The Star: April 04, 2019

$7.90 incl. GST
The Star Thursday April 4 2019
news online at www.star.kiwi
GARDENING 27
GARDENING ADVICE
Today’s winning question
came from Kate Watson.
Congratulations!
I have a lovely big Daphne
Q plant but it has these nasty
black spots on the
underside of leaves. I am unsure
what spray to use, and when. I do
not want to part with this old friend.
A
Be in to WIN a Daltons Luscious Lawn Care Pack
After carefully studying the image you sent in,
we can identify that you have an infection of
scale insects. To be sure, pick the black
mark on the leaf, it should be slightly
raised and the scale insect should
come off on your finger. Not the most pleasant of
tasks, but this should confirm the diagnosis.
Scale is reasonably easy to control with an
application of good quality horticultural oil,
applied at the summer rate over all the plant,
especially on the underside of the leaves. Carry
out this procedure on a cloudy day to avoid any
possible burning of young growth.
Check in a few weeks to ensure all the scale insects
are dead, they should be dry by this time. If some
are still alive, a follow up spray is essential.
For more gardening advice and tips,
check out our How to Grow Guides at
www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides
A successful, healthy, green lawn takes regular maintenance and fertilising. Autumn or spring
are the best times to sow a new lawn or tackle any lawn problems while the soil is warm. When
mowing lawns, catch your clippings and remove them – add them to your compost bin in small
and regular amounts, or work it into the existing soil in your flower or vegetable garden.
We have a Daltons Premium Lawn care packs valued at over $80 to giveaway which
contains Daltons Premium Lawn Fertiliser, Daltons Lawn Patching Gold, Daltons Premium
Lawn Soil, and a pair of comfortable, versatile Red Back gardening gloves from Omni
Products - www.omniproducts.co.nz. Everything you need to care for your lawn!
$80
PRIZE
PACK!
Send us your
gardening question
to be in to win!
Email your question and
glove size to:
chchstar@daltons.co.nz
Entries must be received by 10
th April ‘19
Beetroot relaunched as the new superfood
• By Henri Ham
I HAVE distinct memories of
eating beetroot as a child. To
approach with caution – there
was the constant reminder that
“beetroot will stain” (gasp),
making it seem way more effort
than it was worth.
Fast-forward 40(ish) years, I
now put beetroot as a must-have
kiwi vege. And gone are the days
of only ever seeing it in a can
too. Beetroot’s been relaunched
as a super-food celebrated for its
antioxidants and vitamins, not to
mention delicious versatility in
recipes.
But best of all, it’s easy to grow.
Beetroot is a hardy vege, you can
actually plant all year round in
your garden. But it does prefer
a cool/warm climate, making it
perfect for planting right now in
autumn.
Where to plant? Beetroot likes
a sunny well-drained spot in your
COLOUR:
Don’t let your
beetroot
get too big
otherwise
it will taste
woody.
garden. First dig over your vege
plot, turning in some compost
and sheep pellets if you’ve got
some. Dig holes for your seedlings,
about 3cm deep and 15cm
apart. Place the seedlings in and
gently press the soil down around
their base.
Give a good initial watering,
and then keep this up daily for
five days to give them the best
possible start.
After this, water every few days.
Don’t forget about them though,
as they can become bitter if they
go through a lengthy dry period.
You can also give them a feed of
liquid plant food, like a seaweed
tonic, every fortnight.
When you plant, consider laying
down some mulch as your
organic weed control. It will
smother the weeds, ensuring they
can’t germinate. Pea straw is ideal
for this, and will also help keep in
the moisture.
After a month you can start
harvesting the leaves. But always
leave a few on to keep the plant
growing. Use these leaves the
same way you would spinach
or pak choy – sautéed, added to
soups or raw in salads.
In around three months you’ll
be able to harvest your beetroot.
This is best when they’re between
the size of a golf and tennis ball.
The earlier you harvest, the
smaller, but sweeter they’ll be.
Remember, they can taste a bit
woody when you let them get too
big.
To harvest the root, use a hand
fork underneath the vegetable
and gently pull up from the stalks.
Try to not break the stalks from
the beetroot, as this will cause it
to bleed out and lose its goodness.
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