Selwyn Times: May 30, 2017

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Tuesday May 30 2017 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-4.30pm
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10am-4pm
366 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025
T: 03 349 9240 | E: info@allwood.co.nz | www.allwood.co.nz
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!
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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!