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Thursday 10th November, 2016
Hi
Did you know ???... Get smart in the garden.
The secret to weed free gardens is not necessarily all about a constant battle of continuous weeding but more the use of a rather clever strategy. In reality the more that you weed and disturb the soil surface the more you expose dormant weed seeds to the surface and light which perpetrates the next batch of weeds. Mass planting to cover all of the ground is an excellent and most useful tool as once the ground is covered this reduces the light available for weeds to germinate.
The less you weed or disturb the soil surface, the less weeds grow and so mulching with a suitable mulch and careful spot spraying with round up will create a stale seedbed effect... If you don't use round up then you will have to remove the weeds and upset the surface. Cutting with a knife below soil level may do the task with less soil disturbance.
Regular or annual mulching of gardens means that the soil structure improves and becomes more friable which makes for easier weeding i.e. the weeds just pluck out of the ground. I once worked with a landscaper up in Aucks and she used to refuse to work for any client that wouldn't let us mulch their garden. Believe me that a regularly, well mulched garden is just a dream to work in.
Mulch will suppress weeds and the coarser the mulch the better it is at this task. Those lovely looking garden mix mulch types are just perfect for growing weeds as they are just like soil in reality. the fine texture means that weeds seed are in close contact for food and water but these mulches more readily release food to your plants and are perfect in gardens like vege garden or where you plant flowering annuals where they need rich aerated soils and constant food.
Coarse mulches are not so conducive for weeds to grow in as their physical nature means that food and water isn't in close proximity of the seeds. Take for example nugget bark which in its nature will suppress weed seeds more so than the shredded bark, however, there is a learning curve with these mulches as they can take quite a long time to decompose and while decomposing they steal available nitrogen from your plants. This means that you have to feed more with regular instant fertiliser so that the mulch doesn't affect your plants.
Different areas of the garden will have differing levels of maintenance. For example the vege garden or where you plant annuals will be a high maintenance space as you need to have lots of well composted manures and so an enriched garden mix will suit this space best .
If you have just planted a hedge then consider shredded bark mulches as these are a grade between the very fine and very coarse and will suppress the weeds in the six to nine month time frame with out the more serious effect of stealing food that coarse mulch will.
Finally an area that is a shrubbery,, or you just want to maintain weed free, then the coarsest level of mulch may be best.
Points to remember
- Mulches in the long term benefit soils as they break down by becoming soil like, hence they usually need to be reapplied on an annual basis.
- Don't apply around the trunk and stems of the plants in your garden.. these must stay as they have always been otherwise you could create collar rots etc around these plants. Just like you never plant a plant deeper than it was in its container.
- Watch out for plants needing more food because they have had a coarse mulch applied which is starving the plant.
- Don't forget that mulches will help conserve soil moisture whilst protect the soils surface from the sun.
- Mulches help form an eco system or culture that will attract desirable organisms like earthworms and more.
- Sandy soils will benefit from regular mulching as composts absorb and conserve moisture.
- Heavier soils also improve structure by attracting earthworms and other organisms that create minute drainage holes.
- Plants, like animals and of course people, need a balanced diet and that includes organic matter and other fertilser types. In fact.... a litter or humus layer grows better plants so instead of mowing around your orchard create a humus layer around each tree.
- Garden beds need to be weed free prior to application of mulch especially of perennial weeds that will just grow through your mulch.
Rule of thumb...... the more coarse and green a mulch layer is, the longer that it will take to break down and contribute to the garden and the more nitrogen it will steal in the short term. I have seen roses planted in untreated sawdust starving due to the nitrogen drawdown effect. Untreated sawdust or shavings will take 15 to 24 months to decompose.
Trees for wet feet and I mean wet like high water tables
I often get asked for trees that like wet feet and there is a difference between seasonally wet and constantly wet. The trees below will tolerate areas that are always wet. Planting such trees will help dry out these positions. I often think when I look at really large trees about how much water they must need to stay and grow and where do they get it all from? It must be a bit like a high rise apartment block and all the systems necessary to flush all those toilets and provide water to all the sinks and bathrooms. How do you get it all there. They must have an excellent plumbing system. LOL
Taxodium distichum or Swamp cypress grows into a handsome conifer with quite a pyramidal shape. Unlike typical conifers this one loses its leaves which go quite an attractive rust orange colour in the Autumn and again looks just stunning in the spring with gorgeous lime green fern like leaves. I have seen this planted as a grove and they looked amazing planted en masse. A fascinating feature of this member of the Cupressus family is that it roots grow lumps or nodules (called knees) that appear out of the soil.
Nyssa sylvatica or Tulepo grows into a handsome green leaved tree who's claim to fame, other than tolerating wet sites, has the most amazing Autumn colours and even in a warmish climate like the Waikato. Small insignificant greenish flowers (you could be excused for not noticing these) attract the bees. We found this out one spring whilst standing underneath our quite large example of this tree. Interestingly enough one of ours is in quite a dry spot and has performed well.
Alnus glutinosa imperialis is another beauty that will quickly mature into a tall slender tree with almost a birch (Betula) like habit. This one has very dissected or cut leaves that have an almost fern like look. These would look cool planted in groups like silver birches. I have some of these growing well in a swamp like position and they are just romping away!!
Hot in this week !!!
