Selwyn Times: August 14, 2019

28
Wednesday August 14 2019
Gardening
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
SELWYN TIMES
Time to plan your vegetable garden
AUGUST IS possibly one of
the most difficult months in the
home garden – the weather is still
very cold with blustery winds and
soils are very wet.
However, it’s an ideal time for
completing planting of deciduous
ornamental and fruit trees, and
on a positive note, plan your new
vegetable garden.
Vegetable garden
Continue harvesting winter
maturing vegetables and where
soil conditions allow i.e. not too
wet and the tilth (texture of the
soil) is friable (easily crumbled),
you can sow seeds of beetroot,
carrots, onion, peas, radish and
spinach.
Start cultivating soil in preparation
for early spring plantings
by ‘chopping up’ and digging in
green manure crops you sowed
in early autumn such as lupins, to
improve the organic matter.
Raise the level of new vegetable
gardens 100-120mm above the
existing ground level as drainage
will be improved and soil temperatures
will rise quicker in early
spring.
Flowering annuals
Winter flowering annuals
should still be blooming beautifully,
especially cineraria’s that
are at their best in late winter/
early spring. Where new plantings
are required, plant ‘potted’
colour. Try alyssum, calendulas,
cornflowers, larkspur, lobelia,
pansies, snapdragons, stock and
wallflowers.
Fruit trees
It’s cropping time for many
citrus, mandarins, lemons, limes,
navel oranges and grapefruit.
Seminole tangelos that appear
ripe on trees are not sweet
enough to eat until October/November.
Pip and stone fruit trees benefit
from a final copper oxychloride
spray so they are in a healthy state
for the new growing season. Remove
all pruning’s and old leaves
from the home orchard.
Feijoas can now be pruned
as they often flower early in
spring, and thin out thick tangelo
growth to allow light to penetrate
through the plant, increasing fruit
production.
Strawberries
Have already commenced
actual growth, remove all old and
diseased leaves. In warmer areas,
flowers will appear very early. Ideally,
remove all flowers at least for
JUICY: If your
garden has
citrus, now is
the time to crop
back the fruit.
another month as they will not
form edible, healthy strawberries
until well into spring.
Roses
While the plants are dormant
apply a copper oxychloride and/
or horticultural oil spray to
‘clean up’ any overwatering pests
or diseases. Be meticulous in
removing all old leaves and pruning’s
which should be burned or
disposed of off the property. Add
compost around existing plants to
greatly benefit spring growth next
month. Apply fertiliser around
late September/early October.
Lawns
In most parts of New Zealand,
there is little significant grass
growth in August, however, it is
just around the corner. Use this
time to deal with problem areas
in the lawn where it is not too
wet. Installing drainage coil in
wet parts of a lawn can make a
significant difference for next
winter.
Ornamental trees and
shrubs
Site preparation is critical
before planting. Do not plant in
areas that are extremely wet unless
you are planting specimens
that specifically grow in wet soils
e.g. swamp cypress, kahikatea.
Add compost to all planting sites
and cultivate thoroughly prior to
planting. Allow sufficient space
between new trees and shrubs for
their full development.
Container gardens
With careful planting and planning,
containers should continue
to provide colour and interest
throughout August. Replant
where necessary with ‘potted
colour’. Before planting new flowering
annuals in spring, empty
the containers, thoroughly check
that drainage holes are adequate,
clean carefully and fill with new
container mix.
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