Selwyn Times: September 08, 2021
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<strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Wednesday <strong>September</strong> 8 <strong>2021</strong><br />
24<br />
GARDENING<br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Add lime before planting tomatoes<br />
• By Henri Ham<br />
YOU KNOW when the weather<br />
starts to warm up, it’s time to<br />
plant your tomatoes.<br />
Tomatoes are a must-have in<br />
any garden, there is a feeling of<br />
satisfaction as you pick a fresh<br />
tomato off your vine … plus<br />
homemade pasta sauce? Yes,<br />
please.<br />
Traditionally Labour weekend<br />
is the time to plant your<br />
tomatoes but anytime from<br />
<strong>September</strong> to early January is<br />
okay.<br />
Tomatoes thrive in a sunny,<br />
sheltered spot, protected from<br />
strong winds. It’s important to<br />
switch up your planting positions<br />
and plant your tomatoes<br />
in a different spot from the<br />
previous season. This just helps<br />
prevent any disease.<br />
Switch it up by planting<br />
tomatoes in pots or if you’re low<br />
on space you can plant cherry<br />
and dwarf tomato varieties in<br />
hanging baskets, add some marigolds<br />
and herbs to your hanging<br />
baskets to attract beneficial<br />
insects as well as to ward off any<br />
unwanted pests.<br />
Tomatoes aren’t a fan of soil<br />
with a low PH, if it’s been raining<br />
cats and dogs in your area, we<br />
recommend adding a bit of lime<br />
to your soil prior to planting.<br />
Lime provides a great source<br />
PROTECT: Get your tomato plants in the ground now if you want to have a summer harvest. Plant in a sunny,<br />
sheltered spot.<br />
of calcium which encourages<br />
healthier and larger fruit and<br />
helps prevent blossom rot.<br />
Calcium also helps improve the<br />
soil structure which encourages<br />
earthworm activity.<br />
Garden centres stock a variety<br />
of tomatoes, if you are planting<br />
tomatoes for bottling then<br />
our heirloom mix, brandy wine,<br />
black Krim, money maker and<br />
beefsteak are great options. If<br />
you’re after smaller varieties that<br />
don’t require a lot of room and<br />
are great for salads and picking<br />
straight off the vine then<br />
our gold nugget, black and red<br />
cherry and acid-free tomatoes<br />
will do the trick.<br />
Once you’ve decided on your<br />
varieties and your soil prep is<br />
complete, dig a hole approximately<br />
5cm deep and space your<br />
tomato seedlings about 40-50 cm<br />
apart.<br />
If you’re companion planting,<br />
we recommend planting your<br />
tomatoes with basil, marigolds,<br />
onions, cosmos, cucumber, lettuce,<br />
sage and mint.<br />
Avoid planting with brassicas<br />
and corn. Corn is likely to attract<br />
fruit worm. We also don’t recommend<br />
planting your tomatoes<br />
with potatoes as potatoes require<br />
quite a bit of nutrients which<br />
will reduce the growth of your<br />
tomatoes, they’re also likely to<br />
cause blight.<br />
Once planted, spray your<br />
tomatoes with liquid copper to<br />
prevent fungal disease and add<br />
some seaweed to the surrounding<br />
soil to encourage larger and<br />
juicy fruit.<br />
When it comes to watering,<br />
avoid overhead hosing as it could<br />
leave your plants more susceptible<br />
to diseases like powdery<br />
mildew, rust, and blight. You can<br />
retain moisture by adding a layer<br />
of newspaper around your plants<br />
and then cover your newspaper<br />
with pea straw or soil.<br />
We hope you have a successful<br />
tomato growing season.<br />
with intelligro<br />
Spring is a time of growth and<br />
development, and the list of jobs to do<br />
is endless. With the weather warming<br />
up and daylight savings here, now is the<br />
perfect time to get stuck into the garden.<br />
Intelligro are trying to make small<br />
changes to help the environment and<br />
we’re here to help you and your family<br />
create a more sustainable future.<br />
Creating your own veggie garden is the<br />
perfect place to start.<br />
Growing vegetables is not only quite<br />
satisfying but very easy too! Growing<br />
some of your own food is a key part of a<br />
sustainable lifestyle.<br />
Here are a few tips to get you started:<br />
1. Pick a sunny position for your veggie garden with<br />
shelter from the wind.<br />
2. If you’re using timber, untreated is best. If using<br />
treated timber line with black plastic.<br />
3. Having a good quality soil is key for growing a<br />
productive veggie garden! For leafy, above the ground<br />
produce choose Intelligro Vege Garden Mix, For root<br />
crops, (potatoes, radishes etc) choose Intelligro Garden<br />
Soil Mix. A soil blend is preferred by these plants.<br />
4. Make sure you plant quality, in-season seedling (big is<br />
not always better).<br />
5. For a successful veggie garden make sure you establish<br />
a regular watering routine!<br />
Some of what we have in stock: Certified Organic Compost • Vege Garden Mix • Potting Mixes • Lawn<br />
Mixes • House Plant Mix • Seed Raising Mix • Bark • Mulch • Stones • Chips • Pebbles • Sands<br />
• Fertilisers • Pavers • Raised Gardens • Seeds • Seedlings • Tools and so much more!<br />
Lawns...<br />
Spring is well known as lawn time.<br />
Lawns can be sown or repaired<br />
now, as long as you are sure the<br />
last of frosts have been and gone.<br />
We have a handy lawn guide on<br />
our website and our team would<br />
be happy to talk through any<br />
issues you may have, and point you<br />
in the right direction. It’s also a good time to fertilise<br />
your existing lawns, and repair any patches or holes.<br />
261 Manion Road, Weedons 7677 | P: 03 347 9012 | E: info@igro.co.nz<br />
Spring & Summer Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday: 7.30am – 5.30pm Sunday and Public Holidays: 8.30am – 4.30pm<br />
www.igro.co.nz /igro.co.nz /intelligro_nz
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