When your soil stays cool, moist, and biologically active, every crop—from zucchinis to blooming flowers—gives you better harvests with fewer hassles. And the easiest way to look after your soil as temperatures rise? Smart planting, reliable watering and the right tools that make garden care effortless.

This month, let your garden flourish with these soil-loving essentials—paired with time-saving equipment from Aussie Hoses, so you can nurture your patch without the usual summer struggle.

3 Summer Soil-Health Essentials

1. Keep Soil Covered—Always

Bare soil loses moisture fast, overheats in the sun, and becomes compacted. Keep your beds continuously covered with plants—crops, flowers or greencovers—to protect your microbial life and support steady growth.

2. Plant In Layers

Pop seedlings in amongst greencrops or the remnants of finishing crops. Add small scoops of compost to each planting spot to keep nutrients steadily flowing. Layering also casts cooling shade over young plants.

3. Water Properly (and Easily)

Consistent moisture is the number-one key to healthy plants. If watering feels like a chore, it becomes inconsistent—especially during hot spells.

This is where Aussie Hoses Retractable Garden Hoses shine.
They make watering:

• Fast (pull, water, retract—done)

• Tidy (no tangled hose piles)

• Precise (water right at the root zone)

• Enjoyable (yes, really—watering becomes the easy part of gardening)

If you’re heading away over the holidays, give everything a deep drink and sow greencrops in any bare spaces to hold moisture while you’re gone.

What to Plant + Sow in December

December is prime time for keeping summer growth pumping. A few small plantings now will reward you with abundant late-summer harvests.

Direct Sow

• Carrots, parsnip

• Coriander and rocket (best in part shade, beneath taller crops)

• Flower mixes: cosmos, bishops flower, cornflower

• Summer greencrops: phacelia, buckwheat, mustard, marigold, daikon, flax, crimson clover, lupin

Tray Sow

• Beans (dwarf + climbing), corn

• Cucumber, zucchini, tomato

• Dill, basil, chervil

• Spring onions, red onions

• Summer flowers: zinnia, anise hyssop, cleome, sunflower, mignonette, marigold

Direct or Tray Sow

• Salad greens

• Beetroot

• Magenta spreen

Transplant Now

If you’ve got seedlings ready to go, get them planted before the month heats up.

• Corn, leeks, red onions, spring onions

• Parsley, potatoes (no-dig is perfect for summer), companion flowers

• Last call for melons, squash, yams, kumara

• Greenhouse plantings: tomatoes, basil, marigolds, cucumbers, zucchini, dwarf + climbing beans, soybeans

A well-hydrated garden bed makes transplanting less stressful for young roots. Use your Aussie Hoses Retractable Garden Hose to give each plant a slow, deep water without splashing soil onto leaves.

Spotlight on Dwarf Beans

If you love fast results, dwarf beans are your summer heroes.
They:

• Grow from seed to harvest in just 9 weeks

• Produce one abundant flush of beans all at once

• Thrive even in windy gardens

• Require no frames—just a simple stake and twine

Sow a mini row every few weeks to keep a steady supply coming.

Shade = Summer Survival

Seedlings in full summer heat dry out fast. Add shade when needed:

• Heat-loving plants may need shade only on extremely hot days.

• Leafy greens often need afternoon shade all season.

Whether you use shade cloth, greencrop canopies or tall plants, pair your setup with consistent watering. A retractable hose reel makes it easy to water under low structures or down narrow garden paths.

Regular + Odd Jobs for December

• Harvest and cure onions + garlic

• Re-sow beds immediately with greencrops or light-feeding crops

• Keep worm farms out of afternoon heat

• Gently fossick for the first new potatoes

• Stay calm about pests—balanced watering and healthy soil prevent most outbreaks

• Make compost (summer warmth speeds it up!)

With a hose reel that retracts itself, watering becomes quick enough to do daily check-ins—helping you catch problems early.

Harvest Your Summer Herbs

Mint, lemon balm, oregano, roses, chamomile, thyme—summer herb harvests are at their most fragrant now.

Pick:

• Leaf herbs before flowering

• Flower herbs at peak bloom

• In the morning after the dew dries

Dry them in small bunches or on woven trays. Homemade herb jars make beautiful gifts.

Make Summer Gardening Effortless

Healthy soil, consistent watering and regular small tasks keep summer gardens thriving. If watering is the bottleneck in your routine, upgrading to an Aussie Hoses Retractable Garden Hose or adding accessories like adjustable nozzles and other garden tools can completely transform how easy it feels to look after your garden.

Let your garden flourish—with less fuss, less tangling, and more joy.