Gardening is boring.
How-to guides for direct sowing wildflower seeds, watering essentials for spring & summer, presprouting & transplanting dahlia tubers, dealing with slugs & snails, pruning & feeding citrus and taking cuttings of perennials.
Written in partnership with Boring® Oat Milk.
This spring, Sage Journal is partnering with Boring® Oat Milk to bring a fresh perspective to garden prep. We’re embracing the basics that lay the foundation for a thriving growing season. Together, we’re taking a lighthearted approach, inviting you to find joy in these ‘boring’ but essential spring garden tasks.
This late-spring guide covers practical, step-by-step tips to help you set up your garden for the season ahead.
While gardening may sometimes feel like a series of small, humdrum tasks, it’s these very basics — sowing wildflower seeds, watering, dealing with slugs and snails, planting dahlias, caring for your citrus and taking cuttings from perennials — that will get you closer to the summer blooms and lush garden growth we’re all hoping for. It begins here.
Follow along with us this season as we uncover the beauty in the basics — #gardeningisboringnz
How to direct sow wildflower seeds
Choose your spot
While wildflowers aren’t super fussy, they do need a sunny patch to grow in — at least 6 hours a day to bloom to their best.
Prepare the soil
Get rid of weeds, loosen the soil with a fork, and mix in compost or other organic matter. Rake until it’s nice and fine.
Scatter seeds
Scatter the seeds evenly over the soil. For tiny seeds, mix with coarse sand for a more even spread.
Press, don’t cover
Press seeds in gently with the back of a rake, so the seeds don’t get easily dislodged. Wildflower seeds usually need light to germinate, so no need to cover them up.
Carefully water
Use a gentle mist to water, keeping the soil moist until germination — usually between 1–3 weeks.
Protect from birds
Hungry birds love wildflower seeds. Cover with netting or a cloche to give them a fighting chance.
Thin for space
Once they’re about 10 cm tall, thin out any crowded seedlings to help the strongest ones thrive.
Watering essentials for spring & summer
Timing matters
Water in the morning for best absorption with less evaporation. Evening watering works too, but can invite fungal growth in humid areas.
How much?
Sandy soil? More water. Clay? Less. Drought-tolerant flowers? Minimal watering. Veggies? A regular schedule is best.
Track rainfall
Track your local rainfall with a rain gauge. Top up by hand watering or irrigating —
aim for about 25mm per week in veggie beds to meet their needs.
Deep water
Water deeply, once a week, to promote strong roots (as opposed to little and often). Let soil dry a bit between waterings. (Seedlings will need a bit more love.)
Choose a system
Whether it’s drip irrigation, a sprinkler system or old-fashioned hand watering, aim for the root zone for the best results, and to prevent waste.
Adjust to the weather
Check soil moisture: only water if the top 5cm is dry. Raised beds and pots need more frequent checks than in-ground beds.
Plant grouping
Group plants with similar water needs together.
Mulch well to keep that moisture locked in.
Watch for signs of stress
Yellow or wilting leaves? Check the roots. Rot points to overwatering, shriveled roots show drought. Adjust as needed.
How to presprout & transplant dahlia tubers
Pick your tubers
Choose healthy dahlia tubers without any signs of rot, and look for visible “eyes” (little bumps) where new shoots will sprout.
Prep a pot
To pre-sprout your dahlias, select a plastic pot with drainage holes that comfortably fits your tuber. Fill with a well-aerated potting mix to support root development.
Easy on the water
Water lightly and keep the pot in a warm spot to encourage sprouting. Be careful not to overdo it on watering to avoid rot.
Harden off
Once shoots appear, start hardening them off outdoors. Since dahlias are frost-sensitive, pick a sheltered, sunny location.
Get garden-ready
When the shoots reach about 15cm, you can transplant them into the garden. Dig a hole the same size as the pot, mix in a little compost, and add slow-release tomato fertiliser. Dahlias love a nutrient boost.
Transplant
Place the tuber in the hole, ensuring the shoots are above ground while covering the roots and tuber with soil. Finish with a drink of seaweed solution to help them settle in.
How to deal with slugs & snails
Spot the signs
If you’re seeing slimy trails, holes in leaves or young seedlings mysteriously disappearing, it’s time to check for a slug and snail problem.
Tidy up their hiding spots
Clear away fallen leaves and debris where slugs and snails love to hide during the day. Clean garden beds mean fewer hiding places for them.
Set up barriers
Protect young plants by creating barriers like crushed eggshells, coarse sand or wool pellets. Cloches, nets and tunnels can also keep slugs and snails at bay.
Set ‘beer traps’
Use shallow containers filled with beer to attract and trap slugs and snails. Or apply a low-toxicity bait with iron phosphate (it’s safer for pets and wildlife).
Night patrol
Head out after dark with a headlamp and handpick any visible slugs and snails.
Morning watering
Water in the morning rather than at night. Added evening moisture attracts slugs and snails to your garden.
Welcome natural predators
Invite birds and frogs into your garden with bird feeders and ponds to help keep slug and snail numbers in check.
How to prune & feed citrus
Timing is key
Prune citrus in late winter for temperate climates through to late spring if frost is common. Avoid summer pruning when pests and diseases thrive.
Arm yourself
Invest in sharp pruning tools like snips or a saw for larger branches. Don’t forget good gloves — citrus trees can be thorny!
Start at the base
Remove suckers below the rootstock. They sap energy from the tree’s fruiting top and need to go.
Deadwood duty
Snip away damaged, diseased or dead branches to keep your citrus healthy.
Lighten the load
Thin out the canopy by removing inward-growing branches or those that cross. This improves airflow and light penetration.
Shape things up
Trim long, leggy branches to maintain the tree’s size and shape. Aim for a rounded, well-balanced canopy.
Feed
Top with compost, animal manure, blood & bone or fish emulsion. (Skip synthetic fertilisers — they can stress your tree and attract pests.)
How to take cuttings of perennials
Snip & repeat
Late spring to early summer is the perfect time to take perennial cuttings. Wait until the plant is in active growth and ensure stems are firm, not soft.
Gather your gear
Snips, a small pot, potting mix, a plastic bag or humidity dome, and rooting hormone (optional). Have everything ready — cuttings dry out fast.
Pick your parent plant
Choose a healthy, disease-free plant. Remember, cuttings are clones of the original, so select the best.
Make the cut
Snip a stem about 8cm long just below a leaf node, where roots are likely to form.
Prep the cutting
Remove lower leaves, leaving 1-2 at the top. Less foliage means less moisture loss.
Dip & plant
Dip in rooting hormone for faster results [optional]. Then plant the cutting in well-draining potting mix.
Cover & care
Cover with a plastic bag (and rubberband) or humidity dome to keep things moist but not waterlogged. Watch out for rot!
Watch for roots
In a few weeks, roots should form. Transplant into a bigger pot or directly into the garden.
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In partnership with Boring® Oat Milk.
This spring, Sage Journal is teaming up with Boring® Oat Milk to bring you a series of weekly gardening tips, shared on our social media channels. Together, we’re celebrating the beauty in the basics — those humdrum tasks that make all the difference in the garden. After all, one person’s boring may be another person’s most interesting.
