Garden Advice › Garden Tips of the Month
Garden Tips January 2016
Happy New Year from Digger Dan and all the Central Landscape yards.
Our yards are open throughout January - check out our website to find the one
nearest you!
Digger's Dos and Don'ts for Summer Gardening
DO:
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DO enjoy bold bright colours in the garden - fashion dictates we are into bright colour and Mother Nature is at her best right now!
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DO take an organic spray to the weeds - heat is the best activator for natural remedies - or you can pour boiling water on them
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DO plant a crop of lettuces in an area that gets sun for around half a day - at this time of the year full sun bakes them.
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DO give aubergine flowers some help - their dull colour and drooping heads mean the bees aren't flocking to them - use a small paintbrush to transfer pollen from flower to flower
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DO water beans daily - keeps production up - you may have to blanch them and put them in the freezer if you get a bumper crop!
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DO Recycle Water: Keep a basin in the shower or kitchen sink, or take the bucket of water you used to wash the floor or the car - and water dry areas in the garden. If you keep plants under overhanging roofs, which never see rainwater, then it is a good discipline to keep them well irrigated.
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DO cut the heads of agapanthus and bears' breeches (Acanthus mollis) as soon as the flowers develop seed heads to mitigate the effect of these noxious plants spreading.
DON'T:
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DON'T water during the day - it's too hot and the sun quickly evaporates moisture. If plants are going limp, there's a fair chance they're just reacting to the direct sunlight and will sit up again once they're back in the shade.
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DON'T freak out when your kowhai foliage disappears - the tree isn't dead but kowhai caterpillars are active. They are difficult to see on the branches but they are munching leaves at this time of the year. Control is not always necessary, but foliage can take a while to re-grow. If you prefer spray with Kiwicare 'No Caterpillars' or dust with Derris Dust. Cabbage tree caterpillars can be controlled in the same way.
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DON'T spear your eye -low stakes are being covered by growth so top them with decorative stake covers or upturned tiny terracotta pots.
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DON'T trim overhanging branches without considering the plants beneath -plants that have been enjoying shade may 'burn' when exposed. Leave the fried foliage on to help the plant adjust to the new light.
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DON'T leave bare soil exposed if you can help it - layer on the BLACKGOLD Mulch to protect it - this stops weed seeds invading the area and the entire soil drying out. The compost in the mulch will condition the soil for when you're ready to plant out.
The Lawn
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With the summer dry and heat with us most lawns will be experiencing some degree of discomfort. Now is a great time to be smart and efficient with your watering, where possible water early in the morning and water heavy. This will enable water to get down deep into the soil profile giving the turf some moisture to chase down. By doing this you will reduce the frequency of irrigation and have a healthier stronger plant.
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Apply AquaTurf Max G to assist with water penetration and retention. This can be used on the lawn and on plant beds.
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Summer is also a good time to slightly raise your mowing heights. This reduces the stress on the plant and helps maintain good plant health.
Garden Thought of the Month:
"Plant and your spouse plants with you;
weed and you weed alone."
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
