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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