Sunday 9th August, 2015
Hi
Spring is most definitely on its way and if you want to move anything in the garden, you had better get in and do it fast. Once those leaves start to open its too late.... What happens is that the plant is rapidly moving water and food to all those new shoots and when you shift it, the new leaves just collapse and the plant will nearly always die.
Late August and early September is the time to feed your garden. Whilst you can add organic matter like sheep pellets or compost at any time of year, its good to give some inorganic fertiliser over the next few weeks as your roses and shrubs all move into leaf. Rose fertilser for your roses and flowering plants , Citrus fertilser for all your citrus and fruit trees and general fertilser for everything else. Its a good idea to feed when its going to rain as this will wash the fert in and make it available to the plants. Don't forget to make the amount of fertilser relevant to the size and age of what you are feeding.
Its perfect planting time as the ground is lovely and moist but there are a few do and don'ts in my book when it comes to planting new plants. Don't add excessive amounts of compost to the planting hole and what you do add, make sure that its well mixed with the soil. Too much compost can make the position too moist and those new developing roots can just rot off. If you have light sandy soil then add more compost than if you have heavier clay like soil. You can always add the compost to the top which will act like a mulch and the earthworms and soils organisms will deal to it but don't pile it up around the plant stem.
I have to say it again but the commonest cause of a plant not making it is they often get planted too deep. Its really important that you plant a new plant to the same depth that it was in the container or look for signs of where it has been planted. New seasons fruit or ornamental trees for example will just fall out of their bag but if you look carefully you will see a different colouration of where the plant has been in the ground before.
Sometime roses have not been potted as deep as they should be because the root structure was too long to get into the bag but the correct planting depth is just below the graft union.
Take care with new seasons plants and cut the bags off as often there will be lots of new white feeder roots and these can damage easily. Once the new seasons plants become more pot bound then they tend to hold the root ball all togather.
Don't use those instant fertiliser with a newly planted plant as they go straight into soil solution and can burn those new roots, use a slow release type or tree bricks that wont cause any harm.
Watch out for that sneaky rose disease downy mildew.... all this icy and then wet weather are perfect conditions for this insidious fungal attack. Remember it can almost be symptomless as the leaves can fall before they emerge so to speak. The secret is to spray before the rain and then again after the rain.
Plan to get a final copper and oil spray on your fruit trees before bud burst especially all the pip and stone fruits. This will help target any fungal spore that may be lurking ready to infect the new seasons leaves.
Generally a shrub for those dappled light or partially shaded positions and most easily grown though they don't like being short of water when they are in bloom in the early summer. The shade factor prevents those gorgeous blooms from getting sunburnt. I alway reckon that
hydrangeas flower forever (well not literally), particularly if you enjoy all stages of the flowers. From the parsley like beginning, to when the flower head is at peak colour and then at the final stages as now the flowers takes on all manner of hues.
There are so many types too, from mop heads to lace caps to the species which some like the quercifolias have amazing autumn colours and then there is the paniculata types with stunning cone shaped blooms. I can't leave out H. aborescens or Annabelle which is a favourite of ours.
Dont forget that aluminium sulphate will keep all the blue cultivars blue and lime will sort the pinks and reddish ones.
There is a huge range in stock at the moment but buy 4 or more from the $19.99 range for $17.00ea
Asparagus Crowns. Plants just arrived in and lovely big crowns that they are too.
Asparagus needs a dedicated bed, good rich soil and likes lots of food Plant the crowns at approx 50 cm apart. A true perennial and will crop for many years once they get going. pick lightly in second year and the crowns should be humming by year three. The more plants that you can put in the more Asparagus spears you can harvest.
Potatoes, Tatties, spuds call them what you will Everyone has been asking after seed potatoes and so we have these in now for those that want to get an early crop in.
Choose from the regular favourites like Jersey bennes, Marris anchor, Cliffs kidney, Red rascal and more. If you want to try something different as well, then check out the Maori potato varietes.
Its been a beautiful Saturday, really warm and no rain at all here... the perfect gardening day. Time is running out for moving plants but its still all good planting. Have you done your pruning yet, its really time to get on and get that task done. Have to say that we still have all this to do yet so will have to get a serious move on in our own garden
Have a great Sunday and week ahead.
Cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
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here even
GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag
