10 Tips for the Māra this Month
Warm, sunny, with long dry stretches (and a few downpours) - so what should you be doing in your māra (garden) right now? Here are 10 tips from our knowledgeable team and Backyards Trail hosts!
Before we share our tips for February, have a think - could you be involved in the Trail this year? Maybe as a host, a volunteer, or with signage?
1. Plant Plant Plant!
It is never too late! The more you plant and start growing, the more you will harvest later.
Succession planting helps you harvest kai regularly (rather than all at once!).
2. Save Seeds
Save seeds from the healthiest, largest produce if you have heirloom/open-pollinated varieties.
If you are starting from scratch, ask around! Surely you have a few friends and whānau with some extra seeds happy to share with you!
Want to know more? Get in touch with SeedSaver Taranaki: they share, swap and have fun saving and growing seeds!
3. Collect Rainwater
Consider rainwater collection: it will be better for your garden, but also for your wallet in 2027.*
Because it is "soft" and nutrient-dense, rain water will help your plants to thrive!
* From 1 July 2027, all NPDC urban households will be charged for only the amount of water they use.
4. Prep Your Beds!
Start prepping & planning your beds and seedlings for autumn: think crop rotations & composting for soil health.
5. Keep harvesting
Early and often to prevent pest build-up and avoid wasting your beautiful crops!
6. Water Efficiently
Water deeply rather than often, and ideally in the morning.
7. Mulch, Mulch, & Mulch!
Keep moisture in while suppressing weeds! Mulching is a WIN-WIN!
8. Share your Kai and the Love
Drop produce to your neighbours, join a Crop Swap (bringing together backyard gardeners, home bakers and food foragers for swapping and sharing high-quality local food), or drop off at On the House or your local food bank.
9. Preserve Your Summer Bounty
Too much success? Consider drying, pickling, salting, jarring, freezing, and fermenting to enjoy kai later in the year.
10. Start planning (and take notes!)
Start planning your autumn crops: what did you learn from previous years, from friends and other local growers? Anything new you’d like to try? Anything you love to EAT? Now is the time to rethink and maybe reorganise your garden!
Take note - think about what worked this summer, and what didn't, and then keep track for next year!
Cannot make it to the Summer Trail but curious about being a host in Oct-Nov 2026? Register your interest here.
Sustainable Trails 2026: Could you be a host? Find out at Summer Trail on 1st March.
If you are curious about being a host, come along to our 1st March 2026 Summer Trail. Talk with past and present hosts in their gardens about being a part of the kaupapa. We will be visiting two backyards, one build and one farm on the Summer Trail.
Ask questions, pick up ideas, talk about why it's great (as well as the commitment), to see if being a backyard, build or farm host is right for you.
This Summer Trail is exclusively for previous and potential hosts from across all three Trails (not the general public).
No pressure to join as a host in October/November, but we'll take your details and keep you on the radar.
Register your interest in either the Summer Trail or as a host below ⤵
Could you help?
Sustainable Trails 2026: Signage location - can you help us out?
We are looking for locations, all around Taranaki, to put up Sustainable Trails signs to promote the event in October/November. A property, paddock or fence on a main(ish) road is ideal.
Signs would be up from July to mid-November, and we have a little gift for you to say thanks.
To find out more info, with no obligation to proceed, email Suzy here.
