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Garden Tips November 2014

Planting Now

• Beans: Warm moist soil is the key to successful sowing of beans. Have a bean pole, climbing frame or tie string between stakes to support them as they grow. For gardeners who have last years Scarlet Runners re-sprouting, add more seeds in the gaps to make sure you get a uniform strike.

• Earth up potatoes: As potatoes begin to grow heap the earth up around the plant. This prevents new tubers from turning green and poisonous. The yield from each plant will be much higher as more potatoes form on the buried stems.

• Tomatoes: Plant 'em and stake 'em! It's really the last month to get your tomatoes underway, as the growers will finish releasing new plants shortly. Stake all vine tomatoes with at least a 1.8m high stake as they grow quickly over the season. Feed them regularly with specific purpose tomato food. . For bush types that don't need space try a variety called 'Scoresby Dwarf' - it yields surprisingly high volumes of tomatoes

• Planting kumara: Right now garden centres have kumara seedlings available that you tend to plant lengthwise into soil. Plant into a good free-draining mix (or add a bit of sand) and consider elevating in tyres or planters to stop them rooting into soil, rather than making nice kumara! They require up to 6 months of warm growing time and regular watering. This Herald article is great: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10821494

• Basil: This is another tender herb that is best planted from now on. Remember if you're a Thai food nut, there are several excellent varieties available: Thai Basil, Thai Lemon Basil, and Thai Holy Basil. Basil plants like full sun and minimum watering.

• Heat Tolerant Plants: Unbelievably it is going to become warmer soon. Bright heat-lovers such as petunias, geraniums, gerberas and salvias are good to plant now for a summer-long display. If you feel that water will be scarce in your area, then try planting a variety of succulents for texture and interest. They're great in pots as well.

To do in the Garden

• Plant Protection: Codling Moth devastates crops of apples, pears, walnuts and quinces. There are several control remedies, but Digger recommends a combination. If the tree is not yet flowering, sprinkle Neem Granules under the tree out to the drip-line. As the tree starts to flower, hang a small partly filled tin of treacle in the tree. The objective is to catch the male moths in the treacle which they find attractive. (You can buy a Codling Moth pheromone trap to hang in the tree if you prefer). Some gardeners then keep up a Neem Oil spray programme every month.

• Citrus protection: The early appearance of mites and brown scale can be responsible for leaves turning pale and pitted on citrus trees, not to mention the disease Citrus verrucosis, which can malform leaves. Spray with Conqueror Oil (or Neem Oil as mentioned in last tip).

• Roses: Dead-head spent blooms or, if the first flowering is over, trim back to a strong outward facing shoot. Apply rose food and BLACKGOLD Mulch around the plants as you go. This sets them up for summer blooming. If the rose has succumbed to disease, cut back and apply a suitable rose spray.

• Conserve Water: Last month we launched BLACKGOLD Mulch a brilliant new product exclusive to Central Landscape. Naturally dyed black wood chip is combined with Living Earth Organic Certified Compost to nourish existing plants, maintain moisture in the soil at the plants' roots and suppress weeds. Sit back and relax once you're applied it…..Available at all Central Landscape yards.

PLUS….Buy BLACKGOLD Mulch in November 2014 and go in the draw to WIN a $2400.00 holiday for TWO
at the Black Swan Boutique Hotel & Spa, Rotorua
See in-store or on our website for more details

Lawn Care:

Fertilise, fertilise, fertilise. That's the key at this time of year. We are now finally starting to get spring growth in our lawns and with this comes a much greater demand from the plant for food, especially nitrogen.
Poor nutrition is the single biggest factor for lawns failing. The reasons are not always understood because New Zealanders historically sowed their lawn and the only maintenance done from that day on was to scalp it once a week. When a lawn is hungry the plant has a reduced capacity to handle stress whether it is heat, drought, wear and tear or even pest damage and weed invasion. It is essential to have strong healthy plants that are robust and prepared for stress.
The best way to fertilise a lawn is with a slow releasing fertiliser which will give you two major benefits. The first is that grass plants always want available nutrients and as slow release fertilisers supply a constant trickle of nutrients the plant always has that food when it needs it. The second major benefit is that slow release fertilisers can last up to 12 weeks which means that you do not have to worry about frequent applications. Slow release fertilisers are usually non-burning and safe to apply in any conditions.
PROLAWN Turfmaster Gold 22-2-4 is high performance professional grade slow release fertiliser which is perfect for use on all lawn grass types. PROLAWN Turfmaster Gold is available in 4kg and 20kg packs from all Central Landscapes.
Always sweep or blow fertiliser granules off any paths or tiled areas as they may stain. Apply fertilisers with a suitable spreader such as the PROLAWN hand spreader. It is not recommended that you apply high quality fertilisers by hand. Ask for the NEW Prolawn Lawn Guide at any of our yards for more information.

Garden Thought of the Month:

"The home gardener is part scientist, part artist, part philosopher, part ploughman. He modifies the climate around his home." John R. Whiting

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