Our Land

Making the switch to organic gardening can take some adjustment, but follow this cheat sheet to avoid common hurdles.

A warm summer makes bean-growing a snap.

In a two-part series, Dr Libby fronts up to a question about nutritional deficiencies.

You can save yourself a lot of money growing your own plants from seed, but getting them to transplant size can be frustrating.

There’s nothing more disappointing than having an ugly gap where little will grow because of clay soil.

Gorse is one of New Zealand's worst weeds, and your best ally in tackling it will be diligence.

Organic farms make up just a fraction of New Zealand's total farmland, but there's big potential.

This enterprising couple don’t just want to create a green future for their family – they want to create a sustainable lifestyle for their whole community.

Anyone can build a fence, but it's a science and an art to build a good quality fence.

A gravity driven watering system is just one of the innovations in use at an organic watercress farm in Raglan.

An orchard of organic heritage apples, plums and pears is proving an educational experience for its owners and their community.

To be truly self-sufficient, especially in colder climates, you may think you have to give up sugar, but that’s not the case.

Going organic was a pragmatic decision for the owners of Bellbird Winery.

Try planting baby turnips and some bee-friendly plants this month.

You may think of all natives as friendly plants, but two common ones have a deadly secret.

It's not easy being an organic beekeeper when bees can forage as far as 5km for their food.

Two of the best additions for your soil are byproducts of everyday activities, and one of them you can make in your sleep.

The last thing you need is for your orchard to look neat and tidy, at least not ground level anyway.

The fabulous walnut is a tasty treat for the home orchard owner, or a potential future crop with New Zealand’s climate meaning we can produce high quality nuts.

The wind-up to spring planting is starting, and one big decision is going to have year-long repercussions.

If you’re tired of pushing yourself to do the lawns get our tips on how to buy possibly the biggest investment in a single product you’ll make when you live on a lifestyle block.

The secret to Diane Coleman’s successful tree nursery business is in the way she’s grown it.

It used to be that when you wanted to buy a wheelbarrow, there was only one choice. Now there’s wheels for every occasion.

If you’re planning to renovate pasture and you're in an area that gets dry or drought conditions, consider something tougher than ryegrass.

It’s almost time to get the vege garden ready and for that, you’ll need to make the earth move.

Taranaki-born Jamie Tuuta is enhancing the potential of Maori land and assets in his role as the Maori Trustee

You may think you know a good soil, but have you had a good sniff of it lately?

Spring is just around the corner, get ready by planting tomato seedlings and aubergines.

Mulching is an easy way to protect your soil until you’re ready to use it in spring.

The late Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka created a revolutionary way of farming that has no plowing, no fertiliser, no weeding and no pesticides.

When you live on a little island in the middle of a big ocean, you have to make your block of land pay its own way in the most self-sufficient manner possible.

If you've ever wondered how people win pumpkin-growing competitions, get ready for some seriously strange gardening.

Winter is a great time to plant your future fruiting trees, but do you know how to do it so you give a tree the optimal start?

The enterprising students of Hukerenui School are making a profit from growing maize, lavender and keeping bees.