corner, our window for sowing and planting outdoors is closing. It's a natural time to slow down, pause, and take stock.

June is ultimately about protection and care. Protect your soil, preserve its structure, and prevent nutrients from washing away. Mulch generously - vegetable beds with hay, straw, chopped leaves, or seaw**d, and woodchip through the orchard and along pathways.

Make compost and tidy the garden without "cleaning everything up". Leaves and plant material provide habitat for beneficial insects, while roots left in the soil continue to feed microbial life. Clear old crops by cutting them off at the base and leaving the roots to decompose. Minimal soil disturbance helps keep underground ecosystems healthy. Prune back spent crops, deadhead flowering plants, and get those compost piles going.

To keep harvests ticking over, stagger your plantings. In June, you can still sow:
Veggies – broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, onions, spring onions, radishes, silverbeet, spinach, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme and, in the greenhouse, beetroot, Asian greens, celery, lettuce, coriander, mizuna and rocket.
Companion flowers – alyssum, borage, calendula, cornflowers, stock, violas and poppies. These add winter colour while supporting pollinators and beneficial insects.

Now is also a good time to plant asparagus and rhubarb crowns. Strawberry runners can be potted up or planted out to refresh older patches and maintain productivity.

Garlic growers, if you haven't already, get those cloves in now. Plant your largest cloves into free-draining, compost-rich soil and mulch generously - garlic doesn't like w**d competition. Feed regularly to encourage strong bulb formation. I feed mine fortnightly with Ocean Organics NZ NZ Foliar Concentrate particularly in the early months.

If you're growing fewer edibles over winter, sow cover crops such as mustard, peas, oats, lupins, or broad beans. They suppress w**ds, improve soil structure, support microbial life, and legumes will also fix nitrogen for future crops. Broad beans and lupins are my go-to cover crops for beds destined for tomatoes in spring.

June is also an excellent time to plant deciduous fruit trees. Stake young trees if needed, mulch well with woodchip, and feed with compost. Pick up and compost any fallen or rotting fruit to help prevent disease carryover.

When pruning, remove damaged or diseased wood first, then shape the tree to improve light pe*******on and airflow. Sterilise tools between trees and only use copper sprays if fungal issues are present. Otherwise, focus on maintaining tree health with compost, mulch, and seaw**d foliar sprays.

Seed catalogues are my winter gardening fix when all else is said and done.

Need a Hand?
If you need help maximising your garden's productivity, designing an orchard, pruning fruit trees, or have landscaping questions, jump onto my website for a free 15-minute consultation or send me a message. I'm always happy to help.

Happy growing,
Nicki – Vital Harvest

02/05/2026

NICKI'S GUIDE IN THE GARDEN FOR MAY

It’s not too late to get food in the ground for winter - now is the time for leafy greens especially. You may not harvest Brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale) for a while, but the minute temperatures improve, they’ll burst into action and you’ll be glad you planted them too.

Other suggestions on what to plant - Direct sow broad beans, peas, shallots, coriander, mizuna, rocket, parsley, and radishes. Seedlings of silverbeet, beetroot, fennel, spinach, celery, bok choy, onions, and lettuce (choose cool-season lettuces like Oakleaf and Merveille des Quatre Saisons, and opt for red varieties for better cold tolerance). Divide and plant strawberries, and feed regularly with a liquid seaw**d to keep plants strong and resilient.

Autumn can be unpredictable - so keep planting, pay attention to what works (and what doesn’t), and remember, that building healthy soil is an on-going process. The payoff is stronger, more resilient plants and fewer pest issues.

Boost soil by rotating crops and adding compost prior to planting new crops. A seasonal sprinkle of Ocean Organics NZ Soil+ will help correct nutrient deficiencies and stimulate microbial life. Leave the roots of old crops in the ground to feed soil life, and consider cover crops like lupins, broad beans or mustard to improve soil structure and suppress w**ds.

Garlic planting season is here!. If you’re concerned about rust, elephant garlic is an option. It’s not technically garlic (it’s in the leek family) and is therefore less susceptible. While the traditional time to plant garlic in NZ is on the shortest day and harvest on the longest, it can actually be planted anytime from April through to the end of July.

My planting strategy is:
Plant according to the lunar calendar (7–10 days after the full moon is ideal for root crops).
Select the largest, well-formed outer cloves. Soak them overnight in a bucket with a bit of cow manure, diluted worm juice, and/or some liquid seaw**d to inoculate and kick-start the cloves.
Lay them out on the bed, ensuring 15–20 cm spacing. Use a dibber or your thumb to make a hole, then press them into the soil, pointy end facing up and at least a thumb deep.
Add a layer of homemade compost or aged manure.
Water and mulch heavily—garlic hates competition from w**ds.
Once the tips poke through the soil, apply a fortnightly foliar feed for the first few months.
About a month before harvest, stop watering completely.

Add winter colour with poppies, alyssum, calendula, cornflowers, stock, sweet peas and spring bulbs.

Harvest potatoes, pumpkins, and kūmara, especially in frosty areas. In milder zones, you can still plant more - pots are a great option for shelter, pest and moisture control.

Prune grapes, roses, and berries. The next couple of months are perfect for planting deciduous fruit trees, shelter trees, moving shrubs, and dividing perennials. As leaves fall, support tree health with an Ocean Organics NZ Liquid Foliar Concentrate spray.

And finally - collect as much leaf litter as you can. It’s gold for compost, mulch, or leaf mould, and your future soil will thank you.

Happy growing,
Nicki Murray-Orr, Vital Harvest

Address

7446 State Highway 2, RD 4
Paeroa
3674

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

http://www.oceanorganics.co.nz/

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