The Star: September 12, 2019

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The Star Thursday September 12 2019 30 GARDENING Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Sunshine brings up the soil temperature SPRING HAS finally arrived. Temperatures will still be a bit up and down this month, but overall, they are on the rise. There is plenty for gardeners to do, especially preparing vegetable and flower gardens for planting. Vegetable garden Harvest the remainder of your winter veges and remove any that have finished. Improve the soil by adding plenty of new compost. Where soils are not too wet, you can now plant hardier vegetables for summer harvesting, these include; asparagus, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, onion, radish, silverbeet and spinach. Flowering annuals and shrubs Begin preparing for your summer flower garden. It’s a little early to plant traditional summer annuals, so start with good all-rounders; such as alyssum, calendulas, cornflowers, lobelia, pansies and violas. You can raise your own summer annuals seedlings by sowing seeds into fresh seed raising mix now. It’s important to use fresh mix to ensure healthy, diseasefree seedlings. Place pots or trays in a warm north-facing spot indoors or outdoors in a greenhouse, and water regularly to ensure even germination. New seedlings should be ready for planting around five-six weeks. Give flowering winter shrubs that have finished flowering, like azaleas and camellias, a light ‘tidy up’ prune where needed. Bulbs Mark the position of your late winter/early spring flowering bulbs if you want to grow annuals and perennials in the same area over summer. It will save the heartache of accidentally digging them up when planting, Allow any bulbs that have flowered brilliantly to naturalise (growing and seeding as they would naturally in the wild) in your garden, especially freesias, hyacinth, iris, lachenalias, muscari, narcissus and watsonias. IF YOU’VE got an area in your garden where you want to create a mass of colour, you can’t go past petunias. They are prolific bloomers that, if looked after, will continue to flower all summer. You can choose from plain purple, red, pink or white. How about purple with dashes of white like on the primetime violet star? Or the duo red and white variety which, like the name suggests, produces a beautiful mixture of red and white flower? Not sure what colour to select? Then try a mixed bundle. Roses New Zealand spring and early summer is a marvellous time for roses with masses of stunning blooms, and plants are typically disease free. If you do notice signs of disease or pests – spray immediately. Remember once you commit to spraying, you must follow a regular regime throughout the season. Apply rose fertiliser every five to six weeks from late September (always avoid fertilising over the hot summer months). Fruit trees and strawberries Stone fruit are in full flower, as are pip fruit like apples and pears. Fingers crossed for favourable weather conditions (sunny Don’t have a big garden to fill with bedding flowers? Don’t worry about that either. All petunias really need to flourish is a sunny, free-draining spot. They grow equally as well in pots and hanging baskets making them perfect for just about any garden. Once you’ve selected your seedlings and sunny spot to plant, simply dig small holes, around 3cm deep and 25cm apart, and plant. Be sure to watch out for slugs or trying using our beer bait. It also pays to keep an eye out for aphids. If you spot these pesky pests, a general insecticide or VULNERABLE: Mark the position of your late winter/ early spring flowering bulbs so you don’t accidentally dig them up. days and no strong winds) as it’s critical for pollination by bees. Unfortunately, heavy rain and strong winds can have a major impact on pollination resulting in limited fruit. Early strawberry varieties are beginning to set fruit. Keep a good layer of pea straw or hay (mulch) around the plants to keep berries clean and healthy. With other berry plants such as raspberries and boysenberries, apply a copper oxychloride spray to help prevent the occurrence of summer disease. spray of organic alternative, neem oil will sort that problem. And make sure to keep them watered. If you’re not sure how thirsty they are, stick your finger in the soil 2cm deep. If the soil is dry, they will need a drink. Then sit back and wait just four to six weeks for your beautiful petunias to bloom. Remember to pick off dead heads to encourage reflowering. VERSATILE: Petunias will grow well in the garden or in a pot. Herbs Plant your new seasons herbs. Because many herbs are Mediterranean plants, they prefer a warm, sunny position in welldrained soil and will struggle in dark, shady locations. You can easily grow herbs from seed; try basil, borage, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. They can also grow from cuttings, especially thyme, sage, rosemary and tarragon. Container gardens It’s changeover time for flowering annual displays. Violas