The Star: September 27, 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

38 Thursday September 27 2018 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi The Star Gardening Plant greens early spring •From page 37 FRESH: Parsley comes in two forms – curly leaved or flat leaved – they can be grown together. Get herbs in now ALL THE promise of spring is out there in the herb garden. It’s a good idea to plant herbs close to the kitchen — the further away they are, the less likely you are to pick them, especially in rainy weather. Most of the cooking herbs like a place in the sun, though mint will grow in a damp shady spot. If you don’t have much space, stick to those herbs you know you’ll use in cooking. Consider growing them in pots, or plant herbs in the flower garden — most are quite decorative. Fresh coriander is an important ingredient in many Thai and Indian dishes and now’s theww time for planting the seeds of this annual herb. Coriander plants are taprooted and don’t transplant well, so sow seeds where you want the plants to grow and thin out when necessary. The seeds are slow to germinate, so don’t give up on them too soon. Some varieties of chives die down in the winter, while others stay green the whole year through. If rust is a problem, cut the clumps back and wait for fresh rust-free growth. If that doesn’t work, it may be best to plant some new bulbs in a different spot. Clumps need to be divided and replanted every few years in any case or the chives get overcrowded and loose their vigour. Garlic chives have a stronger flavour than regular chives and the flowers are white and starry rather than pompom shaped. The plants grow more slowly and the leaves stand up to cooking a bit better. Parsley comes in two forms: the curly-leaved variety and flat or broad-leaved parsley, often known as Italian parsley. The latter is currently more trendy but at a pinch you can usually substitute one for the other. RADISH Crisp and zingy, everyone has room to grow these nuggets of goodness. All you need is a kitchen bucket, some vegetable mix and seeds, and you’ll be in business. Why not grow them at work if you have a sunny outdoor space? It could make for a fun inter-office challenge, with prizes on offer for the biggest, smallest, ugliest, tastiest and funniest shaped radish! Personally, I prefer the round marble to golf-ball-sized types, although the cylindrical varieties do get a lot bigger, and therefore give you more bang for your buck. Sow from seed now in rows, or try sowing them in a circle or a pattern – kids love doing this. Note that you won’t find radishes in punnets, as they are very difficult to transplant without damaging the roots, so planting in a seed line is definitely the best way forward. POTATOES The first sprouted potatoes can go in the ground now in the warmer climates. If your soil isn’t ready, grow an early-crop in large tubs or potato planters. This option will yield just as well as growing in the ground, and enable you to tuck the pots up against the house to protect them from cold snaps. Early-crop varieties to plant now include ‘Jersey Benne’, ‘Rocket’, Swift’, ‘Cliff Kidney’, or ‘Liseta’. Remember to enrich the soil with potato food! KALE Move over spinach, kale is steadily taking over as the most popular superfood. It’s a tough campaigner and can be grown all year round, but if you are just starting up your vegetable patch for the season now, it’s a perfect time to fire a few plants in the ground. If you’re short on space, you can also plant these into tubs or containers. It is literally a no-fuss crop, it prefers full sun and a compost-enriched soil, but will survive if it doesn’t get all its key ingredients – although, why bother planting something if you don’t want the best outcome? Seedlings are plentiful in shops, as is seed. It germinates readily, makes a tasty microgreen, and due to its ornamental nature, could easily be planted in ceramic or colourful pots and placed on the patio or deck. CORIANDER I almost always have this herb in my garden, except for when all it wants to do is bolt and go to seed in summer. It’s a cool-month crop, so sow or plant out seedlings in spring, autumn or winter. It needs moisture-retentive soil in order to thrive, so if you soil is poor or loose, mix in some good compost to help it hold onto water. Did you know that you can save your own coriander seed? Simply let the flowers go to WHOLESOME: Rhubarb loves muck, so pile manure into the soil before planting. Left – Cylindrical varieties of radish generally grow bigger than other varieties. seed, then, once the heads look papery brown, hang them upsidedown inside a paper bag and over time the seeds will fall out. Alternatively, you can scrunch the outside of the bag to speed up the process. Although coriander will grow well in a pot, make sure it’s a big one, as it has a vigorous root system and needs plenty of soil in which to anchor itself. RHUBARB It may seem odd to kick off the growing season with what some call a fruit, but this trusty old campaigner is technically classified as a vegetable. Lift and divide old, woody clumps now, before any top growth begins appearing. The crowns (chunks of roots) are actually extremely tough and will cope with being hacked about – even use an axe if need be. Rhubarb loves muck, particularly manure, so pile it into the soil before planting. When it comes to planting, nestle the crown just above the soil line, and avoid burying it fully as it tends to make the plants rot. Rhubarb is a crop that is highly ornamental as well, so blend it into your flower beds and garden borders, and know that it will also cope with an hour or two of shade a day. Garden need a spruce up before the hols? We’ve got your back! • Garden plans • Garden makeovers • Garden maintenance • Delivery and planting of trees and shrubs • Great advice Call in and check out the great selection of trees and shrubs Great discounts offered on trees and shrubs! Allwood Trees, 366 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025 Phone: (03) 349 9240 allwood.co.nz allwoodtrees
