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SELWYN TIMES Tuesday <strong>November</strong> <strong>15</strong> <strong>2016</strong> 29<br />
Don’t let the rain stop you from gardening<br />
EVEN THOUGH it has been a<br />
wet start to the summer months<br />
there are plenty of tasks to do in<br />
the garden.<br />
All summer vegetables should<br />
now have been planted. This includes;<br />
beans, beetroot, cabbage,<br />
celery, corn, cucumber, lettuce,<br />
courgettes, spring onions, peas,<br />
pumpkin, radish, spinach, tomatoes,<br />
silverbeet and kumara.<br />
Make sure your developing<br />
vegetables are well watered –<br />
without over watering them.<br />
Continue to ‘lateral’ (nip out<br />
shoots that appear between the<br />
junction of a leaf and the stem)<br />
tomatoes and tie them to stakes<br />
for support. Keep staggering<br />
your vegetable plantings for<br />
continuous cropping over the<br />
season.<br />
New season herbs should also<br />
be planted by mid-<strong>November</strong>.<br />
It’s now safe to plant herbs<br />
like basil and coriander as the<br />
chance of frosts is minimal.<br />
Remember herbs grow best in<br />
a fine, well-drained soil in full<br />
sun. They struggle in heavy clay<br />
soil and in shady parts of the<br />
garden.<br />
Often the best month for<br />
roses, full, clean blooms are<br />
growing on healthy plants. Side<br />
dress with fertiliser every 4-6<br />
weeks. Dead head regularly to<br />
aid continuous blooming.<br />
For hedges, aim to trim them<br />
‘a little and often’– they are best<br />
trimmed after a flush of new<br />
seasons growth. Water and<br />
fertilise plants regularly to help<br />
achieve a strong dense hedge.<br />
This is especially important with<br />
newly planted hedges.<br />
Mulching is incredibly important<br />
over the summer months to<br />
keep your garden healthy. The<br />
best mulch is a form of organic<br />
matter that is applied as a layer<br />
on top of your soil in your garden,<br />
around plants, trees, and<br />
especially in your pots, to help<br />
protect them against the elements<br />
and retain moisture.<br />
Timing the application of<br />
mulch is very important and it’s<br />
better to wait until soil temperatures<br />
have risen. In the colder<br />
areas of New Zealand; such as<br />
parts of the South Island, apply<br />
mulch in mid-late <strong>November</strong>. In<br />
warmer regions, mulch can be<br />
applied from late October/early<br />
<strong>November</strong>.<br />
This is the last month to sow<br />
or patch large parts of your<br />
existing lawn before it becomes<br />
too dry. For a lush green lawn,<br />
fertilise regularly with fertiliser<br />
and water it in well.<br />
LAYERING: Timing the application of mulch is important.<br />
Feeding, mulching and watering azaleas,<br />
Camellias and rhododendrons<br />
Apply 100 grams per square metre of fertiliser 3 times<br />
per year. Early spring, immediately after flowering and<br />
then again in autumn. Apply around the dripline (where<br />
the outer leaves lie) of the plant and be sure not to let<br />
the fertiliser touch the base of the plant. Water well<br />
after application, and continue with a regular watering<br />
pattern, giving the plant a deep watering rather than a<br />
light sprinkle. Add organic compost in late winter and<br />
then again in January. Keep a ring around the base of<br />
the plant free from mulch.<br />
Look after those<br />
lemons!<br />
To ensure you have<br />
enough juicy lemons,<br />
keep the water up to your<br />
plants while they are in<br />
flower now. Dry lemons<br />
are directly related to<br />
lack of water as the crop<br />
develops over summer.<br />
A layer of mulch works<br />
wonders, apply mulch<br />
after watering the soil.<br />
Weed war<br />
Get rid of those pesky weeds! Not only do they look<br />
unsightly, they take up a lot of nutrients and water that<br />
your plants need, as well as fight for space. Dedicate<br />
time to remove them as soon as they pop up, then the<br />
task won’t seem so daunting if you walk out one day<br />
and all you see is weeds! Once you have removed them<br />
all, add some Organic Compost and mix through the<br />
soil. This will replenish the organic matter in the soil,<br />
and create a better environment for your plants.<br />
Weed, Water<br />
& Mulch<br />
nOVEMBEr<br />
in theGardEn<br />
There are plenty of things to get done in the garden at the moment.<br />
Here are a couple of tasks to keep you busy this month.<br />
Keep up the watering<br />
Keep the watering up now to stay ahead of the<br />
game. Water is essential for healthy plant growth<br />
and development. Establish a good watering routine,<br />
ensuring you give your plants a good deep soak every<br />
few days rather than a light sprinkling every day.<br />
Mulch it<br />
Adding a decent layer of bark mulch to your garden<br />
will be a huge benefit to your plants. The main reasons<br />
being it will help to reduce the weeds, conserve<br />
moisture in the soil (which is especially important<br />
through our hotter, drier months) and protect your<br />
plant’s roots from the weather extremes. All of this<br />
helps to give your plants the best chance at healthy<br />
growth, as well as improving the overall look of your<br />
garden. Intelligro have a great selection of barks and<br />
mulches, come down and have a look for yourself, or<br />
head to our website www.igro.co.nz<br />
LET’S GET<br />
GardEninG<br />
INTELLIGRO<br />
OFFERS:<br />
3 Expert gardening advice<br />
3 High quality products<br />
3 South-Hort growing<br />
mixes<br />
3 VIP rewards<br />
3 Buy in-store and online<br />
3 Handy delivery service<br />
For more information,<br />
check out our website:<br />
www.igro.co.nz<br />
or visit our facebook page:<br />
www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz<br />
1394 Main South Road, RD7 Weedons<br />
www.igro.co.nz | Phone 03 347 94<strong>15</strong>
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