and pansies and ‘potted colour’ varieties make excellent displays during spring before you plant traditional summer annuals. Always clean pots between seasons and use fresh container mix. Lawns You will notice new season grass growth beginning. Apply lawn fertiliser from late September and avoid mowing too ‘close’ initially in spring – you don’t want to ‘scalp’ the lawn. Check your lawn mower blades are sharp to make the cut cleaner; otherwise they can tear out the grass and damage growth. Top tip: As the soil warms in spring, mulch new and existing plants in the garden or pots to help suppress weeds and aid water retention over the dry summer months. Petunias are prolific bloomers SELWYN ROAD SHANDS ROAD SHANDS ROAD 913 SHANDS ROAD 913 SHANDS ROAD Just south of the Selwyn Road / Shands Road intersection Located on the same site as Readylawn The original same day lawn GRAND reopening sale T: 03 349 9240 E: info@allwood.co.nz SAVE UP TO 50% AND MORE Keep up to date through our Facebook page and at www.allwood.co.nz
Thursday September 12 2019 The Star Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz GARDENING 31 Plant hardy veges for summer harvest IT’S TIME for gardeners to celebrate. Temperatures are on the rise, producing signs of spring throughout the garden. September can be a wet and windy month so ensure you still protect plants where need be. It’s a busy but very enjoyable time, with colour and scents slowly coming back into the garden. Final harvesting and removal of winter maturing vegetables gives plenty of material for the compost bin. By staggering planting times, hopefully these vegetables have supplied you with continuous supplies over winter. Where conditions allow, ie soil not too wet and temperatures rising in your area, you can plant the hardier vegetables for summer harvesting. Remember the more traditional summer vegetables will be planted next month. Those veges can include; asparagus, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, onion, radish, silverbeet and spinach. Improve existing vege plots with plenty of compost before planting the new seasons vegetables. Keep a wary eye for slugs and snails as they emerge when temperatures increase. Time for preparing your summer flowering garden. Winter annuals are now coming to an end of their flowering. While it’s still a TASTE: Find a dry piece of soil and get onions in the ground now. little early for planting traditional summer annuals, there are some that ‘transcend’ the typical growing seasons and are very useful at this time of year. These include alyssum, calendulas, cornflower, lobelia, pansies and violas. If you wish to grow your own summer flowering annuals, seed should be sown now either in a glasshouse or in a warm, north facing enclosed patio. Sow and water regularly to ensure even germination. Seedlings should be ready for transplanting into the garden six to eight weeks after sowing. Carefully mark the position of your winter and spring flowering bulbs as you may wish to grow other plants in the same area over summer months. Where the bulbs have performed well, allow them to naturalise where they are growing. This applies especially to crocus, freesias, hyacinths, iris, lachenalias, muscari, narcissus, and watsonias. Stone fruit such as apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums are all in bloom now, as are pip fruit such as apples and pears. Hopefully, weather conditions allow for pollination by bees. Last year’s heavy rainfall had a major impact on pollination. Rose growth is finally under way. Spring/early summer is the best time for roses with masses of blooms and plants usually disease free. The addition of compost around the base of existing plants is beneficial for plant health. Start feeding roses from October onwards with fertiliser. Cut lawns regularly in early spring, avoiding close mowing initially. First lawn fertiliser can be applied in late September/early October. naTiVe planT nursery Trees for CanTerbury speCialisTs in • Groundcovers • Ferns • Grasses • Small to big sized shrubs • Shelterbelts • ALL grades • Expert advice • Planting now Ask us about Super Gold Card discounts Helping our community grow 42 Charlesworth Street Ph/Fax (03) 982-1028 OPEN 7 DAYS www.treesforcanterbury.org.nz Use your outdoor living areas all year round • Warm & dry in winter • UV protection for summer • Stylish & permanent • 5 year warranty “AS SEEN ON TV” Our Compost Range... Garden Box Plus “Landscaper’s Choice” Garden Booster “Energy for your garden” Garden Grow “Exceptional Value” Mushroom Compost “Economical Powershot” Mulch & Feed “Two Jobs One Product” Lawn Topdressing “DIY Hydroseed” No added green waste or soil 03 348 2915 www.gardenbox.co.nz 57 Lunns Road, Middleton (off Curletts Road) THE ONE STOP GARDENING RANGE FOR HOME GARDENERS Chris Thorndycroft 15 months INTEREST FREE Manufactured and distributed by Phone 0274 211 079 | www.archgola.co.nz Normal lending criteria apply www.daltons.co.nz
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