Warmer Days Are on the Way: Your Guide to Prepping for Spring

Spring is just around the corner, officially rolling in on 1 September, and this year it's shaping up to be a proper El Niño spring. In practical terms, that usually means milder temperatures overall, with warmer-than-average days more likely right across the country, even though the odd cold snap can still turn up here and there, especially in early August. Warmer soil sooner means a longer runway for seedlings, and a season worth getting ahead of.

Being an El Niño year also tends to bring a bit more wind and bigger swings between warm and cool days as spring rolls on. The north and east of the country usually lean drier in years like this, while the western South Island tends to get more rain than usual. Wherever you're gardening, it's still worth keeping an eye on your own last frost date before anything tender goes outside, rather than relying on the calendar alone.

First Job: Get Your Glasshouse Ready

A glasshouse left untouched over winter can undo months of good planning fast. A little attention now sets seedlings up to grow strong rather than leggy and weak.

• Clean the glass or polycarbonate, inside and out. Months of grime block valuable light, and low light is one of the biggest causes of weak, stretched seedlings.
• Check vents and louvres open freely. A warmer spring means a glasshouse can overheat even faster than usual if airflow is blocked.
• Give benches, pots, and trays a proper scrub. Old soil and plant debris can harbour fungal spores and overwintering pests, so a clean start goes a long way.
• Check shelving and shade cloth for wear. Anything that took a battering over winter storms is worth sorting before the growing season ramps up.
• Stock up on seed-raising mix, trays, and labels. Running out mid-sowing is the easiest way to lose momentum just when things are getting going.

Beyond the glasshouse itself, garden paths and beds nearby are worth a tidy-up too. Clearing weeds along fence lines and trellises now means less competition for young plants once they're in the ground.

Frost cloth and insect mesh earn their keep in these final weeks of the shoulder season, protecting tender crops from both lingering cold snaps and early pest pressure while the weather variability plays out.

If your glasshouse needs more than a clean, whether that's a panel replaced, better ventilation, or an upgrade altogether, the Winter Gardenz Range, available through The Greenhouse Company, is built specifically for New Zealand conditions, with toughened glass or polycarbonate panels and a 25-year warranty. Getting it sorted before the spring rush means you're ready to sow the moment conditions turn.

What to Start Now, Ready for Spring

A glasshouse means you don't have to wait for the calendar to catch up. Plenty can get started while the weather outside is still finding its feet this warmer-than-usual season.

Sow indoors or under glass now

• Tomatoes — an early start under glass means fruit weeks ahead of direct-sown plants
• Chillies and capsicums — both reward a long, warm head start
• Eggplant — slow to get going, so every extra week under glass counts
• Cucumbers — get a jump on the season by starting seedlings undercover
• Brassica seedlings (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) — raise under glass, then plant out once frost risk has passed in your area

Direct sow once your local soil starts to warm

• Carrots and beetroot — hold off until the soil is workable and not waterlogged
• Peas — an easy, forgiving early spring crop, especially climbing varieties
• Radishes — a genuinely fast win, often ready to harvest within a month
• Lettuce and other salad greens — sow little and often for a steady supply
• Onions and leeks — early planting sets up a solid summer harvest
• Spinach and silverbeet — both thrive in the cooler start to the season

A simple rule to plan by: anything that loves warmth and takes a while to mature belongs under glass first. Anything happy in cool soil and quick to grow can usually go straight into the ground once your last frost has passed.

The Excitement Is Building

Few things beat this stretch of the gardening year, especially with a warmer season forecast to back it up. Bare beds are about to fill with green shoots, glasshouse benches are about to crowd with trays jostling for space, and in a few short months, harvest time arrives, fresh, colourful, and entirely worth the prep.

Ready to get your glasshouse spring-ready? Explore the Winter Gardenz Range at The Greenhouse Company, or get in touch with our team for advice on the right setup for your garden.