Southern Destinations: May 09, 2017

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28 Tuesday May 9 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi Gardening SELWYN TIMES Rid your lawn of nasty weed WHAT EXACTLY is a weed? Definitions abound, but a weed is generally considered to be a plant that’s growing where it isn’t wanted. And, as winter draws near to an end, it often seems that the weeds are about to take over the entire garden. Onehunga weed, which usually causes problems in lawns, is one of the weeds you’ll find starting to develop at this time of year. Onehunga weed is a soft, ferny-leafed plant that only reveals the nasty side of its nature when it produces its sharply-barbed seeds. These can make walking on the lawn in bare feet an utter misery. You can remove Onehunga weed with what’s called a selective weedkiller but, remember, if the weed has already formed its spiky seeds, it’s sure to re-appear next year. Make a note to begin control earlier next season. Selective herbicides cleverly remove the non-grass weeds from the lawn, without damaging the grass. However, it’s vitally important to read the label and carefully follow the instructions. Tooheavy applications will burn the grass. Many other lawn weeds such as clover, dandelions, thistles and capeweed – can also be removed with a selective weedkiller. Weeds in garden beds can be removed using a glyphosate herbicide. Glyphosate is non-selective, which means it will kill any plant material it contacts. This, obviously, means it must be applied with great care. Fortunately, though, it doesn’t leave residues in the soil. PROBLEM: Don’t let Onehunga weed take root in your lawn. LANDSCAPING IN CANTERBURY FOR OVER 30 YEARS We design gardens DESIGN IT from a blank canvas and transform outdoor living areas into pleasing, relaxing spaces for the client to enjoy year after year. Our design skills extend also to large lifestyle properties, making the most of the extensive land to fit perfectly with the client's needs. WE DO: Decking Paving Driveways Irrigation Fencing Excavation Bunds Lawns Retaining walls Cartage Ponds At Evergreen Landscapes, BUILD IT our staff are specialists in their areas of expertise; we have experts in excavation, paving, building, irrigation, planting, maintenance. We offer a professional standard of service with friendly staff who understand the importance of starting and finishing jobs to a very high level. PLANT IT WE HAVE: Diggers Loaders Tip trucks WE SUPPLY: Design services Trees / shrubs Bark / soil Decorative stone Growing and marketing containerised trees & shrubs.. Deciduous, Evergreen & Nz Native We provide an advice and plant set out service for where your trees and shrubs should be placed in your garden areas. If you prefer, we can do the tasks of planting, composting and mulching with our skilled labour teams. We have planted out many reserves, parks, swales and street trees: we have years of experience in quality tree and shrub planting. EVERGREEN LANDSCAPES LTD 60 Ivey Road, Templeton, Christchurch Ph: 03 349 2929, Mob: 027 559 2929, E: design@egn.co.nz Open: Mon to Fri, 8:30am - 4:30pm w w w . e g n . c o . n z Landscaping from Residential, to Lifestyle, to Commercial Sites Be inspired by our great range of quality trees and shrubs. • Over 10,000 trees to choose from with very competitive prices. • Expert honest advice on all your gardening needs. • Delivery and planting service. • Landscape design from planning to completion. • Bring in your site plan & discuss planting options. • Site visit service also available. • We are happy to provide quotations for trees & plants OPEN TUESDAY-FRIDAY 9am-4.30pm SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10am-4pm 366 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025 T: 03 349 9240 | E: info@allwood.co.nz | www.allwood.co.nz
SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi Tuesday May 9 2017 29 Beautiful broad beans • By Henri Ham I KNOW it’s easy and not too expensive to buy broad beans at the supermarket, but I enjoy eating them fresh from the garden. They taste great and it’s nice knowing exactly what’s taken place during the growing process. Broad beans are one of my favourite varieties to grow. Like most other vegetables, you can grow broad beans from seed (actually it’s the bean itself). But I recommend growing from seedlings. Doing this shortens the time before harvest (around six less weeks) but, more importantly, takes out a lot of the hard work. Once the root systems are well formed (yet still separate from each other), almost guaranteed they will grow well. Once you’ve got your seedlings, you need to find somewhere to grow them. I like to grow mine in a raised vegetable garden, but they also grow well in pots. Make sure it’s full sun or partial shade where you plant. Broad beans are pollinated by bees, so it’s helpful to grow them near a bee-friendly plant like lavender, rosemary or cornflowers. It pays to check the pH level FRESH: Broad beans like full sun or just partial shade. of your soil. Broad beans like the soil to be around 5.5 to 6.5pH. Not sure what the pH level of your soil is? Most garden centres sell kits, alternatively there are also companies which will test your soil for a small fee. If the pH level of your soil could go higher, try adding a little bit of lime from your local garden centre. If you’re not sure of the pH level, it wouldn’t hurt to add a little bit of lime anyway. Then simply dig a little hole and plant each seedling around 15cm apart in rows approximately 30cm apart. Once the plants are around 1m you can stake them individually but I prefer to put a stake at either end of the rows and loop a big piece of string around the whole lot to keep them growing together. Your plants will lean against each other and grow across the ground. The seedlings will take around eight to 12 weeks from planting to produce beans ready for harvesting. Harvest the beans when the pods are around 75-100mm. How to plant a fruit tree NOW IS a good time to get those fruit trees planted. Here are some tips: •Dig a hole that is slightly deeper than the root depth and which allows for 20cm clearance around the roots. •Mix some compost with the soil in the base of the hole, then place the tree and slow release fertiliser in the hole so that the graft is above soil level. •Create a small mound at the base of the hole and spread the roots out carefully. •Before back filling, position tree stakes. Partly back fill and firmly compact. •Continue back filling and compact once or twice more. •Water well. •Stake securely to ensure root zone can’t move on windy days. Bare rooted trees bought must not be left for roots to dry. •Plunge in water prior to planting to ensure the roots are moist prior to planting. Time to Tidy Up May is tidy up month! Get prepared now for the upcoming winter months where you will feel less and less likely to want to get out and do some gardening. Most of these tasks are pretty easy, so don’t get too stressed thinking you will be out in the garden for endless hours! LET’S GET GardEninG INTELLIGRO OFFERS: 3 Expert gardening advice 3 High quality products 3 South-Hort growing mixes 3 VIP rewards 3 Buy in-store and online 3 Handy delivery service 3 Rake up leaves off the lawn and pathways 3 Pull out any summer annuals and dig over the ground 3 Treat paths for moss and slime so they aren’t so slippery and dangerous 3 Roll up and store away hoses so they don’t get damaged by frosts 3 Send your mower in to get the blades sharpened 3 Sharpen the blades on your loppers and secateurs 3 Make a bird feeder – the birds will love you for it! Add organic compost to the soil to give it a good boost through the winter, and prepare the gardens for planting come spring time. You will want to also add some bark mulch to the top to help protect your plant’s roots from the winter chills. Handy tip: If the soil is too wet, don’t work on it. This will cause more damage than good. Just leave it until it dries up a bit! Got a question that you want answered? Send us an email to info@igro.co.nz or post it on our Facebook page! For more information, check out our website: www.igro.co.nz or visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz 1394 Main South Road, RD7 Weedons www.igro.co.nz | Phone 03 347 9415
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Southern Destinations: May 09, 2017

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