Ashburton Courier: December 12, 2019

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Page 18, Ashburton’s The Courier, Thursday 12 December 2019 Local news at www.starnews.co.nz HOME &GARDEN Spuds planted in August ready soon Vegetables Potatoes planted in August will be maturing and ready to eat for Christmas dinner. Dig them just before using, two days ahead at most, because the immature tubers do not store well. When left in the soil, they will continue growing and even a few extra weeks in the ground can produce a crop that is twice as heavy. Maincrop potato plantings will be ready for afinal earthingup. A dressing of sulphate of ammonia (50g per metre of row) will encourage the extra foliage growth necessary to convert sunlight into food materials. All brassicas, including cabbages, cauliflowers and turnips, are a favourite food of white butterfly caterpillars and clouds of white butterflies can sometimes be seen over paddocks of swedes. In the garden, white butterflies are seen from now until late autumn. They can be kept under control by treating plants with derris dust. Do not use plants within a week of dusting and wash thoroughly before eating. Grey aphids spend the winter in small numbers on overwintering plants such as cabbages and Brussels sprouts, then multiply rapidly as the weather warms. The bluishgrey colonies live on both sides of leaves, which can curl and twist as the pests’ sucking damages the tissues. A simple spray of dishwashing liquid mixed with water (15ml dishwashing liquid to 1litre of water) will help keep plants clean and healthy. Small plants that have been badly attacked by aphids rarely recover and are best pulled out. By now, no more asparagus should be cut, so the plants can Potatoes planted in August will be ready to eat for Christmas dinner but dig them just before using as immature tubers do not store well. build up food reserves in the roots for next season’s crop. Weed or cultivate carefully among the plants (crowns) to avoid damaging the fine feeding roots. The plants are most active at this time of the year and will benefit from a mulch of garden compost mixed with blood and bone manure (200g to a10litre bucket of compost). This mulch also helps keep weeds down. Harvesting peas after the beginning of February can be achallenge. By the second month of the year, many soils have become too dry for the plants to grow and the pods to fill. Wet autumns are more favourable for peas, but even then there is some danger from fungal diseases. 2236968 Peas like their roots to be cool and kept moist, so it is almost impossible to produce agood crop of late peas on dry, shallow soils unless the area is well cultivated and plenty of humus is added. After watering in dry weather, mulching with lawn clippings or compost will give peas aboost. Flowers They rarely get it, but flowering annuals deserve the same care given to vegetable crops. The roots of many annuals are shortlived and rather feeble, and if there is too much competition for the available food, they suffer. Young plants that have asingle stem with one flower bud should have that bud nipped out to encourage bushier growth. When it comes to watering, big is best. Watering in small doses brings roots close to the surface, so when the garden is dry, soak it thoroughly. This means fewer sessions with the hose and lower water use overall, particularly important if council water restrictions are in force. Roses picked for indoors should be cut just above a fivefingered leaf. This form of summer pruning helps ensure a good display in autumn from repeatblooming varieties. Do not pick flowers when they are wet. Cutting off withered blooms regularly will give alonger flowering period. This is especially true for sweet peas. Rock garden spring displays will be over, so faded flower heads and seed pods should be removed. If these are left to mature, the plants will lose some vigour. Spreading plants can be trimmed back a little to encourage strong basal growth and prevent dry centres forming. Alpine plants that have finished flowering can be trimmed back. Look out for slugs and snails hiding under the cover of foliage. Primroses and polyanthus can be divided in early summer. If very large clumps are allowed to form, fewer flowers will result. These plants need ample supplies of manure or compost, so mix a generous amount into the soil before replanting. Water generously until the plants are established. Gazanias are reliable plants for hot, sunny banks and corners. Although perennial, they are only halfhardy, with limited tolerance to frost, so cannot be wintered over in most of the region. Lawns can have a twiceyearly dressing of acommercial mix containing superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia. Scatter 30g of the mixture for each square metre of lawn and water well. An easy way to distribute the fertiliser is to mix it with its own volume of dry soil or sand. Cover the area as evenly as possible. Any overdressed areas will show burned patches, but they will soon recover. Fruit Loganberries, cultivated blackberries and related plants tayberries, youngberries, boysenberries and marionberries can have their fruiting branches removed entirely once the crop has been harvested. Some thinning of new growth might also be needed in vigorous plants, and tie up canes that are to bear next season’s fruit so the wood is exposed to the sun to ripen it. Backyard important to homeowners The vast majorityof New Zealandersstilldream ofowning ahome with abackyard, according to research, commissioned by Westpac NZ, intoKiwi’s housingpreferences. The online survey of morethan 1,000 people foundthat despite the rise of apartmentliving, 49 percentconsider abackyard “essential” when buyingahome, whileafurther42% percent thought it wouldbe“niceto have”. WestpacNZHousing Lead Robert Hill saiditwas interesting to seepeople consideredhaving a backyard moreimportant than living closetowork,public transport,parks or schools. “Owning ahomewith anice backyard has traditionally been central to theKiwi dream, andthe recentrise in house pricesand increaseinapartmentsdoesn’t seemtohave dented that.” City dwellers are more preparedtoforgo abackyardthan those insmallercentres,with39 