Garden Advice › Garden Tips of the Month
Garden Tips February 2016
Remember - ALL of our yards are open ALL three days of both Auckland Anniversary Weekend and Waitangi Weekend
The heat is on!
There is work to be done in February, although it may seem impossible to step out into the garden at thirty degrees plus!
Here are some tasks and tips to conquer February heat -
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Add Blackgold Mulch to the garden beds and the surfaces of potted plants. Central Landscapes designed this exclusive product with Living Earth. The mulch locks in the moisture, keeps the weeds at bay and the compost feeds your plants. Your plants will love you!
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Erigeron daisies are the scourge of NZ's native bush - get rid of this plant wherever you see it - it seeds prolifically. And Digger said this last month, but it's peak flowering: Deadhead large agapanthus. Give the rest of plant population a break and limit their thuggery! Remove the whole bloom- you can see the large pods (filled with seeds) as the flowers die off.
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Water in the evenings and early mornings. Even if part of your garden is in shade during the day, high temperatures increase the rate of evaporation, so stick to the cooler times. Crops that have run to seed before producing have not had enough moisture to the root area.
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Glass - 'housework': Water the floor of the glasshouse twice daily - it increases humidity around the leaves preventing water loss by the plant. Make sure all glasshouse windows are open as well.
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Keep the good food growing - Use our Living Earth Organic Veggie Mix for the new crops - plant leeks, lettuce spring onions. Sow cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli to plant out in March
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Support mechanisms - laterals of cucumbers and tomatoes may need supporting as they begin to produce. Side canes to carry the weight or overhead wires (in a glasshouse) can be helpful to hold them up while crops ripen. (Digger has used a bush tomato in this raised rock garden, so it doesn't require staking)
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Straw mulch - make a bed of straw or dry leaves to rest melons and pumpkins on, as they grow - saves the crops rotting on damp soil.
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Calming green - a lovely way to enjoy shadier parts of the garden in this heat - our plant suggestions are Pittosporums, Hydrangea Annabelle and Ponga Ferns.
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Kaffir limes - the fruit is interesting looking - see picture. Some cooks squeeze the juice or grate the zest for Thai food recipes. Google a Kaffir limoncello recipe or a 'how to' preserve the limes.
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Mosquito time - Are you suffering plagues of them? If there's a banana palm in the vicinity chances are it is capturing water in the stem area beneath the leaves, providing a perfect haven for these pests. A drop of oil into the water disrupts the surface and deters them.
The Lawn
With the long hot dry summer in process 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 from Central Landscapes in a 4kg pack.
Garden Thought of the Month:
"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered!"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
