Selwyn Times: July 18, 2017

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday July 18 2017 35
Gardening
Flowers brighten the gloom of winter
NOW IN the depth of winter, we
are experiencing regular, heavy
frosts. Soils are wet and cold,
winds are chilly and we’ve even
had snow.
However, the gloom of winter
is brightened by the appearance
of blooming azaleas, camellias,
early flowering rhododendrons
and early flowering cherries. It’s
an excellent time to plan your
summer garden as spring is just
around the corner.
It’s harvest time for those winter
maturing vegetables that were
planted in late summer/autumn.
Veges to harvest in July include
artichoke (Jerusalem), broccoli,
brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers,
carrots, celery, leeks, lettuce,
parsnips, silver beet, spinach
and swedes.
Continue to spread compost
around maturing vegetables to help
with excess water and improve the
soil. Inspect your vegetable plants
regularly for snails – they appear
to become more cold-hardy every
year.
Where possible, prepare the
soil for spring plantings, digging
to a depth of 200mm and adding
compost as you go. Ensure it is
mixed in well.
Winter flowering annuals
should now be providing masses
of colour in your gardens and
containers. Remove dead flowers
BRIGHT: Flowering rhododendrons should now be in full bloom.
to encourage continuous blooming
throughout winter. Flowering Plan your purchase carefully.
trees in stock.
winter annuals include; ageratum, Part of your fruit tree selection
calendulas, cineraria, cornflower, should be to ensure you have a
nemesia, pansies, poppies, primulas,
snapdragon, stock and sweet You can easily do this by planting
year-round supply of fresh fruit.
pea. Top up existing plantings a few varieties that crop at different
times of the year. In warmer
with ‘potted colour’ annuals that
have been grown to the flowering areas, a variety of citrus are now
stage.
ripening, including mandarins,
Complete pruning of deciduous lemons, limes, grapefruit and
fruit trees and spray with copper early oranges. Last plantings of
oxychloride to prevent fungal strawberries should be completed
diseases reappearing in spring. this month.
Grapes and kiwifruit can also be Garden centres are bursting
pruned. Garden centres and nurseries
now have new season fruit ornamental trees and shrubs.
with new stock of a wide range of
July
HARVEST: It’s time to eat those
winter vegetables.
is a very safe month for planting.
Ensure your planting sites are
well prepared with the addition
of compost and have adequate
drainage. Pop in a planting tab
when planting your trees/shrubs
to give them the best start. Plan
out what and where you will
plant. Check the heights that
plants will grow to avoid overcrowding
in future years.
July is probably the main
month for pruning roses
throughout the country as the
plants are now dormant. Don’t be
afraid to prune your roses quite
hard as rose bushes are increasingly
resilient. Spread fresh
compost around the base of the
bushes.
One week after pruning, spray
with lime sulphur or a copper
compound such as copper
oxychloride to ward off fungal
diseases (do not mix these sprays
together), then three or four days
later, apply a horticultural spray
to kill off any overwintering pests
(again do not mix with copper).
Garden hygiene is very important
with roses so remove any
dead leaves or diseased wood
from the ground. Remove these
from the property as they can
harbour overwintering fungal
diseases and re-infect your plants
come spring.
Don’t forget about your houseplants
in winter. Try not to overwater
them. Many only require
water once a week or fortnight. A
light misting of foliage with warm
water stops leaves from drying in
warm indoor conditions.
URGENT NOTICE
WE havE a ROad sIGN!
As the work continues to finish the Weedons Ross
Road end of Manion Road, we have some more
progress at the other end – a road sign!
To access Intelligro from Main South Road:
If travelling from the north: turn right onto
Curraghs Road.
If travelling from the south: turn left onto
Curraghs Road.
From Curraghs Road, turn left onto Manion Road,
just before the railway line. Follow the road along
until you see our big Intelligro sign.
Manion Road view coming from Main South Road along Curraghs Road.
WE aRE sTIll OpEN fOR bUsINEss!
If you are at all unsure about what is going on, give us a call 03 3479 415, email us
info@igro.co.nz or check out our website www.igro.co.nz for more updates.
Manion Road.
While Manion Road doesn’t appear on Google Maps yet, we
are getting closer and closer to being easier to find! Check
out our website and Facebook page for regular updates
www.igro.co.nz | Phone 03 347 9415