FEBRUARY'S WEATHER
February in Kāpiti, along with the rest of western central New Zealand, saw a return to the cool, cloudy and windy conditions of December, more like what we might expect in autumn. Except for January it wasn’t the greatest summer, but it was dry.
Our daily average maximum temperature of 22.6C was almost a degree cooler than average, and a degree cooler than February 2023. But for much of the month it was actually the coolest February recorded in over a decade. Despite lower temperatures we still reached 20C every day; the warmest being Wednesday 22 with 27.7C.
As usual for time of year, and especially this El Nino summer, east coast Blenheim and Masterton had the highest average maximums in central New Zealand, however, Kāpiti’s overall mean temperature of 18.4C was the highest in central New Zealand,
February had the equivalent of 17 sunny days, two fewer than average, with the longest spell of sunshine occurring in the third week, despite rain being forecast.
Total rainfall of 33mm recorded at the airport was half the longtime average, again reflecting the low precipitation of recent months. Yesterday’s rain (March 4) amounting to just under 30mm will go some way in relieving recent months’ deficits.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.5% 1st December
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17.5% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.