percent of Aucklandersand 43 percent of Wellingtonians deemingabackyard essential, compared to 64 percent in the regional South Island and57 percent in the regional North Island. “City dwellersappear more willingto sacrifice abackyard to liveinthe big smoke and it will be interesting to see if that trend continuesasmoreapartmentsand townhousescome on to the market.” However first homebuyers are morelikely to considerabackyard essential (55 percent),and place far more importance on thisthan otherfeaturessuch as amodern kitchen (31 percent)orbathroom (28 percent). “Clearly people looking to get on the property ladder are taking the attitudethatyou can always improveand expand your home, but youcan’t expand your section,” Mr Hill said. The survey found most Kiwis prioritisesafetyand security over luxury features when it comes to choosing ahome. An overwhelming 85 percent thought awarm,dry home was essential,while 70 percentwould choose an area with alow crime rate. Safetyfrom environmental risks (such as poor water quality) is essential for 63 percent of people, while 61 percent are waryof buyinginareas susceptible to climate change risks(such as coastal erosionand flooding). 2238133
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton’s The Courier, Thursday 12 December 2019, Page 19 $10k concert cash helps Andre’s cancer fight Proceeds of $10,000 from the Performing For Andre concert held recently in the Ashburton College Auditorium have been handed over. Event coordinator Claire Bubb gave the money over to Andre and Debbie Van Rooyen last week. The fundraising variety concert for the former Mid Canterbury Tennis coach, who is undergoing costly treatment to fight arare form of lung cancer, featured past and present Ashburton College pupils and staff. Mr Van Rooyen is taking the anticancer drug crizotinib and is now in month six of his treatment. The drug costs $10,000 per month and is not funded. His condition has improved with the drug and he undergoes regular checkups to monitor his condition. Mr Van Rooyen said he was ‘‘blown away’’ by the recent concert and the support from the college, tennis and wider communities. He was looking forward to ‘‘quality time with his family’’ over the festive season. Ian Moore, president of the Ashburton Justice of the Peace Association, John Fleming and wife Val. Photo Noel Lowe JP John retires from duty Mayfield was indebted to John Fleming for his 36 years of service as aJustice of the Peace, Ashburton Justice of the Peace Association president Ian Moore said. He presented Mr Fleming with his JP Retired Certificate and Badge recently. Mr Fleming said he has enjoyed serving as aJPwhere he was able to meet and assist many residents with their documents, and thanked his wife Val for taking ‘‘all those phone calls’’ over those years. John Anderson Fleming was sworn in as aJustice of the Peace on March 15, 1983. He went to Lismore Primary School, then had two years boarding at Timaru Boys’ High School (195152). He married Val and has four of afamily; they took over the family farm in mid1960s, doing sheep and mixed cropping, which was then passed on to son Martin and wife Ali in 2008. He has resided on Ythan Farm (pronounced Ithan) at Lismore all his life, since March 1937, and intends to leave feet first. Mr Fleming joined Mayfield Miniature Rifle Club when he left school in 1952, a sport he has been very involved in. He won the NZ National Championship in 1978, and the Ashburton Sports Person of The Year award the same year. He is the patron of the Ashburton Target Shooting Association. Fullbore shooting was another interest he took up at the Ashburton District Rifle Club in 1957. He is still competing in competitions from Invercargill to Nelson, and has regularly attended the National Rifle Association Championship, afull week shooting at Trentham, missing just one year. John is a charter member of Mayfield and Districts Lions Club, formed in 1978, and still holds a 100 per cent member attendance record. Officers who arrested gunman named Senior constables Jim Manning and Scott Carmody have been named as the two Canterbury police officers involved in the arrest of the alleged gunman responsible for the attacks on the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques on March 15. The two say it was an extraordinary event and they had received ahuge amount of support. They were visited by Prince William and presented with the Police Commissioner’s gold merit award. From our perspective we were doing our job and I know our colleagues would have done the same thing in that situation,” they said. “Our actions are reflective of who we are as Police officers and as Kiwis. Every day when we go to work the safety of the community is our priority and that was our focus when we made that arrest on 15 March,” say Senior Constables Manning and Carmody. Mr Manning joined the police in 1987 and Mr Carmody in 1993. Both have worked in the Canterbury district for the last 26 years. Commissioner Mike Bush said the pair put their lives at risk to stop the alleged gunman and stop further harm. He said their actions spoke volumes about who they are as people and police officers. “The events of March 15 were truly tragic.‘‘ Concert co-ordinator Claire Bubb, left, hands over the money to Andrew and Debbie Van Rooyen to fund cancer drugs. Mid/South CanterburyContinuous Spouting TM TM TM Have youbeen affectedbythe recent hail storms? We can deal directly with your insurancecompanyand minimise your stress Call us nowfor afreequotation The Original Spouting Specialists Serving Mid/South Canterbury for over 26 years John Tull ...providingoutstandingservice, afterinstallation care and pricing requirements! Phone him on 021 288 8290 Email: john@canterburycontinuous.co.nz www.continuous.co.nz Freephone 0800 50 1993 2236506
Page 1 and 2: ORDER NOW! Ph.03745 4108 0800 30 40
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Page 9 and 10: FINAL WEEK Share a with Four Square
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Page 27 and 28: THE 109TH Caroline Bay Carnival Tim
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Ashburton Courier: December 12, 2019

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