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Selwyn Times: September 05, 2017

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32 Tuesday <strong>September</strong> 5 <strong>2017</strong><br />

Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />

Gardening<br />

SELWYN TIMES<br />

Spring is a busy season<br />

GET PLANTING: Prepare the flower beds for<br />

summer colour and get in plants that transcend<br />

the seasons.<br />

IT’S TIME for gardeners to<br />

celebrate.<br />

Temperatures are on<br />

the rise, producing signs<br />

of spring throughout the<br />

garden.<br />

<strong>September</strong> can be a wet<br />

and windy month so ensure<br />

you still protect plants<br />

where need be. It’s a busy<br />

but very enjoyable time,<br />

with colour and scents<br />

slowly coming back into the<br />

garden.<br />

Final harvesting and<br />

removal of winter maturing<br />

vegetables gives plenty<br />

of material for the compost<br />

bin. By staggering planting<br />

times, hopefully these vegetables<br />

have supplied you<br />

with continuous supplies<br />

over winter.<br />

Where conditions allow,<br />

ie soil not too wet and<br />

temperatures rising in your<br />

area, you can plant the hardier<br />

vegetables for summer<br />

harvesting. Remember the<br />

more traditional summer<br />

vegetables will be planted<br />

next month.<br />

Those veges can include;<br />

asparagus, beetroot, cabbage,<br />

cauliflower, carrots,<br />

onion, radish, silverbeet and<br />

spinach. Improve existing<br />

vege plots with plenty of<br />

compost before planting<br />

the new seasons vegetables.<br />

Keep a wary eye for slugs<br />

and snails as they emerge<br />

when temperatures increase.<br />

Time for preparing your<br />

summer flowering garden.<br />

Winter annuals are now<br />

coming to an end of their<br />

flowering. While it’s still<br />

a little early for planting traditional<br />

summer annuals,<br />

there are some that ‘transcend’<br />

the typical growing<br />

seasons and are very useful<br />

GERMINATE: Seedlings<br />

should be ready for<br />

transplanting into the<br />

garden in six to eight<br />

weeks.<br />

at this time of year.<br />

These include alyssum,<br />

calendulas, cornflower,<br />

lobelia, pansies and violas.<br />

If you wish to grow your<br />

own summer flowering annuals,<br />

seed should be sown<br />

now either in a glasshouse<br />

or in a warm, north facing<br />

enclosed patio.<br />

Sow and water regularly<br />

to ensure even germination.<br />

Seedlings should be ready<br />

for transplanting into the<br />

garden six to eight weeks<br />

after sowing.<br />

Carefully mark the<br />

position of your winter and<br />

spring flowering bulbs as<br />

you may wish to grow other<br />

plants in the same area over<br />

summer months.<br />

Where the bulbs have<br />

performed well, allow them<br />

to naturalise where they are<br />

growing. This applies especially<br />

to crocus, freesias,<br />

hyacinths, iris, lachenalias,<br />

muscari, narcissus, and<br />

watsonias.<br />

Stone fruit such as apricots,<br />

cherries, nectarines,<br />

peaches and plums are all in<br />

bloom now, as are pip fruit<br />

such as apples and pears.<br />

Hopefully, weather conditions<br />

allow for pollination<br />

by bees. Last year’s heavy<br />

rainfall had a major impact<br />

on pollination.<br />

Rose growth is finally<br />

under way. Spring/early<br />

summer is the best time<br />

for roses with masses of<br />

blooms and plants usually<br />

disease free. The addition<br />

of compost around the base<br />

of existing plants is beneficial<br />

for plant health. Start<br />

feeding roses from October<br />

onwards with fertiliser.<br />

Cut lawns regularly in<br />

early spring, avoiding close<br />

mowing initially. First lawn<br />

fertiliser can be applied<br />

in late <strong>September</strong>/early<br />

October.<br />

Hold your<br />

shovels!<br />

With the sun making an appearance for longer<br />

through the day, we definitely get the feeling that<br />

the spring weather is almost here. With this being<br />

said, we can still get some late frosts and nasty<br />

weather through the beginning of <strong>September</strong>, so<br />

hold onto your shovels and refrain from planting<br />

seedlings just yet. There are still plenty of things<br />

you can do before you plant out. Preparing your<br />

soil is very important. If you want to grow good<br />

veggies, you need to put them in good growing<br />

mix. For existing gardens that need a boost, add<br />

in our Organic Compost. If you are establishing<br />

a new garden, look to our Garden Soil Mix, or<br />

Veggie Garden Mix, depending on what you are<br />

planting. If you are unsure of what products you<br />

need, check out our website www.igro.co.nz or<br />

come and have a chat to our friendly team.<br />

IMPORTANT NOTICE:<br />

Our entrance to Intelligro has changed. For more<br />

information on how to access our site, please head<br />

to our website, or visit our Facebook page.<br />

Got a question that you want answered?<br />

Send us an email to info@igro.co.nz or post<br />

it on our Facebook page!<br />

Top product picks from<br />

Intelligro for <strong>September</strong><br />

Veggie Garden Mix<br />

Garden Soil Mix<br />

Organic Compost<br />

Bark Mulch<br />

Blackhead Chip<br />

LET’S GET<br />

GardEninG<br />

INTELLIGRO<br />

OFFERS:<br />

3 Expert gardening advice<br />

3 High quality products<br />

3 South-Hort growing<br />

mixes<br />

3 VIP rewards<br />

3 Buy in-store and online<br />

3 Handy delivery service<br />

For more information,<br />

check out our website:<br />

www.igro.co.nz<br />

or visit our facebook page:<br />

www.facebook.com/igro.co.nz<br />

NEW ENTRANCE: 261 Manion Road, Weedons<br />

Access to Intelligro from Manion Road is now available from both the Weedons Ross Road end, and<br />

Curraghs Road entrances. Manion Road is the new road built between Weedons Ross Road & Jones Rd<br />

www.igro.co.nz | Phone 03 347 9415

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