Garden Advice › Garden Tips of the Month
Garden Tips December 2014
Planting Now
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Leeks: Astonishingly, this is the time of the year to get your leeks in! Remember to separate out the plants as you remove them from the punnet and you'll find that there are plenty in the container! Plant a row of them in friable well composted soil about 30cm apart. Best to make a hole 10cm deep with a pencil and drop them in. Successive watering will gradually fill up the hole with earth, but will allow them a chance to fatten as they grow.
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'Bandicoot' early season potatoes: If you've planted early season potatoes a few months back, then observe how the hills of foliage are looking, if the lower leaves are yellowing they may be starting to be ready. (And some early varieties don't flower at all). To 'bandicoot' early potatoes, gently put your hand into the side of the hill and feel for a potato. Gently remove it- this is a great way to grab a few potatoes fresh from the garden for the evening meal!
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Good to sow: a number of late summer stunners can be sown now: Zinnias, ageratum, cosmos and salpiglossis (a tall relative of the petunia). Just remember to water the patch where they were sown, so that they germinate….
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Edible Flowers: you'll have seen these bright edible collections in with the salad greens at your local food store. Around the garden, you can make your own interesting edible flower combinations for the salad bowl with heartsease, nasturtium, daylilies (lighter colours taste better), borage and bergamot.
To Do in the Garden
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Minimize water wastage: Remember BLACKGOLD Mulch, exclusive to Central Landscapes, is a great product that reduces the need to water the garden so often. And watering in the early morning or the evening is better than the middle of the day when water can evaporate quickly if the weather is hot
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Support Vines: Tie up grape and passionfruit vines so that the fruit gets plenty of air-flow and exposure to sun to ensure good development.
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Pot Care - Going away on holiday can spell disaster for potted plants - both indoors and out. The best practice is to move plants that may bake in hot sun into slightly shaded areas for the duration. Water deeply and layer around BLACKGOLD Mulch. Indoors, move plants out of direct sunlight and place on a towel soaked in water in the bath.
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Blueberries and feijoas: They require a reasonable amount of water and some fruit tree fertiliser to really encourage good cropping. Blueberries particularly can wither and die if they suffer prolonged periods of drought.
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Codling Moth on pip fruit trees: One of the new generation remedies, Success Ultra, can be sprayed on trees at petal fall. It controls the codling moth and is a very natural form of spray. Up to 4 applications in a season can be applied. This is also very effective on tomato psyllid and at controlling white butterfly damage in the vegetable garden.
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Scented Evenings - Unobtrusive though most evening scented flowers are (most are white to look luminous and attract moths), they can exude powerful fragrance. This makes sitting outdoors in the evenings a great experience. Evening primrose, nicotiana (tobacco plants) and night scented stock are easy to grow, or try planting a climber such as Chinese star jasmine to scramble up a pillar near the seating area of the garden. Moonflowers (ipomea), can be sown from seed - these white trumpet shaped flowers open in the evenings to give off a beautiful aroma.
Lawn Care:
With the wet spring coming to an end we will face 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.
Ask for the NEW Prolawn Lawn Guide at any of our yards for more information.
Garden Thought of the Month:
"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul." Luther Burbank
For our Christmas / New Year Holiday Hours check out your nearest yard locations page!