You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
SELWYN TIMES Tuesday <strong>February</strong> <strong>21</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 25<br />
Gardening<br />
Learn the art of cultivating coriander<br />
CORIANDER CAN be a tricky herb<br />
to grow.<br />
It has a tendency to bolt when it<br />
gets too warm and goes leggy and<br />
straggly when it gets damp.<br />
Once you understand the art to<br />
cultivating this aromatic herb it’s really<br />
not so tricky to grow at all.<br />
First of all you need to find the<br />
right spot to plant it. Coriander prefers<br />
to be in full sun or partial shade.<br />
Growing it in a small pot indoors<br />
– like on your kitchen window isn’t<br />
recommended.<br />
For the best results try planting<br />
your coriander seedlings in a large,<br />
deep pot outside or a sunny, freedraining<br />
area in your garden.<br />
This will prevent your plants<br />
getting damp. For the same reason,<br />
when you water this herb it’s important<br />
to do it in the morning, not the<br />
Tasty peas for children to grow<br />
SUGAR SNAP peas are tasty, easy to grow<br />
and perfect for planting with kids.<br />
Because they’re quick growing they fit<br />
well with the attention spans of children and<br />
they can be eaten straight from the garden.<br />
You don’t need heaps of space to grow<br />
these sweet tasting peas but have something<br />
for them to grow up like a trellis or netting.<br />
Once you’ve got the perfect spot to plant,<br />
dig in a little fertiliser or compost to give the<br />
seedlings a good kick-start.<br />
Then make a little hole and pop a seedling<br />
in. Plant each seedling around 20cm apart<br />
from the next.<br />
Your peas will grow in a pod like beans<br />
and will be ready to harvest in around eight<br />
to 10 weeks.<br />
Not sure if they’re ready? Just taste-test<br />
them.<br />
evening, so it can dry off in the sun<br />
during the day.<br />
Once your plant has got established<br />
remember to eat it quickly.<br />
If it’s not consumed fast enough it<br />
tends to go to seed.<br />
Don’t eat a lot of coriander but still<br />
like to have it on hand? Never fear,<br />
simply stagger your planting of it.<br />
Instead of buying several coriander<br />
plants at once, buy a mixed herb<br />
bundle.<br />
Two to four weeks after you<br />
planted the first coriander, buy another<br />
mixed herb bundle or pot and<br />
do the same.<br />
This means as one plant goes to<br />
seed another will be ready for eating.<br />
Plus you get a wide variety of<br />
other herbs to choose from in your<br />
garden. Each coriander will take<br />
three to four weeks to grow.<br />
EASY: Sugar snap peas grow in a pod.<br />
WHOLESALE<br />
SCREENED SOIL<br />
MAINSCAPE<br />
Garden Supplies<br />
“Making your great outdoors greater”<br />
• Soil • Compost<br />
• Aggregates • Bark<br />
• Decorative stone<br />
We deliver 6 days a week or pickup from our yard<br />
Mon & Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 8am–3pm<br />
Eftpos available<br />
Call us on 0<strong>21</strong> 241 7908<br />
1543 Springs Rd, Lincoln<br />
View our range of products on our website<br />
www.mainscapegardensupplies.co.nz<br />
gardening without guesswork<br />
Question:<br />
Hi there, I have a question. I’ve received a beautiful hydrangea<br />
as a gift and wonder whether it’s okay to be transplanted into<br />
the garden?<br />
Hydrangeas are making more of a comeback in the<br />
Answer: garden now, with their beautiful burst of colour paired<br />
with their general lower maintenance, they are a great<br />
option in the garden for those that don’t have as much time to spend in the garden,<br />
but still want the colourful display. Your hydrangea can definitely be planted out in the<br />
garden, it will thrive in good soil that has some organic compost and a general garden<br />
fertiliser in it. Before you plant out, make sure that you soak the pot in a bucket of water<br />
to ensure that they root ball is well-hydrated before it goes in the ground. Plant in the<br />
ground at the same level as the pot, in a hole twice the size as the root ball. Pop the<br />
plant in, and cover with the left over soil. Once you have it in the ground, make sure<br />
you give it a water, and keep watering it regularly until it is established in the ground.<br />
Fun facts about Hydrangeas<br />
✓ They’ll handle sun, but flowers last longest and develop better colour in light or<br />
dappled shade.<br />
✓ Keep them watered, the big leaves can dry out quickly during hot weather.<br />
✓ Flower colour is subjective to soil conditions. Blues are intensified by acid conditions, while alkaline<br />
soils favour pink and red shades. To enhance pink shades, apply lime, to encourage blue shades,<br />
apply ammonium or aluminium sulphate or an acid fertiliser. It may take a season or two to see the<br />
results you want, so be patient!<br />
for more information, check out our website: www.intelligro.co.nz<br />
or visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz<br />
Thanks to yolande for her question<br />
QualITy prOducTs frOm ThE WEB TO ThE shEd!<br />
WIN!<br />
a $50<br />
INTEllIgrO gIfT<br />
VOuchEr!<br />
Why should I use<br />
fertiliser?<br />
Fertiliser helps plants to be able to produce fruit, flowers,<br />
and foliage. With vegetables that are “gross feeders” (need<br />
a lot of nutrients to make their produce) you will want to<br />
make sure they have a good supply of fertiliser through<br />
the growing season. It helps to create a healthier plant that<br />
gives you a bigger yield and larger produce.<br />
Send us your<br />
question and<br />
BE IN<br />
TO WIN!<br />
Email to: info@igro.co.nz or post<br />
your question on our Facebook page:<br />
www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz<br />
New questions received by<br />
Tuesday 28th <strong>February</strong>.
Change language