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday September 27 2018 39 Local News Now Fire rages, homes at risk QUESTION GARDENING ADVICE with Our plum tree (Elephant Heart) was planted five years ago and has only ever produced one plum. It’s planted in our front lawn and gets good midday to afternoon sun. It appears to be in good condition with no obvious disease to the leaves, trunk or branches. There are often a lot of flowers on it in spring too. Where are we going wrong? Today’s winning question came from Rose. Congratulations! ANSWER Your plum tree has only produced a single plum because of a lack of pollination. With one or two exceptions, all plum trees require pollination from another specific plum variety. They are all not self-fertile like some other fruit trees, and therefore when grown in isolation the chance of any fruit appearing is quite remote. For this reason, plum trees should be sold double grafted to ensure cross-pollination, or you should be advised at the time of purchase that it is necessary to purchase two plum trees at the same time. The best pollinators for your existing plum tree are Omega, Santa Rosa and Sultan. If you are keen to perhaps plant self-pollinating varieties in the future, try Wilsons early which crops just before Christmas. Another favourite is Louisa, a very large plum that looks and almost tastes like a nectarine and crops late Dec/early Jan. For more gardening advice and tips, check out our How to Grow Citrus guide at www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides Growing your own veggies means you have fresh, seasonal produce at your fi ngertips, and it just tastes better! Well prepared and nutrient rich soil is critical to a successful veggie garden. We have a Daltons Veggie Garden Planting and Care Pack to giveaway with everything you need for a thriving veggie garden. Each pack is valued at over $70 and contains: • 2 x Garden Time Vegetable Mix • Daltons Goldcote Vegetable and Herb Fertiliser • Besgrow Coir Mulch • Garden Time Chicken and Sheep Pellets • PLUS a pair of comfortable, versatile Red Back gardening gloves from Omni Products (www.omniproducts.co.nz) BE IN TO WIN! Send us your gardening question to be in to win! $70 PRIZE PACK! Email your question and glove size to: chchstar@daltons.co.nz Entries must be received by 3rd October 2018 ADVERTORIAL The Art of the Arborist So often we turn up to a property and the trees have been attacked by someone, with little to no knowledge of the needs of the tree. Unfortunately, this can severely decrease the life expectancy of the trees. Tree pruning is both an art and a science. An arborist’s job is to assess trees on their individual merit and determine what approach is needed for each tree. The art of pruning means an arborist can improve a tree’s aesthetics and structural integrity, whilst making the tree safe and manageable. When on a job, there are occasions where we do advocate that a tree needs removing, either because it has been pruned poorly in the past, or the tree would need severe pruning to reach the owners desired outcome. The science behind tree pruning draws on knowledge, experience and expertise to ensure that tree health remains a top priority. Every tree needs to be pruned differently, for example, you can’t prune a Maple the same as you would an Oak. Sometimes there are options available rather than simply topping a tree. An arborist may suggest elevating the lower canopy to let light in underneath, removing deadwood and thinning (increases airflow around tree and increasing light to still keep shape and health of tree), or possibly end weighting (removing weight) from selected limbs. Our favourite clients are the ones that ask us if it were my garden, what would I do to the trees. This gives us the freedom to immerse ourselves in the garden and get the best result for the client. Often, we like to do the primary work (obvious work) first, and then the secondary work becomes more apparent. Consulting an arborist or tree surgeon and investing in your trees can add value to a property, not to mention enjoyment to the owner. Alternatively, trees that are poorly looked after could have the potential to become a liability for the owner. Beaver Tree Service Ltd. Call us now - 0800 422 328 THIS VOUCHER entitles you to a Free Tree Appraisal You may have noticed the hard working team from Beaver Trees working on your neighbours trees.... SPECIALISTS IN - Difficult Tree Removal - Full Tree Maintenance - Pruning & Thinning - Tree Reduction - Stump Grinding Now is a great time to have all your tree maintenance taken care of... so why not take up our offer of a Free Appraisal. YOUR TRUSTED PROFESSIONALS CALL US NOW 0800 422 328 info@beavertree.co.nz beavertree.co.nz A tree is a thing of beauty that adds value to your life, Its worth spending money and time on.
Page 1 and 2: Thursday, September 27, 2018 Cancer
Page 3 and 4: The Star Latest Christchurch news a
Page 27 and 28: 8-page Lift-out september 2018 INSI
Page 29 and 30: volunteering/events 3 Graffiti Remo
Page 31 and 32: medicine 5 ExERCISE the mind SUDOKU
Page 33 and 34: motoring 7 Price - Ford EcoSport Ti
Page 37: The Star Latest Christchurch news a
Page 45 and 46: 2 The Star[Edition datE] Latest Chr

The Star: September 27, 2018

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?