DEC_08_SELWYN

Selwyn Times Wednesday December 8 2021
32
GARDENING
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Get your garden ready for Christmas
IT’S TIME to have the home
garden looking its best for
Christmas visitors, and to
harvest fresh vegetables for the
Christmas meal.
Hot, dry months lie ahead so
start preparing your garden.
Houseplants
As daytime temperatures
increase, think about repositioning
your houseplants - some may
need to be moved away from
windows on the north side of
your home. If you haven’t fertilised
your houseplants yet, feed
them now. Increase the amount
and regularity of watering over
warmer months, remembering
that different houseplants have
differing water requirements. A
small hand mister is an excellent
way of keeping houseplant
leaves healthy over the summer
months.
Vegetable garden
New season’s potatoes can be
dug up for the Christmas meal.
Other vegetables to harvest
include beans, beetroot, cabbage,
courgettes, lettuce, radish, and
silverbeet. Regularly plant quick
maturing vegetables such as
dwarf beans, lettuce, and radish.
Apply side dressings of vegetable
fertiliser to slow-maturing summer
vegetables such as sweet
corn and tomatoes.
CARE NEEDED: Houseplants prefer to grow in relatively
high humidity, so it is important to mist their leaves
regularly with lukewarm water.
Berries
Usually, there will be a substantial
crop of raspberries in
December as they grow very
quickly. Remove excess canes
that can appear at this time of
the year. The best part about
growing your own raspberries is
that there will be a second crop
early in the new year.
Ripe strawberries should be in
abundance throughout December.
Birds adore strawberries so
cover plants with bird netting.
Renew the pea straw or crushed
bark around the plants to provide
a clean bed for the ripening
strawberries. You can never have
too many strawberries so consider
expanding the strawberry
patch next year.
Fruit trees
As we near the end of the
month, the first plums, such as
wilson’s early begin to ripen.
All fruit trees will be in active
growth, though some will
require a light summer pruning
where branches become excessively
crowded. Water and mulch
young specimens that were
planted this winter.
Flowering annuals
Those planted in spring should
now be in full flower including
alyssum, ageratum, cornflower,
cosmos, marigolds, petunias,
portulacas, salvias, strawflowers,
and zinnias. Brighten up decks
or patios with mass plantings of
flowers in tubs and containers.
Keep deadheading (the removal
of dead flowers) to encourage
continuous flowering.
Herbs
Herbs thrive in the heat of
summer and production from
the herb garden should be
bountiful! Remove any flowers
that appear early on your herb
plants. Trim plants regularly as
this promotes fresh and new
growth. The most flavoursome of
all herbs, ‘pinch out’ the growing
tips of basil plants to encourage a
bushy habit.
Roses
Apply fertiliser early in the
month, recommencing again in
mid-March. Continue deadheading
as this promotes repeat flowering.
Inspect rose bushes for
early signs of fungal diseases and
aphid attacks. Mulch with compost
or other organic materials
to retain moisture in the soil.
Lawns
The last application of fertiliser
can be made early in the month.
Where water supply allows, irrigate
the lawn or parts of the lawn
that appear to be drying out.
Container gardens
An ideal way to cultivate flowers,
herbs, and salad vegetables,
especially in smaller properties
or apartments. Always use fresh
container mix when starting a
new ‘crop’ as it is free draining
and includes essential nutrients.
If you are heading away this
Christmas, ask a neighbour to
water your pots, or alternatively
cut them back quite hard before
departing which reduces the
need for watering. You can also
put containers under trees where
there is dappled light, so they
don’t dry out as quickly.
Summer holiday
After all the hard work of
planting and caring for your
vegetable garden, you don’t want
to abandon it right when it is
flourishing. Again, ask friends,
or family members to water your
vegetable garden while you are
away. Alternatively, invest in an
automatic water timer.
Are you ready to grow?
For real Kiwi gardeners who like
to get their hands dirty.
Merry
Christmas
from intelligro
growing with you Issue 506 | July 2021 | 100%
$8.00 incl. GST
9 416770 121318
Vege patch
priorities
Sprouting
potatoes & starting
strawberries
a plum job
How the Russells
fill our fruit bowls
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Great gift ideas for Christmas!
With Christmas just around the corner, now is the
time to get everything ready for the big day. Us
Kiwis love to do some DIY around the house, and
summer is a great time to get it done. Whether
you are looking to lay some pavers, add mulch to
the garden or grab a gift card for that hard-to-buyfor
relative, Intelligro has you covered.
The summer heat will start to take its toll, so weeding, feeding,
and mulching are on the top of the list for garden maintenance
this month. Your plants will love some more nutrients to maintain
healthy growth, and adding a good layer of mulch will not only
suppress the weeds, but help to retain that much needed moisture
in the soil.
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