The Star: December 21, 2017

The Star 25
Gardening
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday December 21 2017
z
GARDENING
ADVICE with
My potato tops are 700mm high and they
QUESTION have only been in the ground since the
middle of August. Can you please give
me any reason why they have grown so tall in such a short
space of time?
Today’s winning question came from
Sandro Terrinoni. Congratulations!
While the size of your potato
ANSWER tops may appear to be
excessive, this should not
cause you any undue concern.
There are a few possibilities which may have caused
this. In some seasons where air and soil temperatures
increase very quickly in spring (as with this spring), there
is a tendency for potato growth to be extremely vigorous.
It is also possible that your soil is quite rich, especially in
nitrogen, which leads to a lot of vegetative growth. Potatoes
come in a wide selection of varieties, each varying in size,
shape, fl avour and timing when they crop and some can have
more vigorous top growth than others.
In the end, what matters most is the quality of potatoes beneath the soil surface. Try to refrain from digging
amongst the roots to see what is happening down below. Such root disturbance is detrimental to the formation of
healthy potatoes.
Keep mounding or earthing up every fortnight by building up the soil around the
bottom of the plant. You can even cover some of the new shoots and lower leaves
as this will help towards a better crop. Feed plants with Garden Time Chicken and
Sheep Pellets.
For more information and expert advice, check out How to Grow Potatoes guide at:
www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides
Add bursts of colour to gardens, decks and courtyards with flowering
annuals. Pop them in your garden, containers or hanging baskets and
water them well over the hot summer months.
We have a Daltons Flower Pack to giveaway. Everything you
need to get your flowers blooming! Each pack is valued at
over $50 and contains:
• Daltons Premium Flower Bed Mix
• Daltons Premium Potting Mix
• Daltons Premium Rose & Flower Fertiliser
• PLUS a pair of comfortable,
versatile Red Back gardening
gloves from Omni Products
(www.omniproducts.co.nz)
BE IN
WIN!
TO WIN!
Send us your
gardening
question to be
in to win!
$50
PRIZE
PACK!
Email your question
and glove size to:
chchstar@daltons.co.nz
Entries must be received
by 29 th Dec 2017
Keep your garden fresh in the heat
AS WE move through summer,
keep the garden looking fresh for
your outdoor enjoyment.
1. Conserve water – While
we may not reach Australian
levels of urgency about water
shortages, the eco-messages are
just going to get tougher from
now on. Take a good look at how
you use water in your garden
and make some plans. Whatever
your method, be sparing with
the frequency of watering:
established plants need only
30min of water once or twice a
week, vegetables more.
2. Mulch to save work –
Mulch is the instant makeover.
It suppresses weeds, makes a
tired garden look fresh and slows
water evaporation. But only
apply it once the soil is good and
wet, as otherwise it will not help
your plants.
3. Plant locally – Native
plants (from your part of the
country) are perfectly adapted
to your local sun, rain and wind
conditions, so they look after
themselves.
4. Mow lightly – In the
summer lawns do best when
the grass is longer (about 25-
30mm). The soil and roots are
shaded so the lawn does not get
sunburnt and more moisture
is retained. If you can, leave
clippings on the lawn to help
conserve soil moisture and feed
it.
5. Add water – There is
nothing like water to enhance
a garden. While a full-scale
water feature can get expensive,
garden centres now sell small
plug-and-go bubbling water
bowls.
MOIST: Add mulch to retain water and suppress weeds.
No. 200-0051
Name
Name
No. 200-0051
$200
Gift Voucher $ 200
T WO HUNDRED DOLL ARS
The magazine for
gardeners who
like To geT Their
hands dirTy
www.gardener.kiwi
100%
Date of issue
Name
The Native Plant Nursery
Taupo Garden Centre
155 Centennial Drive Taupo
P: 07 378 5450
Name
Date of issue
Date of issue
This voucher may only be redeemed at The Native Plant Nursery and its outlets:
The Native Plant Nursery Taupo 155 Centennial Drive Taupo Ph: 07 378 5450
The Native Plant Nursery Taupo Garden Centre 155 Centennial Drive Taupo Ph: 07 378 5450
The Native Plant Nursery Waiuku 341 Glenbrook-Waiuku Road South Auckland Ph: 09 235 3543
Name
The Native Plant Nursery South Island 1350 Lake Brunner Road Rotomanu S.I. Ph: 03 738 0634
$50
FIF T Y DOLL ARS
Valid for 12 months from date of issue. Vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash
visit www.tauponativeplant.co.nz to view all current specimens, availability and prices
Date of issue
This voucher may only be redeemed at The Native Plant Nursery and its outlets:
The Native Plant Nursery Taupo 155 Centennial Drive Taupo Ph: 07 378 5450
The Native Plant Nursery Taupo Garden Centre 155 Centennial Drive Taupo Ph: 07 378 5450
The Native Plant Nursery Waiuku 341 Glenbrook-Waiuku Road South Auckland Ph: 09 235 3543
The Native Plant Nursery
The Native Plant Nursery South Island 1350 Lake Brunner Road Rotomanu S.I. Ph: 03 738 0634
Taupo Garden Centre
155 Centennial Drive Taupo
GIVE a GARDEN
FOR CHRISTMAS
Date of issue
P: 07 378 5450
Christchurch Garden Centre
Open daily 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
478 Marshland Road, Marshland
Telephone : 03 385 9008
No. 50-0251
No.
50-0251
Gift Voucher
Valid for 12 months from date of issue. Vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash
visit www.tauponativeplant.co.nz to view all current specimens, availability and prices
…with native plant
gift vouchers
No. 20-0451
No. 20-0451
Gift Voucher $ 20
Name
Date of issue
This voucher may only be redeemed at The Native Plant Nursery and its outlets:
T WENT Y DOLL ARS
The Native Plant N