26 Tuesday <strong>May</strong> <strong>30</strong> <strong>2017</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi SELWYN TIMES Home & Leisure SHOW JUNE <strong>30</strong> –JULY 2 HORNCASTLE ARENA IN ASSOCIATION WITH EXHIBITORS BOOK NOW Showcase your products or services to more than 20,000 customers Bookings Vanessa Fleming P 03 379 7100 | M 021 914 565 vanessa.fleming@starmedia.kiwi WWW.STARHOMESHOW.KIWI
SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi Tuesday <strong>May</strong> <strong>30</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 27 Gardening Dig out your gumboots TASTY: Rhubarb thrives in rich soil WHILE THE beginning of winter can be wet, cold and miserable, there are still many important tasks to be carried out in the garden, such as harvesting winter vegetables, completing annual pruning, planting new fruit trees and watching newly-planted strawberries break into growth. Winter vegetables should now start maturing and will be ready for harvesting (if they aren’t already). Results will be that much more improved where vegetable gardens have been raised to avoid waterlogging over the wet winter months. Continue distributing compost around vegetables to help absorb excess water from typical winter downfalls. Vegetables to harvest include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, silverbeet and spinach. Continue sowing seeds of broad beans, onions, peas, radish and spinach directly into well prepared and drained soil. Old crowns of rhubarbs can be divided and replanted into permanent positions around 600mm apart. Rhubarb thrives in rich soil so add plenty of compost when planting Winter displays of annuals should now be in full bloom, including alyssum, calendulas, lobelia, nemesias, pansies, poppies, primulas, snapdragons, stock and sweet peas. All these flowering annuals can also be successfully grown in containers or large tubs and brings life to dull parts of the garden or decks during winter months. The best selection of deciduous fruit trees are now available in garden centres and it is a good time to start planting. June is the main month for pruning your existing deciduous fruit trees such as; apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. With young trees, it’s important to develop a strong structure that will carry fruiting wood in successive years. Older trees may require more detailed pruning. This involves pruning out old wood that is no longer providing fruit and removing overlapping laterals or branches and any diseased wood. You can also prune raspberries, boysenberries, loganberries and gooseberries now. In very general terms, remove all old growth, selecting vigorous growing wood. With climbing berry plants, select the strongest canes and tie them to a supporting framework. In June and July, garden centres are overflowing with new season ornamental trees and shrubs. Preparation of planting sites is critical. In most parts of New Zealand, the rose flowering season is finished. If leaf drop is complete, plants can now be pruned. Remove all dead wood and inward growing branches. Prune to outward facing buds and remove any wood that is narrower than pencil thick. If any plants have significant die back, remove it and burn. Apply a clean up spray of copper oxychloride after pruning. New seasons roses are now available at garden centres. When you purchase your rose, it may be bare-rooted or potted. Bare-rooted plants are generally cheaper and will need to be planted as soon as possible. With potted varieties, be careful not to disturb the root system when you plant them. Roses can grow in a variety of soils as long as they have good drainage, so add in plenty of compost. Give your rose a generous watering to help the roots settle in and put a generous layer (about 5cm deep) of mulch around the base of the plant. Be inspired by our great range of quality trees and shrubs. TIDY: Get out the secateurs and start pruning the roses. Growing and marketing containerised trees & shrubs.. Deciduous, Evergreen & Nz Native • 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.<strong>30</strong>pm SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10am-4pm 366 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025 T: 03 349 9240 | E: info@allwood.co.nz | www.allwood.co.nz gardening without guesswork Question: Answer: As we approach the winter months, the gardening tasks tend to slow down. Now is a great time to protect your plants from the cooler temperatures, so when the single-digit temperatures arrive, your plants aren’t shocked by the cold. There are number of things that you can do to protect them, here are our top tips. What can I do to protect my garden and plants from the bitter cold winter months ahead? Add a 10cm layer of bark mulch or compost to your gardens. The mulch will help to keep the soil at a more even temperature, and so the roots don’t suffer from the frosts. Cover any frost sensitive plants with cloth to protect them (we’ve already had some good frosts so more are bound to be on the way!). Make sure you secure them properly, you don’t want them flying off in the strong winds we get around Canterbury. Move plants in pots, containers and hanging baskets under some shelter. If you don’t have a greenhouse or conservatory, the eaves of the house will be the next best option. Make sure they aren’t facing the southerly winds, and that the plants are still getting sunlight! for more information, check out our website: www.intelligro.co.nz or visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz Thanks to celia for her question. WIN! a $50 INTEllIgrO gIfT VOuchEr! Send us your question and BE IN TO WIN! Email to: info@igro.co.nz or post your question on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz New questions received by Tuesday 6th June. QuIck rOadINg updaTE! as of this week, access to Intelligro has changed slightly. access from Weedons ross road will be unavailable for the next 4 weeks or so while the new road is sealed. please refer to our website www.igro.co.nz for all the information about this change, and the new access points! QualITy prOducTs frOm ThE WEB TO ThE shEd!
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