Selwyn Times: February 28, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday February 28 2018 27
Editorial supplied by
Gardening
www.gardener.kiwi
Late summer greenhouse tips
Keep productivity levels
pumping by prioritising
some key tasks. Diana
Noonan reports
1. Water warning
Don’t water and work among
your plants at the same time.
Late summer sees greenhouse
plants struggling to support
ripening fruit and masses of
foliage. When you water, foliage
becomes heavier, and plants
lean in all directions, including
over pathways. Foliage also
becomes more fragile as it takes
in moisture. If you’re working
around your plants immediately
after watering, you’re likely to
knock off fruit and break stems,
and the last thing you want this
late in the season is damaged
plant material that then becomes
a site for disease to take hold.
Water early in the morning and
keep out of the greenhouse until
the warmth of the day has dried
the plants off.
2. Stress busters
Plants have been in the ground
for several months now, and are
becoming exhausted from the
task of producing and ripening
fruit. This kind of stress is the
open door through which pests
and disease leap when given half
a chance, so pamper your plants
like never before. Water deeply
to avoid soil drying out. Nourish
plants with low nitrogen liquid
feed (nitrogen at this stage in the
season will only promote leaf
growth at the expense of ripening
fruit). Be more vigilant with
ventilation to avoid heat stress.
4. Pick and pinch
Plants have enough to
contend with in late summer
without having to support fruit
that’s already mature. Harvest
as soon as possible and take
extra care to ensure you don’t
damage stems as you pick. If
you’re in a region where flowers
or young green fruit just don’t
have a chance of developing or
reaching maturity, or even of
growing to a size where it can be
picked to ripen inside, nip out
the no-hopers. Sacrificing them
will make way for other fruit to
mature more quickly.
5. Prune
If your vines are tapping on the
roof of the greenhouse, it’s time to
nip out the centres. Excess height
will only shade plants below.
Besides which, at this stage,
further flowers are unlikely to
have time to produce fruit that
will mature. Prune off dying
lower foliage Urban to avoid Section
it attracting
disease.
Urban Section
BUMPER CROP:
Don’t work around
greenhouse plants
heavy with water –
you risk damaging
them. Harvest as
soon as possible
and save your
plants the work of
further supporting
fruit that is already
mature.
6. Open those vents!
Fungal diseases are
synonymous with late summer.
Encourage airflow by opening
vents in the morning and leaving
them partially open at night.
When days are warm, leave the
door open but remember to leave
a netting covering over the gap –
birds are as keen on ripening fruit
as you are.
7. Out with the old, in with
the new
If a plant is failing at this late
stage, don’t dilly-dally – whip
it out of the ground. The space
left behind will allow for better
airflow or, if you have another
plant to go in its place, top up
the soil with fresh compost and
animal manure (taking care not
to disturb the roots of
neighbouring plants) and pop it
in.
8. Waste not, want not
Blossom-end rot and tomato
split are all late summer problems
but they don’t spell the end of a
fruit. Keep an eye on your harvest
and pick any fruit with signs of
early disease or imperfections.
Washed and trimmed, they can
be popped in the freezer until you
have enough for processing into
chutney or soup.
9. Keep supporting
Your plants are tired. You may
be too, but it’s more important
than ever to keep vining growth
well supported. Get out there with
the ties before the plants bend
over and snap or are weighed
down and broken with the weight
of fruit.
10. Select your seed
Prepare for seed saving
by observing the success, or
otherwise, of your plants and
selecting fruit from the best. If
you want to save seed that will
produce fruit the same as that
from which it has come, select
from non-hybrid plants.
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Lawns Love
Autumn
We are about to embark on one of the best times of year to tend to your
lawns. The temperatures are dropping so get new lawns down, and tend
to your existing one as well. Preparation is key for lawn establishment,
so make sure you put the good stuff down if you want the good stuff to
grow. Our Lawn Construction Mix is ideal for preparing, and then sowing
in. When choosing your seed, make sure it is fit for purpose so you get the
best results from it. The seed is designed for different climates and areas
(shady, full sun all day, wet areas) so talk to your local seed specialist to get
advice on what seed is going to suit your needs.
For existing lawns, a lush green look is something we strive for. This
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NEW ENTRANCE: 261 Manion Road, Weedons
Access to Intelligro from Manion Road is now available from both the
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Need more
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