Garden Advice › Garden Tips of the Month
Garden Tips December 2015
Heading into Christmas, gardens are beginning to brim with lots of vegetable produce and growing fruit! Digger's been thinking about the 'three wise men' of Christmas and decided to offer some wisdom of his own for Christmas gardening. Here is Digger's list of Christmas 'did you knows?'
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Baby apples under threat - Just like babies in the animal world that are vulnerable to predators, new apples are under threat from codling moths that gnaw the skin of the developing fruit, leaving their eggs to hatch and grow inside the fruit. By the time you munch your apple it's too late…Spray with a naturalyte called Success Ultra regularly for up to four times in a season to control the blighters.
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Courgette flowers are delicious stuffed with flavoured cream cheese, dipped in batter and deep fried. Digger's vegetarian daughter gets this in place of turkey for her Christmas meal and it's her favourite dish! Plus, it's nice to know you don't have to keep eating courgettes all the time (or marrows as the season goes on and on….)
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Feijoa bushes are often mistaken for a species of Pohutukawa when they're in flower - so Christmassy at the moment. Digger says keep them well watered during the fruit development until they ripen in autumn.
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Rocket potatoes - yes this is a variety of potato - don't flower, but are generally ready between 60 and 90 days. This was Digger's first harvest and they were sensational!
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Sugar Snap and Snow peas should be eaten straight from the vine and count yourself lucky if you've grown them - most of the year imported ones blow the carbon mile count because we buy them in from Zimbabwe.
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Strawberries won't rot or blemish if you layer dry straw or natural mulch around the base of plants - it's when they touch wet soil for too long that the rot sets in.
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Basil & Tomatoes really do work together as the basil is quite good at deterring pests from the tomato plant - not to mention a perfect taste combination
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A young (under three years) citrus tree may smother itself in fruit, but may not be robust enough to grow what can be 6 or 8 fruit a terminal cluster. Thin them out to one or two, (Mother Nature may do this for you) then you'll get good sized healthy fruit.
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Harvesting garlic - from now on you may observe the tops of the garlic begin to die off. Stop watering and then dig out with a fork - don't pull by the leaves. Leave them lying on the soil to dry further, then you can plait and store in a dry place.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE MILLWATER 2ND ANNUAL GARDENING COMPETITION - sponsored by CENTRAL LANDSCAPES SILVERDALE!
The Lawn
With the wet and cold of winter becoming a distant memory we are now faced with the new problem of our lawn drying out. Historically the answer to this problem has been water and more water, however when the soil surface becomes water repellent or "hydrophobic" it requires more than just an irrigation system!!
There are a number of reasons why your lawn may become water repellent but it is not impossible to remedy using the latest in wetting agent technology.
AquaTurf Max G granules are one of the most effective tools in dealing with a wilting lawn. AquaTurf Max G is easy and safe to apply and can be used even in the hottest temperatures. This product will allow the water to penetrate and move down through the soil surface giving an even and deep wetting. AquaTurf Max G granules will then attract and retain moisture which will reduce the chance of the lawn re-drying.
AquaTurf Max G granules can be applied by hand as they are non-toxic, however because it is important to obtain even coverage applying with a hand spreader is recommended.
AquaTurf Max G is available in a 4kg pack.
Coastal Blend NEW
Not only for coastal situations but as the name suggests this
blend is ideal for hot sandy sites.
Coastal Blend
contains Fine Fescue and Kikuyu which complement each other perfectly. The
Kikuyu gives you a tough heat and drought tolerant grass for those hot months
while the Fine Fescue comes through to dominate over the cooler months ensuring
a good lawn year round. Best sown in Spring/Summer
Garden Thought of the Month:
"I grow plants for many reasons: to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty, or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow." David Hobson