Feijoas Kaiteri and Kakariki If you love Feijoas then these are a couple of clones that you simply must have. We don't get these often as there is only one grower of these clones in NZ. They are both early season ripening and reputed to be among the biggest of the Feijoas. In fact Kaiteri is said to have fruit recorded weighing in at a massive 300 grams. Perhaps some should start a competition of the largest feijoa fruit??? I note that ours are all starting to bud and flower at home, remember these fab fruits are mainly pollinated by birds attracted to the bright flowers so prune to keep an open tree so that birds feel happy about flying about and through them.
Cranberry standards .... Myrtus ugni. quite a cute plant that grows as a shrub usually and would make quite a sweet little hedge in a edible garden situation or even just as a bush. These have been trained into little standards that could be quite cool to formalise a produce garden or any position for that matter. attractive foliage, typically myrtle like flowers are followed by small tasty almost savoury like red fruits that you can nibble on whilst gardening!
Yen ben lemons on flying dragon.... Now this is a goodie for those that want a true lemon but are a bit shy on space. Flying dragon root stock helps dwarf the overall height by approx one third. Citrus are such good plants for many reasons other than just the fruit. glossy green leaves, fragrant white flowers and of course in this case ... lemons. Grow in pots, espalier, use as a feature tree.. the possibilities are endless!!
Limequat eustis Hybridized by a man called Walter Swindle in 1909 being a cross between the famous key lime and a Kumquat and named after the city of Eustis in Florida. Grows into a small tree with abundant crops of limequats which you can use as you would Lemons and Limes.
Kumaras last call, we have these in again so if you are keen on trying your hand at growing these then get them in now. Unfortunately its been too cold for suppliers to have success getting a grade of the gold form to us, so apologies to those that have been waiting on these. I'm sure that this cold spring has made things a tad tricky for many clever growers.
Potatoes... still time to get a main crop in, after all its not been all that warm yet and just starting to head that way now.... Grab a bag or two of your fav spuddies for just half price and plant them this weekend!! Get them couriered to your door or come on out and check the nursery out as well.
Fluff n stuff and all the pretties that you need to compliment your garden. Perennials add bursts of colour just where you need them, amongst the roses or just in the flower garden. Check the latest perennials in here. Just arrived!
Hostas are one of my favourite foliage plants. These are great fillers for those dappled light positions in the garden. Mass plant areas with these beautiful perennial plants.
Rose show is on this weekend and also Age Concern Garden Ramble
Waikato Rose show....... Waikato Rose society inc Rose show 2016
Hamilton Gardens Pavillion, Cobham drive, Hamilton
The Waikato Rose show is coming up fast. I thinking that with all this wet weather that there will be many an entrant covering their prize winning blooms with umbrellas this year.. If you have a hankering to see roses at their absolute best then get yourself down to this years rose show.
Saturday 12/11/ 2016 12 to 5
Sunday 13 /11/2016 10 to 4.30
Adults $5.00 gold card 2.50 children under 16 free with adult
It stands to reason that many of our customers are keen gardeners and I know for a fact that at least one of our long term clients has their garden on show in this ramble.
13th November 2016 from 9.30am to 4pm
Tamahere and Matangi
www.ageconcern.gen.nz 07 8382266
Tickets from www.iticket.co.nz
Finally the roses in the nursery are out and starting to flower and are looking gorgeous. Can you imagine that its now two weeks into November and we are just starting to get a flower flush now. They are worth coming out to see along with the beautiful Maples, Hostas, perennials and trees or just have a browse in our garden.
Have a great weekend!!
cheers
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag.
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2016 Newsletters...
Picnic....ing in the shade (28th January, 2016)
Wairere Newsletter 5th feb (3rd February, 2016)
To Run or Not to Run... (19th February, 2016)
Wairere Newsletter 02 Mar (1st March, 2016)
Camellia time (11th March, 2016)
Magnolia or Michelia (17th March, 2016)
Easter weekend (24th March, 2016)
HW or LW Trees (3rd April, 2016)
Evergreen Trees (13th May, 2016)
All about shrubs (20th May, 2016)
Rose Time (27th May, 2016)
Frosty Friday (3rd June, 2016)
Tiny Camellias (9th June, 2016)
Gorgeous Trees (24th June, 2016)
wet wet wet (1st July, 2016)
Burgundy foliage (8th July, 2016)
Fruit trees abound (15th July, 2016)
Fruit Tree Pruning and Flowering Cherries (21st July, 2016)
Cider apples (29th July, 2016)
August already (4th August, 2016)
wood pigeons (7th August, 2016)
Feed Time (19th August, 2016)
Magnolia's and Cider Apples (20th August, 2016)
its Official (2nd September, 2016)
Spring shrubs (7th September, 2016)
Spring Shrubs2 (7th September, 2016)
Spring Shrubs 2 (7th September, 2016)
Tricky Tasks (16th September, 2016)
climbers (23rd September, 2016)
Wairere Newsletter 23 Sep (23rd September, 2016)
Beards are in vogue (23rd September, 2016)
Gin Oclock (14th October, 2016)
????Kumaras are in (20th October, 2016)
summer is coming (27th October, 2016)
Plants for eating (2nd November, 2016)
..... November 11
Hamilton Gardens (17th November, 2016)
Xmas Trees (22nd November, 2016)
Holly (2nd December, 2016)
Xmas Brekkie (9th December, 2016)
Merry Xmas (16th December, 2016)
HL Nurseries Limited t/a Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: