a2month

Gardeners are always complaining about their lawns being damaged by grubs which include Grass Grub, Black Beetle Grubs or Porina Caterpillars.
If the grubs are not eating the roots of the grasses the porina are eating at the base of the grass causing bare patches in lawns.
When any of the above pests are active then you will have starlings and black birds ripping your lawn apart to obtain a morsel of food.
This is especially so at this time of the year when the birds are nesting and seeking food for their hungry young.
I had a call this week from a gardener thanking me for the idea of catching porina moths in a light/water trap. The trap, which I will explain later, was a result of information that I received from a farming gardener from Taranaki. So I cant take claim to its invention; I did however invent the wheel but thats another story.
I said to the gardener you mean grass grub beetles not porina moths don't you?
He replied no the moths and he is catching lots every night using the trap.
His comment was that it must be helping with the porina problem and that grass grub beetles had not emerged as yet in his area.
Well I had never figured on the trap being a moth catcher but when you come to think of it the porina moth is fairly large and if it hit the pane of glass at speed it would likely fall into the water trap below.
Anyway let me explain the trap from my first book; Wallys Down to Earth Gardening Guide;

GRASS GRUB: This native grub which grows into an adult beetle (Costelytra zealandica) has become a menace to both lawns and pasture ever since New Zealand was settled.
The pioneers converted native bush and forest to grasslands, but prior to that the native grubs feasted happily on tussock and native grasses without managing to upset the balance of nature.
Once our forebears opened up acres of pasture grasses, the populations of grass grubs exploded not really surprising, as each female beetle can lay 100 or more eggs in just one month.
These grass grubs are found only in New Zealand, and are a good example of how the changes man makes to the environment end up altering the delicate balance of flora and fauna, resulting in major long-term problems.
Grass grub adults emerge in October, and are active until about mid-December, depending on weather conditions and exactly where they are in New Zealand.
The cooler the temperature, the later they emerge.
The adults will start to emerge in mild conditions, when the soil temperature reaches about 10 degrees they then mate, fly, eat and lay eggs in the short space of time between dusk and early evening. As they tend to fly towards light, you are most likely to know they’re there when the flying beetles hit your lighted window panes.
This very attraction for the light has become one of our best weapons in controlling the pest in its adult stage. You can set up a grass grub beetle trap by placing a trough, such as the one used when wall-papering, directly underneath a window near a grassed area.
Fill the trough with water to about two-thirds of its capacity, then place a film of kerosene on top of the water.
Put a bright light in the window, the beetles fly towards the lit window, hit the glass and fall into the trough.
The kerosene acts as a trap, preventing the fallen beetles from climbing out.
You can extend this method to areas away from the house by using a glass tank, such as might be used for an aquarium. Place the empty tank into a tray containing several inches of water (and the kerosene), and position a light inside the glass tank.
By adding a sheet of ply or something similar over the top of the tank, you will ensure that the light shines only through the sides of the tank above the waiting water and kerosene. It is better to use a dome-shaped battery-powered light rather than an ordinary torch for this job as the bigger light makes the trap more effective.
If the tray and tank are raised off the ground and placed on something like a table, you will get an even better result.
However you set up your beetle trap, this is a very good method to dispose of the pests. Simply get rid of all the beetles caught the next morning. Run this system (call it Wally’s Grass Grub Beetle Catcher, if you like) from just before dusk to about 2 or 3 hours after sunset.
We know now how to make the grubs’ preference for light work against them, but light can also work in their favour.
If you have un-curtained windows in rooms which are lit at night, you will find grass grub beetles from yours and neighbouring lawns will be attracted to the area during the early hours of the evening.
Street lighting is probably the worst offender, and people with areas of lawn near street lights often find those are the parts worst-affected by grass grubs.
. Night lights and solar garden lights will also attract the pests, especially in areas which are normally dark at night. One gardener complained to me that her cyclamen corms and begonias, situated in containers on her porch, were being eaten away by grass grubs.
I asked her if the porch light was left on in the early part of the evening, and she said it was. Clearly, the light was attracting the grass grub beetles, and that was how her corms had come to be damaged.
These pests do love a good corm! It is also true to say that the closer your home is to paddocks, either on the edge of towns or cities or in other rural locations, the worse still will be the grub problem.
Grub populations tend to build up in country areas over a period of about 7 years, then start to decline before beginning the cycle all over again.
The reason isn’t known, but my own theory is that the rising full moon in the east during the early evening would encourage the beetles to fly towards it, particularly without other distracting sources of light in rural areas.
Over a period of time, the pests’ attraction to the moonlight would eventually bring them closer to the coastline, where they would fly over water until they became tired and ended up as food for the fish.
Using the above trap you can reduce the porina problem also thanks to the chap that called up.
It is much similar to destroy the adult beetles and moths in this way than to control the grubs that hatch out from their eggs.
Happy hunting

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GARDENING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

With Xmas quickly looming up one’s mind turns to sorting out what tokens and gifts we will give to family and friends. Most readers of these columns are gardeners or budding gardeners so we tend to look for suitable gifts that would bring us pleasure and hopefully the same for the recepicant.
For a long time I have firmly believed that it is the thought and effort that goes into a gift that makes it memorable.
For instance if you pop down to your local garden centre and pick out a nice container, a feature plant such as a bush rose, a couple of punnets of cascading lobelia or similar and a bag of compost; you have the makings of a gift that you have thought about and made a nice effort to achieve.
When you get your goodies home you simply place some of the compost into the container to the right height for planting the specimen plant, ensuring that there will be a gap of about 2-3cm between the top of the mix and the rim of the container. (This allows ease of watering)
You can add about a hand full of clean top soil to the mix at the base of the container which brings to the mix the soil bacteria. After removing the specimen plant from its pot or bag check to see if the roots have spiraled around the bottom of the old container.
The more roots means the longer it has been growing in the old pot. If there is a mass of roots then with a pair of secateurs cut a 2cm slash into the bottom roots in the four cardinal points. This allows for quicker root establishment. If the plant has been for a long time in the old pot it will have a massive root system and be what we call pot bound.
If this is the case then you take a cross cut saw and cut off the bottom one quarter of the roots which will remove all those spiral roots. This method is applied to all perennial potted plants every 2-3 years and allows the plant to be repotted back into its original container, with some fresh compost at the base, to replace the area where the roots have been cut off.
Back to our Xmas present, you can place a few sheep manure pellets on top of the compost and soil mix before placing the plant in the container. Sit the plant on the bottom mix and fill the space between the plant’s mix and the side of the container with more compost. It is in this area of back fill that you will plant your lobelia seedlings.
The reason that I have not suggested to use potting mix or shrub and tub mix is because they are inferior to using a good friable compost and a bit of soil mix.
Potting mixes are great for indoor plants where the extra expense is justified, they are also good for seed raising and cutting propagation. For container plants outdoors you want a growing medium that has some guts and a friable compost has animal manure and green waste combined with bark fines or similar.
Potting mix is only bark fines or peat moss with some slow release fertiliser added, it dries out too quickly, can be difficult to re-water and lacks goodness that healthy plants need, outdoors.
Once you have your Xmas gift all potted up, place it in a sheltered spot where it only has early morning sun or late afternoon sun. Water to keep moist but do not over water.
If you wish to give the plant a real boost so it is looking its best before you give it at Xmas, then once a week water some Matrix Reloaded into the mix. This is a super powerful plant food that is often used for hydroponic growing and as a plant food for pots or gardens. It makes a noticeable difference.
Powerful stuff used at 10 ml per litre of water, which you stand for 30 minutes and apply every 7 to 14 days when plants are actively growing.
You can grow a number of plants as above for friends and family to show your appreciation of them at the festive time.
A lady gardener I was talking to sometime ago, told me that she purchased a small tree for her young grandson as a gift a few years back.
He was told that it was his tree and he helped in the planting of it in her garden. Every time he comes to visits he runs down to see how his tree is and tells all that it is his tree. What a great idea for a young person and this could be extended by giving and planting a fruit tree so not only does the child get to watch the progress of their tree but they will, in years to come, enjoy the fruits as well.
We need to get our children and grand children involved in nature and gardening plus this is a simple and interesting way to do so.
Gardening Gift Vouchers are a very acceptable gift for novice and seasoned gardeners alike.
Gift Vouchers give the receiver two lots of pleasure, the initial receiving of the voucher and then the pleasure of shopping for a garden product or specimen.
As the Gardening Gift vouchers come in several nominations you can slip a $5 or $10 voucher in with a Xmas card as a neat inexpensive gift.
At Xmas, my books such as ‘Wally’s Down to Earth Gardening Guide’ prove very popular with gardeners that received a copy as a gift. Copies are available through a number of garden centres and by Mail Order, at $28.95 it is informative and a good read to boot. (so I am told)
Another gift suggestion that comes to mind is bags of compost, gardeners always need and use compost for planting, mulching and conditioning soil so a few bags dropped off for a family member or friend that loves gardening will always be appreciated.
Another good one for children that would like to give a gift to their young friends is to take them down to your garden centre and let them pick out a few ‘Colour Spots’ (flowering annuals in pots or bags) these can be potted into inexpensive larger plastic pots and gift wrapped for their friends. The key to giving any gift, is the thought that goes behind the gift.
The one thing that really annoys me is people that give a Xmas present without any thought.
You have ample time to think about what to give family and friends this Xmas, think of what they need and want then work to fill those aspects.
One final suggestion, why not drop off a bag of Dog or Cat Biscuits to your local SPCA to assist with their looking after all those unwanted pets at this time of the year.
There is great pleasure in giving.
Happy Xmas shopping.
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NOVEMBER GARDENING 2012

A gardener this week emailed the following question: Do you think it would be safe to spray fruit trees with rhubarb leaf spray while the fruit is just starting. I am trying to keep codling moth at bay this year!
I wonder about how toxic rhubarb leaves are as I have at times found holes in my rhubarb plant’s leaves and other gardeners have reported similar at times.
So a search of the Internet found the following: The Leaves contain oxalic acid and the estimated lethal dose of oxalic acid is about 375mg/kg.
Rhubarb leaves contain on average 0.5% oxalic acid, which means to cause death, a 70kg (150lbs) person would have to eat about 5kg (11lbs) of leaves in order to die.
However,sickness occurs at much lower doses. It is usually fairly rapid in onset and unpleasant enough (abdominal pain, vomiting, etc) to keep the average person from continuing to eat the leaves.
The oxalic acid may also have some effect on formation of kidney stones if enough is consumed.
The stems of Rhubarb which we eat also contain much smaller amounts of oxalic acid so are safe to consume.
It would appear that by cutting up rhubarb leaves and boiling to remove the oxalic acid which can be in a more concentrated form will help control some insect pests. The concentrate will be more harmful to your own health if not handled carefully.
Another question I often get asked is it ok to compost rhubarb leaves? Because they are usually mixed with other material in a home garden situation I see no problems.
If on the other hand you were to compost a ton of leaves there would likely be a greater concern.
Apple trees have in most cases set fruit so now is the time for action:
For a more natural way of controlling Codlin Moths; the following from my book “Wallys Green Tips for Gardeners” For more information on book click here

Place a tin partly filled with treacle in each tree early in the season when the tree starts to flower. (Now is a good time October/November)
Top up the treacle as need be. The best way is to place the tin in an onion bag and hang from a branch at a height where you can easily monitor it.
The treacle gives off a pheromone smell similar to the female codlin moth and attracts the males where they will come to a sticky end.
This achieves two aspects; if all the males are caught then they cannot fertilise the females and dud eggs will be laid. Secondly by monitoring the treacle every few days you will be able to determine when the moths are on the wing and take further action.
Once a number of male moths are noticed, spray the young apples with Neem Tree Oil about every 7 days till activity in the tin stops.
Some gardeners have also informed me that the scattering of Neem Tree Granules under the apple tree at the very beginning of the season has reduced damage considerably.
The granules need further applications about every 4 to 6 weeks till activity has finished for the season.
Act now if you have codlin moth problems in your fruit trees.
Gardeners spend a lot of time outdoors which is very healthy for you but sun light can cause problems in regards to too much, or not enough. Firstly the time of the day we spend outside in our gardens will make a difference. Remember the old lyrics “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday sun”
Gardening times are best before 10am or after 4 pm and even then you can get burnt by the sun’s rays. Is interesting to note that the Cancer Society promote their sunscreen lotions to prevent melanoma skin cancer which effectively prevents our body from producing Vitamin D.
Research shows lack of vitamin D leads to breast and colon cancers plus many other cancers!
Another study has found that three quarters of people with different types of cancer have low levels of Vitamin D and the most advanced cancers have the lowest levels.
We can assume from this that Vitamin D is very important to prevent cancer and the best source of vitamin D is obtained from sun light! Sun Screens prevent our bodies manufacturing vitamin D!
I remember as a teenager we used to go out and sun bathe for hours after slapping on lots of Coconut oil; we didn't burn but obtained neat tans.
More recently I discovered that Organic Virgin Coconut oil protects the skin’s cell from damage yet allows for the manufacture of Vitamin D. (as well as obtaining a tan)
I put this to the test recently; prior to going out in full sun for a couple of hours gardening.
I covered all exposed skin with Virgin Coconut Oil (I have a shaved head) and that evening no burning, a little reddish only which after a shower more Virgin Coconut oil applied and next day no problem but a greater lease of energy likely from a boost of Vitamin D.
Why I say Virgin Coconut oil is because it retains all the healing properties.
Excellent skin moisturiser that will heal damage skin and reduces skin aging also. A lot cheaper than a lot of manufactured products including sun screens. (A 470ml jar retails for just $12.50) I have been applying Virgin Coconut oil to my scalp and face for sometime now, nightly after a shower and found new hair growing in my previous bald patches. Readers interested click here for more information. I highly recommend Virgin Coconut Oil to be applied to your skin prior to gardening outdoors.
Gardeners with potatoes and tomato plants in their gardens should be applying Neem Tree Granules to the soil to protect against psyllid attack damage and spraying the plants with Neem Tree Oil occasionally for the same. See here for more information
I have noticed in my own gardens a few of the seasonal garden pests appearing so a preventive spray of Neem Tree Oil is well worthwhile.
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INSECT PESTS

Warming weather brings out a number of insect pests which include; grass grub beetles, codlin moth, whitefly, leaf hoppers, spider mites, aphids and many more.
The later 4 when left without control, will quickly build up their populations making for a real problem later in summer.
The first two will be worse next season if allowed to breed and in the meantime they will do lots of damage to plants and fruit.
Codlin moth attack apples, pears and walnuts ruining the fruit they are able to infest.
My suggested controls are; hang a small container of treacle in the lower branches of each tree using an onion bag.
This attracts the male moths and by monitoring the trap you can determine when the pests are on the wing. Within a few days of finding an influx of moths in the treacle spray the young apples (or other affected fruit) with Neem Tree Oil for total coverage. Repeat this every 7 days till activity in the trap stops.
Grass grub beetles are on the wing early in the evening and they will eat the foliage of roses, citrus and a number of other plants. Each female beetle is capable of laying 300 eggs during the few weeks they are active which means lots of grubs to ruin your lawns.
In my first book, Wally’s Down to Earth Gardening Guide, I gave this excellent control to kill the beetles; ‘You can set up a grass grub beetle trap by placing a trough, such as the one used when wall-papering, directly underneath a window near a grassed area.
Fill the trough with water to about two-thirds of its capacity, then place a film of kerosene on top of the water.
Put a bright light in the window at dusk, the beetles are attracted to the light; hit the glass and fall into the trough.
The kerosene acts as a trap, preventing the fallen beetles from climbing out.
(do this in the early part of the evening prior to dusk and left in operation till activity stops)
You can extend this method to areas away from the house by using a glass tank, such as might be used for an aquarium.
Place the empty tank into a tray containing several inches of water (and the kerosene), and position a light inside the glass tank.
By adding a sheet of ply or something similar over the top of the tank, you will ensure that the light shines only through the sides of the tank above the waiting water and kerosene.
It is better to use a dome-shaped battery-powered light rather than an ordinary torch for this job as the bigger light makes the trap more effective.
If the tray and tank are raised off the ground and placed on something like a table, you will get an even better result.
Another solution when you find the foliage of plants such as citrus or roses is been eaten, in the early part of the evening, is to go out with a torch and check the plants for beetles.
If you find a number of them then spray the beetles with either Professor Macs 3 in 1 for lawns or with Key Pyrethrum.
Leaf hoppers will damage a number of garden plants and if not controlled early they will be a real menace later in the season. Often you can have an ongoing problem if you do not check all the plants in your garden to find out where the pests are. For instance you can spray and control the leaf hoppers on your passion fruit vine only to find that they have re-infested the plant a few days later. They maybe breeding on other vines or ferns and becoming a menace, spray all areas where found with Neem Tree Oil and repeat a couple of times or till controlled, every 7 days.
Whitefly can infest tomato plants, cucumbers, citrus and a number of other plants.
A number of sprays, several days apart, with a combination of Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum, these should be applied just before dusk when they have settled for the night. Spray under and over the leaves of effected plants. Neem Tree Granules sprinkled on the soil in the root zone of tomatoes will keep the pests under control. These should be placed there at planting time and repeated about every 6 weeks.
The same method applies to cabbages and other brassicas for white butterfly caterpillars.
Aphids can be sprayed with a combination of Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum or alternatively with soapy water made from cake sunlight soap.
Spider mites are another pest that quickly build up populations and can be noticed by the small fine webs they make on plants. A spray with Liquid Sulphur will stop them in their tracks.
Scale insects can be controlled with sprays of Neem Tree Oil, spray for total coverage of the plant affected.
Mealy bugs not only are found in the foliage of plants but also in the root system.
Spray the foliage with Neem Tree Oil and sprinkle Neem Tree Granules under the the plant in the root zone. These can also be sprayed with the oil to increase their effectiveness.
Citrus tree borer and borer in other plants can be controlled be controlled by sprinkling Neem Tree Granules in the root zone and then with a solution of Neem Tree Oil made at 25mils per litre of warm water, watered across the granules. Repeat the oil application a month later.
Trips in rhododendrons can be controlled by using the same method.
In fact the application of Neem Tree Oil and Granules often works well in many plants for insect control without the need to spray.
This is a great advantage as larger plants with denser foliage are very difficult to spray.
The real secret of insect pest control is to get started early in the season before their populations start to build up. This means checking your plants every week for any sign of problems and taking action.
You may see a couple of whitefly adults flying when you disturb a plant and think there is not a problem, but a week or so later there will be a lot more and the populations will build quickly from that point and become a major problem as summer progresses.
The other aspect is to control all the places where the pests are breeding otherwise they will only keep on re-infesting the plants you are spraying or treating.
When a large population of pests have built up on a neighbouring property you have an on going problem unless they are controlled at source.
Get permission from the neighbours to treat the problem on their property, if you don't you will fight all summer in your own garden and even start to believe the control methods are not working. Start early and check all breeding areas as well.
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YOUR GARDEN

Using your eyes and spotting changes is half the battle in solving gardening problems. Gardeners that keep their eyes open as they go around their gardens can spot problems as they begin to happen.
One of the best times to do this is while you are hand watering plants with the hose; while the right hand is holding the hose, you can fold back leaves with your left hand and check for pests or problems. Some problems are seasonal and come in cycles and the knowing of these cycles also makes you aware to be on the out look for them.
Aphids are in season at the moment and they can be found on your roses and some other plants.
On the roses they will be around the new growths and the flower buds. If you just leave them, their populations will quickly build up and this can effect the flowers and diminish the display.
Aphids suck the sap of the plants and in doing so remove the plant’s energy resulting in poorer growth, twisted leaves and damaged flowers. Aphids are not hard to kill and if you only have a few roses you may simply run your fingers over the pests and gently squash them without harming the plant.
For those with a lot of roses it is better to use a safe spray to knock them over such as Key Pyrethrum.
Late in the day just before dusk make up say 5 litres of spray using 5 mils of Key Pyrethrum, 25 mils of Neem Tree Oil and 50 mils of Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL).
The Pyrethrum is a quick knock down that should kill off most of the aphids within a day. The Neem Tree Oil will aid in the control of any missed, or new aphids arriving for the next 7 odd days. This natural oil will also aid in the reduction of diseases such as black spot, rust and mildews. The MBL will also assist in keeping the roses free of diseases, supply extra minerals to the foliage and aid in the health of the plants.
The reason for spraying near dusk is that Pyrethrum is quickly broken down by UV, in fact within a couple of hours, if sprayed earlier in the day. At dusk it is going to be active all night till the next day.
Now that your roses are coming into bud and flower start applying about a teaspoon of Fruit and Flower Power every 4 to 6 weeks. The potassium aids in flowering and the magnesium aids the deep green of the foliage. In fact any other plants that are coming into flowering or setting fruit will do better with a small regular dose of these two minerals.
Stone fruit trees will likely have distorted leaves unless you have been very vigilant with your spraying of Liquid Copper and Raingard. The curly leaves are the effects of the common disease, Curly Leaf and every leaf that is damaged means one less leaf for the tree to gain energy from the sun.
The damaged or curly leaves will later fall off the tree leaving only the leaves that are not affected.
Leaf loss means a smaller crop and maybe smaller fruit as well. You can offset some of the damage by spraying the undamaged leaves with Vaporgard.
Vaporgard acts as a sun screen reducing the UV levels which affect the plant’s ability to produce energy from the sun. One spray lasts for about 3 months on the foliage sprayed.
Within a couple of days of spraying you will notice the leaves turning to a rich dark green which means each leaf is working at full capacity, gaining energy.
Some gardeners like to spray Vaporgard onto the foliage of their roses to deepen the green colour and place a long term shine to the leaves. It also means your roses will be more vigorous and flower better.
One point to mention is that the film Vaporgard puts over the foliage makes it difficult for sprays such as Perkfection to enter the plant. To get around this add Raingard to the sprays.
Tomatoes will be doing well if in a sheltered, sunny spot. Those out in the open will be much slower to grow because of the weather and cold snaps.
I have kept most of my tomato plants in containers in the glasshouse, waiting for the weather to settle before starting to put them outdoors. When I decide its time to put them out I will, a couple of days before hand, give them a spray all over with Vaporgard. This hardens the plants up and stops any transplant shock.
Tomatoes in containers must be given adequate water to prevent the compost from drying out, if not you will get blossom end rot which is that black patch on the bottom of the fruit.
Removing laterals on tomatoes can allow diseases to enter the plant, which will often result in losses.
If botrytis enters the tomato where you remove a lateral or leaf, then it will cause a rotting on a branch or on the trunk. The plant begins to wilt and the wilting progressively gets worse till a branch or the whole plant is lost.
There are two rules you must follow when removing laterals (side shoots) or leaves, do not do so when the air is moist as moist air carries the disease spores.
Next; as soon as you remove a lateral, spray the damaged area with a squirt of Liquid Copper.
You can make up the copper in a small trigger sprayer and as long as you give it a good shake before using each time it will keep well.
Oxalis is a curse for many gardeners and it is about this time of the year that the weed comes away.
A safe and cheap spray to use is baking soda at the rate of a good tablespoon full per litre of warm water. Stir a little till the mix stops bubbling and then add 1 mil of Raingard per litre.
Spray over the oxalis foliage, but it only works well when the soil is on the dry side and during a warm to hot sunny day. The oxalis leaves will dehydrate but other plants sprayed will not be harmed.
The first spray will remove the oxalis foliage but will not harm the bulbs. More foliage will appear and soon as it does repeat spray. After a few sprays the bulbs run out of energy as they have been denied leaves and then the bulbs fail.
In the meantime do not work the soil, instead cover the soil with compost and plant any new plants into the compost. Over time you will be free of the weed.
Slugs and snails do a lot of good in gardens breaking down decaying matter but they are a pest if they attack your plants. All the baits used are toxic to wild life, pets and children except for Quash.
The best method of keeping slugs and snails off your plants is to spray the plants with Liquid Copper and Raingard. Slugs and snails will not go near copper so also spray the soil under the plants.
Not only will you keep the plants free of them you are also protecting the plants against a range of diseases that could attack the plants also.
Strawberries planted in winter should be doing well by now and if they are first year plants, still a bit on the small size, you should remove some of the early flowers so the plants can grow bigger before you let them fruit. Spray the strawberry plants every 2 weeks or so with Mycorrcin.
This simple, natural spray feeds the beneficial microbes, which will not only keep the plants healthy but can increase your crop yield by 200 to 400%. I had one gardener told me of his success using Mycorrcin.
He had two beds of strawberries, one he sprayed regularly with Mycorrcin, the other he didn't.
In all other respects the two beds were treated the same. The gardener reported that the difference was outstanding. The Mycorrcin treated bed produced masses of big, sweet strawberries where the other bed was just the normal so-so crop. He said if he had not done the trial with the two beds he would not have believed the possible difference.
As I often say, when you work with Nature you get the results, when you try to work against Nature with harmful chemical fertilisers and sprays, all you have is a disaster.
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LABOUR WEEKEND GARDENING TIME

Labour Weekend puts us about bang in the middle of spring, which is the time deemed historically in New Zealand, as the best time to get your gardens planted out for the summer and autumn.
Keen gardeners have already made significant progress in their gardens and likely are into the final stages with daily patterns of watering and nipping out those odd weed seedlings that pop up.
Even people that do not normally do much more gardening than mowing the lawn and spraying some herbicide around, tend to become more motivated about now.
It must be the spring thing which is often referred to as ‘Spring Cleaning’
This term actually came about in days gone by when the weather warmed in the spring and people would take out the old hay, which was used to cover the earthen, kitchen floor. Fresh hay would be spread and likely the old hay would be dug into the vegetable plot.
Spring is the time for renewal and all around us birds are sitting on their nests of hatchlings and causing a bit of havoc in gardens as they search for tidbits to feed the young. I often get calls from gardeners that have the problem of blackbirds mucking up gardens & mulch in their quest for food.
There are two things to do to solve this problem and the first is to supply the birds with ample food for their young. This is best done by obtaining a bit of liver and chopping it up into small bits. Place these in a pot with 3 cups of rice and sufficient water to cook.
Stir occasionally till the rice is cooked. Place spoonfuls of the mix out in suitable spots for the birds to eat. Do this 2-3 times a day and again after dark so the birds who wake up before most people in the morning, have the food for breakfast. The rice mix keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
To keep the birds off the areas where you don't want them you can string some Bird Repeller Ribbon which is available from most independent garden centres.
The desire to nurture their young is so great that the ribbon will be of little use unless you supply a good amount of food. Besides the rice, you can feed them bird seed, bread etc, but protein is what the birds want for their young and that comes from the liver and rice mix.
It is this ‘spring cleaning’ come nurture aspect which motivates our non gardening friends to get out and plant a few shrubs, flowers and even vegetables at this time of the year. If these plantings are successful they take pride in their efforts and start to become true gardeners in their own right.
When weather conditions or lack of knowledge results in failures, they consider that their thumbs are not green and carry on with their other normal pursuits.
Planting out of seedlings is one of the main tasks at this time along with germinating seeds for planting out later. Seedlings face three dangers that can decimate the young plants. Birds, which we have already mentioned. Cats, which just love freshly prepared soils as toilets. Slugs and snails that like seedlings.
To keep cats away from your new gardens obtain a product that is called ‘Cat Repellent,’ sprinkle some of the crystals around the area to protect, and over 95% of the local cats will stay away. As the crystals evaporate sprinkle a few more till the cats have formed new habits.
Slugs and snails also can attack seedlings and the best method of dealing with them is to spray Liquid Copper with Raingard added over the seedlings and surrounding soil.
The slugs and snails cannot go over copper without being effected so they stay away from treated areas. Repeat treatment about every 10 to 14 days. This method is far better than using poison baits which can kill pets and birds and are also dangerous to have around with small children. Slugs and snails are an advantage in the garden as they aid in the breakdown of decomposing organic material and are an important part of the soil food web. We just need to keep them off our living plants.
Germinating seedlings is a frustrating experience for many gardeners because they do not provide sufficient natural light for the new seedlings.
The seeds sown in trays or punnets can be started off indoors but as soon as the first show of germination takes place they must be moved to a place where they have full light but not strong direct sunlight.
Ideally a glasshouse with a bit of shade cloth is perfect.
Alternatively take an old drawer and place it in a morning or late in the day sun situation.
Place your trays in the drawer with sheets of glass over the drawer to protect the young seedlings from the elements.
Raise the glass slightly for ventilation. Seedlings on a windowsill will stretch to the window and become weak and dampen off. When the seedlings have natural light from above they do not stretch, growing as natural, stocky plants.
Use potting mix for germinating seedlings as it is better and cheaper than special seed raising mixes. Fill the tray two thirds full of the potting mix, sieve some more mix over this to obtain a layer of the finer particles.
Sprinkle the seeds over the fine particles and sieve some more mix to slightly cover the seeds. With a fine rose watering can or a mist sprayer, moisten down the sowing with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) mixed with water at 10 mls per litre. This aids the germination. Keep the seeds moist but not over wet.
Once the seedlings have reached the second true leaf stage the tray should be soaked in the MBL and water mix and then the seedlings are pricked out into cell trays or small pots for later planting into the gardens.
When planting out a garden plot remove all the weeds by hand and hoe up the soil to loosen it, if compacted. Cover the area with a layer of compost which can be obtained these days from garden centres in bags or by the trailer load.
Before spreading the compost over the prepared ground, you can enhance the mineral content of the soil by sprinkling Rok Solids and Ocean Solids.
Sheep Manure pellets, Blood & bone, dolomite & gypsum can also be applied at the suggested rates on the containers.
Then an inch or two of the compost is used to cover these goodies. Now the seedlings can be planted into the compost and watered in with MBL and Mycorrcin.
The later along with the MBL will start assisting the microbe populations to build up making for better healthier plants and gardens.
You may like to spray your seedlings with Vaporgard an hour or two before transplanting. This reduces moisture loss and makes a big difference in reducing transplant shock. The seedlings not only stand up quicker and start growing faster but it also protects them against cold snaps and late frosts.
Once planted and watered in you can sprinkle the Cat Repellent around if need be and spray the seedlings and mulch with Liquid Copper and Raingard to keep the slugs and snails at bay.
It is important that you water your new plantings lightly and frequently such as every day while they are establishing.
Have a great Labour Weekend.
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FRUSTRATING EVENTS

Every now and then I receive a call from someone complaining about lawn & gardening contractors.
A most common instance are elderly ladies telling me that before their husband died they had beautiful lawns, well manicured and cared for.
After the loss of their loved one they had to resort to having a mowing service to tend to the lawns.
More often than not the lawns would be scalped then weeds never seen previously, would start to appear.
After a little while the well looked after lawn would be a mess of weeds and bare patches.
A horrible reminder of the loss of their husband every time they look out.
Likely someone would also be turning in their grave.
I believe there are a few good lawn mowing contractors out there, but likely few and far between.
People that don't care what their lawns look like are ideal candidates for most lawn mowing outfits.
By mowing the lawn as low as possible (called scalping) not only weakens the grasses but it opens up the area for weeds to establish.
Now weeds grow faster than grass so it does not take long before the lawn (should I say weed area) looks untidy and needs another mowing. Great if you have a lawn mowing business, you get to mow the same lawns frequently.
Not much good if you take pride in having a nice section.
In the case of the well looked after lawn becoming a mess after the mower man (or woman) starts, it is not only their desire to cut too low, they also bring weed seeds into the lawn from other lawns they mow.
If there is a really good lawn mowing outfit out there they would hose down all their tools and mower after each lawn. They would also understand that a good lawn is not scalped and would adjust the mowing height accordantly.
If you are thinking about hiring someone to mow your lawn because you can no longer do it then you will likely have your own lawn mower and you can make it a condition of the contractor to only use your mower and tools.
That would stop one problem. Next would be instructions to mow at a correct height and supervise the work. You know when you need your lawn mowed so instead of the mower person coming when they want to, you arrange it by phoning them when you require their services.
If you are suppling the mower, petrol etc that should mean that you are only employing their labour to do the work. Student Job Search has a list of older students that work for $15.00 an hour!
Nice pleasant young adults struggling to get ahead in the world and from the ones that my company has hired, never a problem. ( Just need a bit of supervision till they get the heck of it.)
Weeding by hand is not a job for the inexperienced person so don't get anyone to weed that does not know their weeds. You will likely lose your plants and have weeds left behind!
If you need trees pruned or removed employ the services of contractors that know their trees not cowboys.
A good tree person can advise how a tree needs to be pruned without making a mess of it and will have the ability to mulch the trimmings into chips which you can use around your gardens or have taken away.
You pay for expert service but you can pay a lot more for people that don't have the knowledge. Most cheap jobs end up costing a lot more than a professional job.
A professional has a reputation to maintain where a cowboy just moves on with your money.
Lastly in regards to the spraying of herbicides; here we have a whole can of worms that can cause insufferable damage.
An email from a lady gardener was received this week about a woman gardening contractor in Foxton area that has shown total disregard for other peoples gardens when spraying herbicides.
The lady has lost plants and shrubs in the past from this contractors activities in the section next door to her. The damage is caused by not taking due care when applying herbicides and spraying in windy conditions.
It is also wrong to spray herbicides in calm conditions as the minute spray particles rise on convention currents to drop somewhere later on.
The ideal spray conditions are a light breeze so that you can ensure the spray goes to the target plants.
Adjusting the nozzle so the spray has heavier droplets rather than a mist is also sensible.
A simple cover made out of an ice cream container with a small hole drilled through the middle, large enough to take the end of the sprayer with the nozzle removed.
The nozzle is then screwed back onto the sprayer inside the ice cream container. Now you can spray in calm or wind by placing the ice cream container over the weeds you want to spray.
What to do if someone has sprayed weed killers without care and killed plants on your property.
Tally up the damage and send an account to the person that sprayed and if a neighbour hired the person then a copy to them as well. (At least they will know that a person they have contracted to spray has caused losses and are very unlikely to employ the same person again)
If no payment is met from your invoices and you repeat the same each month for three months, then you can place the debt in the hands of a bill collector agency or take them to the small claims court.
This must also apply to councils that either contract out or have their own workers doing damage to property. Herbicides such as Roundup can cause a lot of damage in the hands of incompetent people.
Reminds me of an instance I once observed in a city park.
One of the Council workers decked out from top to toe in protective clothing along with respirator and eye shield, was busy spraying some plants when a mother with a couple of small children happened along.
The mother spotting the council worker, gathered in her children and started to hurry them away.
The council worker was heard to say in a muffled voice, don't worry lady its safe. Yeah Right.
Now a personal gripe, last week I wrote about growing kumara and I have been in the process of sprouting some red and orange kumara tubers.
The red has sprouted nicely but no sign of the orange so on investigating I find the orange were rotting instead of sprouting. Reason? They obviously have been treated with a chemical to prevent them to sprout so people cant grow them. Not only is that annoying it means that you are taking a chemical into your body when you eat them. Another cause of cancer and other illness? Likely.
I have mentioned this to a few gardeners and they like myself wont be buying orange kumara any more. I haven't tried sprouting the whitish ones yet to see if they are the same.
Not so long ago a gardener in the South Island told me that last season the Yams they purchased from a green grocer rotted instead of sprouting which means they also had been treated.
I found the yams I purchase recently did sprout ok and so they are to be planted.
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OCTOBER TIMELY TIPS

Its all happening; daylight savings has kicked in and it will soon be Labour Weekend, which is the traditional time in New Zealand for planting out most vegetable and flower plants.
We say most because in some locations the most tender plants will not do well in the great outdoors for another month or so. Gardeners that have glasshouses or similar, can grow the more tender plants in containers to plant out later when weather conditions are most favourable.
The container growing and the progressive potting up to larger containers means that you will still get an early start without losses.
The plants will need to be hardened off before planting out or sprayed with Vaporgard a couple of days before. The Vaporgard will not only harden the plants but will also offset stress through transplanting.
Some seasons I have had tomato plants up over a metre tall in buckets or large pots, firmly staked, with fruit on before they have left the shelter of the glasshouse.
A tip with tomatoes is when you plant, bury the plants deep up to their first set of leaves, as the plant will generate roots right up the trunk making for a greater root system.
Don't forget to place Neem Tree Granules under them at planting time and sprinkle the same on the soil surface to help reduce insect problems.(repeat every 6-8 weeks)
Weeds are usually a problem for many gardeners but for a lady by the name of Julia they are a great source of nutritional value. Julia cultivates and collects weeds from her garden to make green smoothies. Different you may say but very healthy to do; as a result Julia has put together an excellent ebook with lovely colour plates and lots of information on the most suitable weeds to use.
If you have a computer you can download the book from Julias edible weeds

Inexpensive and very interesting.
Health is very important and I also have written a book recently about how to control Cholesterol Naturally, which you can find out more from the web pages at or by phoning me.
I received a report from France recently on the scientific findings of a two year study on rats, feed a diet that consisted of glyphosate (Roundup) in one trial and Roundup Ready genetically modified crops in another.
There has been increasing evidence that glyphosate is harmful to health and dangerous to pregnant women but to date there has been no studies done on the long term aspects of the chemical.
The makers of the herbicide have only done 90 day studies which showed low harmful effects.
The French scientists have done a 2 year study on rats and the results are very alarming.
You can read the report here at http://research.sustainablefoodtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Final-Paper.pdf
This may change your gardening practise of using the chemical anywhere near food crops for your own safety; bearing in mind that Roundup and other brands of glyphosate have a half soil life of 6 months in most soil conditions.
It also means that much of the produce you purchase that is not organically grown contains small residues of glyphosate.
For those without computers the findings were; Tumors. Kidney damage. Liver damage.
I was asked by a reader recently on information about growing kumera.
Pop down to your local green grocer shop and pick out a few kumara tubers, look for the ones that are showing signs of shooting.
Take a polystyrene box or similar that is about 12cm deep or deeper, make a few holes in the base for drainage and then fill the box half full with a good compost.
Press the tubers into the compost to about half their depth with any eyes facing upwards, then cover with sand or similar.
Place in a sunny warm, sheltered position if you do not have a glasshouse and keep the sand just moist.
The tubers should each produce a number of shoots which you allow to grow till they are about 12cm tall or more. Once you have a good number of tall strong shoots you can carefully lift the tuber and with a sharp knife remove each one, taking a little bit of the tuber and all the roots that the shoot has attached. These then are ready for planting out.
To grow kumera well you need a depth of about 20cm of soft, friable soil that is moderately rich in food.
This good layer should be sitting on a very hard pan surface because the kumara will send down roots through the good growing medium and when they strike the hard pan they are halted and thus the new tuber is formed from these roots.
If there is not a hard pan to obstruct the roots they will keep going deeper and never fill out and you end up with a lot of thick roots and no kumara to harvest.
The top layer where the tubers form can be made up of compost, sand, and soil with sheep manure pellets, blood & bone and some BioPhos added. A liquid food can also be applied during their long growing season.
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COMPOST MAKING

I remember years ago reading a garden book which explained how to build and operate a compost bin. It was in the 60’s to 70’s describing the standard way of composting on a quarter acre section.
I have built a few compost bins myself at different places that I lived. In fact one of the first jobs on moving to a new home was to construct a two bin compost unit. This was done by constructing a double bin out of wood, the easy way to explain this is the construction of one bin.
Four square posts, 100 x 100 mm would be placed about a metre apart to form a square.
These would either be dug into the soil or left free standing, with wooden slats, 100 to 150mm nailed to the outsides of the posts leaving a little gap of about 10mm between each slat.
These would cover three sides of the square leaving the front open at this stage. The second bin would use one side of the first bin and be constructed likewise along side the original using another two posts.
We now have a rectangle structure with two open sides in the front. The front posts would have two 20mm wide strips of wood nailed to the length of the posts which would be the guides so that loose pails of wood could be slid down the posts and later removed by sliding upwards.
A couple of these slats would be slid down the first bin and then one would start to fill the bin with green material such as grass clippings, weeds, leaves, animal manures, sweepings of the floor, kitchen scraps and the family potty. (Remember some of us still had outdoor toilets called long drops back then, especially in the more rural areas.)
A handful of garden lime would be thrown in along with a bit of blood & bone.
More slats would be slid down the front till the first bin was full. Then slats would be progressively removed as one forked the contents into the second bin. The moving of the material in this manner allowed air through the composting material, thus re-heating the pile and breaking it down faster.
This procedure could be repeated, backwards and forwards a few times until one was happy with the compost which then was applied to the garden.
In the meantime most of us had to build a third bin onto the structure to take the fresh material that keeps coming available. Just about every home had their compost bin along with a chicken run and a big vegetable plot.
Another method was also used back then in which one would dig a trench the width of the vegetable garden about two spade deep and 2-3 spades wide. Into this trench at one end, would go all the kitchen scraps, family potty and other organic waste.
When the bit at the end reached soil level it would be covered with earth and more waste would be placed in front of this till the trench was full of waste and covered in soil. Another trench would then be dug along side, a couple of feet apart and progressively filled in the same manner.
Over time the whole of the vegetable plot would have received a good dosing of material. Once a trench was covered, a crop such as silverbeet or leeks would be planted on top.
Little ground was left bare except for the trench area as one had to produce sufficient vegetables all year round to keep the family fed. Thus we have looked at two ways of composting organic waste the later is much more beneficial to the soil and garden.
But let us now look at what actually happens in nature. The best place to observe this is to walk through a forest or bushed area and note all the litter that is on the forest floor.
If we scratch down under the litter of leaves and things we find an abundance of worms and creatures along with a good layer of humus that has been created by the action of the soil life from past litter. So which method is best? Obviously the world has been naturally recycling waste material for millions of years and the creatures of the soil have evolved to preform this function. Not necessarily because they want to, but that is the way they live and survive.
When we use the old compost bin method or one of the new fangled plastic bins to make compost what actually happens. Green waste has two basic components, nutrients and energy. Nutrients make tissues and energy powers the process but in our compost heap energy is lost in the composting cycles and nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen are lost.
But if take say our grass clippings and spread them across the bare soil of the garden, the soil life including the worms will take the decaying material down into the soil and there is minimal losses and lots of gains. Composting creates greenhouse gasses where mulching traps carbon dioxide in the soil to the benefit of our plants and planet.
Now days I seldom use my two modern plastic compost makers except when I have a lot of green waste.
I just stuff it into them and forget about it for months. What comes out later on is good for the garden to a point (well anything is better than nothing) Instead I have adopted the methods of cutting weeds off just below ground level with a sharp knife or Dutch hoe and leaving the green material on the surface to break down naturally.
If I wish to speed up this breakdown I just spray the dying weeds with Thatch Busta which provides extra food for the microbes to increase their populations. The more of them there are, the faster the job is done.
There is also a school of thought that goes like this; you mow your lawn and take the clippings away.
You have taken away nutrients and energy which the grasses have produced and the grasses need more nutrients and energy to grow more grass. So then you have to at some point of time feed the grass so it stays healthy and looks good.
Now if say a sheep was used instead of the lawn mower, then as the animal wandered along eating at one end it would be fertilising at the other end. Neat recycling and happy grasses which love to be chewed or mowed.
If we did not use the catcher then the clippings would be recycled naturally back to feed the grasses, a bit cannibalistic when one thinks about it, but effective especially when the grasses have produced seed, as the seed will grow new grasses and thicken up your lawn. At other times when the lawn does not have seeds then the clippings can be used to great advantage, fresh over your gardens.
You will also notice if you leave the clippings on the lawn it does not take long for them to break down and disappear, in fact they are often fairly well gone before the next mowing. Using this method can cause a thatch problem in the lawn so regular sprays of Thatch Busta should be applied to speed up the breakdown and covert all the material to lawn food.
It is such as waste and cost both to yourself and the environment to take lawn clippings to a land fill.
Because of the problems of the world, global warming, water shortage and pollution it is not good to have one of those things in your sink that gets rid of kitchen scraps.
They cost a lot of money to buy and install plus they use up water needlessly.
Compare the cost of a unit to the price of a worm farm at about $200.00. The worm farm will take your kitchen scraps and covert them to vermicast and worm pee both of which are excellent for your garden.
Even take this newspaper you are reading (after cutting out this article, of course) lay the paper on the soil, wet it down and cover with soil or compost. It is rich in carbon and you will improve your garden soils by doing so.
It is not everyones cup of tea but having a few chickens running around part of the backyard is another excellent way of recycling your weeds and kitchen scraps.
The key is to work with Nature not against it.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF MINERALS

Plants are like us humans (and every other life force on the planet), we all need a good supply of minerals and elements for our body chemistry to preform and provide us with ultimate health.
Plants need the minerals and elements as part of the growing medium whether it be soil, humus or compost, without the elements needed, the plants cant function as well as they should and then are more prone to diseases and pest attack.
What elements each type of plant needs is a subject that I don't think has been truly explored but I have heard that tomatoes require 56 different elements, wheat and barley will take up everyone of which there is 114 known elements.
There are the basic elements for plant growth referred to an NPK; Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. These are the three main elements which are commonly found in manmade fertilisers and in better ones there are likely to be, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S).
Man made fertilisers can also include Micronutrients which only small amounts are needed:

boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn). Thats a total of 13 out of a possible 114.
Our tomato will likely grow ok with the thirteen but how much better would it do with all the 56 elements it would like?
A problem arises when minerals and elements are not in balance, too much of some creates toxicity too little of some locks up other elements that are present but cant be used by the plant.
Boron is essential for healthy plants its a semi-metallic trace element for plant growth and the availability of this micro nutrient in the soil and irrigation water is an important determinant of crop yield and quality.
Boron deficiency has been recognized as one of the most common micro nutrient problems in agriculture with large areas of the world (including New Zealand) being boron deficient.
Such deficiencies can be corrected with the use of borate fertilizers and in areas of acute deficiency borates can increase crop yields by 30 to 40 percent. However, the management of boron concentrations in soils can be difficult as a narrow range exists between plant deficiency and toxicity.
Traditionally, the most commonly used boron fertilizers are sodium borates (eg borax, ulexite) and they range from 11.3 to 20.5 % boron. However, due to the high solubility of sodium borates it is difficult to maintain consistent boron concentrations in soil. Thus, sodium borate fertilizers are typically applied frequently and in small quantities to avoid boron toxicity.
A recent product; OrganiBOR® is a naturally occurring borate mineral (hydroboracite) mined in the Santa Rosa de Los Pastos Grandes valley in Argentina and is made up of a rare mixture of magnesium and calcium borate. Unlike, sodium borates, hydroboracite is not highly soluble and therefore OrganiBOR® releases boron slowly into the soil, at a rate similar to which most plants uptake boron.
OrganiBOR® can, therefore be applied in larger quantities than traditional boron fertilizers and will persist in the soil without the risk of boron toxicity.
One application of OrganiBOR® will last anywhere between 3 and 10 years depending on the crop, soil type and climatic conditions. Thus application of OrganiBOR® is simpler for most growers and gardeners and more cost effective, especially when combined with soil and foliage testing to determine exactly when the next application is required.
OrganiBOR® is certified for organic use and is suitable for grapes, apples, kiwifruit, avocados, potatoes, tomatoes and almost all other crops grown commercially or in home gardens in New Zealand.
As OrganiBOR® releases boron into in the soil it combines with water and forms boric acid and plants take up boron from the soil in this form. Boron plays an essential role in a plant’s life cycle.
In vascular plants, boron deficiency inhibits leaf expansion, root elongation, apical dominance, flower development, pollen tube growth and, in turn, fruit and seed set.
Boron toxicity also results reduced shoot and root growth, with marginal and tip chlorosis and necrosis typically occurring. While the effects of boron deficiency and toxicity are well documented, the biological mechanisms involving boron which lead to these symptoms are not well understood.
Recently, it was shown that boron cross-links pectins in plant cell walls a process that is essential for cell wall synthesis, structure and function. But in addition to this, boron involvement has been implicated in a diverse range of cellular processes including regulation of gene expression, nucleic acid metabolism, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, indole acetic acid metabolism, membrane integrity and function, phenol metabolism, nitrogen fixation and nitrogen assimilation.
Accumulating evidence also points to boron being important to animals and humans. Boron has been shown to be necessary to complete the life cycles of some higher animals (eg zebra fish and frogs) and boron deprivation has been linked to impaired growth, bone health, brain function and immune response various animal models including humans.
The recent release of OrganiBOR® to the home garden market in one kilo gram containers through some garden centres will allow gardeners to safely apply this essential element to the crops.
It is applied at the rate of 100 grams per ten square metres which means the 1Kg container will do 100 square metres for a 3 to 5 year treatment before the need to apply again.
This will be an absolute boon for home or part time growers that in the past have not been able to easily apply boron, unless they really know their stuff. Sprinkle it about every 3-5 years and forget about it in the knowledge that the plants will be getting the correct amount of boron without risking any sort of toxicity. The boron is of course taken up by the plants and distributed into the fruit or vegetables (or flowers for that matter) which are of course in turn eaten by you and me, so not only will your plants be healthier but you will be too.
Mineral rich products include’ Magic Botanic Liquid, Rok Solid and Ocean Solids adding these to your gardens this season will help with healthy, happy plants and in your fruit and vegetable gardens a healthier you when you eat the produce.
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GLADIOLI CORMS NOW AVAILABLE

Gladioli are a great flowering summer bulb for gardens and later as cut flowers.
There is a fantastic range of colours to choose from starting with pure white and creams then into pinks, reds, yellows, greens, blues, purples, lavenders, oranges, apricots, browns to almost black.
Solid colours plus ones with throats of different colours, plain & ruffled petals, tall, medium and dwarf types which all adds to a full orchestra of variety.
Your problem is choosing which ones to plant and having such a great range to select from, you can be creative to your hearts desire.
Gladioli need a rich but free draining soil in a sunny, sheltered position. A sunny area near the house where the home shelters the plants from prevailing winds would be ideal.
Work a good, well decomposed, animal manure based compost into the growing spot and if the area is not free draining add course pumice or bark chips. Making a mound about 15 to 20cm tall in areas which has very poor drainage can certainly help prevent losses as the corms will be well above the wetter soil.
The corms are best planted in clumps of 5 to 7 corms or more, 10cm apart and 10cm deep (4 inches).
Make a hole about 13cm deep, place a few sheep manure pellets, Neem Tree Granules and a little Rok Solid at the base of the hole. Cover this with a little soil (or if drainage is not good use a little sand or pumice) so the hole is about 10cm deep.
The corm then is then placed on this with the scar of last years roots downwards.
Cover with friable soil. Mark the spot with a small stick and later replace with a bamboo stake for supporting the taller types.
The reason to use the Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole is to assist in keeping the plant free of thrips. Later when the foliage appears sprinkle some Neem Tree Granules near the base of the foliage. If any sign of thrips appear on the foliage, (which can be seen as a mottling on the leaves) spray the foliage with Neem Tree Oil. Often the granules on their own without the usage of sprays will keep the pests at bay.
Thrips is the worst pest problem when growing gladioli. Sometimes slugs and snails will also damage the foliage and a spray of Liquid Copper over the foliage and ground below should keep them away nicely while the copper is present.
This copper can be used on any other plants instead of the poison baits which are very dangerous for pets and young children. The copper does not kill the slugs and snails but they will not go near or over copper covered surfaces.
Slugs and snails are really a benefit in the garden as they will graze on fungi, algae, lichens and rotting organic matter.
They speed up decomposition and decay by shredding their food before they consume it. Slugs spend most of their time under ground doing good work in the soil food web and only about 5 to 10% of their time above ground.
Our only problem is both creatures like a bit of fresh food in their diet so if we can keep them off the plants with Liquid Copper then they are of benefit rather than a curse.
One old gardener told me some years ago that he had big populations of slugs and snails in his gardens but they never bothered his plants as he always had lots of rotting organic matter for them to feast on.
Back to our gladioli, from planting to flowering is about 100 days so you can plant a clump every few weeks up till December or as long as the corms are available. They need regular watering but don't over water.
If cutting the flowers for vases indoors the best time to cut is when the first flower bud is starting to open. Run your knife down the flower stem till you reach the leaves and then cut through the stem without damaging the leaves. The leaves are important to corm as they provide the energy from the sun to ensure a good plant next year.
Allow the corms to stay in the ground till the foliage turns yellow then lift them and dry off in the sun.
Remove the dead foliage and dirt from the corm which is then stored in a single layer in an airy shed. If you dip the corms into a solution of Neem Tree Oil and allow to dry before storing, should take care of any thrips on the corms.
Baby corms can be kept and planted into seedling trays and these will take about two years to reach flowering size.
Gladioli are a great flowering plant to grow and by following the above procedures you should have good success. Ooooo
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SEED GROWING

There are big savings to be made in growing your own plants from seed, if you go about it in the right manner. With flowers and vegetables you have a far greater range from seed selection than you do when buying seedlings. This is especially so when you have a good garden centre with a large seed range or a mail order catalogue such as Kings Seeds.
I browsed the seed stands recently in a store which had two brands of seeds and was surprised about how expensive some seeds have become. The expensive seeds were mainly hybrid types and the reasonably priced seeds were open pollinated.
The difference between the two types is that the hybrid seeds have been specially bred for certain characteristics in the mature plant where open pollinated are seeds that have been collected from mature plants that have pollinated naturally.
Hybrid seed grown plants tend to be uniform in growth, all mature about the same time and very similar in appearance and attributes. These are the seeds most commercial growers use in vegetable and flower production. They are great for the market gardener that requires a field of cabbages all of which are ready to harvest at the same time.
For the home gardener they are a waste of time and space as most of us can’t eat a dozen cabbages in a week or so. Gardeners want our cabbages to reach maturity several days apart so we obtain the full benefit of our efforts and not have lots of waste.
The cheaper seeds give us this as they are open pollinated and will be staggered in their maturity. Besides when it comes to vegetables the open pollinated will likely have far better flavour when grown naturally and have less disease problems.
It is from these plants you can allow one to go to seed and collect your own seed for future plantings.
For the more unusual plants that you would like to grow you can expect to pay a little more whether they are open pollinated or hybrids. For common vegetables and flowers you are best to choose the less expensive seed packets. When you buy some types of seeds such as lettuce, you will not want to sow all the seeds, in fact you may only sow a dozen seeds each time.
The remaining seeds should be then stored in their original packet and put inside a seal-able glass jar and placed in the fridge.
There they will keep for many months and even years with little loss of vitality. One garden centre chain has a number of their seed packets with two separate foiled packs in the main packet. This is great as you are assured that the unopened ones will keep longer. Store them also in the fridge opened or unopened.
The fridge storage of even unopened packets is a good move as this gives the seeds a false winter so when you bring them out to germinate they will think its spring and strike quicker.
Use either old punnets or seedling trays to germinate your seeds in; dependant on the number of seeds you wish to strike. Don't worry about the fancy seed raising mixes as a reasonable potting mix is far better and cheaper.
Fill the tray to about two thirds full with the potting mix and then with a kitchen sieve sprinkle a layer of the finer particles of the mix over this. Next evenly as possible sprinkle the number of seeds you wish to germinate.
If you want 6 plants to plant out then sow 12 seeds.
You can later on select the 6 best plants for growing on. The other seedlings can be discarded or kept in the tray to grow on for a future planting.
Next with the aid of the sieve, sprinkle a little more of the mix to just about cover the seeds. Many seeds prefer a little light to germinate well, so don't cover too much.
Next take a trigger sprayer and place a few mils of Magic Botanic Liquid into it with water.
Spray this over the mix and seeds to wet the mix. The tray then should be placed on a heat pad or in a warm situation to aid germination. Ensure that the mix is kept moist and not allowed to dry out, misting with the sprayer two or more times a day. The tray should be in good light but not strong direct sunlight.
Germination time varies from plant to plant and often the packet may give an indication of the number of days required. On germination the embryo leaves and growing stem will appear.
This is the time that many gardeners stuff up and losses occur. Embryo seedlings need overhead light as soon as they appear or within at least 12 odd hours. If not, the seedlings will stretch to the natural light and become weak making them vulnerable to dampening off and diseases.
The tray should be moved to a glasshouse bench where it is lightly shaded from strong direct sun.
If you do not have a glasshouse then with either an old drawer or a polystyrene box and a sheet of glass you have an excellent propagation unit. Place the trays of freshly germinated seedlings in the box with the sheet of glass over it but slightly raised off the box with ice cream sticks or similar at each corner, to allow heat and moisture to escape.
The raised glass should not be too high so as to leave an easy entrance for slugs or snails. The box should be in an area that only gets early or late sun. Not direct sun from say 10 am to 2 pm.
Ensure the mix is kept moist by misting. In the box or glasshouse the plants will grow straight up with sturdy growth. If there is any danger of slugs or snails getting to the seedlings then spray them and the surrounding area with Liquid Copper and Raingard.
The pests will not go over a film of copper without dying. (If your hostas or other plants in the garden are being attacked use this method, its safer and better than poison baits) Once your seedlings have reached the first true leaf stage and are big enough, they should be carefully pricked out and planted into small pots or spaced apart in punnets or cell packs.
Before doing this spray the seedlings with Vaporgard and leave for an hour or two. Next water the tray well so the mix is very wet. This means there will be less root disturbance when you lift them out.
You can make a neat tool to do this by carefully hammering a teaspoon flat and then making a blunt point with a file. It is like a little spade that allows you to free each seedling out of its growing medium.
The seedlings can be transplanted into pots or trays with potting mix. Keep the mix moist and weekly water in a good plant food such as Matrix Reloaded. When the plants are of suitable size to plant out then spray them once again with Vaporgard and leave them for three days before planting out.
This spray will harden the plants off and protect them from the cold and late frosts. When buying seedlings of plants in punnets or cell packs it is a good idea to spray them with Vaporgard when you get them home and then leave them for three days before disturbing them and planting out.
It greatly reduces transplant shock and increases the success rate while establishing. If cats in gardens are a problem then after planting out your seedlings sprinkle some of the product called Cat Repellent around the area. A spray over the area including the seedlings using Liquid Copper and Raingard will stop slug and snail damage.
Seeds of plants such as pumpkin, cucumber etc should be sown into jiffy pots so there is no root disturbance when you plant out.
There are a number of vegetable seeds that need to be direct sown such as peas, beans, corn, carrots, parsnips and sweet peas. They resent root disturbance and it is silly to buy them as seedlings.
The soil temperature needs to be 10 degrees or better for good germination. It is a lot of fun growing your own plants from seed and a big savings to boot.
Just follow the guide lines above and don't attempt any expensive seeds till you are proficient with the common seeds. Even experts like me can have failures with hard to grow seeds where very special techniques need to be employed.
The secrets are a heat pad, good moisture without been wet and overhead natural light.
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SEPTEMBER THE FIRST MONTH OF SPRING

September heralds the beginning of spring, starting another round of seasons. What we do in our gardens over the next 8 to 10 weeks will have a big bearing on the rest of the gardening year.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether you want a great and healthy garden for the next 9 months or not?
I remember when I was a boy, 60 years ago, that at this time of the year gardeners would be busy digging in their green crops, mucking out the chook house and spreading this wealth of manure over their gardens along with material from the compost bins.
Lime and potash would also be applied to gardens and all worked into the soil with a garden fork.
The thousands of worms that would be exposed briefly as these actions proceeded would be amazing.
Hardy plants would be planted out next followed by the more tender plants around Labour Weekend.
By summertime the gardens would be bursting with produce and flowers.
It was a wonderful sight having great tasty vegetables and fruit for the table along with flowers for the vases.
Reflecting back and comparing the same with many gardens of today, we find a few things missing in those days, lack of diseases such as blackspot, rust and botrytis.
No sprayers in the garden shed, no bottles of chemicals to rescue plants falling sick, and no bags of man made fertilisers.
In fact the garden shed only comprised of a few garden tools, a lawnmower and other garden accessories such as stakes. The soil was healthy, teeming with microbes and worms, the plants were healthy and so were we.
Sadly we changed all that over the following years.
Super phosphate was introduced along with man made fertilisers and everything went down hill.
Sure plants still grew, often faster than before but these plants were inferior and required chemical sprays to keep them from succumbing to a number of diseases.
Super phosphate kills the soil life and in my opinion should be banned because of the harm it does to our food chain.
All the man made fertilisers contain super phosphate in some form including the Nitrophoska fertilisers.
Chemical herbicides only make matters worse.
This spring you can make a difference if you wish, use only natural products in your gardens similar to the ones we used in the 1950’s. Blood and bone, sheep manure pellets, garden lime, gypsum, dolomite, animal manures, bags of compost and natural liquid plant foods.
Avoid if possible chemical weedkillers especially around food producing plants and preferred plants such as your roses. A natural alternative would be to use a cheap cooking oil or vinegar as a spray.
The amount of water to the cooking oil ratio you will need to experiment with, start with say half and half. Place say 500 ml of warm water into a sprayer and then 500ml of oil with dish washing liquid,(to emulsify the water and oil) shake well so they mix and then spray the contents over weeds on a sunny day when the ground is on the dry side.
Used in full sun the spray dehydrates the weeds and any other plant that maybe sprayed by accident.
The vinegar spray is 500 grams of refined salt (table salt) 4.5 litres of vinegar. Add the salt to a small amount of hot water to completely dissolve then add to vinegar with 5 mls of Raingard. This spray does have a residue and may for a time affect growth in that area.
Alternative is to use either Yates Greenscape. Actual weeding by hand, or with a Dutch hoe or weed eater is best overall.
What happens when we use chemicals or man made fertilisers we kill the beneficial soil life and some of the baddies but a lot of the baddies survive to do damage to your plants in the form of diseases.
The good microbes that control the undesirables are not there to do their job. (The same thing happens in our bodies, the beneficial micro organisms keep the disease ones under control when we are healthy.)
Insect pests are also attracted to the weakened plants causing you more problems.
In the average garden one would find on a soil test, that there is a lot of man made fertiliser and contaminates locked up in the soil. You can release these and remove them by drenches of Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) and Mycorrcin.
Place the products into a watering can and water across your rose bed, vegetable garden and flower gardens. Do this once a month for two or three months and see how the plants respond.
Use the same products to spray the foliage of the plants growing in those gardens also.
This will give the plants a natural protection from diseases. You can also further strengthen the health of the plants by supplying them with all the minerals possible.
This is achieved by sprinkling some Ocean Solids and Rok Solid over the soil and watering in.
The program would be for your vegetable plot and roses (plus any other area you wish to treat) is to apply a little garden lime, dolomite and gypsum, ( 3 forms of calcium plus sulphur and magnesium) along with some blood and bone, Fruit and Flower Power (Potash and magnesium) sheep manure pellets or animal manure.
Sprinkle a little of Ocean Solids and Rok Solid, then cover with a mulch of compost.
Then water in with the MBL and Mycorrcin. The beneficial microbes in the soil will grow and control the baddies.
The plants such as your roses will have all the elements and minerals they require along with a lot of excellent natural food. As the days go by you should begin to see the healthy difference.
A recent email I received confirms this program;

“Since reading your book a garden-changing experience in itself and following your advice that leads to “Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy you”, I have made dramatic changes in the way that I garden and the results speak for themselves.
Our garden is a picture of health.
We supply all our own vegetables from our small patch on the outskirts of Tauranga, and hand plenty of produce over the fence to our neighbours. It has been an absolute joy to watch the soil take on a new lease of life.
Even our lawns are more verdant and lawns in the heat and humidity of Tauranga are difficult to control.
I am hoping that another year of MBL and Rok Solid will have the lawns in pristine health. So I want to say a big “Thank you” for sharing your knowledge, for your regular newsletters and for your prompt service, all of which leads towards a healthy environment full of healthy people.
With kind regards, Mary
Its very satisfying to hear these comments and great to know people can get back to enjoying their gardens. Wally Richards

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SOME GARDENING TIPS

Gardening tips are items that can make gardening easier, save you money and time as well as obtaining better results. You may like to cut out this article for future use.
Experienced gardeners, learn from each other, methods that are an advantage in their gardening endeavors. Most of the following tips have originally come from other gardeners and the writer has noted the common sense of them and does not take credit for the tips.
Firstly one must realise that there is a lot of misinformation bandied about, some of which is taken for gospel by novice gardeners to their disadvantage.
Take for instance adding dish washing liquid to a garden spray, it will help spread some types of sprays better over the foliage but it will also assist the spray to wash off faster in rain or over head watering. Dish washing liquid added to water, on the other hand, is good for dry soils or mediums where water will not penetrate.
Garlic sprays favoured by organic people do not kill insect pests. Garlic sprays will however disguise the natural smell of a plant making it difficult for a pest to locate, if the pest is one which finds its host plant by smell.
The smell does not last especially with rain and the plant is left open to attack.
Pyrethrum which is often used with garlic sprays for the killing action is a very good natural insecticide which is a quick kill for the insects it comes into contact with.
Problem is that Pyrethrum is very quickly broken down by UV (Sunlight) and may only be effective for a couple of hours when sprayed during the day. (even on a cloudy day)
If on the other hand you spray Pyrethrum at dusk, it will remain effective till sunlight destroys its active ingredients the next day.
Copper sprays are a good protection against diseases such as blight, downy mildew, brown rot, curly leaf, bacterial diseases and citrus diseases. If you add a spraying oil to the copper spray it reduces the effectiveness of the copper, so you waste your time and money?
You often hear advisor's saying to mix copper and oil together to save you time.
If the two were truly compatible then someone would have introduced a product that already combined the two elements.
The only reason to use a spraying oil is to smother scale insects in the winter/spring period. If you don't have scale why use the oil?
If you do have scale insects then do a separate oil spray when the copper protection is not needed. Copper sprays do not protect your plants from diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew, botrytis, rusts, leaf spots and leaf moulds. You need a sulphur spray for these which will also control spider mites.
There is an advantage in using Liquid Copper or Liquid Sulphur sprays as these do not block up sprays like the powder products do. Look for the Liquid Copper spray in the blue looking bottle, it is true copper hydroxide not a chemical. It is so concentrated it only needs to be used at 1 ml per litre.
You need to use the right protection for each disease, often copper is recommended for rust and black spot but it does not do much for the disease.
Alternative to using these protections is to encourage the total colonization of the foliage with beneficial fungi and micro organisms. If you achieve this, there is no room for any disease spores to set up shop.
I had a call from a lady gardener a while ago who told me that when she lived on the farm, she feed her roses cow manure and had wonderful, healthy roses that never needed spraying. When she moved to town and started to use water soluble fertilisers and Nitrophoska, her roses started to have problems. To overcome these problems she was told to use Shield and Gild alternatively every 2 weeks. The roses never improved.
Firstly Shield and Gild are different trade names for the same chemicals so no point in alternating them. These chemical sprays and fertilisers harm the soil life and as a result effect the natural health of the roses/plants.
The simple answer is to go back to the natural foods like animal manures and watch your rose’s health recover.
You may need to use some natural remedies such as Magic Botanic Liquid and Mycorrcin in the meantime while the soil life and worm populations are allowed to build up again.
Herbicides used for weed killing also harm soil life but busy people that do not have the time to hand weed prefer these quick solutions. Environment friendly weed killers such as Yates Greenscape or using vinegar or cooking oil are a better option.
If you opt to use the conventional chemical herbicides then you can offset the damage by adding either Thatch Busta or Mycorrcin to the spray. The weed killer will work better and the dying weeds will disappear faster as the products speed up the decay time and feed the soil life.
Raingard has been proven to increase the weed kill by about 50% if added to the herbicide spray. If you use glyphosate weed killers such as Roundup etc and add Raingard plus Thatch Busta you can halve the amount of glyphosate used.
Example, instead of 10 ml of glyphosate use 5mls. In fact for many weeds you can come down as low as 2.5mls. The less chemical used the better off everything is.
Club Root is a bad disease that effects brassicas (cabbages etc) by distorting the root system. It is a soil borne disease that is often introduced into gardens with seedlings and plants grown in contaminated soil.
Once you have it you have a problem growing cabbages etc. The control is the old condys crystals (potassium permagnate) A small amount of the crystals are dissolved in water with salt and then added to more water to drench the planting hole.
Potassium permagnate is available from many garden centres and the jar has the recipe on the label. Also useful for leaf diseases.
When mixing any sprays you should fill the tank of the sprayer to half the required volume of water, mix the concentrate product/s in a litre of warm water, add this to the tank with the balance of water required.
Always use all the spray made up, wash out tank and run fresh water through the sprayer. If possible only use warm water when mixing any sprays, they mix into warm water better, than into cold.
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AUGUST GARDENING 2012

It has been a mild winter for many areas of New Zealand and it looks like an early spring is taking place.
Don't be fooled into thinking all is well as a cold snap can change things very quickly.
Last year about this time a number of gardeners got caught planting out tomatoes and other tender type plants too soon. Miserable weather along with chilling winds not only destroyed early plantings but even plantings right up to December suffered.
Those gardeners with glasshouses were far better off and as I had to relocate during last spring I didnt have my glasshouses operational till later in the season.
This year I am well prepared with glasshouses ready to take those plantings of early tomatoes, cucumbers, egg plants and capsicums.
I was happy to see that the first tomato plants had arrived in garden centres as I have been too busy to sow any seeds as planned.
I choose 3 types, Russian Red which is a favourite of mine for planting in large containers.
Its a dwarf type which you don't need to remove laterals, and it produces a medium size fruit. Its also more hardy for cooler times. Grosse Lisa is a beefsteak tomato and given good tomato food will produce large fruit ideal to grow on now for planting out later.
The other type I decided to grow at this time is Sweet 100 because it will quickly mature and produce ripe fruit early. I am sick of the tasteless commercial ones.
Having a glasshouse or similar early in the season is a must for gardeners that require an early start.
If you don't have a glasshouse and you are a handy person you could knock up a lean-to using 50 x 50 timber. Make it about a metre wide with the high side about 2 metres and the lower side about 1.8 metres.
Place against a sunny wall and secure it against wind. Cover with plastic film leaving one end open.
The open end should be away from your prevailing wind and sheltered, therefore no need for a door. A shelf about 20cm wide should be placed on the 1.8 metre side about a metre from the base.
This is ideal for seedlings in punnets to germinate and grow on in small pots.
The 2 metre side is where you can have you larger pots with the tall growing plants in them.
The length you make the frame will depend on your needs for room and the space available.
Likely it should be about 2 metres or more in length.
If you are keen and in a good financial position to afford to, you can buy an aluminium kit set glasshouse or lean to from the likes of Eden Glasshouses see They are more permanent and last most people a life time if looked after.
You can pay a couple of thousand dollars or for likely about $100 build a lean to as described which will give you a few years with maybe having to replace the plastic film every so often.
To attach the film, use slats of thin wood nailed or stapled to the frame.
You cant staple directly through the film as it will damage quickly in winds.
Back to our new seasons tomato plants; I just love the smell of new tomato plants at the beginning of the season, it tells of promised crops to come.
Take the young plants and pot them individually into small pots about 6cm wide and 10cm deep if not already in similar pots when purchased. Use compost; (not potting mix) place sufficient compost to fill the bottom third of the pot then sprinkle a few grains of Neem Tree Granules and a little animal manure or a couple of sheep manure pellets.
Cover with a little more compost and plant the tomato seedling deep up to its first set of leaves.
The Neem Granules is to give initial protection from insect pests and by planting deep the tomato will root all the way up the trunk giving you a stronger plant because of a greater root system.
Finish off with sprinkling a little of my Secret Tomato Food with Neem Tree Granules on surface of medium.
When your tomato has grown and filled the pot, then you transplant into a bigger container say about 16 to 20 cm wide. Repeat the process as above supplying more Neem and greater amounts of the foods.
Also apply a stake for support and its a good idea to tie a Sticky White Fly Trap to the stake so any adult whitefly or psyllids flying in to lay eggs may be attracted and stuck.
Once the plant has filled this container its likely to be about half a metre tall or more and ready for a bigger container such as 20 to 50 litres or for planting out.
Its important to stake the plant as it get taller so it will be easier to handle when repotting.
A spray all over using Vaporgard a couple of days before transplanting will do two things, harden up the plant for outdoors and also protect it further from pest insects.
Ensure that the plant has Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole and Tomato Food with Neem on the surface of the growing medium when transplanting.
The following are some spray combinations that are safe to use and free of harmful chemicals. For disease problems make up a spray using 5mls of Liquid Copper into a litre of water, 12.5 mls of Liquid Sulphur into a separate litre of water, add 5 mils of Raingard to 3 litres of warm water along with 20 mls of Perkfection then combine all together to spray over tomatoes, roses and other plants.
Make sure that the Liquid Copper you use is blue in colour as its is pure Copper Hydroxide the one that is considered organic. (There is another one recently available which is not pure Copper Hydroxide and much more expensive making up only 60 odd litres of spray) The true one makes 250 litre or 500 litres dependant on the 250 ml or 500 ml bottle)
If you don't use all the spray place surplus in a container so you can wash out sprayer and store in a dark place, Shake well before reusing.
For Insect control and plant health place per litre of warm water; 15 ml of Neem Tree oil, 10 ml of Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) and 5 ml of Mycorrcin.
If there are no insect problems leave out the Neem Tree Oil and the remaining two natural products can be used as they are or added safely to the disease control spray.
The Neem Oil can not be used with the disease control spray as it would react with sulphur and copper.
The above sprays are ideal for any garden plants and the MBL plus Mycorrcin especially good for strawberries and other food crops.
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POTATO PSYLLID

It is the time that gardeners like myself are buying their certified seed potatoes and getting them ready to plant dependent where in New Zealand you are.
Crop failures due to the new insect pest the potato psyllid are a real problem for gardeners. My own personal experience with the insect pest; Psyllids, began in the fall of 2009 when a late crop of potatoes in a raised garden, was lifted.
The tops looked great but only pea sized new potatoes lay beneath and these were all sprouting.
At the time I had not heard of the psyllids and presumed I had too much animal manures in the raised garden.
It was only later I became aware of the real reason for the crop failure.
My tomatoes in the area had not been affected but then again I had used Neem Tree Granules plus an occasional spray of Neem Tree Oil from planting time and through the season for white fly control.
I have heard a few similar stories from gardeners who had used Neem Products on their tomatoes and achieved successful crops but had not done the same with their potatoes and had crop failures.
Later in spring of 2009 I placed Neem Granules in the planting hole with each seed potato and sprinkled the same over the soil surface at about the time the tops were a foot high.
These were harvested in December and not a sign of any psyllid damage.
A second crop was planted shortly afterwards using the same methods and these were harvested without damage. A third late crop was planted in buckets in February and that was just about a failure.
Tomato plants for the 2009/2010 season in glasshouse and open have all produced well by using the Neem Tree Granules and an occasional spray of Neem Tree Oil.
A few similar reports have come to hand from gardeners in other parts of the country.
A greater number have reported crop failures of both tomatoes and potatoes where they have used conventional home garden sprays and not Neem products.
The best report I had was from Oderings Nurseries in Christchurch where in early 2009 a paddock was planted out by the principals using a few different varieties of potatoes.
Neem Granules were used in the planting holes on every row except for the last row as they had run out of the granules. None were used on the soil surface.
When harvested all the Neem protected potatoes harvested well with no sign of psyllid damage.
The unprotected row however was a total disaster without any thing but pea sized spuds.
Neem Granules are the kernels of the Neem Tree that have been cold pressed to extract the Neem Oil from them. In India they are referred to as Neem Cake.
In the soil the Microbes break down the granules releasing over a period of time, the Neem properties that are still in the granules.
These properties are taken up by the potato or tomato plant and translocate through the plant. Thus if a chewing or sucking insect feds on the plant they receive a small dose of the Neem affecting their ability to eat again. Thus they die of starvation.
(I don’t know how well the granules would work in soils that have little or no microbes to break down the granules.)
The granules work well on some plants, but not on others such as cucumbers and beans. The granules also work well on any other soil insects, (grass grubs, nematodes etc) Back up sprays of the foliage with Neem Tree Oil are advisable and should be applied with Raingard or similar to give rain and UV protection making the foliage sprayed protected for a longer period.
Without UV protection the spray has an effective life of about 7 days.
Neem Oil is not systemic and should only be considered as surface protection thus a complete coverage is needed.
Neem Tree Oil has a heavy consistency and will tend to go solid in cold temperatures, very much like honey. Ideally the product should be warmed before mixing by placing the container into a tub of boiling water. It should also be mixed with warm water for spraying.
Otherwise blockages of spray equipment may occur and best cleaned out with warm to hot water with dish washing liquid used.
On soils where the microbes have been killed off through heavy usage of chemical fertilisers and chemical sprays the Neem Oil should be used rather than relying on the Neem Granules.
There are also other plants now affected by the psyllids; these include, tree tomatoes, egg plants, capsicum, chilli and kumera.
Spray programs are likely needed to obtain control of the psyllids in your garden.
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DISEASE CONTROL FOR ROSES AND OTHER PLANTS

Every-so-often a gardener will send me a gardening solution thats a real gem.
This happened recently with a email from Sue about her and her families experience with potassium permanganate, or as its more commonly called, Condys Crystals. ( KMnO4 )
Most uses of potassium permanganate are for its oxidizing properties.
It is a strong oxidant that does not generate toxic byproducts therefore KMnO4 has many special uses.
A solution of potassium permanganate can assist in the control of a number of diseases on plants.
Here is the email I was sent:

Dear Wally,

I came across an old post of yours (2008) today and thought on the off chance that if you are still interested, I’d pass on some info. My father was a very accomplished gardener in South Africa.
He had the most beautiful garden and had a really soft spot for roses, often rescuing them from the rubbish tip as gnarled dead looking bits of wood; he’d coax them back to full glory and crow about how stupid their previous owners were to toss them out.
One of his standard soil treatments was Condys crystals or potassium permanganate.
He would mix up a mild (pale lilac) solution and drench the soil around each rose in the spring before the leaf buds appeared and then spray the leaves once they had hardened (beyond the soft red stage) a couple of months apart.
Any sign of black spot or rust was immediately treated with the same spray but these were rare.
He also treated white powdery mildew (or any other fungus) with Condys wherever it appeared, as both a soil drench and spray on the plants.
My parents grew all their own veg and my mother always washed anything coming in from the garden that was to be eaten raw, in a weak solution (barely lilac).
I’m not sure about the necessity of the latter but none of us appear to have suffered any negative effects.
I moved to the UK some years ago and found that black spot and rust on roses and various fungus infections on veg were much more of an issue here in the damp than in SA. I looked in vain for Condy’s and finally last year bought some on a trip back to SA.
We are having the wettest summer on record so battling fungus has been pretty constant this year but although my roses do have some spots they are far healthier than they have been in past years (could also be all the water of course). I didn’t do the soil drench in the spring but intend to do one last thing in the autumn and again in the spring for next year.
Kind regards, Sue Breetzke (UK)

I have suggested in the past for gardeners to use potassium permanganate as sprays for rust on any garden plants and have felt that it would be good also for a number of other plant diseases.
Drenching the soil as Sue’s father does with a solution of potassium permanganate would help wipe out disease spores that are lurking in the soil, under plants waiting for rain or the right conditions to migrate to the foliage and do the damage they cause.
Potassium permanganate used at ¾ a teaspoon into one litre of water with three desert spoons of table salt, dissolved then added to nine litres of water makes a good soil drench for helping to control club root in brassicas. (Drench each planting hole with one litre of the mix prior to planting the seedling.)
This same formula could be used to advantage in areas where you wish to sterilize the soil without harsh chemicals.
Used at this time of the year, under roses and fruit trees, would assist in reducing the disease problems that will likely occur as the season progresses.
This could be very beneficial in stone fruit trees that suffer from curly leaf and bladder plum diseases.
A milder solution of about ¼ a teaspoon per litre of water could be sprayed over the branches and later the foliage when it has emerged for disease control.
A application soon after rain would be advisable as that is a danger time when spores rise up to affect the foliage.
Potassium permanganate is inexpensive as many garden centres stock 150 gram jars for about $12.00 and 150 grams will go a long way.
Gardeners love to have very healthy roses with lots of flowers and this can be achieved if you change the way you garden (if you haven't changed already and are enjoying lovely gardens) Firstly do not use rose fertiliser or nitrophoska for their food, both products damage the soil life and can be likened to cheap fast foods.
Instead use only natural products such as sheep manure pellets, blood & bone, dolomite, any animal manures, compost, Bio Boost and Fruit and Flower Power.
These foods will feed the soil life, build their populations and help to make for healthier roses.
Also apply some Rok Solid to the soil under the roses and give the soil a watering with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL). These will add minerals and elements to the soil not available in either chemical fertilisers or natural products.
Sprinkling Neem Tree Granules on the soil at this time may help reduce insect pests.
To ensure that the soil life is not harmed by the chlorine in tap water put a 10 micron carbon bonded filter into your hose line. Alternatively store in a open vessel, tap water, to remove the harmful chlorine.
Chemical sprays that were commonly used for roses appear to do more harm than good as pests and diseases have evolved to be resistant against the chemicals. They are now very expensive, damaging to the environment as well as your health and not the answer to having healthy roses as many gardeners have reported.
Instead use maybe the potassium permanganate as the email suggests for fungus diseases.
Alternative would be sprays of Liquid Sulphur and Liquid Copper (in the blue bottle) The Liquid Copper 250 ml bottle makes 250 litres of full strength copper spray making it great value for money.
For Insects; Neem Tree Oil will assist in control without harming beneficial insects and will deter possums from eating your roses when applied 2 weekly.
You can make a good difference to your roses with a two weekly spray of MBL and the Neem Tree Oil can be added to this if required.
The key to healthy roses is go natural and put the expensive chemicals in a safe disposal facility.
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HOUSE PLANTS IN WINTER

Winter time can be a hard time on house plants due to temperature changes and less natural light.
Rooms that plants live in may go from a few degrees to over 20 degrees and back to cold within a 24 hour period as heating is used and turned off.
In a room that is continually warm or cold, suits plants better than wide temperature changes over short periods of time.
Watering of house plants in winter is a very difficult thing to explain as many factors are involved.
Basically the growing medium (potting mix) should be a little on the dry side most of the time with only small drinks to maintain this aspect.
If the mix becomes too wet it will mean the plant will suffer more in the cold times and because the roots are surrounded by water in the mix they lack oxygen so they start to rot.
This will appear as stress in the foliage and mistakenly some people will think the pot is too dry and water, adding more to the problem and likely a loss of the plant.
With pot plants that you are able to lift up do this as a test before applying any more water to the mix, if the pot has a good weight to it, then likely the mix is moist or wet even if the top of the mix looks dry.
It is surprising how light they are when bone dry.
If there is water in the saucer beneath the pot then that is a definite sign of overwatering. If after watering wait about half an hour and check the saucers for water. If found remove the water.
If a plant has been in the same pot for a long time then it is likely to be pot bound which means the roots have taken up most of the area in the pot and there is little mix left.
A plant in this state will run out of water very quickly and even in winter may need watering every few days. In summer likely a daily watering would be needed.
Once a plant becomes too pot bound it will die eventually so there is a need every few years to root prune.
This is done by removing the plant from its pot, sawing off the bottom third of the roots and then placing fresh mix in the bottom of the pot to the height sufficient to cover the area the roots have been removed.
Then pop the plant back into the pot. It will need less watering for a while as it fills up the new mix with roots. The plant will show a new lease of life also.
The mix you choose to use is up to yourself and likely a potting mix is better for indoor plants. If the mix has wetting agents in it that is good for summer but can be deadly for winter if you don't take extra care in winter watering.
Light levels are low in winter due to shorter day light hours and the sun been at a lower ebb which marks a danger for indoor plants. This is especially so with smaller leaf plants, maidenhair ferns for example.
They might do well in the summer time with long light hours but in the winter there is insufficient light for the plant. Moving plants closer to a natural light source (window) will be better for the plant.
Turning the plant around 180 degrees every week will keep more even growth and reduce the plant stretching for the nearest light source.
If your ferns get tatty you can cut off all the foliage just above mix level. (Leave any new fronds that are starting to rise) Then after giving the plant a drink if need be, place outside in a very sheltered spot where it will get ample natural light.
Its a good idea to tap the plant out of its container, root prune if needed and check for mealy bug in the root system and on the side of the pot.
This appears as whispery white patches. If seen then make up a solution of Neem Tree Oil at 15 mils per litre in a bucket of warm water and plunge the root mass into the water and leave to soak for about 15 minutes.
Then lift; let it drain before returning to the pot which should have been washed clean with hot water.
With ferns, this treatment before placing outside as described will be ok. It is not suitable for plants that are not cold hardy. Those plants should be left till summer to treat.
A room which you have heating and you use to dry washing on a clothes horse or similar will provide a better environment for the plants in that room as they will require less watering because they will get extra moisture though their leaves.
Cyclamen are very popular this time of the year as they are a cold loving/flowering plant.
They do need good light and are best sitting on a window sill or right in front of a window.
If they don't look perfect then pop them outside for a week or two in a nice sheltered place with good natural light. Outdoors the flowers will likely be pollinated by air movement and you can collect the big round seed pods that form when they are mature. (About the time they are ready to drop off.)
You can germinate the seeds in dark or low light situation on a heat pad. Just keep moist by misting.
Once some show of leaves appear move to a better light outside shelter and keep a little moist.
Later on when the baby corms have sprouted another leaf or two you can prick them out and pot into small pots to grow on. Use as house plants later or for planting in the garden under trees or shrubs;
Out of direct sunlight in summer and water to moisten the soil.
You may have purchased a poinsettia for last Xmas with it lovely red leaves; now the same squat plant has likely got a bit leggy and sporting green leaves.
Poinsettia when they flower produce very small flowers which look more like berries than flowers, to attract attention to these small flowers the top leaves turn a brilliant red.
This takes place in winter or at any time when the plant only receives about 8 hours of light per day over a period of weeks.
This makes now a great time to get your poinsettia back to red for a few months.
Place it where it obtains natural light from a window but no artificial light each day/night. After a few weeks it should redden for you.
Be very careful with your watering and keep the plant on the dry side.
Later on when it has finished flowering you can prune it back (it will bleed white latex) or in warmer areas they can be grown outdoors in a frost free drier situation such as under the eaves, facing a northerly direction.
Outdoors they can grow two to three metres and make a lovely display in winter.
Alternatively into a large container in a conservatory where it will receive no light at night in the winter.
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ASPARAGUS CROWNS

Asparagus is a very popular seasonal vegetable that is easy to grow, in a well drained situation. Asparagus crowns are available in your garden centres now and these are the root systems of one year old plants. The newer hybrid varieties such as Jersey Giant’s, all male crowns, will out produce the old Mary Washington crowns 3 to 1.
It is the male crowns that are the preferred ones to plant as the female crowns will not produce as many spears as the males and will produce seed berries when in fern which means you can end up with a seedling menace. I presume that the crowns you buy are male, but it would pay to ask.
The odd female crown maybe present but once you determine the sex of a crown you can remove any stray females and replant a male.
In establishing an asparagus bed you have to consider that a good part of the season, when the spears are allowed to go to fern, the foliage which is great, will shade other plants if planted in a spot where this can happen.
Thus a bed or row should be placed at the rear of a vegetable garden where it will receive ample sun, be free draining and be in production for about 15 years. The crowns should be planted about 18 inches apart thats about 45cm, to allow for the fern space.
In smaller sections they are going to take up a bit of room, yet half a dozen crowns, once established will give you about 1.5 kilos of spears each season.
I read an account in OrganicNZ that a partially Bio-Certified commercial grower, using natural methods (Hate the word organic) has produced 8.5 tons per hectare where conventional growers (Using chemical water soluble fertilisers) produce 2-5 tons per hectare.
So a good reason once again, to keep those harmful chemicals out of the garden. This grower that produces so much more is using natural methods and one of these is the use of compost tea which we will look at in a future article.
In the meantime there are a number of things to do to set up your asparagus bed. A single row down the back of the vegetable plot facing north would not take too much room and other tall plants such as corn or tomatoes which reach their heights later in the season, when the spears of asparagus have been harvested for the season, planted in front would work out fine. Alternative a bed of crowns at the far end of the vegetable patch where their shading ferns will not affect other vegetables.
Mind you in summer, hearting lettuces would be ideal to grow in the fern shade area.
To prepare the area make a trench or bed 5-6 inches deep which is the depth you plant the crowns. Work the soil at the base of the trench/bed to make it loose and friable.
Asparagus require lots of phosphate so use BioPhos the natural rock phosphate rather than the harmful super phosphate which would reduce the amount of crop to harvest in the future. Place two scoops of the BioPhos under each crown. Lay the crowns onto this and cover with a mix of animal manure based compost and the soil removed from the trench/bed in about 50/50.
Fill to the level of the surrounding soil. Ensure that this mix is open and friable. Not heavy and wet. The crowns can be planted now and as they will not grow till the soil warms up, but it is important that the area is free draining as waterlogged crowns will rot.
When the tips of the first spears emerge you can enhance the conditions with a application of potash and then a drench of MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid) and Mycorrcin mixed together.
The first year you do not pick any spears as you want the crowns to establish and grow. The more fern means the more growth to the crowns.
Later in the spring, if you are making the compost tea this can be sprayed over the fern and soil otherwise sprays of MBL and Mycorrcin will be fine.
In autumn/winter when the ferns have died, cut down and if you have access to seaweed cover the row/bed with this for the winter. It makes for great asparagus.
Weed as needed but the ferns once established will shade and prevent much weed establishment.
To harvest, on the second year onwards, do not cut the spears off below ground level as this can damage other spears coming.
Instead snap the spear off at the base. Another spear will emerge in its place from another growth tip.
You can harvest for about 3 weeks but towards the end the spears will begin to open and become tougher at the base.
You then allow the plants to go to fern.
Always pick spears early in the morning and if you wish to store, place the freshly picked spears into ice cold water to cool and then put into a plastic bag and place in the fridge.
They will keep this way for 1 to 2 weeks without any loss of quality. Ooooo TO THE LIST OF ARTICLES

YAMS

Yams are an interesting plant to grow, a member of the oxalis family (Oxalis tuberosa) as you will notice when the foliage appears.
Overseas Yams are a different root vegetable that can grow up to 7 feet long. NZ Yams are a long season crop and take from spring to autumn end to grow and mature. The warmer the climate the better the results but this does not preclude gardeners in the south from trying a few tubers.
They can be grown in a container using a mix of half potting mix and half compost. Placed in a sunny spot after planting in early spring. Frost tender they will need protection/shelter from late frosts.
Some Garden Centres may have certified seed tubers available or alternatively you can grow the smaller tubers that are sold in green grocers.
The plant does not want much nitrogen but plenty of potassium and phosphate. So use either blood and bone or sheep manure pellets along with ample potash and BioPhos.
In a sunny sheltered spot in the garden, they are planted in small mounds a couple inches tall with the sheep pellets etc under each tuber and then covered.
Allow to grow and at about 4 months, hill up the smaller original mound, like you do with potatoes, to encourage the tuber formation. The yams are ready to harvest when the tops die back.
In a container that is about 18cm across, fill the pot to about half way apply the products and tuber at this level and cover to about two thirds the height of the pot.
Later at 4 months fill the rest of the pot to near the rim. A nice foliage plant with bright yellow flowers. Can be grown on a sunny windowsill as a pot plant with the possible harvest of yams for eating.
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JULY GARDENING 2012

Its very pleasing when we see blue skies, sunshine and frosty mornings in winter as it does a lot of good in our gardens. Maybe the weather will favour the gardens for a while. In winter make hay while the sun shines is a old saying and one which gardeners should take advantage of at this time of the year.
From about 10 or 11 on a winter’s sunny day to about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, is a pleasant time to get a few gardening things done. (I was going to say chores but gardening is not a chore, its a great pleasure and a boon.)
So what should we be doing in the garden right now? Prepare for Spring is the answer and let the winter frosts do its work.
Vegetable gardens, flower gardens that are bare of productive plants are likely to be in fodder crops or weeds. (Weeds make good fodder crops too) In these two areas you should apply 250 grams of soft lime per square metre and then slice off the weeds or fodder crop at ground level.
Leave the foliage where it falls on the garden bed and sprinkle animal manure over then cover with wet newspaper or cardboard. Apply a layer of purchased compost over this and your gardens are ready for planting later on and fairly weed free for a time.
What is soft lime you ask? There are a number of forms of lime and particle size which relates to how quickly the lime is available or broken down by soil life.
Hard lime comes from crushed lime stone and often is a larger particle which means it can take between 3 to 10 years before its doing its job. Soft absorbent lime comes from old sea shell deposits that are found in the ranges in both Islands from days when NZ was under the seas.
This lime, when finely ground is readily available to plants and soil so it starts its work immediately. Hatuma Lime is a soft desirable lime. There are others but one should ask the supplier where does the lime come from and what form is it? You can do a test of your existing bag of lime by placing a small amount in the palm of your hand. Spit or wet the lime and rub it with a finger.
The best lime will become a soft paste with very little grit where a hard lime will be mostly grit and little paste. Alternative is to use Dolomite at 125 grams per Square Metre.
Dolomite is Calcium Magnesium Carbonate and likely your garden is lacking in both magnesium and calcium.
If you are not sure of the garden lime you can use 125 grams of garden lime with 125 grams of dolomite.
Dolomite is also the one to use on its own in rose beds, where tomatoes/potatoes are to grow and where acid loving plants are.
Gypsum can be used instead of the dolomite or in conjunction with it. Commercially and home garden wise, we have tended to neglect the great need for calcium in our soils.
Calcium is the fuel that fires up the soil life and makes for natural, healthy soil and plants. If the garden is fairly bare of weeds or fodder crops, then spread about two inches of mushroom compost or an animal manure based compost over the soil with the lime/dolomite powders. After applying you can also enhance the natural soil life with a drench of MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid) and Mycorrcin. What we are looking to do is build up the humus in our soil by feeding the soil life which make the humus.
Many of you will be looking at pruning roses and deciduous trees at this time.
Grape vines should be pruned as soon as possible to prevent the bleeding when the sap rises. Roses and fruit trees can be pruned from anytime now on, but likely best before the end of this month.
There is a danger with pruning as it opens up the plant to possible diseases and two of the worst of these are die-back and silverleaf. Silverleaf spores are carried by moisture and breeze during cooler damp conditions. Pruning should be done in the middle of a sunny day when its a bit warmer/drier and more pleasant for yourself.
You can make a ready to use Pruning Spray by taking about 5 mls of Liquid Copper and 1 ml of Raingard into a litre of water in a trigger sprayer that you can use to spray and protect the wounds.
After pruning a rose you simply spray the wounds with this and also the cutting edges of your pruning tools before going to the next rose/plant.
This spraying of the blades of your tools helps prevent disease transfer between plants. After you have finished pruning, spray all the plants with a solution of Liquid Copper. This copper is mixed at only 1 ml per litre of water making it extremely economical.
Put one mil of Raingard in each litre of Liquid Copper spray to rainproof your work for up to 14 days.
Obtain seed potatoes now for sprouting and greening up by placing the potatoes in trays in a warm room and when sprouted move outside to a better light situation but frost free spot such as under trees or a carport.
Prepare the ground for planting them by applying gypsum.
Those of us that applied a spray of Vaporgard to our more frost tender plants about 2-3 months ago should think about another spray soon which will take us out beyond the frost times hopefully. Remember if there are several frosts in a row extra protection besides the Vaporgard will be needed.
Now is the perfect time to move any plants, shrubs or trees that need to be moved.
You can cut back the plant if its a evergreen then spray both sides of the foliage with Vaporgard.
This takes the stress off the reduced root system when lifting and makes for a far greater success in transplanting.
When spraying Vaporgard prior to lifting wait about 3 days after the spray before lifting and relocating.
Tomato plants will soon become available for those that like an early start.
You can also start by germinating some seeds now for growing in containers and then later planting into glasshouses or gardens.
It is most important that seedlings once germinated obtain as much sunlight as possible, ideally from directly overhead. Glass houses are ideal to grow them on in, or a conservatory. A spray of Vaporgard will help protect them from cold and frosts in either situation.
Keep their mix on the dry side with only little drinks to slightly moisten will help prevent wet weather diseases.
Seeds of hardy plants, flowers and vegetables can also be germinated for planting out later and as long as these seedlings are place in a sheltered good light situation they should do well. Start buying the packets of seeds that you want to grow this season.
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STARTING EARLY TOMATOES

I was in the supermarket the other day and saw that tomatoes were currently up around the $7.00 to $10.00 a kilo. Well I suppose it is winter and tomatoes are a lot more expensive to buy, even if they are fairly tasteless when compared to your own home grown ones. Some of the tomatoes sold in the off season are imported from overseas and in particular from Australia.
The tomatoes are picked green as they have a greater shelf life if they are not ripe before transporting (food miles) and then they are ripened with a chemical prior to display for sale.
When a tomato is picked green there is no further production of sugars hence the reason for the lack of flavour. These green tomatoes are gassed with ethylene which turns them red fairly quickly.
So you can be eating green tomatoes that are red in colour.
There are two good reasons to grow tomatoes outside of our normal season, a savings in money plus better flavoured home grown tomatoes.
The problem with growing tomatoes through the winter is to find varieties that do not mind the cold and will set fruit in lower temperatures.
Many of the more common types will grow well in a glasshouse if protected from the cold, but when they reach flowering stage, there is not sufficient warmth to produce the pollen needed to set the fruit.
The flowers just fall off through lack of pollination.
Last winter I decided to see what tomato seeds I could find to start off at that time. A visit to a Niche Seed stand at a local garden centre came up with three types, all of which are Heritage type tomatoes from Russia.
Now if they originated in Russia then they must be able to withstand a good degree of cold and still set fruit. The types were, Tomato Purple Russian described as a unique cool tolerant variety from the Ukraine, with wonderful sweet, fleshy medium sized fruits. (Looks like a tree tomato or tamarillo) Believed to be the best purple/black tomato on the world market. It seldom splits, which is often a failing of the darker skinned types and is less susceptible to diseases. Matures in 100 days.
Heirloom Tomato Black from Tula, Many tomato connoisseurs call this tomato ‘the ugliest, most delicious tomato ever grown’. It is a robust beefsteak type and the largest of the black tomatoes.
The slightly flattened fruits grow up to 125mm in diameter, dark, greenish black in colour and the flesh is chocolate brown with a rich, spicy flavour. Matures quickly in 35 plus days.
Grows well in dry conditions and will crop outdoors till frosted.
Tomato Silvery Fir Tree, the plant has fine feather (carrot like) foliage, extremely decorative and eye catching especially in tubs. This tomato produces masses of 85mm red, slightly flattened fruits and is disease resistant. Matures in 100 days.
All three types are not tall growing and have an average height of just under a metre which makes them perfect for growing in containers.
After reading the informative descriptions of each and seeing the photographs of the fruit I decided to take a packet of each to see how they would preform for me.
Heres how I germinated and grew these Russian tomatoes.
First, I found some small pots in the shed and filled them with a good compost and then placed two seeds on each pot with a label to tell me what type they are. I covered the seed with a bit of fine pumice (sand would also do) and moistened them down using a trigger sprayer, containing diluted Magic Botanic Liquid. (MBL)
Next my 3 pots when onto a heat pad indoors to give the needed bottom heat for quick germination.
Twice a day I will mist the mix with the MBL solution and in about a week they started germinating.
Once the first two leaves started to appear they were placed immediately out into my glasshouse. (This is most important as they need full overhead natural light, otherwise they will stretch and likely fail)
To grow tomatoes at this time of the year you really need a sunny glasshouse or conservatory and you have to be very, very careful with your watering. The growing medium needs to have a little moisture in it, but NOT be wet.
I let the little plants grow up to about 6-10 cm tall before transferring them to a bigger container. If both seeds germinated I cut the lessor plant off at the base allowing the stronger one to fill the small pot with its roots. (Small pots means no damage to the roots when transplanting) The mix to use at this time will be a good compost with a little soil or worm casts added.
Also it is time to give the plants a boost so a small amount of Wally’s Secret Tomato Food with Neem Granules will be applied to the top of the mix. This will not only give the plants a boost but it will also protect them from possible whitefly problems building up along with the psyllids. Much care is needed in your watering as wet mix makes for cold roots and possible disease problems.
One disease that appears to be a greater problem especially in a glasshouse is botrytis (stem rot) so to give the plants protection from this I apply a spray of Perkfection every month to the foliage.
The second pot which should be about 12 to 16 cm in diameter will allows the plants to grow to about 35 plus centimeters tall at which time they are potted into their final container which will be a 45 litre plus type. Same mix applied, compost and a handful of soil or worm casts mixed through.
The reason for the soil or worm casts is to obtain the microbes that they bring to the compost.
After potting into this large container they will each have a sprinkling of the tomato food mentioned along with a little Ocean Solids and Rok Solid. Misting the foliage with MBL and Mycorrcin every couple of weeks will also assist in keeping the plants healthy.
Now having used only 2 seeds out of each of the three packets, the remaining seeds are resealed in their foil case and with the colorful packet are placed in the fridge for future use.
At the time when I pot into the second container I will use the original small pots to plant another two seeds of each variety. These can be grown on for planting outdoors later on if the spring weather is suitable, if not they will also live their productive lives in containers.
Likely this procedure will be repeated 3 or 4 times which should use up about half of the available seeds.
Once the fruit matured we were able to establish which varieties of the three preformed best, plus had a flavor we liked most, then our own seeds was kept of those preferred varieties.
The Silvery Tree Fern preformed the best for me yet I have heard from other gardeners that they preferred the other two types. So everyone is different in what they like in tomatoes and growing conditions differ from garden to garden.
For a relatively small outlay and a bit of fun growing these Russian Tomatoes you can save a good amount of money not having to buy expensive, tasteless tomatoes for around about $10.00 or more a kilo in spring.
Beside you also have the peace of mind that your tomatoes will be full of nutritional value and not a lot of harmful pesticides. Now is the time to start sprouting your tomato seeds.
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FRUIT TREE PLANTING TIME

Now is the time of the year that sees the arrival of this seasons deciduous fruit trees, into garden centres.
There is a very good reason for deciduous trees to become available in winter because in the cold months, the trees are dormant and better to lift from their nursery plots and relocated to your gardens and containers.
The trees are normally bagged or held bare rooted in bins of wet sawdust to keep their roots moist.
It can be fatal if you allow the roots of bare rooted trees and roses to dry out.
There are many good reasons to grow a wide range of different types of fruit trees as possible; the fruit gained each year is virtually free (allow for initial outlay and care), You can grow your fruit without harmful chemical sprays and fertilisers in your garden which means you are not eating poor quality, low in nutritional value fruit.
These days much of the fruit grown commercially does not have the health benefits that fruit had 40 to 60 years ago. Organic certified fruit is second best to what you grow yourself but you still cant beat home grown.
Fruit trees grown with natural products such as animal manure, compost etc will be less prone to disease and pests.
You achieve this by adding to the soil or growing medium minerals from Ocean Solids and Rok Solid as a yearly dressing, this will ensure your fruit has the maximum amount of nutritional value and provide further protection against diseases for both the trees and the fortunate people who consume the fruit.
Often gardeners say to me that they would love to grow a few more fruit trees but do not have the room in the gardens for any more.
There is a very simple way around this problem and that is to grow your fruit trees in larger type containers. To prove this point I currently have 7 citrus trees, 1 apple, 1 avocado, 2 cherimoya, 3 feijoa, 2 grapes, 2 loquats, 1 passion fruit, 1 persimmon, 1 guava, 1 cranberry, 1 blueberry, 1 tornless raspberry, 2 pineapples and 2 tamarillo growing in 45 to 100 litre containers.
The big advantage with container grown fruit is you can move them around, take them with you if you move house (Which I did last year when I relocated) and they never get too big as the container restricts their root size.
The disadvantages are they take a bit longer to produce when compared to open grown specimens and you do need to root prune them every few years.
Plastic rubbish tins come in various sizes and these are ideal and reasonably priced; with a few drainage holes drilled in the sides just up from the base.
Another method is to have 4cm holes drilled in the base of the container so that some of their roots can venture into the soil or lawn that they are sitting on.
If you can find a business that has used 200 litre plastic drums for sale or free then these drums cut in half to make excellent containers for growing fruit trees in.
When growing fruit trees or other plants in containers, don't use any kind of potting mix, instead make up a mix of compost with about 10% clean top soil or worm casts mixed through.
The reason for adding soil or worm casts is to bring soil life into the mix making for a more natural growing medium. I always add a few worms to the mix as they will keep the soil/compost more open and prevent it from compacting over time.
Never use straight soil in a container as it slumps and can kill the tree or plant.
For additional food I use old fowl manure placed on the top of the mix along with a sprinkling of Fruit and Flower Power (the later applied once a month during the flowering to harvesting period)
A yearly application of Ocean Solids and Rok Solid, Rock Dust for the extra minerals and a drench plus a spray of Magic Botanic Liquid with Mycorrcin every so often.
If any of the trees get attacked from insect pests then a spray of Neem Tree Oil takes care of them safely.
Liquid Copper is also another handy spray to control various disease problems such as citrus tree diseases, bladder plum and curly leaf. The same copper is also ideal for pear slug control.
Existing deciduous trees should be sprayed with Lime Sulphur at this time as it kills any diseases and pests harboring over the winter. For curly leaf problems a spray or two of Lime Sulphur now will reduce the problem in the spring when the leaves start emerging.
The worst problem with fruit is the birds getting into a crop when the fruit is coming towards maturity.
A few lengths of Bird Repeller Ribbon takes care of this at that crucial time.
My favourite Feijoa Unique will grow very well in a 45 litre container. (Larger is better) They grow quickly to about 3 times the original potted height and will produce large fruit very quickly obtaining a small crop in the first year or so.
Another quick grower to fruit are tamarillo potted into a 45 litre container they can grow to just on 2 metres tall and start fruiting. Its a good idea to place the container under the eaves and spray with Vaporgard Frost Protector, to prevent damage from winter by frosts.
There is a newer form of Tamarillo called Tango are now available from garden centres. This form which was developed by Hort Research NZ has fruit that is supposed to be sweet rather than the more acidic taste of the common tamarillo.
I added a specimen to my collection and its also doing very well in a containers.
I found that the yellow fruit is not sweet and my red variety is actually sweeter though both are acidic.
Existing fruit trees can be pruned at this time but do not prune on a cool moist day as this can allow Silverleaf disease to enter the wounds. (Do not prune passion fruit vines in the winter, they should only be pruned when they are actively growing in the spring.)
A spray of Liquid Copper and Raingard over any of your fruiting trees or vines would not go astray at this time.
Deciduous trees do not need any feeding while dormant but when the buds start to swell in the spring a good layer of rich compost can be applied along with Fruit and Flower Power.
If you have existing container planted fruit trees that have been in their pots for 2 or more years, then winter is a good time to lift them and cut the bottom one third of the roots off with a cross saw.
Place fresh compost in the base of the pot to the depth of the amount of roots removed and simply pop the tree back into its pot.
This action should be taken about every two years but in some cases an annual root prune will help produce a bigger and better crop.
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CHOKO

I am sure that a number of older readers will be familiar with the vine grown vegetable/fruit commonly called Choko.
While in a fruit and vegetable shop recently, I was surprised to find Chokos for sale and even better, in a knock down price pack there was two fruits that had the beginnings of roots forming at the base.
Perfect for planting. I have wanted to grow a vine or two of this interesting plant for sometime.
The original name is ‘Chayote’ (Botanical Latin name is Sechium edule), but dependant where in the world you are they are known as christophene or christophine, mirliton or merleton (Creole/Cajun), cho-cho, pear squash, vegetable pear, chouchoute, and commonly in New Zealand and Australia as choko.
Choko are a member of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, along with melons, zuchinni, cucumbers and squash.
Chayote was originally native to Mexico, but has been transported across the globe and grown as a crop worldwide.
The word chayote is a Spanish derivative of the Nahuatl word chayohtli. Chayote is one of the many foods introduced to Europe by early explorers, who brought back a wide assortment of botanical samples. The Age of Conquest also spread the plant south from Mexico, ultimately causing it to be integrated into the cuisine of many other Latin American nations.
Choko fruit is used either raw or cooked. When cooked, chokos are treated like squash, lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor.
Raw choko may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. It can also be eaten straight, although the bland flavor is not palette tempting. Whether raw or cooked, chokos are a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.
It is interesting to note that the root, stem, seeds and leaves are editable also. The tubers of the plant can be eaten like potatoes or kumera, the shoots and leaves can be eaten in salads and stir fries, where they are popular in Asia.
Like other members of the gourd family, such as cucumbers, melons, and squash, choko has a sprawling habit, and it should only be planted if there is plenty of room in the garden.
The roots are susceptible to rot, so they require a very good free draining situation. They can be a bit hard to grow yet they can take off in a good situation with minimum care. Grown on chicken wire for support or strung against a fence.
The uses are many and one of the interesting aspects of chokos is that when cooked and served with other vegetables or fruit they tend to absorb the flavour of their companions.
The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads. Cooked or raw,it has a very mild flavor by itself, and is commonly served with seasonings (e.g., salt, butter and pepper ) or in a dish with other vegetables and/or flavorings. Chokos can be boiled, stuffed (like a marrow), mashed, baked, fried, or pickled in sauce.
Fresh green fruit are firm and without brown spots or signs of sprouting. Smaller ones are more tender.
The tuberous part of the root is starchy and eaten like a yam (it can be fried).
The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.
I am going to plant my two chokos in 45 litre containers and keep them in the glasshouse over winter then next to a sunny wall with support in the spring after frosts have past. As they don't like wet feet be very careful with watering.
I see them as an interesting alternative to zucchini as a cooked vegetable, raw in salads and cooked with apples or pears for deserts.
Here is a recipe I found for cooking Chokos in a Greek manner;
In a frying pan, heat ¼ cup olive oil
Add, 1 med onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cook gently until tender, stirring frequently.
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes
½ cup water or chicken stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes.
Add 4 small chokos, scrubbed and quartered (seeds and all) Cover, simmer gently till chokos are tender.
Add 2 tablespoons minced parsley.
Serve hot or cold.

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TIME TO PLANT XMAS LILIES

The new seasons lillies are currently available in garden centres. They are normally planted out, from May to September, but should be planted as soon as the bulbs are purchased. The reason for this is that the bulbs never completely stop growing. It can be fatal if they are allowed to dry out.
Existing bulbs need not be lifted unless the clumps have become too congested and this is normally done about every 4 to 5 years. Division is done at this time of the year while they are semi-dormant and the soil is moist.
Carefully dig around the clump so that you can lift the whole clump, bulbs, roots and soil. Place the lifted clump on newspapers or a sack and starting on the outside carefully separate the bulbs with as much of their roots as possible.
Some root loss will occur but as long as each bulb has a reasonable amount of roots they should be fine. As you separate the bulbs place them into one of three piles, small, medium and large. (DO NOT ALLOW THE BULBS TO BECOME DRY)
The large bulbs will go back into the garden after re-vitalizing the soil where they came out of. Use compost mixed into the soil, a bit of Rok Solid or Ocean Solids, some blood and bone along with Fruit and Flower Power. Space the large bulbs about 16cm apart giving room for new clumps to form.
The medium size bulbs would be ideal for containers where they may flower this coming Xmas or the next. Use a mix of friable compost with a bit of soil added in along with the other products mentioned above, planted about 8cm apart so you can have a few bulbs in a larger container.
The small bulbs are best planted in a nursery bed either in a spare bit of garden or in a tray that is about 8cm or more deep. The spacing of these need be only a couple of centimeters apart. The nursery bed preparation is similar to above. When these small bulbs have grown larger, they can be transplanted one winter into pots and later into gardens.
The only nitrogen fertiliser to use is blood and bone when planting and not to use any sheep manure, cattle or fowl manure.
The reason for this is that even through the bulbs need food, they don't want too much nitrogen as this can cause excessive growth and lack of flowers.
A very important aspect of growing lilies, is if you cut the flowers later on in the year, then it is a must to leave at least one third of the stem on the bulb with the leaves intact.
The reason why some gardeners don't have flowers every year is because they have been too ruthless in cutting long stemmed flowers, leaving little or no foliage. The foliage is the way the bulb gathers energy from the sun.
Simple rule, "No leaves, No Flowers, Few leaves, Few Flowers" The solution for those that want to cut long stems of flowers is, to have a good number of bulbs planted of each type and cut flowers off one third of the plants each season.
When you don't cut the flower stems (but you can dead head them, when the flowers are going off) leaving all the stem with its leaves on till they go yellow, then the following season you will likely have a lot more flowers on the same bulb.
You can also enhance the energy of the bulbs by spraying the remaining foliage after cutting, with Vaporgard as this protects the leaves from UV and they make more energy for the bulb. One spray of Vaporgard is all that is needed for the season as it protects for 3 months.
There is often no need to use other sprays, but if attacked by Botrytis ( which looks a bit like black spot on the lilies) use Liquid Sulphur. Or as internal protection, spray Perkfection monthly.
If aphids or scale are noticed then spray with Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum. Do not however use the Liquid Sulphur and Neem Tree Oil together or within at least 2 weeks of each other.
If you wish to have patio Lilies (individual lilies in pots) then for dwarf lilies use a 15 cm pot, Oriental lilies a 20 cm pot. Water 2 to 3 times a week or as often as needed to keep the mix moist. Re-pot every 2 years and use a slow release fertiliser, plus blood and bone (mixed into top of mix) as extra food on the year that they are not re-potted. If you lift bulbs do not store dry, replant immediately.
Examples of types include, Asiatic lilies, 'Delta' yellow with chocolate centre,
'Halloween' orange,
'Venture' very deep red.
Oriental, 'Black Beauty' reflexed deep red.
If you are confused by the different types currently available, this may help; Patio Lilies are especially good for growing in containers, though all lilies can be grown in suitable sized containers.
Patio lilies are the dwarf ones growing to about 40 cm tall, one such one is 'Virginia' a scented Christmas flowering dwarf longiflorum. A delightful, traditional Xmas lily but in a pot version.
Ideal to plant up into nice looking terracotta pots then later to bring indoors for Xmas. Also a great idea to give later on in the year as a Xmas gift. (Now is the time to start growing your Xmas gifts)
L.A. Hybrid Lilies are a new form of lily that are slightly scented and come from a Longiflorum x Asiatic cross. They have much larger flowers than Asiatic lilies, slightly scented, quicker to flower, multiplies rapidly, more disease resistant, with huge flower buds and a whole new range of colours that flower at Xmas time.
Grows about a metre tall with 150mm across flowers. Asiatic Lilies flower in the period November to December, non-scented growing about 80cm with flowers about 100mm across. Easy to grow.
Trumpet Lilies, flower at Xmas time with medium scented, 100 mm across, 150 mm long flowers with stems growing between 1m to 1.5m.
Oriental Lilies flower later in January to March dependant on type. Real big flowers that are 200mm across and highly perfumed on 1 to 2 metre stems. Good vibrant and pastel colours.
These are ideal for a continuation of flowering in either beds or larger containers where you plant a few of each type mentioned so that you have flowers before, during and after Xmas.
As all these lilies are not oncer's you will have many years of pleasure from growing them and as they multiply you will have bigger displays.
The most important thing to look for in buying lilies is that the bulbs and root systems have not dried out.
Check the packaging for this aspect. If the roots have been allowed to dry out then the bulbs will very likely fail.
It is safer to buy lily bulbs from garden centre rather than a chain store for this reason. Chain stores have heating through air conditioning systems which dries out the air. This protects their merchandise against moisture, moulds etc. Great for all things you buy there but very bad for lily bulbs, roses and plants.
Warmth is another factor also, as it encourages new foliage on the lily bulbs. The poor bulbs in their packets do not have much room to grow and the stems will grow twisted and not straight up.
This can make them totally useless for flowering the first season.
On the other hand garden centres are normally aware of this and display the bulbs in a cooler area and when they do start to shoot either special them off, or pot them up.
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TIME TO WINTER KILL DISEASES AND PESTS

Now that we are into June and heading quickly towards the shortest day, it is a good time to clean up a few things around our gardens, getting prepared for the coming new season.
Deciduous plants such as roses and a number of fruit trees, have either lost their leaves or in the process of doing, so can be greatly assisted with a clean up spray of Lime Sulphur.
Lime Sulphur does several things which are an advantage to both gardener and plants.
It burns so should not be applied to evergreen plants as it will damage the foliage.
It should not be applied to apricot trees or and sulphur sensitive plants either.
The burning action assists in the final removal of foliage, burns disease spores and insect pests harboring over in nooks and crannies wanting for better conditions in the spring to emerge.
When greatly reduce both disease and pest problems now, then you will have better results in the spring/summer period with less spraying to do.
With bush and standard roses I suggest that you cut back all the growths to half.
This means if the bush roses are about a metre tall bring them back to half a metre.
At the same time remove any dead or diseased wood along with spindly stems.
Pick up all the bits and debris on the ground and then spray what is left with the Lime Sulphur.
This does two important things, it reduces the amount of plant that you are going to spray and it makes the rose ready for final pruning later in July.
If there are not plants growing under the roses then also spray the soil with the Lime Sulphur to.
If you have had problems last season with diseases then you could, in the beginning of July, make up a solution of Condys Crystals (about quarter a level teaspoon to a litre of water) and spray the plants and soil underneath with this.
With climbing roses just firstly tidy up the plants then do your spraying.
For gardeners that have peaches and nectarines that suffer from curly leaf each season then according to an article I read from England, the Lime Sulphur spray is a must to assist in reducing the number of spores that cause the problem later on.
I tried this last winter and it did make a noticeable difference in the spring I would also follow up with the Condys Crystals as well a little later on.
With other Deciduous fruit trees (not apricots) spray the Lime Sulphur as best you can (if they are big trees) and do any pruning you want to do next month.
Remember that Silver Leaf disease is about in winter when its cool and damp so any cutting back and pruning should be done only on sunny days when the soil is on the drier side.
Wet times brings about a number of unwanted growths such as moss, moulds, slimes, liverworts and lichens. These growths are unsightly and can in some cases be dangerous where one walks such as paths and steps.
Moss in lawns does cause problems for the grasses and should be controlled if you want a nice lawn. Don't waste your money on treatments of Sulphate of Iron as it only burns the top of the moss which soon reappears again.
There are sprays that can be used such as Moss and Liverwort Control that will assist in control of these growths without damaging your garden plants.
Just follow the instructions on the bottle for best control and use.
Winter is also the season that you have more spare time when the weather does not allow you to garden and this non gardening time can be put to good use by planing and studying aspects related to your gardens.
During the season you can be so busy actually doing things in the garden that you don't have the time to research a problem.
There are problems you had last season such as potatoes that did not produce good size tubers, only ones the size of peas. (Potato Psyllid)
You know what your problems were, so now is the time to research them so you have answers ready for the coming season.
Information comes from two prime sources without having to ask someone. Books and the Internet.
I use both when I come across something that I don't fully understand or to research a new aspect that has become a problem.
This is a good lead up to tell you that my first book, Wally’s Down To Earth Garden Guide was revised in 2011 and re-published.
It was back in 2006 that I finished writing the book and published it, since then its sold over 6000 copies which I am told is very good for a garden book in New Zealand.
Since that first printing a few things have changed such as some products suggested are no longer so readily available or completely disappeared. New products have replaced them and a few new pests have entered our gardens causing frustrations.
Thus the revised edition takes care of these points to the best of my ability and it has a better index as well. Available from some book shops, garden centres and by mail order. Every few years garden guides such as Yates Garden Guide get revised so that they are up to date with the latest gardening information.
Do your planing, find out how to overcome any problems that happen in your garden each season and enjoy the relaxing time of winter.
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STRAWBERRIES PLANTING TIME

Garden Centres in most areas now have the new seasons strawberry plants available for gardeners. You may find a range of types but likely the most common variety found these days is Pajaro.
The NZ Berry Growers web site has this to say about Pajaro; Type: Short day, General description: UC variety. Consistently very large. Bright red skin, light red flesh.
Exceptionally firm. Excellent flavour when picked fully ripe but can be insipid when picked under-ripe.
Early crops if not deflowered. Average yields, but exceptional quality results in high export grade out.
It is interesting to note that about 80% of the commercial strawberries grown are Pajaro.
Pajaro is only one variety that I have planted along with Baby Pink, Temptation, Sundae and Supreme. These are fairly new types and good value to have a few plants of each type.
I also have the original alpine (white strawberries) which I find are delicious when fully ripe even though the berries are a bit small.
The alpine produce just about all year long and the Pajaro crops about November with pickings through to about March if the weather is not too hot and another flush in late summer early autumn.
South Island readers are likely to have Aptos which are; Day neutral, General description: UC variety. Bright, dark red.
Goes very dark as it becomes over-ripe. Size medium - large.
Plants shows Potassium deficiency symptoms, especially late season, showing up as purple margins on leaves. Large fruit number per truss with last fruit tending to be very small. Flavour good but can be slightly astringent in some conditions. Slightly soft. Excellent yield.
Cultural notes: Ensure good plant size before allowing flowers to form fruit to minimise small size tendency. Maintain good potassium levels late in the season. (Fruit and Flower Power) Difficult to produce quality fruit on second year plants. Sensitive to mite attack.
You are also likely to find older varieties such as Red Gauntlet and Tioga.
The Alpine strawberries are likely to be found in with herb displays. You only need one or two plants to start with as they self seed easily and pop up all over. A nice ornamental plant also for under trees and shrubs.
One of the problems with buying strawberries from your green grocer is that commercial strawberries are often grown with excessive nitrogen which means if you place them in the fridge they go mushy in a few days. Home grown strawberries, grown correctly, do not go mushy they dehydrate in a fridge.
(Interesting bit I learnt recently) You can either grow strawberry plants in the garden or in containers especially longer troughs about 16cm deep.
In the soil you can work in animal manure based compost, mixed half and half with untreated sawdust. (Native timber is preferred but pine will do. Strawberries are a woodland plant and you are providing the right micro-organisms with the sawdust mix.)
For containers use the above compost and sawdust mix with a little top soil added. (about 10%) The sooner you get your new plants in the better. I find that first year plants produce reasonably if in early (about now) where they preform better the second year onwards to about years 4 to 5.
They need then to be divided and fresher plants re-planted.
I like to place a few sheep manure pellets and some Gypsum in each planting hole.
Water in with a mix of Mycorrcin and MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid) Mycorrcin which is an organic feed for soil life can make a big difference to your crop size as trials have shown a 200 to 400% increase in berries and size of berries.
Then a 2 to 4 weekly spray of the two products will ensure greater returns and healthy plants.
By using these products I am able to keep plants producing well for about 4 years. Side dressings of Fruit and Flower Power and either sheep manure pellets or Bio Boost gives the extra food for replacing the original compost goodness.
Each winter place fresh saw dust around the plants. If mites or aphids attack the plants spray with Neem Tree Oil on both sides of the foliage, late in the day after the sun has gone off the plants. (Alternative is Liquid Sulphur)
If conditions are damp and botrytis is noticed spray the plants once a month with Perkfection.
Using the above methods from a 3 metre trough (see below) we crop sufficient berries for eating and the surplus, every few days, are frozen for making real strawberry jam.
My favourite method of growing is in a widow box type trough on the top rail of an iron fence.
If its a location which gets a reasonable amount of sun the plants will do well.
I find that the plants tend to cascade over the open side of the trough with many of the strawberries growing over the edge.
This makes it difficult for birds to get the hanging berries.
To solve the bird problems a length of Bird Repeller Ribbon suspended between to low stakes, the length of the row, keeps most damage to a minimum.
Place the ribbon when the first berries are ripening and remove once the crop has finished for the season.
The main points to remember are the use of sawdust or fine bark chips, regular sprays of Mycorrcin. Use no chemical fertilisers or sprays as these harm the natural healthy environment you are trying to maintain.
Your feeding should only be natural products that will ensure healthy plants and great berries.
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GARLIC GROWING

If there is just one vegetable that anyone can grow it has to be garlic, as one plant needs only 4 inches (100mm) of room to grow in fertile, free draining soil.
The end result of what you obtain, be it a lovely big bulb with lots of cloves or a dismal excuse for a bulb depends on a few factors.
Garlic is a member of the onion family and so it likes similar conditions. They prefer a good amount of natural nitrogen in their initial development, so the use of animal manure especially chicken manure is important.
Garlic requires ample moisture but hates wet feet which leads to root rots and failures. They relish a friable soil with a harder clay pan underneath. Best grown also in a sunny exposed situation where they can be chilled in winter.
Choose a site for planting that is free draining and will not be water logged in winter.
Work chicken manure into the area to be planted and apply BioPhos (the Organic form of super) Ensure the top 75 to 100 mm of the soil is worked well to make the area friable.
Gypsum and sheep manure pellets can also be applied to the planting area.
Place the cloves about an inch deep into the soil in spacings of 4 inches apart with the point just poking out of the ground.
Water in MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid) which acts as a catalyst aiding the uptake of goodness you have applied to the soil. An occasional spray or drink of the same product will be to benefit, over the growing period.
What happens is firstly the clove will produce a massive root system of white tender roots and a small green sprout. As the chills of winter occur this will initiate the side buds which later, with the lengthening day light hours and warmer temperatures, will fill out to become cloves. When the tops die back the new bulbs will be ready to harvest.
They should then be stored dry, in a cool airy situation and checked regularly for rots.
To prevent bulbs re-sprouting lightly burn the remaining roots with a candle flame. If you want to keep your own cloves for the following seasons crop, then select the best cloves and don't burn their base roots. Now is a good time to plant.
There are many reasons to grow your own garlic besides saving you the cost of buying what someone else has grown. You will know that your garlic is free of chemical sprays and has all the goodness in it that nature and your soil can provide.
You will have ample garlic for cooking with and for health aspects that this wonderful plant provides.
We know that garlic is wonderful for your health and in particular it is excellent for preventing abnormal blood clotting, angina attacks and strokes.
Also for stimulating the immune system so is beneficial to all cancer patients.
It seems to act by suppressing, preventing or inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and can even cause the death of some cancer cells due to the allicin content of the garlic.
If you are like myself and don't wish to have a cancer condition then a regular intake of natural garlic is worthwhile. Garlic is more effective than vitamin C to prevent the conversion of dietary nitrates and nitrites into carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Garlic has the ability to rid the body of many harmful bacteria such as e.coli, salmonella and shigella, and to destroy viruses, is well researched, as is its ability to lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar in diabetes and lower LDL cholesterol.
Try this for babies, children or yourself to relieve a nasty cold, peel and crush a clove of garlic and steep it in enough olive oil to cover. Leave for at least an hour then smear the oil on the soles of the feet. Put socks on and retire to bed.
It is said that home made garlic oil transverses the body extremely fast and within about 10 minutes of applying to the soles of the feet it can be smelt on the breath of the patient.
Spots on teenagers can be stopped by rubbing the area with a bit of cut garlic.
You can often stop a cold by carefully peeling a clove and placing it between the gum and the cheek in the mouth and leaving it there.
Ideally you should eat some garlic every day and grow sufficient to cater for your requirements and your family. If you cant peel a clove and chew it to shallow then make the garlic oil and place into a salad or meal.
If you are worried about the smell of garlic on your breath then chew a sprig of parsley.
Parsley is another herb that you should always have a plentiful supply of in the garden. Its a must for bad blood circulation and for people that have chilblains in winter.
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FROST PROTECTION

Some readers will have experienced a frost or two already where others will have seen near frost weather in their area. These are the first signs of winter which officially starts at the end of May.
I say officially because that is what mankind says but it is often a bit different in reality.
Most will have frost tender plants in their gardens or containers, petunia, cineraria, impatiens which can survive if well protected.
Then there is palms, succulents, semi tropical vines, fruit plus plants in glasshouses which are not totally frost proof. You can protect them by putting on and taking off frost cloth or other insulating materials, or you can simply spray the upper foliage with Vaporgard.
Its a 3:3:3 product which means within 3 days of spraying gives a plant down to minus 3 for 3 months. It takes the hassle out of putting on and taking off, and stops you getting caught out.
You need to however supply extra protection if you have a series of frosts night after night.
You also need to wash out your spray well, with ideally warm to hot water after using, to prevent the product from blocking jets.
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WHERE HAVE ALL THE HONEY BEES GONE?

Where have all the honey bees gone? Reminds me of the song from Peter, Paul and Mary, Where have all the flowers gone? Except in this case its all the honey bees and the next line would be, where have all the people gone, gone to graveyards everyone cause they starved to death.
There are a few things that could upset life on the planet such as the sun not shining or its rays not able to reach the surface of the planet and also if there were no honey bees in the world.
If there were no honey bees, most of the pollination of fruit, vegetables, flowers would be non existent.
Since the spread of the Varroa mite, which has wiped out most if not all the feral honey bees in New Zealand gardeners have been complaining that their fruit trees are no longer producing much because of the lack of pollinators.
I know in my own gardens I am now trilled to see the odd honey bee where one time there were so many of them you took them for granted.
The Varroa mite situation has conveniently concealed a far worst problem facing out vital honey bee populations and that is insecticides which have been linked to the loss of honey bees termed 'Colony Collapse'.
There has been this phenomenon where bee keepers all over the world have seen their colonies of bees disappear. There has been a number of suggestions about why bees are leaving the hive and not being able to find their way back home such as the use of cell phones interfering with their homing skills.
These possible but unlikely suggestions can hide the real cause.
It would appear that a family of insecticides called Neonicotinoids are the culprit.
Clothianidin, (A member of Neonicotinoids group) is a pesticide manufactured by Bayer and has been clearly linked to die offs honey bees in Germany and France according to Heidi Stevenson on http://www.gaia-health.com.
In North Dakota USA, a lawsuit is pending against Bayer for the loss of their bees in 1995, the result of spraying rapeseed with imidacloprid. (A member of Neonicotinoids group) In 1999, the same product was banned in France for use as a seed dressing for sunflowers when they lost one-third of their hives after widespread spraying.
In 2004, it was banned for use on corn. In 2009 France refused to approve Bayer's request to sell clothianidin.
Following France and Germany, in 2010 the Italian Agriculture Ministry suspended the use of neonicotinoids, as a "precautionary measure." The compelling results - restored bee populations - prompted the government to uphold the ban.
On Monday the 7th of May 2012 Sue Kedgley wrote the article 'It’s a folly to wait till the bees die off' in section B5 of the Dominion Post. A excellent article and what has prompted me to review this problem of disappearing honey bees. See http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/6870621/Don-t-wait-until-the-bees-are-all-dead
Sue states what is the point of using pesticides that poison bees?
There is a law that says you cannot spray flowering trees with harmful pesticides that will effect and kill bees when in flower and the bees are working the flowers.
This being the law,e why does MAF and ERMA not ban all the insecticides which are of the Neonicotinoids group? Sues answer to this is because MAF no longer has dedicated staff working to protect our bees.
MAF is under pressure from the current government to reduce costs so the good staff levels that used to be along with vital projects are cut back.
This is like cutting your nose off to spite your face.
If we lose our honey bees we lose millions even billions of income from agriculture and farming each year all for the sake of some chemical companies to make a fast buck at our future expense.
As Sue also points out New Zealand was one of the last countries to ban 245T and we were also about 16 years late in the banning of DDT after most other Western Counties.
I quote Sue here, 'the response of successive governments to calls to stop using lethal pesticides has been to dither and procrastinate in the face of mounting evidence, and accept industry blandishments that they are safe.'
I do not understand the lack of Common Sense when it comes to issues such as this or do anonymous donations to election funds mean that Industry has our members of parliament in their pocket?
If there was no honey bees then we would not only have a bankrupt country we would be starving to death.
Neonicotinoids are used in agribusiness and home gardens. To help you avoid these products, I have providing their generic names, along with as many brand names as I could find ( not all the brand names are sold in New Zealand)
The neonicotinoids include: acetamiprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam.

Acetamiprid and dinotefuran are manufactured by many companies.
Thiamethoxam is made by Syngenta. Only Bayer makes clothianidin and imidacloprid.
Brand names for imidacloprid include: Kohinor, Admire, Advantage, Gaucho, Merit, Confidor, Hachikusan, Premise, Prothor, and Winner.
Brand names for clothianidin include: Gaucho, Titan, Clutch, Belay, Arena.
Brand names for acetamiprid include: Assail, Intruder, Adjust.
Brand names for thiacloprid include: Calypso.
Brand names for thiamethoxam include: Actara, Cruiser, Helix, Platinum, Centric.
My NovaChem Manual is a bit out of date but the following brand names are in New Zealand and maybe others as well.
These are Adjust, Actara, Confidor, Calypso, Kohinor and Premise.
The one that stands out for the home gardener is Confidor made by Bayer and distributed by Yates for the New Zealand garden market.
I remember Yates saying it was less harmful than other poisons; but now its known to affect bees as well as its target insects.
Gardeners complain about the lack of honey bees and maybe without realising it they are contributing to the problem by spraying their plants with Confidor?
If the government or MAF does not take urgent steps to ban all neonicotinoids in New Zealand to save our bees, then its up to the home gardeners and agriculturists to stop using them and switch to another control that is bee friendly.
When the power of everyone works then they will take them off the market.
Sue in her article pointed out another bee aspect which was from strange diseases that have sneaked into NZ. Quoting the deformed wing virus which shrivels the wings of bees so they cant fly. This disease came into NZ a few years ago on imported honey bee semen which MAF approved as been safe.
Now my common sense tells me that if you are importing a foreign semen into NZ to artificially inseminate bees then the prodigy should have a total quarantine for a few generations to ensure there are no adverse side effects.
It would be just about as silly as importing Kiwi fruit pollen into New Zealand.
Thats right that was approved also and now we have PSA that has cost the country so far 450 million with more than 800 jobs lost each year over the next 4 years.
How do you fight stupidity?
News flash: Monsanto's Mon810 corn, genetically engineered to produce a mutant version of the insecticide Bt, has been banned in Poland following protests by beekeepers who showed the corn was killing honeybees.
Thank God we don't have GE crops in New Zealand and lets keep it that way.
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NATIVE SHRUBS AND TREES

New Zealand has a vast array of native plants which many New Zealand gardeners sometimes take for granted, as they are very common in their homeland.
Overseas, much of our indigenous plants, are well sort after and considered prized processions.
I remember several years ago Kew Gardens contacting me to assist in obtaining a number of natives in ‘fresh seed’ form. I was able to purchase some of their requirements from local seed collectors and send them over to England for a special New Zealand Native Garden; Kew was developing.
I still have a photocopy of the Kew Garden’s cheque, as it was such a highlight.
Through the Internet back in the 90’s several gardeners in America also contacted me for seeds of various native plants that they wanted for their collections. This stopped when the importation into the States of seeds, had to be put through expensive checks for Bio security reasons.
Natives can be planted at any time with due care to their establishment, but the very best time to plant is in the autumn, as they require very little assistance to establish.
Native shrubs and trees have adapted to New Zealand conditions over thousands of years making them very suitable to grow in your gardens. The chances of failure is low as long as you don’t try to make one grow in conditions that it is not accustomed to. (Soil type and moisture aspects)
The more readily available natives from garden centres have their labels showing what conditions are best for them. Some cannot handle wet feet for extended periods but most will grow in heavy soils as long as the drainage is reasonable.
Once established they need only an annual trim to keep them in shape and prevent their hogging the sunlight from their neighbouring plants.
A few pests can attack them but as they are used to native pests they will survive without any intervention from you. Mind you its nice to remove the pests and keep the foliage clean.
Most natives are very suitable container plants as long as you give them a good size pot to grow in. A mix of mostly compost and a little top soil is a good mix for them and if you can, put a few worms into the mix to keep it open, in the pot.
The cabbage tree is a good container specimen for a large container. The juvenile foliage makes an impressive display as the plant grows towards to sky. Later as it matures the older leaves will be discarded showing the trunk.
More impressive in my mind than Yuccas which are currently popular container plants.
Take the rich colour of Cordyline Australis Purpurea (the purple Cabbage tree) with its bronze like purple leaf colouring and you have a majestic plant for both garden and tub.
They take from very wet to dry situations with ease, don’t mind a bit of shade or care about soil type. The only pest problem they have is with the cabbage tree moth, whose caterpillars eat the foliage in summer.
Sprinkle Neem Tree Granules around the base of the plant in spring and again in summer for reasonable control. In fact most natives that have any insect problem can be solved with Neem Tree Granules and a occasional spray of Neem Tree Oil.
There are other Cordylines that you can grow also for their unique foliage such as Cordyline Stricta with its narrow sword like leaves.
A very popular native family is the Pittosporums of which there is such a diverse range of foliage types and colours.
They do not tolerate wet feet for extended periods but are fine in drier areas. In one place I lived I had a very wet heavy clay section and found that my first plantings of pittosporum failed until other natives were established and then they never looked back.
They seed well and you can collect as many seedlings as you like later on. If you have a few different types near each other you will get cross pollination and the seedlings can be very different from the parents.
Seed grown ones are stronger that planted ones and produce the best specimens. It is easy to collect the ripe seed and sow them where you want the plants to grow.
Ideal for wind breaks, screens, individual specimens as well as container plants. Spray the foliage with Neem Tree Oil about every 2-4 weeks from November through to March to keep the pest insect (Psyllids) under control.
Psyllids cause the bubbles and distortions in the leaves.
Another big family of natives is the Hebe with a big range of foliage types and flower colours. Hardy, as they are suitable for any location that is not too shady.
Several years ago a gardener in Palmerston North gave me material of a Hebe ‘sport’ that had appeared in their garden a few years before. It had foliage that changed colour with the seasons and lovely pink flowers. I had the plant registered as Hebe ‘Pink Goddess’ and is available still, to the best of my knowledge.
There are some hebe that have a slightly sprawling growth pattern and if you take one of these types, then plant it into a good size container. Next lightly trim the tips off all the branches and allow all the new shoots to grow.
When these have reached a good size, tip them again. This can be done as many times as needed to get a thick display of foliage that sprawls over the sides of the container and reaches sky ward in the centre.
When the plant flowers, later on, you will have a great display as it should be just covered in blossom. I have not found any problems with any Hebe unless they become too crowded from other plants and then they become misshapen seeking the sun.
Pseudopanax are another very hardy plant for any situation. Fast growing with larger leaves than many other natives and they don t mind a shady spot. Tolerant of wet areas and the new forms have a great range of foliage colours including near black and yellow.
The coloured ones must have plenty of sun or they will loose their colours.
I used to love visiting a local nursery (P.Nth) called Midlands, when I had a garden centre and pick out pseudopanax for resale from the great selection they have. Sometimes the coloured or variegated ones start to revert to green and when this starts to happen the green should be cut out. Ideal for containers too.
Pseudopanax also can be affected by Psyllids marking the foliage, so spray with Neem Tree Oil when that happens. If I had more room, I would have a good collection of these natives.
Manuka or Leptospermum is another range of natives that now have a good selection of flower colours. Hardy plants but often attacked by scale insects that cause the black sooty mould.
The Neem Tree Oil will keep the pest at bay. A few manuka planted will trill you when in flower. No garden is complete without a Kowhai or two to grace an area or container.
I have one that I made into bonsai many years ago and at only just over a 40cm tall it flowers every year making a neat display. The above natives are some of the most popular and you will find a good selection of them in your local garden centre.
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MAY GARDENING 2012

The last month of autumn is upon us and growth will slow down as we head for the shortest day next month. The shortest day is only about 6 weeks away, how quickly the seasons change. Dependant on where you are in New Zealand, one can expect cooler weather to cold and frosts, damper conditions and less nice periods to do a few things in the gardens.
In North Auckland area gardeners can now be planting out and growing new potatoes and up in northland the garden centres will have seed potatoes for planting now.
This is great as the problems from the potato psyllid will be a lot less than in summer.
Oh how would gardeners in Dunedin and Invercargill like to be doing that at this time.
Even in Palmerston North I would not risk it.
For most of us gardeners, winter is the quiet time, a time to plan and review the past season. It is not a time when the gardens need to be completely drab as we have available a good range of winter flowering plants to brighten our gardens and homes.
Polyanthus and primulas are wonderful winter flowering plants, which can be planted into gardens, borders and containers. Not bothered by frosts these plants can give us bright bold colour or lovely pastel shades to suit our tastes and various areas.
The plants are available from your garden centre in two forms, as seedlings which will flower later in the winter or as colour spots for instant flowers.
It is a good idea to buy a number of both especially if you are planting up a bed of them. Space out the colour spots so that seedlings can be planted in between. This will give a nice show of colour which just gets better as the weeks go by.
It is great to have a nice display of colour to greet you as you come home each day in winter. So plant up an area that you view, as you come up the drive and also include a few containers of winter flowering plants around the entrance ways.
For container plants that are going to be protected from frosts, as they are on the porches and under cover, the best choices in my mind are cyclamen and dwarf cineraria.
A few primula malacoides and primula obconica can be included for a variety in foliage type and flowering form.
Dont use potting mix for the containers, instead give them a growing medium with a bit of guts. Use an animal manure based compost that is reasonably friable.
Fill the container to the desired planting height and then sprinkle a reasonable amount of sheep manure pellets over the compost along with a heaped teaspoon of dried blood and a quarter teaspoon of Rok Solid. Then place your colour spot onto this minus its original container.
The new container size for one of the plants suggested, should be about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. A planter box is ideal for a number of plants in a row on a porch.
The secret with container plants in sheltered areas during winter is to never overwater them.
Too much water makes the mix colder, slows growth and leads to root rots which can cause the death of plants. Keeping plants a little on the dry side is the best way to have them handle winter.
Small drinks of warm water with a little Matrix Reloaded added(for extra food value) is applied as the foliage starts to droop through lack of moisture. It is surprising how little watering is required. The reason for this is the plant is not losing moisture through the foliage as in the summer, therefore reducing the water needs, by up to 90%.
The plant also gains moisture from the damp air which is often enough to keep it happy even when the mix is fairly dry. In winter its just about a game to see how little water you need to apply.
You can also further reduce the watering needs by spraying the plants with Vaporgard.
It reduces the loss of moisture through the leaves on warmer days and offers extra protection from frosts and chills. When you place your container plants on a porch make sure that they have sufficient bright light and a little direct sun if possible.
Also you can take this a little further and place a few of the same plants on windowsills indoors to brighten up rooms. On windowsills they will receive sufficient light and the cold of the window pane, they will enjoy. Especially cyclamen that do not like too much heat.
Placing the same plant in the middle of the room, they will suffer from lack of light and too much warmth. Then if you overwater then they will rot out.
All the primula and polyanthus type plants are ideal for the garden displays.
By the way Polyanthus have one flower stem with a number of flowers on the top of the stem where primula acaulis, which look just like the polys, except they have lots of stems with a single flower on each. Both types are often referred to as polys or polyanthus.
The true polys usually have a tall stem so the flowers appear well above the foliage in a cluster. The primula polys have shorter stems so you have a more posy bowel effect when they are in flower. Birds in winter, because of their lack of much food, will tend to eat the flowers of either type. Especially the blue flowers for some reason.
If you are finding this happening, then two things can be done. Stretch some bird repeller ribbon between two stakes near the plants and toss some bread and other food out for the birds, away from where the plants are. Its a good thing to feed birds in winter as they do need some help for us at this time.
I can have a number of birds, waiting each morning for me to toss out some bread for their breakfast.
You notice over a period of time how these feral birds become less scared of you and will feed closer to where you are.
When planting out into gardens, ensure that sheep pellets, dry blood and a bit of Rok Solid is placed in the base of each planting hole. An occasional watering with Matrix Reloaded added to the watering can is ideal as an extra complete food source.
Food and iron can become locked up in the cold of winter so you need to ensure a plentiful supply for the flowering plants. Otherwise the foliage will pale and flower production will suffer. A side dressing once a month of the dried blood is well worthwhile.
If you find that the plants are growing slower than you would like, then spray them with MBL and Matrix Reloaded about every two weeks.
Underneath shrubs and trees where its protected, you can plant cineraria and cyclamen but even with the above protection, a spray of Vaporgard for frost protection is a good idea.
If slugs and snails give you a problem instead of putting down poisons to kill them and possibly harming hungry wild life as well as pets, simply spray the plants with Liquid Copper and Raingard every couple of weeks. The slugs and snails cant stand the copper and will leave the plants alone while the copper is there. Spray the ground around the plants with the same.
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APRIL GARDENING 2012

We are already coming towards the end of April and quickly heading to the shortest day. So far we are having some lovely weather for this time of the year but the bite of winter is near at hand.
Next weekend (5th and 6th May) I have been invited to give a talk at the Feilding Gardening Festival at 11.15am on both days and to answer gardening questions.
The theme will be my favourite; Healthy Soil, Healthy Gardens, Healthy You.
So if you are in the area that weekend pop in say hello and enjoy the excellent festival that Feilding is renowned for each year.
So what should you be doing at this time, weather permitting of course; Rain brings forth seed germination and growth so weeds should be prevented from flowering and setting seed.
If you don't have the time to actually get the weeds out, go cut off all the weeds’ flowers you can find. This wont stop the weeds but will delay the time they take to flower again and by then you can repeat or deal to them properly.
As one reader aptly reminded me a while ago, ‘One years seeding, seven years weeding’.
So don't let your weeds be an ongoing problem.
When you are weeding try to distinguish whether the seedlings are weed seeds or seeds from annuals and preferred plants. One can throw away a lot of good plants with the weeds. (Throwing out the baby with the bath water)
Of course if you don't want these free plants throw them out with the rest.
Some flowering annuals such as pansies will pop up everywhere and with a bit of care, leave them alone, they will mature to be a great show in the winter.
I remember years ago visiting a garden where the chap was proud to show me his pansy plants. They were everywhere, great range of colours and types. I told him I was impressed and then he told me that a couple of seasons back he had found a dozen or so plants in the used potting mix pile at one of my nurseries.
(We used to allow gardens to help themselves to our throw out mix) He took the plants home grew them on they seeded and the following season when I saw the garden it had hundreds of free pansies. He asked if I wanted them back (jokingly) and I told him no they had found a good home already.
I let certain plants go to seed such as parsley, silverbeet etc and when the seeds are ripe I scatter them in areas where they can germinate and produce nice young plants for free. You can also collect the seeds for sowing later on and if placed in a plastic bag, named and then into a sealed glass jar, into the fridge where they will keep very well for later germinating.
With growth at this time you will see your shrubs and trees taking on extra foliage and it could be a good time to trim back where required. Plants compete for light and plants growing close to each other will crowd out lessor plants, to obtain all the light they can.
With a bit of constructive pruning you can ensure all your plants, shrubs and trees have ample light for their individual needs. Trimming shrubs etc means that you do encourage more growth which will have to be trimmed again in a few months time.
Some Trimming will have to be done but where able, remove total branches back to the trunk. This overcomes the new re-growth problem.
Removal of branches low to the ground will open up dark areas and allow low light plants to be planted there. Don't do this if you don't intend to plant up afterward as it will also allow weeds to establish where they were not able to before.
Check to see what shrubs or trees are growing over neighbouring properties or over the front foot path. Deal to them to keep others happy.
With your lawns you can now apply a weedkiller or alternatively hand weed to remove any lawn weeds. A spray of Thatch Buster will take out the thatch in lawns making for a better lawn through the winter. As the autumn leaves fall, spray them also with the product and they will break down much quicker adding leaf mould to your garden. Potash should be applied to your gardens at this time to firm up growth of all your plants making them ready for winter.
Plants that tend to yellow in winter should be give magnesium also to reduce the future yellowing aspect.
Plants that are prone to frost damage should now be sprayed with Vaporgard to obtain for them down to minus 3 frost protection. One spray will last about 3 months of protection and a further spray can be applied towards the end of June to take the plants into spring.
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THE ANSWER IS IN THE SOIL

There is numerous scientists and interested parties, doing research into more natural ways of obtaining healthy plants, wholesome crops and better gardens.
One that I favour is a different way of feeding the soil, gardens and plants. It is a remarkable concept that has worked exceedingly well on trial areas.
The bases is that you first heavily lime your soil then after a short period of time you apply special mineral rich, rock dust. (Rok Solid) This starts the process working and the micro-organisms build up their numbers in the soil.
Micro-organisms die naturally and when you have zillions living, breeding and dying you build up the layer of top soil.
One instance that was reported to me was a farm that started off with the nominal couple of inches of top soil and after a couple of years the top soil level has reached over 8 inches deep.
Once the process has started all that is done is further applications of lime which is the fuel to feed the micro-organisms. No other fertilisers or compost is applied as the micro-organisms become the the compost naturally and we have just about obtained a perpetual motion aspect.
Not only that but in the life cycle of the micro-organisms they are generating all the minerals and elements that are needed for very healthy grass or plants.
Another interesting thing I came across a few years ago from overseas is organic products that take care of fungus diseases on plants.
There are natural products that you can spray on plants with diseases such as rust, mildew etc that will take out the disease completely. This means that the foliage is clear of the problem at that time, and then you spray another product onto the foliage which puts beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms onto the foliage.
With the beneficial ones taking up the leaf surface, the bad ones don't get a look in and you have really healthy disease free foliage. Two products that work along these lines are Mycorrcin and Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) as both these when sprayed over the foliage of plants feed the good guys and prevent the baddies setting up shop. Just think beautiful, healthy roses without any blemishes by just an occasional spray to feed your friends on the roses surface.
If the plants the get into stress for any reason, then like us, the natural immune system is weakened and health is effected.
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ERADICATING OXALIS

Oxalis is a weed that frustrates many gardeners to no end. It appears as a simple weed to remove, just dig out the plant, keeping intact the main bulb and the little bulblet’s that are clinging to it, then remove for safe disposal. But no matter how careful you are, there are going to be little bulbs that elude your endeavors.
I have known gardeners that have sieved the soil in an oxalis patch only to find that the problem of the weed reappears sometime later as the tiny bulbs mature.
There are a number of ways to eradicate this pest weed using chemicals or natural means, but none give a quick solution, and one can expect that it will take about two years to completely control. That is as long as you don't work the soil and cause more bulblet s to break free from the parents.
In natural controls the first law of nature is ‘No weed can sustain itself indefinitely without leaves’. Leaves produce the energy from the sun to maintain the bulb, rhizome or root system, deny any plant its foliage and the plant must die.
So a simple answer is to cut off all the leaves. The bulb will of course, throw up another set of leaves quickly, to compensate and as soon as these appear you remove them. Keep doing this and by not allowing the bulb to gain energy from the sun, the bulb uses up all its energy producing leaves, till it can no longer do so.
How do you remove leaves or foliage quicker than cutting them off?
Mix a table spoon or two of Baking Soda into a litre of warm water and add 1 ml of Raingard. Spray the foliage on a sunny day when the soil is on the dry side. This will dehydrate the leaves and the bulb will need to produce another set.
You could spray with a natural oil based product such as Greenscape from Yates that dehydrates the foliage. This is best done on a sunny day when the soil is on the dry side. You may find that cheap cooking type oils will also do this for you and its just a matter of finding a dilution rate that works well and gives a economic use rate. As the oil does not mix well with water add a some dish washing liquid to the oil and then the water.
Try firstly at full strength on a patch, if that works well then dilute half and half with water and see how that goes. A bit of playing around will give a good bases to use.
Vinegar sprayed over the foliage also works.
For those that don't mind chemical weed killers then a product such as Roundup can be diluted with water with Raingard added and either spray or wipe the mix over the foliage.
No matter which method you use after spraying or wiping, do not disturb the soil.
Another show of foliage will appear and this should be treated as soon as possible, as it appears. You can make life harder for the next new lot of foliage, by spreading a couple of inches of compost over the area. Foliage will still come through, but it takes a lot more energy for it to happen. The new foliage should be quickly killed or cut off.
A few layers of newspaper or even a layer of cardboard before the compost layer will also help greatly.
If you can avoid planting anything in the area for a year it will also make the task of complete eradication easier. When you do come to plant, say annuals or vegetable in the area, put another good layer of compost over first and plant the seedlings into this layer. This ensures that what is below will not be disturbed.
Spot treatments will be needed for a further 12 months or so and then you should be right on top of the problem. I would not dig the area for a few more years, to be completely sure and instead just add another layer of compost every time you plant up.
Burying the problem of oxalis is the final key to success.
Another method is place a metre square cage over the soil where oxalis is thriving and into the cage place two or three chickens. They will over a period of days clean up the weed nicely.
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Oooo

HERE COMES WINTER

Gardens should be tidied up, weeded and generally prepared for the oncoming winter.
Plants such as annuals that are finishing for the season should be removed from the gardens and composted. Winter brings cold soil and often we see leaves yellowing in colder months.
You can offset this by applying Fruit and Flower power to the soil to ensure that there is sufficient magnesium and potassium for the plant’s needs.
Plants to treat include citrus trees, daphne, passion fruit vines and any other plants that suffer from yellowing of the foliage in the cold months. Tender plants should also be treated as the potassium firms up growth and gives the plants a better chance to overcome the colder conditions.
Watering of all plants now should be kept to a minimum as many plants don't like wet feet and suffer as a result, in the cold.
If your soil is teeming with soil life, micro organisms, then it will not be as cold as soil that has low numbers. If you feed the soil life now, their numbers will build up and make for better conditions in the gardens. This can simply be done by applications of Mycorrcin and MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid) There is no need to feed the soil or plants if you apply those two products as they will release locked up foods in the soil from applications applied in the growing season.
Ensure that your gardens are well drained and that surface water will be able to get away and not cause damage to plants with root rots. If need be, dig a trench around wet gardens. For people with really wet sections you could invest in a submersible pump. Near a power outlet, dig a hole for the pump to sit in and run under ground nova flow pipes to the hole. The pumped water can be directed to a storm water outlet.
Lawns with thatch build up (debris) on the soil does not allow for good drainage.
Remove the thatch with a spray of Thatch Busta.
A couple of sprays of Perkfection a month apart will also assist to prevent any garden plants from developing root rots and other wet weather diseases in the winter.
When the first frost does strike the garden, be sure that you are prepared by having sprayed the frost tender plants with Vaporgard. (down to minus 3 protection for 3 months) If you follow these suggestions you make for healthier, cosy gardens and plants this winter.
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WEED TIME

Autumn is a good time to reduce those unwanted plants in your gardens and around the section. Note I didn't say weeds as some preferred plants can get out of hand as need to be controlled or removed, going forward (hate that expression) we will call all weeds.
Weeds should be removed now before they set seed will reduce future problems.
This year in areas where there has been ample rain the weeds have grown well but have been slower to set seed because of the good conditions.
Weeds appear to have a built in moisture gauge, because once the soil dries out to a certain degree the weed flowers and seeds.
This happens even if the weed is still baby size, they are protecting their DNA by seeding another generation.
There are a number of ways to deal to weeds from been kind to the environment, to using harmful herbicides.
The best way is to cut the weed off just underground , under the crown, with a sharp knife.
This leaves the roots to rot out and provide goodness to the soil and in most weed types that is the end of the plant.
In weeds that regenerate from the roots like couch and convolvulus you need a different method and often a herbicide is the easiest option.
The New Cut N Paste applicator is ideal for these types of weeds and hard to kill weeds.
As the name applies you simply cut the offending weed and dab a bit of the gel from the applicator onto the cut surface. The weed absorbs the gel’s active ingredients and dies over the next period of time.
Cut N Paste is very low toxicity so little damage is done to the soil and surrounding environment.
Sometime ago at one of my talks on gardening a member of the audience told of a method she used to combat convolvulus that was coming through the fence. She would take a dish or bottle with some herbicide in it and place the growing tip of the weed in the solution. As the weed grew it would take in the solution and die well back into the neighbours yard.
A great idea and the Cut n Paste can be used in a like manner easier.
One of the best long term weed killers that I have come across is salt. Sprinkle thickly across the area you wish to clear of weeds, it will harm any smaller preferred plants but well established trees and shrubs should not be affected unless you are silly about it.
Waste areas, cobbles, driveways, paths and edges where you don't want anything to grow its great and cheap.
When any sign of new growth appears treat again. After sprinkling you can lightly water in to dissolve the salt.
Obtain a bulk bag from a supplier of bulk or go to a stock and station agent and get a 25 Kg bag of agriculture salt from Dominion Salt Grade 11.
It is also a great way of controlling wandering Jew I am told.
As long as the weed is in an area of established trees or shrubs then I would cut it low with a weed eater then give the area a good dose of salt.
Later rake the stubble up and any re-appearance give another handful of salt.
Areas where you don't want anything to grow can be treated with the salt then when the weeds have died down cover with weedmat and then place bark or stones over the weedmat.
Container plants could be sat on the area to enhance it and then basically your only problem is to water the container plants.
Vinegar is another very good non selective weed killer that you spray over the foliage of weeds.
You can use any type of vinegar and best sprayed on a sunny day when the ground is dry.
Weeds when they are small are very easy to deal with but the larger they are the greater the effort that is needed.
Using a weed eater on larger weeds to reduce their size and then later spraying or using whatever preferred method will be easier and better.
If you prefer to pull weeds out roots and all, then do this after a good period of rain or otherwise soak the area a day or so before weeding.
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PREPARING FOR WINTER

Now that daylight savings has finished we are reminded that winter is close at hand. As we all know, winter brings chills, cold winds, wet and frosty weather plus in some areas snow.
The weather is harder to predict now days so we should be prepared for whatever happens. Interestingly I was recently talking to a West Coaster and I joked about their traditional wet weather.
The lady asked me if I read the papers and about how dry its been down there on the coast in recent times. The call was asking me about Vaporgard for frost protection.
I was told that where she lived, there had in the past never been a frost, but recently there was a light frost. The times they are a changing so its a good idea to plan for the worst and if its better than that then great.
This lady gardener from the West Coast spends a lot of time in her gardens and now has a worry about protecting her Vireyas from possible frosts.
She had heard me on a recent talk back session talking about the protection that Vaporgard gives to plants against frost and cold winds. ( I do a one hour talk back, gardening session, on Radio Live at 1am on Thursday mornings)
The phone call prompted me to give some tips about making your gardens winter ready. There are two elements that help a lot during winter which are potassium and magnesium.
These two elements are available in Fruit and Flower Power in perfect balance for plants.
As the weather cools and winter approaches, plants feel the chills like we do, but plants cant put on a jersey as we can. A plant’s natural protection from chills and frosts comes from having adequate Potassium in their diet.
Thus us gardening commentators always suggest to gardeners to supply potash to their plants as winter starts to approach and to avoid too much nitrogen. The potassium hardens up plant growth and helps prevent damage from winter chills.
Magnesium is involved in chlorophyll production, which converts sunlight into sugars and is involved in activating enzymes. Because of its role in chlorophyll, the first symptoms of magnesium deficiency show up as yellowing, usually between the veins of the older leaves.
In severe deficiencies, the entire leaf will turn yellow or red and then brown, with symptoms progressing up the plant.
There are numerous plants that show this tendency, citrus, Daphne, rhododendrons, tomatoes, passion fruit, roses to name a few.
Winter colds tend to lock up magnesium in the soil so you need to ensure there is ample amounts of this mineral available to prevent winter yellowing.
Winter brings a lot of rain and plants such as citrus detest wet feet so you should ensure that all plants that are affected by water logged soil have adequate drainage.
The first thing to do is remove any mulches that you have around the plants in their root zone.
Mulches make for water retention in the soil, great during droughts but deadly in wet times.
In areas prone to ponding or water logging dig a trench just outside the root zone about a spade depth. This allows water to flow away from the root zone into the trench where it will evaporate quicker than in the soil.
In really bad situations soak holes or nova-flow pipes may need to be used to aid drainage. A submersible pump costs little these days and placed in a deep hole in the ground will suck up a lot of water that can be channeled to the storm water system.
A few lengths of nova-flow pipes in channels radiating out from the pump will drain the areas of garden they reach.
Ponding on lawns maybe also caused by thatch build up so a application of Thatch Buster to remove thatch at this time is a good idea.
Last week I mixed up 16 litres of Vaporgard and went around all my gardens spraying the plants for winter frost protection.
VaporGard is organic and it provides a long lasting (2-3 months, longer in winter) film over the foliage which protects down to 3 degrees C.
New growth requires further applications but as there is very little growth through winter, this is not needed till the spring.
Note; for the full protection that Vaporgard can give against frost and chill damage it takes about 3 days to come into effect.
Putting on frost cloth and taking it off is a chore and more often or not, one either forgets or you get caught out. VaporGard overcomes these problems and becomes an all winter, first line of defense against frosts.
In areas where you have harder frosts than 3 you will still need the extra protection such as the traditional frost cloth (Good quality frost cloth protects down to 5), combine the two together and you will have increased protection.
When using Vaporgard for frost protection you must remember that if you have several frosts in a row damage will occur as the plants do not have time to recover before they are frozen again..
Another protection is a spray of Liquid Copper with Raingard added as the film of copper gives a degree of frost protection.
During winter container plants should be kept on the dry side because wet mixes will cause problems.
Out door containers should be elevated a little to allow water to escape quickly out of the drainage holes. Saucers must be removed as these hold water and cause root rots.
All plants that don't like wet feet or are prone to wet weather diseases should be sprayed now with Perkfection and on ever green plants repeated again in a months time.
The Perkfection can be added to your Vaporgard spray and when applied again in a months time use with Raingard.
Autumn is a great time for gardening and getting prepared for winter.
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GRASS GRUBS

I am often asked is it the best time to do such n such in the garden and more often than not when asked it is not the best time. Gardeners sometimes miss the boat and only later when the damage is done or the plants are out of season, that they look for the solution.
When I had a garden centre I would have newby gardeners coming in during the spring looking for daffodil bulbs/plants, cause they saw them flowering in peoples gardens. This also applied to tulips and other spring flowering bulbs. Now is the time to buy your spring bulbs and plant them.
Lawn problems caused by grass grubs are noticed in the spring when patches of lawn die.
Treatment then is just about a total waste of time and money because the grubs are in most cases deep below the surface in cocoons waiting for the right conditions to emerge as beetles.
Any treatment applied in the spring may catch a small amount of grubs and not worth the expense.
What has happened is way back in October through to about December (maybe January) the grass grub beetles were on the wing chewing up the foliage of your plants in the evening and laying up to 300 eggs per female back in your lawn or gardens.
As these eggs are laid deep and when the grubs emerge they start eating the roots of the grasses (or some other plants) way down about 200 mm under the soil. The grubs are small and the damage done is not great.
The grubs grow and keep working their way upwards as the roots are eaten out at the lower depths.
If the soil becomes dry during a summer drought, the grubs go into a semi dormant state waiting for the moisture to return.
This normally happens with the autumn rains and the grubs wake up and start feeding again getting closer and closer to the soil surface.
Now if we cut a square in the lawn with a spade about 50mm deep we are likely to find a number of the white grubs in the area we have lifted.
These grubs curl up when disturbed. Any greasy looking caterpillars found are the porina. If you lift turf in different areas of the lawn you can see where the worst problems are in other words where the most grass grubs are.
These are likely to be found in areas where there has been past problems or in areas near where lights shine at night, because the beetles are attracted to lights in the early evening when they are in flight.
You may find that in some areas in the turf you lift there are either no grubs or only say under 6 per square foot. In other areas you may find lots of grubs in a square foot. Its those areas you should concentrate your efforts as that is where damage will occur and be noticed.
There are basically three treatments available; the oldest and least effective would be Diazinon which comes under two or more different trade names.
Diazinon is good control for carrot fly if you don't mind using a poison on your food crops but when it comes to grass grubs, on most soil types, its an expensive and not a very effective treatment.
Heavy, clay or organic type soils, it will not work very well, but more successful on light sandy type soils.
Next if you don't mind using a chemical treatment then Lawn Pest Control is for you.
Used at 200g/100 Square Metres.
Evenly apply the product across area to be treated either by hand (difficult) or using a Scotts Handy Green fertiliser spreader on setting 1. (Best way)
Thats 2 grams per Square Metre. The 500 gram pack does 250 Square Metres.
NOTE Lawn Pest Control is the chemical Chlorpyrifos which has been connected to possible health problems in children. This chemical should not be used on or near vegetables and fruiting plants. Only on lawns and watered immediately after application.
It would be preferable to keep the children and pets off treated areas for a least 24 hours after watering in. A further watering would also improve situation. Safer to apply before rain.
Lawn Pest Control has an active period of about 6-8 weeks dependant on organic content of soil.
Thus cats or dogs that are in the habit of eating grass should be supplied with a bowl of cat grass (sometimes called Pet Grass) during this period.
Not a nice one but if you have very large lawns it is cost effective.
The best one is a product from Australia called Professor Macs 3 in 1 for Lawns.
The product consists of Eucalyptus oil and Tea Tree oil along with natural plant foods in the form of manures and seaweed/fish extracts. Available in 2 litres containers which cover 100 square metres of lawn or gardens.
The container is a ‘snap on the hose’ applicator so you just apply it with water to100 sqM After application the lawn is further lightly watered with the hose or a sprinkler to wash the oils off the grass and down into the top 6 to 10cm of the lawn. It is there that it does its job.
Often lawns are the home of garden slugs which emerge out of the soil and thatch to invade our gardens during moist times. The product knocks them out also.
Worms will happily live underneath the oil layer in the top soil without any known adverse effects.
Worms that are near the surface when applied may not fair so well.
This means it is best to apply the product when the soil is moist but not after a good amount of rain which tends to bring worms to the surface.
I have found that these oils will control other soil insects such as eel worm, centipedes, root mealy bugs, porina etc. Even the likes of earwigs and slaters can be given the old hurry on if they are causing problems.
The manufacture informed me that the oils act as an irritant to the pests and they succumb as a result.
Imaginative gardeners may find this product an interesting tool in assisting in the control of some pests such as wire worm in the soil by treating the area a few weeks before planting (say) their new seasons potatoes. The product is only recommended for lawn use and ideally should only be used for the control of pests in the lawn areas.
Used for any other purpose is not recommended but being two natural oils I cannot see any health concerns as you are not likely to spray over any food crops and eat them without first washing as normal.
Being a oil based product, it can of course burn foliage and grass if applied in sunlight. For lawn applications it is recommended to use early in the morning or late afternoon and washing in with the hose, the oils off the foliage and into the soil.
Safe for your children and pets unlike the previous mention products.
Now is the time to treat Grass Grubs.
If your lawn problem just involves porina caterpillars then the most effective less expensive treatment is applications of Neem Tree Oil applied late in the day on a freshly mower lawn. You should use a lawnboy to drench the grasses at the rate of 15 mls of Neem Oil per Litre of water or a boom spray nozzle on your back pack sprayer.
You are looking to get a coating of the Neem Oil to the base of the grasses where the porina is going to feed that night. Once they get some Neem in their gut they will stop eating and starve to death.
Treatment for porina can be done anytime of the year as they are a all year round pest.
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IMPORTANCE OF EARTH WORMS

Earth worms are a very good indicator of the health of your soil. If you have healthy soil you will have healthy plants and lots of worms.
To obtain this the soil should be kept moist at all times with non-chlorinated water. Moist means moist, not soaking wet which drowns worms and if too dry means they either perish or go deeper.
Worms prefer a soil that is alkaline and cannot tolerate a acid soil. Mildly acid is ok and the worms will tend to alter the pH to a more alkaline environment over time.
This been the case do not apply man made fertilisers or acidic compounds to the soil.
Small amounts of good quality slow release man made fertilisers can be ok and for some applications in gardening these types of fertilisers are used to advantage.
Natural foods such as animal manures and blood & bone should be the main source of plant foods.
Chemicals including herbicides especially glyphosate should be avoided if you want good worm populations and healthy gardens. Glyphosate (Roundup, Zero, Westminster etc) does not break down in the soil, does great harm to soil life including your worms and interferes with the health of your plants.
Used where you are growing food crops means you are eating small residues of Glyphosate.
I remember reading an article about some work done by Massey University on the difference between Organic Orchards and Orchards where chemicals were used for feeding and weed control.
The weeds and grass controlled by herbicides the chemical orchard had very low worm life.
The organic orchard where sheep or geese were used to control the grass and weeds there was very large worm populations.
The other interesting feature was that the organic orchards required far less sprays for prevention and control of tree diseases, where the chemical orchards had a vigorous chemical spray program.
Maybe the later is the the reason that when I buy non organic stone fruit they spoil very quickly when they ripen.(Stone fruit along with a lot of fruit are picked mature but not ripe and then chilled to hold till you take them home, they then ripen out of the chilling and often start rotting)
Earth worms are incredible and the more I learn about them the more fascinating they are.
I have two Worm-A-Round worm farms operating which use the tiger worms for breaking down food scraps. Every now and then I have someone contact me to ask about having tiger worms in their gardens. I tell them thats fine and they tell me that some worm farmers say tiger worms don't exist in gardens.
Wow is that so; if that was the case, where did the tiger worms come from orginanly.
Did they just materialise in a plastic worm farm?
Tiger worms used to be found under cow pads in fields where they did a great job of breaking down the manure to feed the grasses.
Of course with all the chemical fertilisers and herbicides used on paddocks these days has greatly reduced the tiger worm activity.
Then the chemical drenches used to kill parasites in the cows/sheep keeps on working in the soil killing earth worms and soil life.
I wonder why years ago stock did not cause the pollution they cause these days.
Mind you years ago, was before all the chemicals were used, which has made for unhealthy paddocks, unhealthy grass, unhealthy stock and lots of pollution.
Then we eat the dairy products/meat from this unhealthy food source.
The following is from a leading worm authority:
When worms mate they will produce 2 cocoons, one cocoon each.
After mating and the swapping of genetic material, they will each start forming cocoons for the fertilization of the eggs. Each cocoon can contain up to 20 eggs (20 potential worms), however in most composting worms, the average is 2-5 worms.
Earthworms are hermaphrodites, which means they are unisex since they posses both the female and male sex organs. Although they can each produce eggs and sperm, they can never self-fertilize and must reproduce through the swapping of sperm through mating with another worm.
The sex organ of earthworms is one of the more complex in the list of unisex animals, making it an interesting point of study.
Many people who have associated with earthworms will know the clitellum, which is a light thicker band near the head region of the worm; some may associate it as the 'neck' of the worm.
Maybe because it is so visible to the naked eye, many people automatically think or have been told that the clitellum is the place where the sex organs are held.
Although the clitellum is an important part of the mating process, it is actually not where the sex organs are held. The sex organs are held much nearer towards the head between the segments 9-13.
You may see that some worms don't seem to have a clitellum, or a clitellum that is almost undetectable. All this means is that the worm is not yet sexually mature. As a worm develops and grow into sexual maturity, their clitellum band will grow larger and much more distinguishable.
Some worm farmers understand this and use this to develop a strategy for worm growing, since more mature worms in close proximity with each other will increase their chances of mating considerably.
Each worm has a pair of ovaries which produces eggs called oocyctes, which is what need to be fertilized. Different species of worms can have different number of pairs of testes (where sperm are made) and can be between 1 to 2 pairs, and these are contained in a large sack called the seminal vesicle.
The seminal vesicle contains a long tube which is where the sperm travels to reach the mate during mating.
The clitellum is important for two reasons: connecting the two worms together during mating and for the formation of cocoons.
The clitellum produces a thick mucus for the worms attachment, and the sperm is swapped between them and is then stored in each others seminal receptacle, a small compartment, until their own eggs are ready and mature.
The worms then separates from each other.
Once the eggs in the ovaries are mature, each worm will form a thick mucus around their clitellum, this time for cocoon formation.
This thick mucus is moved towards the head passing through the reproductive organs. Here the eggs are first picked up, and then the sperm.
As the worm backs away from the mucous, it slips over its head and off the worm, hardening during the process, with the ends closing forming the lemon shaped cocoon.
Within the cocoon is where the sperms and eggs are mixed and where fertilization takes place, giving you baby worms in 4-6 weeks!
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MAKING COMPOST OUT OF GARDEN WASTES

We have a lot of garden waste from the average size garden and all of it can be put to good use rather than been tossed to the tip.
Waste comes from lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, pruning and tidying up plants.
All of these can be re-used back into your garden to benefit.
Lawn clippings likely are the biggest continual green material to dispose of.
Clippings can be mulched around existing trees and shrubs to suppress weeds, retain moisture and feed the existing plants. Layered a few inches deep around but not close to the trunks, is a good way to dispose of lawn clippings to benefit.
Even lawns that have been sprayed with chemical weed killers can be safely mulched in this manner, around well established trees and shrubs. If there is any activity in the clippings still, they will help kill weeds in those areas. Don't put into compost or around young plants in vegetable and flower gardens.
If the grass is seeding when cut, then you can transfer grass weeds to the areas mentioned so be aware of this.
Another useful method of using some lawn clippings is to place them into a barrel or similar and fill with water. Leave for a time with an occasional stir and then you have some neat liquid plant food with a good nitrogen content.
Dilute with water at about 1:10 as this is a safe dilution ratio. You can experiment with less dilution on more established hardy plants. Grass with weed seeds can be used nicely for this liquid plant food, if left long enough, any seeds will rot or if not, just run the liquid through a fine sieve before diluting and using.
Add some Mycorrcin or Thatch Busta to the container for an even better plant food and if there is any animal manure available this too can be added.
Some lawn clippings can go into the compost bin to advantage but not too much.
After every catcher of clippings is placed in the bin, scatter a handful of Hydrated Lime over it. This will aid the break down and sweeten the compost. After 3 to 5 catchers of clippings sprinkle a layer of soil over the material and water in some Mycorrcin or Thatch Busta to speed up the decomposing.
If you have a rotary lawn mower, then you have the ideal machine to shred clippings and weeds for mulching or adding to the compost bin.
Spread the material over a section of the lawn which is away from sight of your gardens and thus one which is not so important on how it looks, as spreading material over the lawn and picking it up with a rotary mower, always makes a bit of a mess.
Don't put the material on the lawn too thick, about 2-3 inches thick is about right, lift up the height adjustment of the mower and run it across the material with the catcher on.
Once most of the material has been shredded through, then add more material to the area and repeat till all is done. You then can lower the mower height to get more of the bits left behind.
This is a great way to obtain really good mulch and compost material.
Leaves in autumn can be treated in the same way.
You don't have a compost bin? Well if you use the rotary mower method and don't have a compost bin then simply obtain some black plastic rubbish bags.
Put the clippings of green material into a bag till its about one third full. Then sprinkle a handful of garden lime or hydrated lime onto it, a handful of soil and water in some Thatch Busta or Mycorrcin. Then fill to two thirds and repeat with soil etc, then fill near to the top and tie off the bag.
Punch lots of small holes in the bag, all over with a small nail or very small screw driver. Place the full bags in a sunny spot and leave for some months. You will end up with some great material for the gardens.
For those with compost bins, besides using green waste from the garden you should also use all your kitchen scraps including egg shells. The shells place calcium into the mix and should be crunched up to aid breakdown better.
Animal manure is important for a good balanced compost and if you don't have a supply of kitty litter, dog droppings or chooks then obtain the likes of chook manure from a poultry farm, stable manure or similar.
The best compost is obtained by having a good mix of material (even your vacuum cleaner bag) some soil added along with lime and Thatch Busta or Mycorrcin watered in.
Use the Mycorrcin at 100 mils per litre and the Thatch Busta at 50 to 100 mils per litre of water.
Either of these two products aids the micro organisms to break down the green waste faster.
Turning the compost to aerate also speeds up the process and improves the end result.
If you have the type of plastic compost bin that sits on the soil, simply lift the bin off the heap, that has been sitting for a while and set up along side the heap.
Then with a garden fork lift fork fulls of material and drop into the bin. This process can be repeated as often as you like but once a month will be fine for many.
(If done every week you will have compost ready to use much sooner) When moving the material ensure that it has not dried out. If it has, then sprinkle with water to moisten.
Too dry or too wet, the composting action stops.
A worm farm is a great alternative for using kitchen scraps and I recommend that every gardener should have one operating. There are a few types around some of which are just about useless where others are excellent. The type that I have is called a Worm-a-Round with a base tap for collecting the liquid plant food.
When doing major trimming of trees and shrubs the branches that are too big to use a rotary mower on them, so a shredder/chipper is needed for this. Hire one, or if you have the regular use for a unit then buy one. Larger branches should be cut up for firewood and if you don't have a fire place then give them to someone that does.
Another tip, if you are using any weed killer sprays, add 5mls of Thatch Busta or Mycorrcin to each litre of weed spray made up. It will break down the drying weeds much faster and also assist the weed killer to work better.
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BUXUS PROBLEMS AND ALTERNATIVES

For a few years now gardeners that have used Buxus for box hedging and topiary have in many cases run into problems of the plants shedding leaves and eventually dying.
The Buxus disease is able to establish when moisture on the Buxus lingers because the dense foliage which prevents free air movement and drying out quickly.
Its a neat catch 22 gardeners prefer a dense foliage that give the ideal box hedging appeal but its this denseness that causes the problem by and large.
The early stages of the Buxus infection are easily missed, commonly it is not detected until parts of the plant die and pronounced leaf fall occurs. Examination of the stems below the dead leaves will show dark lesions in the vascular tissues.
The beginning of the infection in the leaf is indicated by a general darkening often spreading in a circular fashion until the whole leaf is discoloured, by then the fungus will have spread to the stem and the leaf usually dies and turns a straw or tan colour.
Unfortunately these colour characteristics can be caused by a variety of other reasons making diagnosis difficult.
Advanced infections can be readily recognised as often a central section of the top foliage will appear to be dead whilst the side foliage retains its green. On a topiary piece, such as balls, cones and spirals, commonly a small area comprised of individual stems will die first, however the fungus will spread throughout the plant eventually killing it.
The conditions in which the fungus proliferates are damp, shade and poor ventilation, so avoidance of these will help prevent firm establishment of the disease.
It is most important to avoid overhead irrigation as the spores are carried and activated in water droplets and damp leaves provide ideal conditions for the fungus. Water the roots when needed with a ‘soak hose’, Buxus do not need foliage irrigation.
Always ensure that all garden tools, particularly shears and clippers, are clean. Do not infect healthy plants with dirty shears. Shears may be cleaned by dipping in bleach or disinfectant mixed in the dilutions indicated on the label for domestic/kitchen use.
Improving ventilation can be done by removing total branches to open up the plants without loosing too much the effect desired.
New plantings should not be done in shaded, sheltered areas keep plantings to open spaces where air movement will be better.
Removal of dead leaves, plant debris and foliage will reduce the availability of spore releasing material and may reduce any ‘resting spores’.
Some gardeners have told me that they have been able to keep their Buxus in a perfect, healthy condition by spraying the plants all over with a solution of Vaporgard every 3 months or so.
Vaporgard places a film over the foliage and stems which cannot be penetrated by the disease and cause damage or death to the plants. By doing this and using other preventive measures as indicated above, keeps their Buxus in prime condition.
This treatment also has a further benefit as it makes for a deeper green colour and shiny foliage.
When spraying its a matter of trusting the nozzle of the sprayer inside the plant to ensure the film is covering the internal branches. Repeat every 3 months and you could add Perkfection to the Vaporgard for additional protection. Once the film is in place and you wish to apply a foliage spray such as Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) then you need to add Raingard to the mix to allow the two films to merge and for the MBL to enter the leaves.
For gardeners that would prefer to use a different plant for their Box Hedging you can find some suitable substitutes in garden centres such as the following suggestions from Wairere Nursery in Hamilton who kindly forwarded to me the following: Substitutes for Box Hedging: Ilex crenata hillerii is one of them and I know that you are going to ask what is this?
Never one to let a moment of learning the proper names go past Ilex is the correct name for the holly family and before you jump to conclusions not all hollies are large and prickly, This one has actually very small leaves and small growing and actually very similar to Buxus.
Left unclipped it will grow into a cute mound of around 50cm and approx. 60/70 cm wide.
It will clip very nicely into a small hedge of even a cone or a topiary ball which I have learned are called stubbies but I have this desire to plant this Ilex as a mounding ground cover. What ever you do with a holly plant they love lots of full hot sun and good drainage.
Now you might ask about hedges for shady garden and there is, and I'm not being rude, a plant called Sarcococca or Butchers broom if you get tongue tied. There are a few different species but they hedge really well and they just love dry shady areas. It will grow naturally into a small shrub bush approx 1 metre high and has fragrant white flowers and red or black berries depending of the species.
An oldie but a goodie would be Escallonia and as far as I know this is its common name. You can get several cultivars of pink and white flowers. The white form that we have would make for an awesome mid height hedge of approximately .6 to 1.2 metres and has pretty white flowers. Then there is a reddish pink form that would make for a more informal smaller hedge of around 50cm.
For larger hedges I have to say that my favourites would have to be the more classic hedges of bays and the larger form of hollies and even Camellias and I just adore the seasonal changes of our hornbeam hedges. All these choices seem to be very robust and very long term in terms of their lifetime.
Griselinias are all very popular with their shiny green leaves.
Gardeners have the choice of persevering with Buxus or switching to another species for their formal hedging.
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PEAR SLUG ON PLUM TREES AND PEAR TREES

Gardeners that have any cherry, pear or plum trees including the non-fruiting prunus types should check their trees for holes in the leaves. If found then likely you have the black slug like pest commonly called pear slug.
You are likely to find these little black slugs on some of the leaves. They tend to be on the upper surface of the leaf rather than under the leaf.
The pear slug, larvae of the pear-leaf sawfly (Caliroa cerasi), also called the cherry slug, first appears from November onwards in a warm year.
But it is usually the second generation which explodes in February and March in warm years which does the most damage.
The larvae rasp off the epidermis of the leaves, resulting in the typical skeletonised effect, only the framework of the leaves being left.
In bad infestations where much of the foliage is damaged, often means a poorer crop next season.
The larvae are attacked by an ichneumon fly and predaceous bugs, but by that time the damage has been done. Larvae which have been parasitised fail to drop to the soil, where normal pear slugs hibernate over winter, so the numbers are eventually reduced. But that is no help to a tree attacked just now.
Spiders, birds, preying mantis and other predators seem to dislike the slimy slugs, and as the larvae are not caterpillars, so the caterpillar killers Bacillus thuringiensis, or derris dust, are not useful. There is a simple answer and that is to make a mix of Liquid Copper and Raingard and spray the tree.
The larvae are similar to slugs and snail which hate the copper also. When they come into contact with copper they dehydrate.
If the trees are still bearing fruit then normal washing will remove the copper before eating. If you are harvesting the fruit within 14 days of spraying then do not use the Raingard as it makes it harder to wash off the copper particles.
Copper is not a good thing to eat and is a poison to us also, but as copper without Raingard washes off easily, there is no problem.
The pear-slug reacts to the Liquid Copper and falls out of the tree when it comes into contact with it.
Quite high trees can be treated if necessary by setting the sprayer’s nozzle on jet and firing the spray high over the tree, allowing it to drip down over the foliage.
While you are about it spray your tomato plants with the copper to protect against blights.
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CHEAP POT PLANTS

While browsing around a garden centre the recently I spotted a number of flowering annuals and perennials that are perfect for small pot plants.
At this time of the year most of the annuals in punnets or cell packs have grown to a good size and many are already flowering.
Most packs have about 6 plants for somewhere around about $2 to $3.00 a pack.
Now even at $3.00 for 6 or 50cents each, plus the cost of a cheap 4 to 6 inch pot and a bit of compost mix, you have 6 nice pot plants for about $1.00 each.
Look for the bigger plants in punnets as they will give you a instant pot plant and only get better when they are given the extra room to grow in. These are ideal for sunny windowsills indoors or can be used around entrance ways to good effect.
They will need watering every few days and once they fill their pots, then likely a daily drink will be on the cards.
I prefer to use a rich animal manure compost to plant them in and once they settle down and start showing new growth, then give them a drink each week of Matrix Reloaded, or every few weeks sprinkle some of Wally’s Secret Tomato Food granules onto the top of the mix.
Check out your local garden centre for annuals to use and some you are likely to find are; tuberous begonias, cyclamen, coleus, cockscomb, lobelia, floss flower, ornamental peppers (you can eat them too)so the list goes on.
Indoors on a windowsill many will keep on giving you pleasure right through the winter or much longer. I have kept cyclamen, tuberous begonia and lobelia going for several years, very easily.
All for only a dollar a plant!
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WHAT TO DO GARDENING TIPS

Recently a gardener contacted me about a problem with his lawn which was showing poor growth in some areas and cobweb like threads, which were noticeable in the morning, with dew on the threads.
The problem was as a result of too much thatch in the lawn. Thatch is the debris that falls to the soil surface and over time builds up a layer which can cause problems to a healthy lawn. Thatch is most noticeable in lawns that contain Brown Top grasses.
If you require a good lawn then it should be de-thatched twice a year, spring and autumn when the soil is moist and the temperatures are warm.
A scarifying machine or a special rake like tool can be used, otherwise a product called Thatch Busta.
Using Thatch Busta , one inch of thatch can be gobbled up in about a month, converting the thatch to food for your grasses.
Used at the rate of 100 ml to 10 litres of water to cover 100 square metres.
You can use any domestic weed killers with Thatch Busta and in many cases you will get a better result in killing the weeds.
Apply Thatch Busta when soil is moist, any time of the year, then use again in the spring and autumn. High traffic lawns may need a more frequent application.
Simple to use and saves you the work of having to use a scarifying rake.
Mind you, if you want to over-sow your lawn then it should be scarified to open up the soil for the new seeds.....
Now is the time that Powdery Mildew attacks a range of plants such as cucumber, pumpkin and pansies.
Baking Soda is alkaline and this means it will arrest powdery mildew in its tracks or prevent the disease from establishing on the foliage.
The recipe is; a big heaped tablespoon of baking soda into one litre of warm water and add one mil of Raingard, stir to dissolve and then add to the sprayer. A full coverage of the leaves is best, over and under. Repeat 10 to 14 days later or as needed.
Bear in mind that old annual plants such as pansies will succumb eventually, likewise pumpkins etc at the end of the season, so you may keep them going a bit longer but that is all.
Baking soda can be used for several other plant leaf disease problems such as black spot.
These are diseases where the pathogen releases some acid to break the leaf surface to establish a colony.
The alkaline nature of baking soda if present neutralities the acid so the disease cannot establish.
This aspect is also the reason some people recommend spraying milk as milk is also alkaline.
The baking soda is cheaper than milk these days.
Another gardener recently told me that Naphthalene Crystals (Sold in garden centres as Cat Repellent) can help reduce the problems with cluster flies.
Its now coming up to the time when these pests will enter buildings and cluster for the winter.
By sprinkling the Naphthalene Crystals in the areas where they are likely to cluster will provide a deterrent according to the gardener.
Remember this pest kills our earthworms so its important that we control it.
Sometimes you will find holes in the foliage of various plants and no sign of the culprit.
The damage could be caused by birds, slugs or snails and if you rule these out then likely the problem will be a beetle that feeds at night.
I have suggested to gardeners with the problem to take a torch in the early part of the evening and check the plants affected.
At times the same gardeners have been amazed at the number of beetles seen on the foliage. Which means the best time to get them is then, with a spray of Neem Tree Oil with Key Pyrethrum added.
An alternative would be a mild solution of Professor Mac's 3 in one lawn spray.
A Green keeper told me that he had great success with this lawn product against shield beetles on other plants.
Beetles that are attracted to light such as grass grub beetles can be controlled by placing a strong light in a window facing the control area.
Under the window against the glass a trough such as one used for wall papering is placed, filled two thirds with water with a little kerosene floating on the water.
The light is turned on prior to dusk and run for 2-3 hours or until activity stops for the night.
The beetles are attracted to the light and when they hit the window they fall into the trough and the kerosene prevents them from emerging.
Each morning you can flush the beetles down the toilet and refill the trough for the following evening.
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SHIP SHAPE LAWNS

Its good to see that a lot more gardeners are taking pride in their lawns.
It is the old story, great gardens are enhanced by great looking lawns. Poor, scruffy, weedy lawns ruin the appearance of the best of gardens.
In fact one can go as far as saying that a great looking lawn will improve the appearance of a mediocre garden. It would then make sense for anyone landscaping a section, to firstly establish great looking lawns before worrying too much about the gardens the lawn will border on!
Autumn is the best time to sow a new lawn as the autumn rains and cooler temperatures make it easier for the grasses to establish. Spring planted lawns do not have much time to establish before they are hit with the summer conditions and unless regularly watered, they can fail.
Gardeners that plan to sow a new lawn or rip up a tatty lawn for resowing, should start preparations now.
The first thing to do is to determine what the soil is like in the area to be sown. Light, sandy soils need good friable top soil and compost mixed through the soil. Heavier clay type soils need to be opened up by using ample Gypsum, top soil and sand, incorporated. Gardeners that are blessed with nice friable soil need only incorporate more compost into it.
The first step would be to kill off whatever is growing in the area to be sown and then rotary hoe to a depth of at least 250mm.Then place a layer of the materials you are going to add to the area (about 4 to 6 cm thick) and rotary hoe them in. Now we water the area regularly to germinate the weed seeds that are going to be present.
Once these weeds are up they can then be killed off. A further layer of introduce material may then be applied to the area and rotary hoed in also. Water and allow the weeds to germinate so you can kill them off while young. We are trying to establish an area of friable soil to a depth of about 250mm that is free draining with ample humus for moisture retention.
If the area is prone to flooding you may wish at this stage to lay some nova-flow pipes for drainage.
It is also at this stage when a pop-up irrigation system can be laid. Complete these tasks and level off the lawn allowing a fall for water run off, to prevent ponding later. Once again water to germinate any other weed seeds.
The above will be done over several weeks which should take us into autumn and the time to sow your new lawn. The quality of lawn seed you buy will determine the end result so no cheap lawn seed.
Super Strike lawn seed is one I can recommend as it comprises of only fine turf grasses and no brown top seed. (Do not sow a mix with brown top in it as the brown top is a grass that gives you thatch problems and looks out of place in a fine rye and fescue mix)
Super Strike has a fine coating on the seed which only adds a gram of weight per kilo of seed. Most other coated seeds can add up to 500 grams of coating per kilo and you lose 500 grams of seed.
We will look at sowing and after care, later on in autumn.
For those gardeners that have a reasonable lawn which is prone to weeds and is not as thick a mat as you would like, then you can use another method for improving your existing lawn.
It is too early to start this, but what you do when the soil becomes moist with autumn rains is to hire a scarifier and run that over your lawn, north/south, east/west.
This rips up the thatch and makes grooves in the moist soil. You then spread a top quality lawn seed and gently water it into the grooves.
This method will greatly improve your lawn, thickening up the grasses, making it difficult for weeds to establish and creating a carpet of green. You can do the same again the following autumn till you have the lawn you require.
For those gardeners that do have a great lawn there is a reasonable amount of work needed to keep it nice. Never mow more than one third off the height of the lawn in any one mowing.
Also mow so that the height of the grasses are between 25 to 50 mm tall. Mowing lower weakens grasses and allows weed establishment. Never use a lawn fertiliser on the lawn. Only use a slow release fertiliser and preferably a natural one such as Bio-Boost.
Ordinary lawn fertilisers damage the soil food web, weaken the grasses, cause thatch problems and are like fast foods, give a boost then nothing.
You can apply the following products to advantage, soft garden lime, dolomite, gypsum, diluted liquid animal manures, Magic Botanic Liquid, Perkfection and Ocean Solids as a liquid feed or spray.
Grasses are just another plant like your roses, and for healthy plants you need natural products.
Twice yearly applications of Thatch Busta will not only eat up thatch in your lawn but will also improve the soil food web for healthier grasses. This can be done now as long as you keep the lawn soil a little moist after application. If you need to apply a weed killer always add the Thatch Busta to the spray as it will make the spray work better and the weeds will disappear faster. It will also off set the damage the chemical does to the soil life.
If you have ‘dry spot’ which are areas where the grass is browning off, it is because the soil has become too dry and will not accept water. You can remedy this very simply by adding some dish washing liquid to warm water in a watering can and apply this to dry areas.
A couple of gardeners have told me that they have porina caterpillars in their lawns at this time.
This would be right as the young caterpillars would be active now and they eat the grasses at the base, causing gaps and damaging the lawn. A simple spray of Neem Tree Oil over the lawn late in the day after the lawn has recently been mowed will stop the damage.
A further spray of the same about a month later should catch others that have hatched out in the meantime.
Root Nematodes are another pest that attack lawns but being at the root area of the grasses they are hard to detect. When nematodes suck on roots they take energy from the plant and the plant looses its vigour.
After mowing the lawn you can sprinkle Neem tree Granules over the lawn and water in. These break down, releasing the Neem properties which are taken up by the roots of the grasses and thus stopping the nematodes from ever feeding again.
A few weeks after application you will notice a new luster to the grasses and the leech's have stopped sucking.
The same treatment will also take care of any grass grubs feeding on the roots and porina chewing on the grasses.
Another point with lawns are the lawn mowing contractors whom in many cases want to mow their client’s lawns so low that they scalp the lawns.
This is really bad as it opens up the lawn to weeds and weakens the grasses. The result is a lawn full of weeds that quickly becomes unsightly and needs the mower man back to do it again, often.
Another point that some have complained about is that mower contractors do not wash their mowers between lawns and as a result, they can carry new weed seeds to your lawn.
Great looking lawns add a lot of value to your property and are a pride to the owner.

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SUMMER INSECT PESTS

Summer time has the perfect breeding conditions for a number of pest insects. Populations increase dramatically in leaps of hundreds and then thousands in such a short time, that you can check your plants to find them relatively clean one day but within a week or so they can have built up, so great in numbers, that the plants are in trouble.
If fact in summer some preventive spraying for insect pests is a good option rather than waiting till a problem erupts and several spray applications maybe needed for control.
Hot weather brings drought conditions (if it stops raining) and this puts plants in stress, because even with ample water to keep gardens moist the transpiration of moisture out of foliage is so great that the root system cannot keep up a sufficient supply of moisture to compensate, till it cools in the evening.
Insect pests attack plants that are in stress more readily than those that are not, so even if you have a healthy garden by not using chemical sprays and fertilisers, plants will still be attacked.
The worst cases of attack will kill some plants prematurely, others will suffer through lost leaf area, thus loss of gaining as much energy from the sun.
In the worst cases the foliage is either stripped completely or damaged to such a degree that the plant dies. (Caterpillars on plants)
Even if the plant survives it can have much of the foliage marred and look unsightly for a long time till clean foliage replaces the damaged. (Thrips in Rhododendrons as a example)
In some fruiting plants, insect damage can cause premature dropping of fruit. (Leaf hoppers in passion fruit vines)
A number of insect pests that suck on foliage secrete honey dew which is a sweet sticky substance. This turns to black sooty mould which often is the reason that a problem is noticed.
Ants love the honey dew and can be seen in their hundreds running up and down the plant in the process of harvesting and storing.
Honey dew then contributes to bigger ant nests and a greater likelyhood of home invasions of them in the future.
So what should be done? I believe that insect pests populations should be prevented from getting too big but doing so in a manner which will not effect the natural predators of the pests. Safe sprays that will knock back populations and allow the ladybirds etc to keep on top of the pests is a perfect solution. Also when you notice insect pests on a plant, check all other plants and weeds in the area for the same pest.
If you control only on some plants and miss pests that maybe on other plants, it will not be long before they will re-infest the treated plants again. If you are having a continuous problem with a pest insect and finding it difficult to control, then the pests maybe over the fence in a neighbouring garden re-infesting your plants.
Only permanent solution is to get the neighbour to spray or permission for you to do so on their property.
Insect pests don't travel any further than they have to, to find their host plants, but wind can carry pests great distances to end up in your garden and start a problem.
Country folk and those living well away from lots of gardens can have a fairly easy life in regards to a number of pests and diseases, once cleaned up in their garden, no more problems for a long period of time or ever. Here is what to do with a number of problem areas.
Whitefly on tomatoes, cucumbers, hibiscus, roses and many other plants, spray foliage under and over with Neem Tree oil at 15mils per c litre about every 7 to 10 days till controlled. Use the same product for any type of aphid on any plants.
Mites or Thrips on roses, rhododendrons (silvering of leaf is seen) and many other plants spray with Neem Oil also. (Note for Mites Liquid Sulphur is a great control but can not be used while Neem Oil is on the plant cause the two together may cause foliage burn.)
The same Neem Oil is best for scale, leaf hoppers, psyllids and mealy bugs and as a general spray for all insect pests. Always mix in warm water in the spray unit, only spray late in the day after the sun has gone off the plants and avoid using in hot humid conditions.
The reason is that it is an oil and can scorch some foliage leaving burn patches on leaves. Safe to use but having an oily smell it is best to wait a few days to harvest on food crops or wash well as it could taint flavour.
Soil insects such as root mealy bugs and carrot rust fly can be controlled with Neem Granules, just sprinkled on the soil where the pests are and water down.
Neem Granules can be applied to any plant as a first line of defence as the Neem properties are taken up by the roots and translocate through the whole plant effecting the development of pest numbers on the upper parts of the plants. It can reduce down the frequency of need to spray significantly.
Ants running rife through the gardens can be controlled very effectively with baits made from Granny Min’s Ant Bait.
Place the bait made up from the recipe on the jar in lids wherever you see ants. A number of people have told me its the best ant killer on the market and they have tried all the others.
If you don't control the ants they will do two things, move aphids and other honey dew peeing insects from plant to plant and eventually the ants will make a house call into your home.
Borax and Icing Sugar mixed together is another good ant control. Mix 50:50.
A lady told me recently that Borax sprinkled on the carpet to control fleas works well.
You need to work the powder in before the next cleaning so its not sucked up so easily..
Unless you want to spray a lot of plants in the garden with the above products, instead make up small amounts in a 500 ml or 1 litre hand mister sprayer. I find its much more economical, the spray goes further, less waste and the Neem being safe products, one can fold back leaves with one hand while spraying with the other.
Sticky yellow pads are also a great way to reduce numbers of pests.
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COMBATING GARDEN PLANT DISEASES

Gardeners can spend a lot of time and money combating diseases in their gardens. Many of the conventional chemical sprays can be likened to many of the medications put out by the pharmacy industry; in so much as they give temporary relief without curing the cause.
In fact it is my strong belief that many of the chemical sprays we use on our gardens cause more problems than they cure, as they can kill off the beneficial microbes and fungi, leaving our plants more vulnerable to disease attacks. It’s a bit like the antibiotics we take; they weaken our immune system leaving us more vulnerable to other health issues.
When it comes to microbes/bacteria, good or bad, many have very short life spans, some as short as 6 hours, this means that they can build up resistance to chemical sprays in a few hundred generations. (Some have over 4000 generations in 6 weeks)
In the garden we tend to find that these traditional chemical sprays lose their effectiveness, including their ability to control the diseases they are meant prevent. Instead they end up harming the beneficial microbes that are essential to the health of the plants.
Nature has developed what we call plant diseases, as a way to remove the weak and unhealthy plants, starting the conversion or composting of them, back into food for other healthier plants.
Thus we can say that diseases in our plants are a sign that there is a basic problem and the disease is only the cleaner, at the beginning of a composting cycle.
We need to find out what the problem the plant has and if possible remedy it so the plant will grow healthy.
It could be one of many things such as inadequate or too much moisture, sun light, soil condition, the use of chemicals both fertiliser and sprays including herbicides, chlorinated tap water, lack of nutrients and elements. Similarly with our own health we need to tackle the cause not the symptoms.
Annual plants only have a short life; they grow, mature and produce seeds then die. Once they mature and seed we expect diseases such as powdery mildew to attack them.
Deciduous plants such as roses, will at seasons end, be attacked to clean up the old foliage which is of no further use to the rose.
A perennial tree or plant that becomes diseased tells us the plant has an underlining health problem which we need to address.
The first step is to ensure that our gardens have a healthy soil-food-web, teeming with microbes, beneficial fungi and worms. We know that common fertilisers (General Purpose, Rose, Nitrophoska etc) harm the soil life where natural foods such as manures, organic matter, calcium etc strengthen the soil life.
We also know that chemical sprays and chemical herbicides such as Glyphosate, harm the soil life too. Often the simple aspect of total avoidance of man made chemicals will over a few seasons result in far healthier plants and soil.
We can speed up the process with applications of calcium, compost, blood and bone and other minerals. Also ensuring there is adequate moisture that is free of chlorine (Chlorine in tap water harms microbes)
It is easy to gauge the health of your soils by the number of worms present when the soil is moist.
No worms, very poor soil, lots of worms, high health soil.
There never is a need to feed your plants, there is only a need to feed the soil and Nature will do the rest.
This is contrary to conventional growing where one feeds the plants, while killing the soil life.
Worms when they move through the soil create a slime that is rich in nitrogen, beneficial fungi that are attached to the roots of plants collect this nitrogen and feed it to the plants in exchange for carbohydrates (sugars) Beneficial fungi not only extend the plant’s root collection area, they also help prevent harmful fungi and nematodes from attacking the roots.
The microbes in the soil convert organic matter into food that the plants can use.
For thousands of years this system has worked perfectly and it was only with the introduction of super phosphate and harmful chemicals, that man changed the natural order of things. Then diseases started attacking what appeared to be healthy plants.
I had a plum tree that developed brown rot in the fruit a few years back along with gum excluding from some branches and die back.
Not wanting to use a chemical to try to control the problem I simply applied Ocean Solids and Rok Solid to ensure that the tree was getting all the minerals it required to be healthy.
The following season I enjoyed a large crop of big plums, only noticed a couple of plums with the brown rot instead of most of them.
No more die back or gum problems and very few bladder plums which the tree also had as a problem. That is without any spraying of copper or any other attention. What has also likely helped is that we had ample rain for much of the time.
Having placed water filters to remove the chlorine from my tap water is likely to have assisted as well, when there has been a need to water.
I have written before about the applications of Ocean Solids and Rok Solid to gardens which ensure that each plant obtains every element that they may need to be healthy. I have seen good results. It may take a few seasons in some cases but far better and cheaper than the conventional control sprays.
Silver leaf disease is a major problem in stone fruit trees and roses in some areas.
If the disease is not too far advanced, one can cut out effected branches and spray the tree or rose with Perkfection Supa at 7 ml per litre for the first application, thereafter monthly, at 4 mils per litre till mid autumn.
Start again in the spring when the first foliage appears.
Perkfection builds up the plant’s immune system and assists it to overcome the disease. That is as long as the tree or rose has not gone beyond the point of no return. Apply also the Ocean Solids and Rok Solid once a year.
Mycorrcin and Magic Botanic Liquid are also two products that can be drenched into the soil and sprayed over the foliage of plants. They feed the microbes and beneficial fungi that are in the soil or on the plants, also improving the health of the roots and foliage.
Traditional copper and sulphur sprays can still be used as an external protection against a range of diseases while you are building up the health of the soil and plants.
Liquid Copper is best for downy mildew, blights, brown rot, leaf curl in stone fruit, bacterial diseases and citrus diseases. Liquid Sulphur is best for powdery mildew, rusts, botrytis, leaf moulds or spots, black spot and spider mites.
The two can be mixed together, after diluting each separately in water and then applied to different plants for prevention or control of a wide range of diseases.
Baking soda at the rate of a heaped table spoon per litre of warm water with one mil of Raingard added for each litre is an excellent control for powdery mildew which can attack even the healthiest of plants, prone to the disease, in weather conditions, which favour the disease.
As the health of your soil and plants improves there should be less need for these sprays.
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PAW PAW

Paw Paw Fruit or as they are known in some counties such as the Philippines by the name Papaya.
Its interesting to note that if we call papaya, paw paw the Philippines think its poo poo which signifies the laxative aspects of this delicious fruit.
Much of the paw paws that we import does come from the Philippines where you can see the trees growing wild.
A while back a Asian gardener contacted me in regards to his Paw Paws that he was growing in Wellington in containers, indoors, in front of a sunny window.
To assist with the problem I was emailed pictures of the plants which appeared to be doing ok in the circumstances except he was over watering for the time of the year.
I suggested that the light situation also was not so good indoors and they should be getting more light by been outside and protected.
I was told that they flowered and produced fruit alright which surprised me.
As I enjoy eating paw paws I often buy one or two when they are not too expensive and I am always taken back by the number of round black seeds that are in the centre of the fruit.
Thinking back to the chap in Wellington I decided a few weeks ago to take a few of the seeds and place them in a dish to dry out. After a couple of weeks they had dried down to about half their size and were ready to sow.
I placed the seeds into seedling trays with compost then onto the heat pad which I use for germinating more difficult seeds. Spray misted the growing medium every day now I have been rewarded with a strike of about half a dozen Paw Paw plants.
As soon as they germinated and as the first embryo leaves were forming I took them out to my glasshouse so they would receive maximum light. You never want to let any freshly germinated plants stretch for light as you will likely lose them.
So now they are still in their seedling trays and when the first true leaves are formed I will transplant them into small pots and grow them on individually. Maybe I can eventually get them to fruit, who knows and its a lot of fun having a go.
You might like to try doing the same and not only with paw paw but with any fruit you buy including tomatoes, capsicum, peppers, melon etc the seeds are free with the fruit and its a lot of satisfaction growing plants from seed.
I will tell you a little more about Paw Paws but firstly I would like to share some information with you that a reader sent me which was a news bulletin from CBS News.
The long and shot of it was that pure coconut oil can help people with health problems affecting the brain such as alzheimers disease.
The coconut oil needs to be pure and you simply add that to your diet.
In New Zealand you can get pure organic coconut oil from Organic type shops.
If anyone is interested email me and I will send you the link.
Back to Paw Paw or Papaya as my Philippino friends prefer.

The following is information from web pages on the Internet:

The fruit is very low in calories (just 39 cal/100 g) and contains no cholesterol; but is a rich source of phyto-nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Papayas contain soft, easily digestible pulp/flesh with good amount of soluble dietary fiber that helps to have normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation.
Fresh, ripe fruit is one of the fruit with highest vitamin-C content (provides about 103% of DRA, more than in oranges, or lemons). Research studies have shown that vitamin C has many important functions like free radicals scavenging, immune booster and anti-inflammatory actions.
It is also an excellent source of Vitamin-A (provides 1094 IU/100 g ) and flavonoids like beta carotenes, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthins. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision.
These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties; help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play role in aging and various disease processes. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes known to protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Papaya fruit is also rich in many essential B-complex vitamins such as Folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish and play vital role in metabolism.
Fresh papaya also contains good amount of potassium (257 mg per 100 g) and calcium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids and helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure countering effects of sodium.
Papaya has been proven to be a natural remedy for many ailments. In traditional medicine, papaya seeds are anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and analgesic, and they are used to treat stomach-ache and ringworm infections.
Its well worth buying papaya for both the heath aspects and the lovely flavour when the fruit is ripe which means Papaya skin slightly turning to yellow and skin slightly yielding to touch.
Unripe fruits can be kept at room temperature for few days but ripen ones should be stored in the refrigerator. Bring back the fruit to normal temperature when it is to be eaten to get their natural taste and flavor.
Wash papaya fruit thoroughly in cold running water to remove dust and any pesticide residues. Skin is bitter in taste and inedible. Remove skin by peeling, cut the fruit longitudinally in to two equal halves. Gently remove seeds and thin slimy layer loosely adhering to the flesh. Cut the fruit longitudinally like melon or cut into small cubes.
Ripe papaya can be safely used by pregnant women. Unripe green papaya should be avoided in pregnant women as it contains lot of papain, a proteolytic enzyme that used commercially to tenderize meat. Unripe papaya fruit, seeds, latex, and leaves also contain carpaine, an alkaloid which could be dangerous when eaten in high doses. Unripe papaya, however can be used safely as a cooked vegetable.
Plants grown from seed can produce both male and female plants which the males never fruit but the females apparently are self fertile.
They need to be protected against adverse weather and frosts and best grown in containers so they can be moved before winter. Keep the mix on the dry side in winter.
For fun and health reasons try germinating some Paw Paw seeds.
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GARDENING CONCERNS

The weather is playing havoc with gardens and plants in many areas through out New Zealand. Too much rain, not enough, too much wind and temperature fluctuations.
This does not make ideal gardening conditions and plants suffer as a result.
I have had a number of people contact me in regards to their tomato plants and there are 3 main things that has been happening so lets look at them and suggest what can be done to help or prevent the problems.
The temperature fluctuations can cause both types of blight in tomatoes and the prevention and control is the same for both.
Early blight: Finding small spots turning to a dark mould on older leaves will indicate the presence of this problem. It occurs in warm wet weather, but plants can be protected with a monthly spray of Perkfection Supa. If you know the disease recurs in your garden, give additional sprays of Liquid Copper and Raingard every 10 to 14 days.
Late blight: Here, you will notice brown, irregular patches on the plant's stem and leaves. This problem is particularly bad in cool humid weather, and it can be controlled using the same methods as for controlling early blight.
If you have not applied Perkfection Supa and the disease strikes, spray the affected plants immediately with Perkfection Supa at 7ml per litre of water. Add to this 3.5ml of Liquid Copper per litre, with 1ml of Raingard per litre, and spray the plants for total coverage of the foliage.
Two weeks later, reapply just the Liquid Copper and Raingard, then after another fortnight, apply the same again with Perkfection at 4ml per litre. That programme will normally be sufficient to see the problem off, but if either blight returns, re-start the spray programme.
Late blight is common later in the season, but under the right conditions will strike in the spring. Potatoes and pepinos are also affected by this disease, but you can give them a similar level of protection using the same sprays as outlined here.
Next we have the dreaded collar or stem rot disease where we watch a mature plant with lots of green fruit slowly collapse over a period of a few days:

The disease will make itself apparent with the development of a darker area on the trunk - that is where the rot will be happening, blocking the flow of moisture and nutrients from the roots. Little bumps of aerial roots will often appear just above the rot area.
If there is foliage below the part where the rot starts, particularly if it is producing laterals, then you can cut the top off and allow the good part to continue growing.
The chances are you will avoid this disease completely if you don't remove any laterals, and if the plant succeeds in avoiding any damage arising from being rubbed on a stake or something similar. One of the ways to prevent any problems is to remove the laterals when they are very small, which means checking the plant every day or two.
Remove them only on warm days when there is low humidity, and spray the cut area immediately afterwards with Liquid Copper. You can make up a solution of this product in a 250ml trigger spray bottle, and it will keep for some time.
Just remember to shake the bottle before spraying.
Removing older leaves might also make the plant vulnerable to disease. This is another job which should be done only in conditions of low humidity, and always remember to spray to protect.
Humidity levels will often be much higher in a glasshouse, which means special care must be taken to open up the greenhouse and remove some of the air moisture before taking off the laterals.
I have heard that if the rot on the trunk is not too far advanced then painting undiluted Liquid Copper onto that area may save the plant.
Finally the growing conditions may cause damage to leaves especially the lower ones which may twist, curl and be spotted, wither and brown off.
Two aspects here one is that a lot of tomato strains have a virus which does cause distorted leaves in maturing plants, there is very little that can be done about it other than removing those leaves when they are obviously not gathering further energy from the sun.
Weather damage can be reduced by giving the plants more protection by spraying with Vaporgard, erecting windbreak cloth, adding more stakes for support and applying potash once a month.
Another problem a couple of gardeners have mentioned is blotchy ripening fruit which additional potash is needed.
If you are using my Secret Tomato food and this happens then it would likely be the weather causing lock ups in the soil. Ensure that you have applied Organi-Bor to the area in the last 3 years (for Boron) and then drench the soil with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL).
Sprays of MBL over foliage every two weeks will make for stronger plants with less health problems.
Neem Tree Oil can be added to the MBL which will then give further disease protection as well as a control for the insect pests such as white fly and the dreaded psyllid.
Talking about insect pests, this morning I was out inspecting what damage the wind had done to the plants and whether the plants in the glasshouses needed a drink or not.
On the cucumbers which are coming away nicely I noticed a few small aphids on the fruit that was forming. A closer inspection and the turning over a few leaves I found hundreds of aphid pests on the underside of several leaves, not good, so tonight they will have a bath in Neem Oil and Key Pyrethrum spray.
I had the same problem last year on zuchinni which because the pests are under the leaves and not readily seen nothing was done till the plants actually started to die off prematurely.
A spray of the Neem and Pyrethrum knocked them back and the plants started to recover.
So with your cubit plants which also includes melons and pumpkins check under the leaves now and then for pests.
Leaf hoppers (the young are called fluffy bums) vegetable beetles, psyllid and other pests must be controlled on plants now otherwise you will have a real battle in weeks to come.
Sprays of Neem Tree Oil with Raingard added can be applied late in the day, just before dusk to great advantage in keeping diseases and pests at bay.
If you do not add the Pyrethrum you will not harm beneficial insects and only add the pyrethrum when you have a out break of pests on a plant/s so the spray is focussed on the pests. Not a broadcast spray which will affect both good and bad insects.
Thats another of the problems with all the chemical insecticides they take out all beneficial insects and with some of them they don't even harm the pests ones, which have now gained resistance to the poisons. Waste of time and money not to say anything about your health aspects.
On the other hand Neem Oil is not a poison and it does not kill anything unless the oil smothers a few pests such as scale and thrips. Instead it either shuts off the insects ability to feed or grow and when that happens they will die after a few days.
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GARDENING 2012

It is the beginning of a new calendar year, but we are now actually halfway through a gardening year. The day light hours are already beginning to shorten, though most of us will not notice the slow change until daylight savings ends.
The plants do and over the next few weeks the decreasing hours of light can for some plants be the trigger to flower and reproduce themselves before winter.
The weather forecasters tell us that we have a mild La Nina summer which can keep the normally dry areas wetter and the wet areas a bit drier.
That bodes well for gardeners that are having a nice amount of rain falling on their gardens regularly, good plant growth and less need to water.
The down side is with warmth and moisture there are leaf diseases that will run wild especially where foliage is dense and air circulation is reduced.
Powdery mildew, black spot and rust are 3 common problems that are likely to occur if they are not already giving you problems.
Baking Soda; about a tablespoon to a litre of water with a mil of Raingard added is a great control of powdery mildew and will help prevent it as well.
The same can be used for black spot as a preventive to the spread because the alkaline nature of baking soda helps prevent the disease getting started.
You can use the same to dehydrate the foliage of Oxalis to assist in its control without harming other plants. For this purpose use on a sunny day when the soil is on the dry side.
With black spot damaged leaves will remain till they are naturally replaced.
Leaves that have black spot on them should not be removed as the rest of the surface area will still collect energy from the sun to the plant’s advantage.
Rust is very unsightly and it can be prevented with sprays of potassium permanganate (Condys Crystals)
The dose is about a small quarter of a teaspoon of the crystals to a litre of water, no Raingard added and spray to prevent or control.
The same may also work ok on other fungal diseases as its an oxidizing agent. It is used for athletics foot as a cure.
Potassium Permanganate is available though better garden centres as most chemist shops that used to supply it now don't, as they have changed to more supermarket like stores.
Talking about more of the old natural type remedy's Borax is one that you can mix half and half with icing sugar as a great control for ants. Just put the mix anywhere there are ants and that will knock them back. You can also dissolve the borax in water (add some baking soda to help dissolve) and paint the mix on wood surfaces to control borer.
The surfaces applied must be out of weather otherwise the powder will just wash off.
Borer in trees can be controlled, I have found, by injecting Neem Oil into the borer holes of the tree. Dilute the Neem oil to 50/50 with water.
Neem Oil can also be used mixed 50/50 with dog shampoo for control of fleas.
A number of people have told me that the flea controls which are chemicals don't work so well any more and besides they are expensive.
I have also heard that some people use it in shampoo for head lice with apparently good results.
Rains can help reduce the insect problems but experienced gardeners know that the summer time is the time of the insects and they will do their best to keep the populations down.
Sprays of Neem Tree oil with Raingard added applied late in the day just before dusk will help keep pest numbers down. You need to spray for total coverage, under and over foliage and repeat about 7 days later, After that apply as needed to keep control.
Yellow sticky pads are also a good help to keep numbers of flying adult pests such as white fly and psyllids under control. Just hang the pads on or near the plants you want to protect. The psyllid problem is a real worry and one gardener that contacted me recently said that the pests had completely ruined her tomato plants.
You need to spray frequently all the plants that are host to the pest, tomatoes, potatoes, tree tomatoes, capsicums, peppers, egg plants etc. Use a combination of Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum sprayed just before dark.
Now is the time to plant your winter vegetable and flower gardens. Plants such as leeks should be planted now to ensure they will be ready in winter.
When planting brassicas for winter place Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole and sprinkle some on the soil. Repeat the soil application about every 6-8 weeks for reducing the problem of white butterfly caterpillars.
Weeds will be a problem if you let them get away on you when you don't remove them before they flower and seed. Weeding the garden early morning or late in the day when the sun is not a problem for you is best. Also after rain when the ground is moist makes the removal of weeds so much easier.
Difficult to control weeds can be taken out with the new Cut n Paste applicator. Xmas lillies that have finished flowering; do not cut back the green foliage until it naturally dies back.
Removing the foliage too soon will affect the flowering next Xmas.
I am always amazed at what a difference Mycorrcin makes to strawberries, a fortnightly spray will increase your cropping 200 to 400 % and make for larger berries with better flavor.
There is plenty to do in the gardens at this time so enjoy.

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CHRISTMAS AND GARDENING

The year is rapidly coming to an end and we have had one of the worst springs for gardening ever from my memory (which likely is not good at remembering horrible springs.)
I would normally be eating both tomatoes and cucumbers by this time and it does not look likely in the near future either.
Because of a forced move, to another location, has not helped matters either as my glasshouse produce would have faired a lot better than the open ground plants.
As good experienced gardeners say there is always next year which in this case next year is very close and I think the weather will settle making for a late season.
My suggestion would be to grab a few plants of tomatoes and cucumbers from your local garden centre while they are still available, pot them up and keep them in a sunny sheltered spot till the weather comes right.
Otherwise I hope you have a good Xmas and New Year with family and friends.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article entitled ‘When Agriculture Goes Mad’ which talked about the problems that GE or GO (Genetic fiddling) was causing in America, South America and India.
This week I received an email which linked to a clip of an interview with Dr Don Huber.
The email stated: Monsanto has unleashed a micro-monster that could kill us all.
That's according to Dr. Don Huber, an agricultural scientist and expert in microbial ecology, who's convinced that Monsanto's genetically engineered "RoundUp Ready" crops are responsible for a new micro-monster that's causing an outbreak of new plant, animal and human diseases.
The link is http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=58601501
If you have access to the web I think it would be of interest to you and your family to watch.
What the itty gritty of the 57 minute interview is about is in regards to glyphosate the active chemical in Roundup and a number of other herbicides available currently.
It is my person belief that glyphosate will prove to be one of the worst chemicals that mankind has ever invented and the interview goes along way to proving this point.
I am sure that one day we will find that previously banned chemicals such as DDT, Agent Orange, Lindane etc were a fraction of the problem glyphosate is turning out to be.
Glyphosate does not bio-degrade in the soil it has a half life of about 6 months or more dependant of soil type. This means that land cleared of weeds by spraying glyphosate prior to planting, the chemical will still be present in the soil to be taken up by new plants. If these are food crops that means its in the food you eat and yet in New Zealand NZ Food Safety does not test for the chemical to my knowledge and there is no safety requirements.
As glyphosate is used extensively on farms it means the chemical is in our meat and dairy products also.
Glyphosate greatly harms soil life. Glyphosate restricts the uptake of valuable minerals in food crops, thus the reason that our food crops lack the mineral levels that they had 20 or 30 years ago.
If the minerals are not in our food crops in the levels that our bodies require then we are at a health risk.
This also applies to animals as well.
Home gardeners have a fantastic advantage of growing healthy crops without the use of glyphosate plus they can add all the minerals from the oceans and rocks to ensure great healthy food.
The problems with glyphosate are compounded overseas where GE crops of Roundup Ready are planted and consumed by humans and animals.
In the interview Dr Huber tells how some dairy farmers are now loosing 70% of their calves cause they abort early. Lab studies has found that glyphosate causes this problem in lab animals.
It is also interesting to note that in areas where glyphosate is used a lot, the birth problems of people nearby are well above national averages. It is also known that glyphosate affects the sperm count in mammals which includes us humans and as a general statement the average male sperm count in America is half of what it was 20 years ago. Thus the need for artificial inseminations.
It gets worse; in so much as, any scientists in America that try to determine the safety of glyphosate lose their funding or lose their jobs. The only information comes from the companies that have a financial interest in glyphosate and GE. Its these companies that now fund most of the research in Universities and they are not inclined to fund anything that is not inn their interest.
Even the Government Food Safety authority in America has obviously been hoodwinked by the chemical companies as they allow GE crops to be process into human and animal food chains.
In fact this is to such a stupid point now that food processors are sued if they have on their labels GE free.
Thus I urge you to listen to the interview and make sure this madness never happens in our country.
There is no reason that we should not have full labelling of our food, country of origin etc so we can make healthy choices. (now and in the future)
Your health is in your garden and in the soil that you have, look after the later and the former will be by far the better for it.
Have a great Xmas and holiday as I am going to do so and be back again with weekly articles next year.
Wally Richards

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MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW GARDENING YEAR

The writer and staff of this Newspaper wish you all a very happy Christmas and a great gardening year for 2012.
Your gardens and plants should be looking very nice for the festive season and you can take pride in your efforts over the last few months, when family and friends visit.
Now the weather is starting to improve, you will need to keep your gardens watered and if going away, ensure that moist bare soil is covered with a suitable mulch to conserve moisture. Enjoy the time and have fun. Regards Wally Richards.

Ooooo THE PESTS OF XMAS GARDENS

With improving weather as we approach Christmas there are a number of insect pests that can spoil our plants if we are not careful.
Over the year I have endeavored to show you how to obtain healthy plants by caring for the soil life and using beneficial mineral products, rather than the harmful chemical sprays and fertilisers.
Many of you have reported back, after following my advice in these columns or from reading my book, that your gardens have never been better. That is great stuff to hear and visual proof of the methods which you can relate to. Keep up the good work.
Healthy plants maybe more disease free but they are still vulnerable to some insect pest problems, though often far less than unhealthy plants.
In Nature the balance is achieved through beneficial insects called predators keeping the populations of pest insects low. It takes time to build up populations of predator insects in your gardens and the past use of chemical sprays has greatly reduced their populations. Some gardeners who have taken care to look after the predators in their gardens report good populations which keep most pests under control.
Remember the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’ which is very true in our gardens. Ladybirds, praying mantis, predator wasps and small birds are our friends as they will keep the pests numbers low. To this end, it is important that we do not kill off all their food sources and allow a few pests to live and provide food for our friends.
At the same time we do not want to allow the pests to run amok and damage our plants so let’s have a look at the safe control methods for keeping pest numbers down without harming our friends.
Neem Tree Granules has to be one of the easiest methods of control for pests on a number of plants.
Simply sprinkle the granules on the soil in the root zone of the plants you wish to protect, as the granules breakdown they release the Neem properties, which are taken up by the plant’s roots.
The properties translocate through the foliage and when a pest eats/sucks a little of the foliage they get a small dose of Neem and stop eating, to die later. This works very well on some plants and to a lesser degree on others. The granules are perfect for the control of whitefly and caterpillars on tomato plants, outdoors or in a glasshouse.
They are also very effective on caterpillars that attack brassicas.
Pest soil insects such as root mealy bugs and carrot fly are easily controlled by applications to the soil. The granules need to be replaced about every 6 to 8 weeks and you can experiment with them on any garden plants which are attacked and eaten by insect pests. If you find the granules do not have the desired control on some types of plants or if you have large pest populations already on the plants, then you will need to spray occasionally with safe sprays such as Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum. These two sprays can be mixed together but should only be sprayed just on dusk because the pyrethrum is very quickly deactivated by UV.
Key pyrethrum is a quick knock down spray where the Neem Tree Oil gives extended control through its anti feeding and growth regulator properties. The normal spray program would be two sprays 7 days apart then followed by one 14 days later and a final spray a month later.
If problem persists then keep spraying about every 7 to 10 days. Neem oil is considered safe in regards to predictor insects but pyrethrum is not as it will kill all that come into contact with it.
Spider mites can easily and quickly controlled with a spray of Liquid Sulphur and Raingard. Normally, one complete coverage spray is all that is needed but a word of warning never mix with Neem Tree Oil as the two will burn foliage. In fact a period of at least 2 weeks should be applied to any plants where the oil or the sulphur has been used before using the other.
Liquid Copper with Raingard added is very effective in controlling cherry/pear slugs on plum, pear and cherry trees. The same copper spray will also protect plants from snails and ordinary garden slugs while the copper is present.
Leaf hoppers are a big problem pest for many and a number of sprays 7 days apart, using the Neem Tree Oil will be needed to obtain control.
The Neem Tree Oil sprays will cover all pest insect problems (not pear slugs or garden snails/slugs) and by adding Raingard to the spray will extend its control period.
The combination of Neem Tree Oil spray and Neem Tree Granules is needed to control mealy bugs on any plants. The granules get the mealy bugs in the root zone and the oil takes care of the ones on the plant’s foliage.
The new pests such as the potato psyllid can be controlled with regular sprays of Neem Oil ensuring total coverage of host plants.
As mentioned previously in articles the felt pads soaked in Neem Tree Oil and wrapped around the trunks of Rhododendrons is an effective control for thrips on larger rhododendrons which are difficult to spray. Bands are left on for only one month. Neem Tree Oil can be applied to tanks in hydroponic systems to control pests on plants growing in these systems.
I have been told of some people that have used it for head lice diluted down to normal spray application strength I presume.
A farmer told me he used it for maggot control and other pests on sheep. Fleas n dogs can be controlled by adding Neem Oil to their shampoo. I do know of trials where the Neem tree Oil has proved successful in the control of a number of leaf diseases such as black spot and rust. Some rural gardeners have also told me that their garden plants sprayed with Neem Tree Oil has prevented/reduced possum and rabbit damage.
Likely as time goes by we will find many more uses for the Neem Tree and its extracts.
One thing for sure is that Neem Tree Oil and Granules are far safer and better to use than poisonous chemicals.
Have a great Xmas. Wally Richards
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WHEN AGRICULTURE GOES MAD

Its becoming a mad world with the many upheavals around the globe including changing weather patterns, political unrest, finance instability, populations at record highs, polar caps melting and so the list goes on.
As well as all these global problems, I received recently an email from the Institute of Responsible Technology containing their Newsletter called, Spilling The Beans. The newsletter has sighted three extremely bad problems that GE crops have caused in the world.
I would like to share these with you and hope and pray that we never have any GE material released in our country.
From the newsletter above:
The introduction of GM Roundup Ready alfalfa has been a disaster for the US seed industry, writes farmer Phillip Geertson, as it has lost overseas markets. The US alfalfa seed industry was the world's major producer of alfalfa seed and historically has exported more than half of the alfalfa seed produced.
Geertson points out, "Export data would be very useful in determining the amount of damage that was done to the US alfalfa seed industry by the release of RR alfalfa into US agriculture.
But such data is not available. 2007 was the last time the USDA reported the size of the US alfalfa seed exports.
Perhaps not coincidentally, this was also the year that seed producers found that seed lots produced in Montana and Washington had been contaminated with the Roundup Ready gene.
The only winners in this farming catastrophe are Forage Genetics and Monsanto, who own the patent on the gene that is now contaminating non-GM alfalfa.
(Full story at http://www.truth-out.org/roundup-ready-alfalfa-damages-us-seed-industry/1319042829 ) Next:

Farmer suicides rising in India as GM Bt cotton crops fail
The record suicide rate among farmers in India continues to rise, with one farmer now committing suicide every 30 minutes. Many media reports blame failed GM Bt cotton crops for the crisis.
More than a quarter of a million farmers have killed themselves in the last 16 years in what is the largest recorded wave of suicides in history. An article for Sky News reports that one farmer who committed suicide "had been persuaded to use genetically modified seeds by the possibility of a better harvest. What he wasn't told was that they needed more rain than the region provided."
Farmers who grow GM crops also have to borrow money for expensive pesticides and fertilizers. When the crop fails, they cannot repay their debts. The article comments, "Across rural India there is now widespread despair. The fields are also filling up with widows."
Bt cotton was first released for commercial growing in India in 2002, and the data on farm suicides show clearly that the last eight years were much worse than the preceding eight - which is alarming since the total number of farmers is declining.
India's Bt cotton "revolution" has lost its sheen over the past five years, with government data showing a consistent decline in cotton yield. Even as the area under Bt has grown to 93 per cent of the total area under the cash crop, the overall yield is estimated to decline to a five-year low this year.
Farmers and activists who oppose GM crops argue that none of the promises made during the introduction of GM seeds have come true. In certain cases, the opposite has happened. Some farmers report that crops failed to flower, producing no yield at all.
Others report low yields and high cost of GM seed and chemical insecticides, which farmers still have to spray in spite of marketing claims that Bt cotton reduces or eliminates the need for them.
As for GM proponents' claims that if GM seeds were so bad, farmers wouldn't buy them, it's clear that the consolidation in the seed market means that GM seeds are all that's available.
(More at http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bt-cotton-fails-farmers-in-state/204257-60-118.html ) Finally at this time:

Argentine doctors report major medical problems with GM soy
An important report by Argentine physicians documents a big rise in birth defects, up in parallel with expansion of GM Roundup Ready (RR) soy and the spraying of the Roundup herbicide it is engineered to tolerate. It also notes a high incidence of DNA damage, confirming laboratory research on Roundup - and neurological development problems.
The report was originally published in Spanish in 2010 but has just been translated into English. The report arose from the 1st National Meeting of Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns, at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the National University of Cordoba.
More at http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13474%20 ; I have sighted many other reports over the last few years which makes one shudder at the lunacy that chemical companies and Governments have displayed in creating and promoting GE and GM.
It is a fact also that animals have far more sense that us two leggeds and they will avoid eating any thing that is disagreeable to their well being and in some cases would rather starve to death than eat a GE produced vegetable.
I have read many such cases and as an example there was a farmer in the US who at winter time would put out a cob of corn for the squirrels to eat. The local squirrels would wait each day for a cob or two to turn up, to tide them over the cold days.
One day the farmer thought I will see how they go on a GE grown corn cob and so he placed two GE cobs out in the same place as previous normal cobs had been placed. He then watched from his window what the squirrels would do expecting the cobs to be devoured as normal.
The squirrels bounced up to the cobs sniffed them, hopped around them then went away without touching them. The farmer thought maybe they were not so hungry so left the cobs out.
After several days the cobs were still not touched and the squirrels were noticeably loosing condition.
So the farmer removed the GE cobs and placed instead normal cobs which were quickly consumed by the starving squirrels.
It a pity that us humans do not have more sense.
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ROSES IN DECEMBER

In my recently updated book, ‘Wally’s Down to Earth Garden Guide’ the very first chapter is on roses, because if there is one garden plant that I am asked more about, over all other plants, it is roses. Gardeners and even non-gardeners just love their roses, going out of their way to have great looking roses.
Roses do best by far if you throw away all your chemical rose foods and sprays and give them the more natural things that make them healthy and preform well.
You need a little Key Pyrethrum and Neem Tree Oil for the aphids and any other pests that might attack the roses..
Ensure that the roses have sufficient minerals by applying a little Ocean Solids and Rok Solid to the soil in the root zone.
The Ocean solids is applied once a year and the Rok Solid twice a year in spring and autumn.
. A two weekly spray of Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) will make a big difference and if you have been using chemical fertiliser or sprays in the past drench the soil with it also now and then again in about 3 moths time.
Avoid using any herbicides near your roses as it is another factor that can reduce the health of plants because of the chemical’s effect on the soil food web. Also deadly to roses if a whiff of spray drift.
I believe that the soil food web is vital to plants and should be nurtured more than one would nurture the plants growing in the soil. Hence no rose fertiliser or Nitrophoska would ever be applied to have their acid nature damage the web. The non use of herbicides, chemical fertilisers and sprays means my soil is teeming with worms which are the sign of a very healthy soil.
Also water should only be done with non chlorinated water. Get a filter to remove the chlorine from the tap water if it contains chlorine.
If you do not have chicken manure or animal manure such as horse manure available then you can provide natural base foods such as sheep manure pellets, blood & bone and animal manure based composts.
Every week I receive emails and phone calls from gardeners who have adopted the natural methods I write about and they all tell me that they have never had such great gardens as they now have.
Many tell me that after years of struggling to obtain healthy looking roses (and other plants), using rose sprays and rose fertilisers to no avail, they have changed to the natural foods and health giving products.
Within a season or two all the past problems have disappeared and now their roses are even better than they had ever hoped for. There is no secret to this, just work with Nature, not against it.
If you try to work against Nature all you end up with is chemical warfare, both you and the plants are the losers.
So what should you be doing with your roses at this time? Ensure that they have a little potash and magnesium each month. This can be applied as Fruit and Flower Power (mix of both in balance) or alternatively a little potash and Epsom salts. Dolomite and Gypsum can also be sprinkled every couple of months for the calcium/sulphur/ magnesium that these products supply.
Calcium is very important for the health of soil food web. When aphids or other insects are around a simple spray of Key Pyrethrum and Neem Tree Oil, just prior to dusk, will keep them under control.
Roses that repeat flower through the season should be dead headed as the blooms finish.
With newly planted roses just nip off the dead flower head without the removal of any leaves.
A new rose needs all its leaves to gain energy from the sun. Established roses, second year or older should be cut further back taking some stem and leaves with the dead flower head.
This encourages new growth and your next lot of buds and flowers. Established roses can be cut for vases but not first year roses.
Gardeners that have roses that they are not proud of can follow the following procedure to obtain those desired healthy roses;
1/ Stop using any chemicals any where near or on the roses.
2/ Drench the soil with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) and Mycorrcin combined and spray the plants with the same.
3/ Sprinkle a little Ocean solids, Rok Solid, Dolomite, sheep manure pellets (or animal manure) plus blood & bone, around the root zone then cover the products with compost. Water in with MBL and Mycorrcin.
4/ Twice a month till mid autumn spray the soil and the plants with the same two products. Use the key Pyrethrum and Neem Tree Oil if insects attack the plants.
5/ In autumn (March) apply the Dolomite, blood & bone, sheep pellets and cover with more compost.
You should see improvements this first season but more so next season.
For those that do have nice healthy roses a monthly spray of MBL and Mycorrcin over the foliage and soil should be sufficient. Feed the roses the natural foods as required, covering with compost.
In the late autumn early winter your roses will start preparing for their winter rest and you should not be concerned about any blemishing of the foliage at that time. It is just nature taking out the foliage and converting it to food for the soil food web. A clean up spray of Lime Sulphur in winter is all that is needed.
It is a successful easy approach to gardening and should be also applied to your vegetable and fruit crops as they are going to provide you with the vital healthy food our bodies need.
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XMAS GIFT IDEA

I have a suggestion for a Xmas gift that can be given to a family member or friend this year.
Purchase a citrus tree from your local garden centre along with a larger container (about 45 litres) and a bag of compost.
Total cost would be somewhere between $30 to $50, depending on the type of container you select. Plant the citrus tree in the container using the compost with some blood & bone and Sheep Manure pellets along with a hand full of soil mixed in the lower part of the container, where the tree’s roots are going to sit.
Back fill with more compost. Ensure that there is about 30 mm between the top of the compost and the rim of the container which allows for easy watering.
Place outside in full sun till you are ready to wrap and present.
If you would like to add a little more to the planting then place say 4 lettuce seedlings, one at each of the cardinal points of the container. Alternatively 4 herbs such as thyme, sage, marjoram and chives can be planted at the 4 points.
This makes a wonderful gift that will bring years of pleasure to the receiver.
Any type of citrus will do but choose a type that the person does not have a specimen of already.
I have several citrus trees growing in containers this way and they produce a good harvest of fruit each year.
For a young couple setting up home it can become an annual gift, of a new different type of citrus every year. Start with a lemon and work your way through all the different types such as the oranges, grapefruit, tangelos, ugly fruit etc.
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BRINGING TUI TO YOUR GARDENS

For those of us that do not have a good range of native birds visiting our gardens it would be a real joy to have a Tui or two as regular visitors.
I loved it at my previous residence when at certain times of the year, then over a few weeks thereafter, I would hear a Tui calling, but as hard as I tried, I never ever saw the bird. Just the other day in the Supermarket while waiting in line a gentleman that I recognised from the past joined the que and we struck up a conversation.
During the talk about gardening (what else) he told me that about 4 years ago he planted a Kowhai tree which had grown well.
His home is in Palmerston North is in the Hokowhitu area and he found on Google a method of attracting Tui to their garden.
The method is so simple, you take a cup of sugar (raw would be best) and add a little water to turn it into a sugary syrup and then you add some red coloured food dye.
The trick is that Tui are attracted to the colour red and my informant told me that the container they put out (likely hung in the Kowhai) has to be refilled just about every day.
I understand that once the Tui know of a sweet delight which is readily available they would form a pattern of visiting.
You might need a Kowhai tree or two to make this work and you definitely need to be in a area where Tui do pass by occasionally.
Well onto other matters and most importantly the problems that gardeners are having in many areas of the country with their tomato and other plants.
The weather is unseasonal and till it settles most heat loving plants will not do so well.
This may cause blotches on foliage and foliage that does not have nice green leaves.
In most cases when the weather improves so will the plants. The benefit with the poor weather is that a lot of insect pests are also affected and their populations remain low.
You should take advantage of this fact and spray preferred plants with Neem Tree Oil late in the day.
It will help further reduce populations which will be a great advantage later on.
Unlike all the other insecticides, Neem Oil does not kill the beneficial insects so their populations can grow and they will work on eating up the pest insects.
Back to our poor struggling tomatoes, cucumbers etc you can do a few things to help the plants do better.
Firstly give them a side dressing of potash which helps strengthen growth. Avoid giving higher nitrogen feeds till weather settles as nitrogen causes soft growth which will damage more easily.
Some gardeners tend to see that a plant is not doing as well as expected and they think the answer must be lack of food and so they pour on the tucker.
Not at all good and likely does a lot of harm as the plant maybe forced to grow causing more damage.
Of course the other common aspect is; it must be dry so lets drown it. Both aspects are bad news for the plants. You can besides the potash water some Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) into the surrounding soil as this will help unlock minerals and elements that the plant maybe needing.
Also spray the plant with the same product. Then to give the plant its own external protection against the elements, diseases and pests spray all over with Vaporgard.
This will not only protect the plant but will allow the plant to gain more energy from the sunlight.
Strawberry plants should be producing fruit now and looking good. Don't forget your 2 weekly spray with Mycorrcin to increase the seasons fruit harvest by 200 to 400% and make for bigger tastier berries too.
The time of curly leaf in stone fruit trees is just about past so a spray all over with Vaporgard will help restore vitality and protect the good foliage.
The grass grub beetles are on the wing about now and they will eat the foliage of plants such as roses beans and citrus in the early evening.
Use the light trick that I described in my Book, Wallys Green Tips for Gardeners to catch and kill the pests. This will also save your lawns from so much damage next year.
Talking about books its getting close to Xmas and any of my three books would make ideal presents for family or friends.
Visit your garden centre for gift ideas for Xmas.
Its easy to pick out a few plants a nice container or two some good compost and plant up your purchases so they have a bit of time to settle in before you wrap them and give them away.
Gift vouchers on gardening are always great value for the receiver also.
Well there is lots to do and for a change the weather is looking a bit better this Saturday morning in Palmerston North so happy gardening.
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GROWING GIANT PLANTS

We need to encourage our children and grandchildren to appreciate Nature by including them in some gardening activities. I believe that young children have a natural infinity with plants and insects when they are allowed to explore our gardens.
Children learn many things by mimicking their parents and are often keen at a young age to assist in various gardening activities.
I remember as a toddler spending many hours in the garden collecting caterpillars off the cabbages and feeding them to our chooks. I was given my own little spade and wheelbarrow when I was about three and had a lot of fun moving the weeds my mum removed from gardens to the compost bin or to feed them to the chooks.
I can still remember how good it felt to be part of Nature back then and the same feeling pertains today when I work or wander around gardens.
It was about that time, when I was given my own little plot of ground to grow plants in.
Seeds would be planted and I would be taught which seedlings were weeds and which were plants.
My own little watering can would nurture the baby plants till maturity. A great ado would be made when one of my cabbages, silverbeet or lettuces was harvested for the evening meal. Even though I hated eating silverbeet back then, I had to enjoy my own grown silverbeet, because I grew it!
It was the fuss that the adults made, that gave me a feeling of importance and likely kept me gardening for the rest of my life.
Plants that move have a fascination for children and a great one for this is Mimosa pudica, the Sensitive Plant, which folds up its leaves when touched.
They are easy to grow from seed, as a pot plant for a windowsill. Nice pink flowers also. As the plant matures it has thorns on the branches which incidentally are another attraction for children. (Available from Kings Seeds)
Cacti with their prickles often appeal to young boys and I had a small collection when young and still keep a few.
Two awesome plants for children to grow are the super giant sunflowers and pumpkins.
Called ‘My Giant Sunflower’ these extra tall sunflowers will grow up to 5 metres tall.(17 odd feet) Grown in full sun in soil that has excellent drainage and lots of manure.
The giant pumpkin is called ‘My Giant Pumpkin’ and these monsters can weigh over 1000 pounds at maturity. (Half a ton)
Niche seeds have the two giants on their seed stands in garden centres through out New Zealand.
Designed for children but may also be open to big kids like me. The seed packets contain information on growing and recording the progress of your plants.
Another interesting aspect is to encourage the children to give their giant plant a personal name after it is established.
Naming the plant makes the giant more personal and helps the children to have respect for plants and nature.
If I was going to grow either of these giants, here is what I would do: In an all-day-sunny area, I would dig a hole about a spade depth and width, chop up the bottom of the hole, so the soil is loose, then fill the hole with chook manure to about two thirds full. (Other manure could be used if chook manure is not obtainable, but chook is best)
Fill the rest of the hole with a good compost and soil mix, 50/50 making a small mound about 12cm tall above the filled in hole. Place one seed in the middle of the mound and wet it down with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL), (20 ml of MBL to 1 litre of water.)
Water the mount to keep moist with plain water and then every 2 weeks with the MBL.
Overseas the biggest record vegetables have been achieved with products very similar or the same as MBL. Spraying the foliage of your Giants every 2 weeks with MBL (10 ml to a litre) will also assist in a bigger healthier plant.
After your plants are established and growing well, give them a drink using Cucumber Booster, once a week. This is a high nitrogen product that is a combination of sulphate of ammonia and potassium nitrate, which you diluted in water.
Cucumber Booster is excellent for any plants that enjoys a boost of nitrogen after establishment.
It is used for growing cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini and gourds.
The MBL and Cucumber Booster can be combined for watering into the soil near the base of the plant.
Because of the weather patterns we are experiencing, after you plant your seed, cut off the base of a 2 to3 litre plastic fruit juice bottle and place this over the mound, with the cap removed.
This will give your seed and seedling its own little glasshouse.
This is removed once the seedling starts to fill the bottle and needs more room. With the Giant Sunflower a tall strong stake should be put in the ground at seed planting time on the edge of the mound. This will be needed later to give extra support to the plant.
Another interesting thing to do is once the sunflower gets up about a metre tall, plant 3 or 4 climbing bean seeds at the base of the plant.
These will grow up the sunflower and also provide extra nitrogen for the sunflower. It is a lot of fun plus a great way to get the children way from the TV and video games, showing them there is more to life than a screen.
Some garden centres run competitions for the tallest sunflower and the biggest pumpkin with various prizes for the winners.
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AROUND THE GARDEN

Aphids are likely to be found on your roses at this time and they can easily be controlled with a safe spray of Key Pyrethrum and Neem Tree Oil combined. Spray very late in the day just before dusk to obtain the best results.
Stone fruit trees that had the curly leaf disease will now be producing new leaves free of the problem. The damaged leaves will fall off over time. You can if you like, spray the newer leaves a couple of times with Liquid Copper just to be sure, but if the disease has finished for the season the sprays will not make much difference. A spray of Vaporgard without the copper would be more effective in allowing the tree’s remaining leaves to gain more energy from the sun, which is needed to produce a good crop.
Codlin Moths will start to be on the wing about now so obtain a pheromone trap from your garden centre so you can monitor the best time to spray. A number of gardeners have found that a spray of Neem Tree Oil over the young apples, applied about 5-7 days after an influx of moths into the traps, has resulted in only a very small scar on the mature apple, where the grub took its first and only bite.
Repeat spray 7 days later and then wait for another influx of moths before repeating.
Add Raingard or MBL to the spray to assist and extend the control period.
Tomatoes should be doing well if in a sunny, sheltered spot. Only remove laterals on a sunny day when it is not humid or moist. Spray the wound immediately with Liquid Copper to prevent disease entering the wound resulting in the possible loss of the plant. Ensure that the tomato plants are well supported on stakes during windy times. If you are concerned about blights spray the plants with Perkfection as a preventative, once a month. The same applies for your potatoes.
For general health of any plants, especially roses and food crops, a two weekly spray of MBL and Mycorrcin works wonders. Spray both the soil and the foliage.
Avoiding the use of chemical sprays and fertilisers is a must for healthy plants.
Had the case of a lady this week that used a common chemical rose spray on her roses for aphids and found that the roses shed many of their leaves a few days later. Plants hate poisons as they kill all the beneficial things in nature.
I have a saying that if you work with Nature, you will have great gardens, if you try to work against nature, you have chemical warfare.
Happy, Healthy Gardening.
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GROWING VEGETABLES

Growing vegetables and fruit has always been one of my main concerns in gardening since I was a tot. If you can eat it, grow it, all other plants are for show. This does not mean that I don't like my roses, annuals, ornamental trees and shrubs. They all serve a good purpose which I can enjoy, when my belly is full of my own, home grown produce.
This thinking dates back to over fifty plus years ago, when many New Zealanders used to grow most of their own fruit and vegetables. In the last 50 years things changed, we started to depend on others to grow the produce that we put on our tables.
Initially this produce was healthy, grown with compost and similar natural products. It contained nutritional value and fed a growing nation.
Progressively things changed as super phosphate and other chemical fertilisers were used by the market gardeners. Nutritional values dropped, the crops were attacked by diseases and pests, chemical sprays were applied and the health of the nation declined.
The heartening news is; many gardeners have woken up to this problem and are now taking more notice of what harmful substances are in the food we eat.
I have spoken to a number of garden centre owners and they all report that they have never sold as many vegetable seedlings and seeds, this new season, than ever before.
I believe that people do not want to have illnesses such as cancer and that they realise that cancer and several other health problems are largely resulting from the chemicals in our food chain.
The answer is simple; grow as much as you can of your own produce so that your body receives a reasonable amount of wholesome goodness. The food tastes that much better and your health will be far better off as a result.
Dig up some lawn and make a plot for vegetables. Build raised gardens, grow in containers, remember where there is a will, there is a way and its your health we are talking about.
There are some basic rules to grow healthy produce;
1/ Remember that whatever you put into the soil will be in your food.
2/ Avoid all chemical fertilisers, sprays and chemical weed killers.
3/ Use only natural composts, sheep manure pellets, blood & bone, liquid manures, lime, gypsum, dolomite etc.
4/ Enhance the number minerals and elements in the soil by using mineral rich products such as Ocean Solids, Rok Solid and Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL)and Sea Weed Extracts.
5/ Feed the beneficial microbes and fungi with Mycorrcin and MBL.
Doing the above will build an excellent soil food web which is the key to the health of all living things on the planet.
The next question is what vegetables to grow? This depends on the amount of garden room you have or alternatively grow in containers such as the polystyrene trays. I grow the following in these trays; lettuce, silverbeet, spring onions, beetroot, dwarf beans, radishes, parsley, chives, garlic and my favourite ‘Bright Lights’ silverbeet. The same trays are perfect to grow wheat grass for juicing which in my mind is the ultimate in nutritional value and health giving properties.
Lacking room? ‘Space Savers Vegetables’ are the answer, which are part of the Niche Seed’s range. These allow you to plant in small gardens and containers a number of vegetables such as the following:.
Mini Cabbage, which has conical heads, sweet and tender ideal for summer salads, coleslaws and cooking; maturing in about 2 months.
Mini Cabbage, Red, an early red cabbage with smooth, round, medium sized heads with superb flavour. Leaves are tender, crisp and pleasantly peppery.
Mini Cabbage, Savoy cabbage Alcosa, Small deep blue-green crinkled heads with very light cream interior leaves, ideal for growing in cooler temperatures.
Other Space Saver vegetables include; Baby Corn, Mini Pumpkin (Teddy Bear), 3 types of Rock Melon, Mini Leeks and Mini Onions. Besides not taking so much room in the garden these vegetables are quicker to reach maturity from seed. For one or two person households, they are perfect for fresh use, without the waste of a larger item that needs storing in the fridge.
Capsicums and Peppers are great for your health and the Niche range of seeds provides 11 varieties plus a 4 pack that has two hot and two sweet peppers in separate packets on the main packet.
In fact the Niche range includes a number of multiple packets of seeds in one packet which gives you a greater selection to grow.
Many gardeners like my self, are always looking for something different to grow and those of us that like to do our Chef thing in the kitchen, when entertaining, just love a vegetable that is not commonly available. Not only can you skite about say, the purple carrots you have included in a dish, you can also say they were grown by yourself with no chemicals to contaminate them.
Carrot Rainbow Selection has carrots of purple, white, yellow and red. These carrots have existed for hundreds of years and recent research has suggested that the natural pigments of the carrots may help prevent heart disease, cancer and reduce cholesterol. These are the types of vegetables we need these days and though they grow with different colours, they still taste like carrots.
Another root crop is Salsify (Black Salsify) which is sometimes referred to as the vegetable oyster having a flavour that is oyster like.
Burdock Root Minto Shirohada, is grown like parsnips and has a crisp nutty flavour. Used in a number of Japanese dishes and stir fries.
For the unusual try any of the following also;
Gherkin Mexican Sour, vines produce masses of 50 to 77 mm fruits like miniature watermelons, which fall off the vine when ripe. They taste like a sweet cucumber which is contrasted by a surprising sourness as if they were already pickled.
Asparagus Pea is a true connoisseur’s vegetable producing copious quantities of delicious winged pods for about 10 weeks if picked regularly and kept well watered. Commence harvesting when pods are about 25mm long and cook lightly (steamed) to bring out their unique flavour. (bit like asparagus)
Okra Burgundy is a colourful, decorative plant with flashy red pods which turn dark purple when lightly cooked. Pods remain tender up to 175mm long.
Shallots can be grown true from Niche seed for their mild onion flavour.
Zucchini Super Kumi is an interesting one to grow, developed from the original Kamo Kamo (Kumi Kumi). Picked when the fruits are 120 to 180 mm long they are zucchini, allowed to keep on growing they become 2kg Kumi Kumi instead of the traditional marrows that one obtains off normal Zucchini.
Is that enough to wet your appetite? You will find the full range of Niche Vegetables seeds in most garden centres.
To obtain the best flavors and results follow the information supplied above and remember you can only get out of your gardens what you put in. ooooo
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NEW WEAPON AGAINST HARD TO KILL WEEDS

Gardeners that have followed my columns and books over the years, will know that I strongly disapprove of using chemical herbicides in gardens because of the damage they do to the soil and preferred plants.
Yet I am also a realist and some weeds are very difficult to kill and eradicate by non chemical means. Thus I sometimes give tips about how to use a chemical weed killer in a more safe manner to clean up a problem.
An example of this is convolvulus coming through a fence line from next door.
What you do is place a dish or container with a systemic herbicide such as Roundup into the container and you then place the growing tips into the solution.
The plant is forced to take up the solution and this flows back along the entire root system of that bit of convolvulus killing it out completely. You repeat the same with all new growths and then you should be free of the problem for sometime.
Simple, effective and less damage done when compared to spraying.
Thus chemical herbicides do have a place and should only be used sparingly and try to avoid any use in food growing areas.
About a month ago I received an email from Andy Spence and this is what he had to say about Cut n Paste a new weed control weapon:

“My product was developed over a a few years when I was the Park Ranger at Whakanewha Regional Park on Waiheke Island and the Biosecurity Officer for the island. Waiheke is laughingly called WeedHeke by those in the know and with good reason. We have many people here who are very anti chemicals and sprays.
My experience with trying to kill persistent weeds with non systemic herbicides led me to develop my product.
It is Glyphosate based but puts the active ingredient in a gel form that is very safe and easy to use and so many people who previously were very reluctant to use sprays feel fine with using the gel.
You put the gel exactly where you want it and it stays in the plant and doesn't migrate through the soil unlike a competitive product.
It also kills problem grasses and almost everything else including some things that Glyphosate as a spray won't touch, like ginger and ivy's and some bamboos.”
I was very interested and I told Andy that I would write about Cut n Paste so gardeners could try it out for themselves.
As I have been very busy relocating to another residence in Palmerston North Andy supplied me with the following:

"I'd like to introduce a new product to all you keen gardeners.
We all struggle with perennial weed problems in our gardens. Plants that just wont' go away!
Now you know that I try to stay as organic as possible but we also know that the organic weedkillers don't actually kill the roots of these hard to kill weeds.
Well I'd like to present this new product called appropriately Cut'n'Paste.
It's a very low toxicity (9.1D), glyphosate based, brush on weedkiller gel that if very effective.
Sprays are just not the way to go if you can avoid them so this product gives the answer to effective weed control.
Because it's a gel applied with a brush it's highly targeted.
It just goes into the plant that you want to remove and that's where it stays. The plant dies in situ and you can just leave it to rot away.
It won't translocate through the soil to affect other plants. It's very reasonably priced and comes in a generous 450ml bottle.
The bottle is a bright blue which is very smart as it's hard to lose in the garden whilst you're working away. The bright orange brush top is so convenient to apply the gel and the cap prevents the gel from getting on your hands and clothes. You need very little pressure on the bottle and brush to make the gel go on.
To deal to a large weed like gorse or Chinese privet you need a pair of good loppers or a garden hand saw.
Just cut the plant as low to the ground as you can and immediately apply the gel to the freshly cut stump. The plant will suck in the herbicide and not re-sprout again. Very simple can convenient.
When the weed is still small it's simple to just paste a little gel onto the underside of some of the top leaves. The gel is then slowly taken into the plant through the stomata over a few hours.
Plants that are very resistant to sprays are affected by the gel because the gel holds the herbicide in place for much longer forcing the plant to take it in. When you're painting onto leaves it makes sense to wear a pair of rubber gloves to get the gel off your fingers.
How simple is that to just go weeding with a bottle and loppers! For those that understand a bit about herbicides, this one uses a glyphosate formulation that was chosen especially for it's mild detergents (surfactants) what are much less toxic to animals but just as toxic to plants.
The trials of the product have all shown that it's effective on a very broad range of plants including really tough ones like ginger and agapanthus, all the broadleaf weeds and grasses too. There is another product out there that's similar but it's more toxic and doesn't kill grasses.
With Cut'n'Paste even large pampass grasses can be killed by pasting the gel into a number of the growing shoots (the large the plant the more shoots that need to be treated). Gorse is a doddle, just cut and paste! It's much easier to get rid of the branches of a live gorse bush that a dead one after it's been sprayed.”
If you want to try out the product ask for it at your local garden centre and if they don't know about it tell them to contact me for details.
I think that this product will solve a lot of weed problems for gardeners in a safer manner than spraying.

Ordering information

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TWO SEASONAL PESTS

There are two seasonal pests that are going to emerge over the next few weeks and start off another cycle of damage. The pests are the Codlin Moth and Grass Grub Beetle. When these adult pests actually emerge, will depend on the weather and the amount of warmth with November and December been the normal months of activity.
The codlin moth emerges after apples, pears and walnuts fruit have set on the trees.
Coming out from their cocoons and becoming active at dusk, when temperatures are over 15 degrees. They mate and the female lays eggs (up to 300) on the foliage of the host trees. The eggs hatch after 10-14 days and head for the nearest young fruit, where they eat a hole and tunnel into the centre, doing the damage they are well known for. Knowing the above gives one a good indication of when best to use a control.
The first method to to obtain a codlin moth pheromone trap that lures the male moths to its sticky pad. (Many garden centres stock the traps.) The traps themselves are likely to reduce the instance of damage if set up about now. If in a perfect world, you were to catch all the male moths before they had a chance to mate, then the females would lay only infertile eggs. But as we see, only one female needs to mate, to ruin up to 300 fruit! So the trap is not a perfect control but it is a fantastic monitor.
A tin of treacle hanging in an onion bag will also work as a trap for the male moths. By checking the trap every couple of days one can determine when the moths are active and then start spraying about 7 days later.
Neem Tree Oil, sprayed about every 7-10 days to cover the young fruit will help to reduce damage.
Spraying starts 7 days after an influx of males is noted in the trap. (Without a trap start once the temperatures are about 15 degrees) Spray late in the day after the sun is off the trees and repeat every 7-10 days. Add Raingard to the spray to prevent washing off in rain and to give additional UV protection. (MBL can be added too)
If totally successful one should only find a pin prick scar on fruit, at maturity (where the grub took its first and only bite)
If you have an apple, pear or walnut tree that has not had the problem in the past, then don't worry about any controls. If the problem develops in time to come, then you can do the above.
Next our arch enemy the Grass Grub Beetle. These are emerging from October through to December in most parts of the country. Two signs can be observed to determine their activity; 1/ you will notice the foliage of a number of plants such as roses, beans and citrus being eaten but no pest present. (Holes are noted during the day when the beetles are away resting.) 2/ You will hear after dusk, the thump of the beetles hitting un-curtained windows of rooms, with lights on.
The more beetles that you can kill will reduce the damage to lawn grasses and the roots of other plants. (Each female can lay up to 40 eggs)
Knowing that the beetles are attracted to light makes them an easy target for control.
Secure a wall-paper trough (or similar) right under a window pane, fill two thirds with water and float a small amount of kerosene on to the water. Turn a strong light on in this window prior to dusk and leave till activity has stopped for the night.
The beetles will fly to the light, hit the window, fall down into the trough and not be able to get out because of the floating kerosene. Do this too, one or more windows, facing each lawn area. Your competition will be any other lights, which if under your control should be turned off (especially outside lights) Pull curtains on other windows.
Street Lights will reduce the effectiveness of this method in the front of your home, if you are near a street light. Lawn areas near street lights are always the worst effected by the grass grubs.
You don't want a lot of holes in your rose’s leaves and other plants so you will need to spray their foliage with Neem Tree Oil and Raingard mixed, about every 10-14 days.
You spray the leaves, a beetle comes along that night, takes a munch on the leaf and stops eating. The beetle then starves to death. This can also be an effective control in reducing the number of grubs that are going to eat your lawn’s grasses. So watch closely for plants that have holes in their leaves and no sign of a culprit. Soon as noticed, start spraying.
The female beetles that mate and lay eggs, lay the eggs 70 to 200mm deep in the lawn.
The larvae hatch about 16 to 21 days later and start feeding on the roots at that depth.
Far too deep to have any effect from chemical or natural controls so don't waste your time and money trying to kill the grubs till next autumn when they have eaten their way up nearer to the surface.
You can however do your best to keep the lawn in good health and actively growing by applying adequate moisture, slow release food such as Bio Boost. De-thatch with Thatch Busta. Do a monthly spray with MBL, Perkfection and Mycorrcin mixed together. Only mow the top third off the grasses, on any one mowing and adjust the mower to mow at a height of about 30 to 50 mm for normal mowing.
Lawns that are growing on heavy soils should be top dressed with Gypsum a couple of times a year and watered in. This breaks up the heavy soils and allows for better root penetration and production. There is nothing nicer than a green carpet of lawn, flowing between paths and gardens.
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GROWING IN A SOIL-LESS MEDIA

Growing plants in a soil-less media, is a fascination for many gardeners and the term Hydroponics arose from this activity.
A number of Hydroponic Shops popped up some years back selling all sorts of equipment to enable both home gardeners and commercial operations to grow plants by this means. We now have hydroponic-grown vegetables, especially lettuces, available in many supermarkets and vegetable outlets.
Growing plants by hydroponic methods is very easy and is only as expensive to set up as you wish it to be. A fun automatic system will cost you a small pump, some piping, plastic containers and plastic fittings, put together with common sense.
Or if you have the time to pour some solution 2 or 3 times a day, very minimal costs are involved.
Try the following bucket method to grow say 3 lettuces, a tomato plant or a potato plant.
Obtain a 20 litre plastic bucket or container, at about 40mm up from the bottom drill a hole of a size suitable to place a simple plastic tap. The tap should be the type that has lock nuts, washers and thread.
Glue a piece of fine mesh over the nut end of the tap. (Prevents the tap blocking) Next obtain a bag of pumice granules, these should vary in size from fine to course. Fill your bucket to near the top with the pumice and with the tap turned to on, pour in clean water till the tap flows freely.
Next take say three lettuce seedlings and wash the mix off their roots by rinsing them in a bucket of water. Plant them into the pumice in a triangle formation near the rim of the container. This means that they will grow well enough apart and over the edge of the container as they mature. You now need a complete liquid food that will give the lettuces all the nutrients that they need to grow and mature.
In the past, Hydroponic foods have been two parts, A & B which you would mix together. A few years ago a Hydroponic Company produced a new nutrient formulation called Matrix Reloaded.
It has all the goodies and you simply put 10 mils into a Litre of water to use. Another big advantage of this food is its in balance for both growth and flowering so you don't have to switch to a different type of nutrient when flowering starts on tomatoes and other flowering fruiting plants.
With the tap still on, pour a little of the diluted Matrix Reloaded over each of the seedlings. When the tap starts dripping turn it to the off position. Pour a few more mils of the solution onto each of the plants.
Thats all you need to do at this time. Make sure your planted container is in a sunny, sheltered situation and somewhere where you do not forget to check it every day. A glasshouse is perfect. When the pumice looks dryish, open the tap and slowly add more mixed up solution till the tap starts to drip. Turn off the tap and add a little more solution.
There is a reservoir of moisture/solution below the tap line and this moisture will be drawn up as the level of moisture above decreases. (Capillary action)
As our plants grow the amount of moisture/nutrient needs increase and we will need to add more nutrient or water once or twice a day. Salts will build up in the bucket which is not desirable. Its a little trial and error but once you reach the point where you are adding nutrient every day then every second/third day just add plain water. Nutrient one day, plain water next two days and then nutrient.
At 14 days run plain water, with the tap open to flush out system. Following day use nutrient, next day water etc. Flushing is important.
If growing a tomato make sure you have a stake in the container for support. Tomatoes need more nutrient than lettuces so one day nutrient next water and third day nutrient.(Once again at the time when moisture has to be added every day)
To grow a potato you don't fill the container with the pumice instead you plant the seed potato just above the tap level and cover it. As the foliage grows you keep adding more pumice to cover. Do so till you are about 70mm from top of container. As the new potatoes form they will displace the pumice which may eventually spill over the sides of the container. Fairly simple and a bit of fun.
If you want to use a pump system then you set up a length of plastic spouting with stops on both ends. Obtain 30mm thick polystyrene sheet and cut into a strip so it fits neatly into the top of the spouting.
Obtain some grow-tubes or small plastic pots which sit into the polystyrene when you cut suitable holes for them, spaced apart for allowing the plants room.
A hole is drilled low on one end of the gutter stop and a hose connector secured there with grommets. Set the guttering up on blocks with about a 10 degree fall to the hose connector end, with a holding tank below to collect the nutrient.
Sit your pump in the tank with a pipe running up to the higher end of the spouting. Use with an adaptor to 13mm common irrigation tubing so that you can put a adjustable on/off in this line. (So you can adjust flow rate.)
Place pea metal in the base of the guttering to slow and spread the flow of liquid. Place your plants with clean roots into each of the pots holding the plants secure with sphagnum moss.
Fill the tank with clean water and run the system for a day. Empty tank and fill with Diluted Matrix Reloaded. Run the system. For the next 7 to 14 days top up tank with plain water as needed. After this time take solution and water into gardens or pot plants and start a fresh solution off.
You can enhance either method by adding some MBL (Magic Botanic Liquid), Mycorrcin and Ocean Solids (dissolved), for all the benefits these products give to plants.
If slimes or algae happen put in a few drops of Moss Control or spray the same over areas that the green is building.
You can add some diluted Neem Oil to the solution to help with insect pests.
The guttering method is great for growing strawberries, dwarf beans and lettuces where tomatoes, cucumbers etc will require extra support.
A frame can be made to support two or three levels of guttering and piped so one flows into the other downwards to the holding tank The guttering is stepped outwards so they don't shade each other.
Smaller growing plants on the bottom, with taller plants supported on the top. Its a lot of practical, productive fun with Matrix Reloaded making it easy to do. Matrix Reloaded is available from many Garden Centres and its a wonderful liquid plant food for gardens and containers as well.
When using it as a plant food you mix Matrix with water and leave it for half an hour before using.
This allows the mix to adjust.
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LABOUR WEEKEND APPROACHING

Labour Weekend puts us about bang in the middle of spring, which is the time deemed historically in New Zealand, as the best time to get your gardens planted out for the summer and autumn.
Keen gardeners have already made significant progress in their gardens so likely they are into the final touches and the daily care patterns of watering, along with nipping out weed seedlings that pop up.
Even people that do not normally do much more gardening than mowing the lawn and spraying some herbicide around, tend to become more motivated about now.
It must be the spring thing which is often referred to as ‘Spring Cleaning’
This term actually came about in days gone by when the weather warmed in the spring and people would take out the old hay, which was used to cover the earthen, kitchen floor. Fresh hay would be spread and likely the old hay would be dug into the vegetable plot.
Spring is the time for renewal and all around us birds are sitting on their nests of hatchlings and causing a bit of havoc in gardens as they search for tidbits to feed the young. In fact I had a call from a gardener that had the problem of blackbirds chucking around his garden mulch in their quest for food.
To solve this problem supply the birds with ample food for their young. This is best done by obtaining a bit of liver and chopping it up into small bits. Place these in a pot with 3 cups of rice and sufficient water to cook. Stir occasionally till the rice is cooked. Place spoonfuls of the mix out in suitable spots for the birds to eat. Do this 2-3 times a day and again after dark so the birds who wake up before most people in the morning, have the food for breakfast. The rice mix keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
To keep the birds off the areas where you don't want them you can string some Bird Repeller Ribbon which is available from most independent garden centres.
The desire to nurture their young is so great that the ribbon will be of little use unless you supply a good amount of food. Besides the rice, you can feed them bird seed, bread etc, but protein is what the birds want for their young and that comes from the liver and rice mix. I feed my chooks this mix every day for their lunch and they love it.
It is this ‘spring cleaning’ come nurture aspect which motivates our non gardening friends to get out and plant a few shrubs, flowers and even vegetables at this time of the year. If these plantings are successful they take pride in their efforts and start to become true gardeners in their own right.
When weather conditions or lack of knowledge results in failures, they consider that their thumbs are not green and carry on with their other normal pursuits.
Planting out of seedlings is one of the main tasks at this time along with germinating seeds for planting out later. Seedlings face three dangers that can decimate the young plants. Birds, which we have already mentioned. Cats, which just love freshly prepared soils as toilets. Slugs and snails that like seedlings.
To keep cats away from your new gardens obtain a product that is called ‘Cat Repellent,’ sprinkle some of the crystals around the area to protect, and over 95% of the local cats will stay away. As the crystals evaporate sprinkle a few more till the cats have formed new habits.
Slugs and snails also can attack seedlings and the best method of dealing with them is to spray Liquid Copper with Raingard added over the seedlings and surrounding soil. The slugs and snails cannot go over copper without being effected so they stay away from treated areas. Repeat treatment about every 10 to 14 days.
This method is far better than using poison baits which can kill pets and birds and are also dangerous to have around with small children. Slugs and snails are an advantage in the garden as they aid in the breakdown of decomposing organic material and are an important part of the soil food web. We just need to keep them off our living plants.
Germinating seedlings is a frustrating experience for many gardeners because they do not provide sufficient natural light for the new seedlings. The seeds sown in trays or punnets can be started off indoors but as soon as the first show of germination takes place they must be moved to a place where they have full light but not strong direct sunlight. Ideally a glasshouse with a bit of shade cloth is perfect.
Alternatively take an old drawer and place it in a morning or late in the day sun situation.
Place your trays in the drawer with panes of glass over the drawer to protect the young seedlings from the elements. Raise the glass slightly for ventilation. Seedlings on a windowsill will stretch to the window and become weak and dampen off. When the seedlings have natural light from above they do not stretch, growing as natural, stocky plants.
Use potting mix for germinating seedlings as it is better and cheaper than special seed raising mixes. Fill the tray two thirds full of the potting mix, sieve some more mix over this to obtain a layer of the finer particles. Sprinkle the seeds over the fine particles and sieve some more mix to slightly cover the seeds.
With a fine rose watering can or a mist sprayer, moisten down the sowing with Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) mixed with water at 10 mls per litre. This aids the germination. Keep the seeds moist but not over wet.
Once the seedlings have reached the second true leaf stage the tray should be soaked in the MBL and water mix and then the seedlings are pricked out into cell trays or small pots for later planting into the gardens.
When planting out a garden plot remove all the weeds by hand and hoe up the soil to loosen it, if compacted. Cover the area with a layer of compost which can be obtained these days from garden centres in bags or by the trailer load. Before spreading the compost over the prepared ground, you can enhance the mineral content of the soil by sprinkling Rok Solid and Ocean Solids. Sheep Manure pellets, Blood & bone, dolomite & gypsum can also be applied at the suggested rates on the containers.
Then an inch or two of the compost is used to cover these goodies. Now the seedlings can be planted into the compost and watered in with MBL and Mycorrcin. The later along with the MBL will start assisting the microbe populations to build up making for better healthier plants and gardens.
You may like to spray your seedlings with Vaporgard an hour or two before transplanting. This reduces moisture loss and makes a big difference in reducing transplant shock. The seedlings not only stand up quicker and start growing faster but it also protects them against cold snaps and late frosts.
Once planted and watered in you can sprinkle the Cat Repellent around if need be and spray the seedlings and mulch with Liquid Copper and Raingard to keep the slugs and snails at bay.
It is important that you water your new plantings lightly and frequently, such as every day while they are establishing.
Here we bring in an interesting point; tap water in some areas has chlorine added to the water which is not good for the soil or plants. The tap water will get dry soil moist, but it also kills beneficial microbes in the soil and on the plants, slowing down the plant’s growth and health. Some areas have greater amounts of chlorine in the water that others and you can smell this poison when you turn on the tap. Also not good for your own health either.
When it rains you will notice that plants really come away as the rain water is much more beneficial for the gardens than the chlorine doctored tap water.
I overcame this problem several years ago by investing in a low cost water filter which is connected to my garden hose. An excellent investment, which removes another toxic chemical from our gardens (along with any other pesticides/chemical traces that are in many tap water supplies)
Another step towards having healthy plants and gardens. Have a great Labour Weekend.
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COMPANION PLANTING : WHO LIKES EACH OTHER?

A reader, in their email a while back, asked if I could write an article on Companion Planting.
As many of us are busy planting out seedlings into our gardens, it is an opportune time to have a wee look at what can be planted next to each other for some benefits and what should not. In fact this latter aspect of what should not be grown near each other is in my mind more important. Anything that reduces good growth or creates other problems is a negative and as some gardeners do have problems anyway why add to them?
To start with let’s look at our gardening friends that live in the soil, microbes (bacteria) and fungi.
There is a ratio that forms in soils where one group of these will be more dominate that the other while both will provide vast benefits to your plants. We find in natural forests that the fungi are kings, where on natural grass lands the microbes rule. Thus our trees and shrubs (small trees) prefer lots of the many various fungi to do best. Our lawns, vegetables and flowers want their mates the microbes.
There are exceptions to this rule as nature is not finite in its preferences such as woodland plants like strawberries live and perform best in soils with ample beneficial fungi and fewer microbes.
We notice that grass and a number of other plants do not do well near trees and shrubs. Certainly it can be the aspect of shade and the trees taking out moisture and nutrients from the soil.
When we apply ample moisture and nutrients, as well as removing the lower branches to afford reasonable natural light to these plants and grasses they still do not do as well as the same plants a bit further away.
The added moisture and food certainly makes the trees grow bigger and faster. It is to do with the balance of the soil life. I love trees for the shelter and shade they provide but have always found my vegetables growing near the trees are never as good as the same ones a bit further away.
There is a certain amount of proved science about some companion planting and the rest is unproven. Much has been noticed by gardeners over hundreds of years and this is termed traditional knowledge.
One of my favourites is the planting of corn seeds and once these plants are up a foot or so then bean seeds (or peas) are planted next to each corn plant.
Later when the beans have started to climb up the corn squash seeds are planted in amongst them. This is a traditional planting by the North American Natives in some tribes. One can see the immediate benefit of the beans or peas having the taller corn plants to climb up or support and the larger leaves of the squash aiding in the retention of soil moisture.
But another aspect pertains, beans and peas are nitrogen fixers and corn and squash need heaps of natural nitrogen to grow well. This same planting can be applied to tall growing sunflowers too.
We have in these two cases very beneficial companion plantings. Clover is also a great nitrogen fixer.
Here is an interesting case I was told about in regards to clover and Roundup. The group of farmers who use the mineral rock dust they call ‘Probitas’ did a trial in two paddocks next to each other. One paddock was sprayed with Roundup to kill the grasses and weeds then ploughed. The other paddock was just ploughed with no herbicide used. Probitas (Mineral Rock dust) and lime were applied to both paddocks and then tilled.
Then clover seeds were drilled planted in both. The clovers grew in both paddocks but the non Roundup treated paddock had better looking plants. Later some clover plants were lifted in both paddocks to check the root nodules which fix the nitrogen. In the Roundup treated paddock the nodules were small and sparse.
Where in the non Roundup treated paddock the root nodules were large and like bunches of grapes.
A very interesting result which shows how much harm is done to the soil with these types of herbicides.
Another reason for planting different plants together is insect pest control.
The African marigold releases thiopene which is a nematode repellent, making it a good companion for a number of garden crops. There are plants that attract beneficial insects because they provide a nectar source for them. Phacelia Lacy has proved popular with some for this purpose attracting bees and predictor small wasps.
(The wasps kill the aphids by laying their eggs in the aphid’s body) Another way is to plant a Shoo fly plant which attracts white fly and helps keep the pest off your other plants.
(I don't know how well this works in reality but the Shoo fly plant certainly gets covered in whitefly)
Now lets look at a few examples of common vegetables and what can be planted next to them and what should not.
Asparagus likes tomatoes, parley and basil: Climbing beans like corn, summer savory and radish but not onion, beets kohlrabi and sunflowers. Dwarf or bush beans don't like onions but like potatoes, cucumber, corn, strawberry, celery and summer savory.
Brassicas (cabbages etc) like aromatic herbs, celery, beets, onion family, chamomile and chard but not dill, strawberries, climbing beans and tomatoes.
Carrots like peas, lettuce, rosemary, onion family, sage and tomatoes but not dill.
Celery is happy with onion & cabbage families, tomato, dwarf beans and nasturtium.
Corn likes beans, pea, pumpkin, cucumber and squash but not tomatoes.
Cucumbers like beans, corn, peas, sunflowers and radish but not potatoes or aromatic herbs.
Eggplant likes beans and marigolds. Lettuce prefers carrot, radish, strawberries and cucumber.
Onions do well with beets, carrots, lettuce, cabbage and summer savory but not beans or peas.
Parsley prefers tomatoes and asparagus. Peas like carrots, radish, turnip, cucumber, corn and beans but not onion family, gladiolus or potatoes. Grow your spuds along side of beans, corn, cabbage family, marigolds and horseradish avoiding pumpkin, squash, tomato, cucumber and sunflowers.
Pumpkins get on well with corn and marigolds but not potatoes. Radish like peas, nasturtium, lettuce and cucumbers but avoid hyssop. Tomatoes prefer onions, nasturtium, marigolds, asparagus, carrot, parsley and cucumber but not potatoes, fennel and cabbage family. Turnip like peas but not potatoes.
Likely there are many others but this is a good starting point for those that wish to use the system of companion planting.
I remember once that I converted some waste land for a crop of potatoes and found that mint was growing in the area. I left the mint to grow hoping that I would not need to mint the potatoes when boiling. It didn't work the potatoes never gathered the mint flavour.
Another interesting aspect is gardening by the moon phases. For instance it is said that you should plant seeds when the moon is ascending and harvest when descending. I understand that when the moon is up and especially around full moon time on a clear night that the sun light reflected off the moon gives plants some light which allows them to grow when compared to a no moon time.
When I was a nurseryman I was planting seeds virtually everyday and never noted a better response to ascending or descending moon. I also asked other nurserymen the same and they also said it appeared to make no significant difference. (Moon light or artificial light at night will make sprouted seeds grow bigger quicker) So is there any truth in gardening by the moon to obtain better results?
I believe so because of our own conscious thoughts. If we believe something is going to grow better because of an X factor and hold that thought in mind while gardening the plants will respond.
It is like growing two identical plants in pots near each other. One you tell how much you love it and the other you say how bad it is. Do this daily and the bad one will fair poorly and likely die where the good one will grow lush and happy. Now if we could only apply this to our weeds it would solve a real problem.
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OCTOBER 2011

Wow its October already and Labour weekend is only a few weeks away.
Daylight saving has started which means you have extra time in the late afternoon/early evening to potter around the gardens and get things organised for the summer.
It is a busy time if you have not been keeping up with the gardening chores and even if you have, there is still ample to keep your fingers twitching, whether they are green or not.
The important aspect to remember this season is to garden the soil instead of the plants which means you put most of your efforts into producing great soil and then the plants will look after themselves much better.
Don't water your garden with chlorinated tap water, place a filter on the outside tap to remove the chlorine. This costs about $140 to set up and then about $40 dollars every year or two to replace the filter depending on your water usage.
Avoid using cheap chemical fertilisers and if using any man made fertilisers do so sparingly so there will be minimal damage to the soil.
Avoid using chemical herbicides around food and preferred garden areas such as rose beds.
The chemicals from these weed killers do affect soil life and the health of your plants.
Feed the soil with natural products such as animal manures, compost, blood & bone etc..
For pest and disease control there are several natural products such as Neem that can be used when required.
Don't waste your money on the chemical ones which have got so expensive now and can do more damage than good. They damage the health of the plants, the health of the soil and the health of your wallet.
Mineralize the soil as our soils are now thousands of years old and they have lost the goodness/minerals they had a million years ago. Where did those minerals go?
Easy they went out to sea, got locked up in fossil deposits and have also survived in rocks.
To return them to our gardens we can use Ocean Solid, Rok Solid and Magic Botanic Liquid (MBL) Follow these guide lines above and you should see a noticeable difference in your gardens this season.
Before you do anything in the garden ask yourself this simple question; Is this good for my soil?
If yes, do it; if no then avoid it.
I have reports coming in regularly from gardeners telling me that their gardens have improved out of sight since using those simple methods. Their wallets have been a lot fatter too.

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TOMATO TIME

It is about the right time to get your tomato plants either potted up or planted out depending where in the country you are.
The new pest call the tomato/potato psyllid and the old pest called whitefly will affect your crop this season unless you protect the plants and keep the pests numbers low.
What is likely to happen is the first fruit when they ripen will be of good size and about normal but as the season progresses the fruit will get smaller and smaller.
In some cases plants will be lost due to heavy infestations of the pests feeding on the plants.
You can liken this to having lots of blood sucking parasites on your body sapping your energy and not only that injecting into your body toxins which will make you sick and eventually kill you, unless you take remedial action. Its a real thought when it happens to ourselves and a very unpleasant one so imagine how your plants feel when it happens to them.
The plants do have defense mechanisms far better than our own antibodies and immune system but these systems only work in plants when the plants are in a healthy state as a result of very healthy soil. See the reason for gardening the soil?
Anyway a bit about the dreaded psyllid from my revised book, Wallys down To Earth Garden Guide;
The tomato/potato psyllid is going to be a big concern for many gardeners this season as well as commercial growers.
(From Crop and Food Research web site) The tomato potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is a pest attacking tomatoes and capsicums (both indoors and outdoors) and potatoes in New Zealand and can cause a reduction in fruit yield and quality.
The nymphs cause plant damage but adults also feed on the plants.
While feeding, the tomato potato psyllid (TPP) nymphs inject toxic saliva into the plant, causing the condition known as "psyllid yellows” in potatoes and tomatoes.
In capsicums young plants can be severely damaged by direct feeding of the nymphs.
Psyllid sugar is the symptom that you are most likely to see on your plants. Nymphs and possibly adults inject a toxin into the plants when they feed.
The toxin causes discoloration of leaves and the plant to become stunted exhibiting psyllid yellow and purple top. Leaf edges upturn and show yellowing or purpling.
The plants internodes shorten and new growth is retarded.
If the psyllids are removed, the plant may start to grow normally.
In tomatoes, psyllid feeding can cause plants to produce numerous small poor quality fruit or prevent fruit forming.
Solanaceous species (capsicum, egg plant, potatoes, tomatoes and black nightshade) are the preferred hosts, but it may breed on species of Convolvulaceae, including kumara, especially if high populations are nearby.
As from my earlier articles on this pest some gardeners have found that the use of Neem Tree Granules placed in the planting hole and sprinkled on the soil surface has assisted in the pest’s control.
This should also be supplemented by spraying Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum just prior to dusk, over and under the foliage of crops affected for a complete coverage.
The same spray can be applied over the Neem Granules on the soil to increase their potency.
The granules should be refreshed about every 6 to 8 weeks to keep a continual supply of the active ingredients entering the root system of the plants.
Originally I was under the impression that only tomatoes and potatoes were affected but now it has been shown that capsicums, (peppers) egg plants, Cape gooseberry and possibly kumara can be damaged.
Refer to the above for other plants and ornamentals that can be hosts to the pest such as nightshade.
The removal of these plants or controls as suggested should also be applied to them to prevent re-infesting on your target plants (tomatoes etc)
If there are host plants growing nearby such as in neighbouring properties then your control sprays will need to be increased in frequency.
The facts as I see them are; they are hard to spot and many gardeners will suffer crop losses thinking their crops are ok and not apply any controls, a female laying up to 510 eggs in 21 days makes for massive population increases which means they become harder to control.
Your best bet is preventative controls used from the time of planting and right through the growing season.
If you had the problem last season, then as sure as apples you are likely to have the problem again.

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CODLIN MOTH

Codlin moth in fruit such as apples can be a problem for many gardens that still like growing their own apples.
I wonder if the growing of apple trees is still as popular as they were many years back.
The early settlers were very keen apple tree growers and they had an amazing range of varieties some of which are still available as heirlooms. Nurseries such as Koanga (Just put Koanga into Google and you will be into their site info)
The reason that early settlers favoured apples was because they could be stored easily for winter use. I often have gardeners that contact me to say they have an old apple tree on their property which has lovely apples but often ruined by codlin moth grubs.
There are several methods that can be employed to control the problem but often gardeners not familiar with them get them mixed up and apply the right methods at the wrong time.
In my book, Wallys Green Tips For Gardeners, I wrote the following about the subject:

CODLIN MOTH : Codlin moths attack apples, pears, walnuts, quinces, crab apples and stone fruit such as plums and peaches. The females lay their eggs on the foliage near a young fruit and when the grub hatches it crawls to the fruit and eats its way inside. Once inside it is very hard to control.
After a period of time of feeding it emerges and forms a cocoon in the loose bark or under the tree where it will winter over to emerge as a moth in the spring/summer and start the cycle again.
A female moth can lay up to 300 eggs during her short life.
There are numerous ways to control the pest and for bad infestations it is worth using several of them.
The interesting thing is that you can have an apple tree, as I have and never have the problem.
This will be the case if you plant a tree in a situation which is of a good distance from any other infected tree/area. The only chance of a non infected tree becoming infected is to have a female blown in from an infected area.
Recent Hint: Place a tin partly filled with treacle in each infected tree early in the season when the tree starts to flower.
Top up the treacle as need be. The best way is to place the tin in an onion bag and hang from a branch at a height where you can easily monitor it.
The treacle gives off a pheromone smell similar to the female codlin moth and attracts the males where they will come to a sticky end.
This achieves two aspects; if all the males are caught then they cannot fertilise the females and dud eggs will be laid. Secondly by monitoring the treacle every few days you will be able to determine when the moths are on the wing and take further action.
Once a number of male moths are noticed, spray the young apples with Neem Tree Oil about every 7 days till activity in the tins stops.
Some gardeners have also informed me that the scattering of Neem Tree Granules under the apple tree at the very beginning of the season has reduced damage considerably.
The granules need further applications about every 4 to 6 weeks till activity has finished for the season.
(I think its the smell of the Neem Granules that works in this case)
Older methods include; wrapping corrugated cardboard around the trunk of the tree and on main branches in summer which the emerged grubs can crawl to pupate and winter over.
New types of corrugated cardboard like products are not so suitable. The down side of this is that some grubs will not crawl down the tree, instead drop to the ground on a silken thread.
The cardboard is removed in winter and burnt.
Placing grease bands around the trunk to catch and stick the moths crawling up the tree in the spring/summer period.
The sticky band has to be one that stays sticky and currently I don't think there is one on the market that does that.
Not all moths will climb the tree and a number will fly up so once again not foolproof.
If you have chickens then in the winter let them free range under the affected trees so that they can scratch out and eat the cocoons in the soil.
Pheromone traps with sticky pads are sold by garden centres to do the same job as the tin of treacle does. If you clean up all the codlin moths from on and under an infected tree then you will be free of the problem till re-infestation occurs from elsewhere.
Another possible control would be Professor's Macs 3 in 1 as a soil drench applied in winter to zap the pests in the soil while in their winter state.
While listening to Radio Live a lady rang in with the following recipe.
1 ltr warm water
100g sugar
1 tsp marmite
1/2 Tbsp cloudy ammonia
1/2 Tbsp vanilla.
Mix well and divide between 2 plastic milk or soft drink bottles. Punch holes just above the level of the mix and hang in tree.
The person reporting it said: I did this just as the tree was starting to flower and am amazed to see the bottles full of the darned things.
Now would be the right time to sprinkle Neem Granules under the tree from the trunk to the drip line.
When the tree has just about finished flowering use the treacle or other recipe as a trap.
Then when activity is noted spraying can commence.
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RAISED GARDENS

There are many advantages in having raised gardens to grow your vegetable and herb plants; though with most herbs a good size pot is a better choice.
Raised gardens should be really raised and not just a few cm above soil level; in fact even 30 cm is not a good raised garden. We are talking about a raised garden 80cm tall.
This means you are not doing a lot of bending and if used correctly they are fairly free of weeds.
In my 3rd book I wrote about building a perfect raised garden so here is an extract from Wallys Gardening & Health.
A few years back I came up with an idea to build a raised garden using corrugated roofing iron and 100 x 100 posts to secure the iron to. The structure would not be set into the ground, instead it would sit on top of existing soil. It could be sitting on gravel or concrete if need be.
I selected new roofing iron 1.8 metres long and thus needed 3 sheets to make up the raised garden with one sheet cut in half for the two ends. (900cm wide) Sheets of galvanised iron are 85cm wide so this would be the height of the raised garden.
I obtained some treated 100 x 100 fence posts and cut them to 4 lengths of 85cm. As the wood was treated and I did not want any chemicals leaching into the garden I gave each post two coats of acrylic paint to seal in the chemicals.
Once they had been left for a few days to dry completely I laid two of the posts on the ground 1.8 metres apart and placed one full length sheet of iron over the posts so that it was all square and the iron completely covered the posts. Next a drill was used to drill suitable sized holes in the iron to take the roof type screws. (That’s the ones with washers) The holes were drilled into the iron on most of the corrugations that were touching the posts.
This is opposite to how you would affix iron for a roof as on a roof you want the water flow to go down the corrugated channels with no holes to allow the water to enter the building.
Then it was a simple matter of screwing the iron to the two posts. The same was then repeated for the other two posts and the long sheet of iron. Now I had two long sides and only need to stand them up and drill and screw the two ends made by cutting one sheet in half.
It is best to do this final operation in the spot where you want your raised garden to be.
Ideally one long side should be facing as near as possible to the north so that side will be in full sun for most of the day to warm up the mix used. To fill the raised garden I started by laying a few sheets of cardboard over the soil at the base. This can go over existing grass if in a lawn area or over existing weeds in a garden area. If there are any tall weeds these should have been cut down prior to assembly.
The cardboard creates a temporary barrier and is loved by earth worms to encourage them into our raised garden.
Next I used a lot of organic rubbish to cover the cardboard which included trimmings of shrubs, leaves, grass clippings, food scraps, animal manure, saw dust or shavings of non-treated wood, weeds and straw. You can use any of the above in layers to build the height up to over half the height of the structure.
Trample this down and add most of the above till the garden is a bit over half filled after the final tramping. Then a good dose of garden lime can be sprinkled over the rubbish.
Next I placed a couple of thicknesses of cardboard over the rubbish.
Having a good amount of my own compost and spent mix from containers this was then applied over the last lot of cardboard. I also spread more animal manure into this layer along with vermicast and worms from a worm farm. If you do not have a worm farm then use a little top soil instead.
If you do not have your own compost and old mix from containers then I would suggest you purchase mushroom compost or purchased compost.
As this layer may contain weed seeds I then covered it with a few thickness of wet newspaper.
Over the newspaper I applied Rok Solid, Ocean Solids, Gypsum, Lime, BioPhos, Bio Boost, dry chook manure, Neem Tree Granules and dolomite. If the area is to be used to grow potatoes or tomatoes leave out the Lime.
Sheep manure pellets and Blood & Bone can also be used.
The final layer will be purchased compost and would recommend Daltons or Oderings for this.
So what should the layers be in depth? Seen we start of with a structure that is 85cm tall I would recommend the following;
First layer of organic material about 35cm deep compressed.
Second layer of homemade compost and spent mix about 15cm deep.
Third layer of purchased compost about 10cm deep.
This leaves about 25cm between the height of the last layer and the top of the iron.
You are now ready to either sow seeds or plant seedlings.
Because of the 25cm gap between the last layer of mix and the top of the garden we have created a natural wind barrier which is great protection for the establishment of the vegetables.
If you notice a problem with either birds or cats getting into the raised garden then simply place a sheet of small gauge wire netting over the whole structure.
This can be stretched into place and held secure at each of the 4 corner posts with a nail in each post.
Later on, when the plants have matured, to the point where they are touching the netting, then remove it.
Now all you need to do is keep the top layer of mix moist by watering with non chlorinated water.
This can simply be achieved by placing a 5 to 10 micron filter and housing onto your outdoor tap.
A two weekly spray of MBL and Mycorrcin will help keep your vegetables healthy and produce better crops faster. If planting different types of vegetables in the raised garden then ensure that the tallest ones go to the rear or southern aspect and the shorter ones to the front or northern aspect so they all gain their share of sun light without shading each other.
When harvesting a crop do not pull the plants out, instead cut them off with a sharp knife just below the mix’s surface. This of course does not apply to root crops where you have to disturb the soil to lift.
Leaving roots intact is additional food for the raised garden and does not disturb the beneficial fungi in the soil.To replant all you need to do is apply the products mention above prior to the last layer of mix and about 40mm of fresh purchased compost.
As the organic material in the bottom layer breaks down over time the level of your mix will drop.
The fresh compost applied will make up for the drop at re-planting time.
The system is like growing on a compost heap which many will have noticed that pumpkin seeds and potato peelings grow into great plants from a compost heap.
Another advantage of this type of raised garden is if you move house you can unscrew the iron sheets and take the posts and iron to your new home.
The materials used should give you many years of satisfactory gardening.
The walkway area around the raised garden can be kept clear of weeds by laying a strip of black plastic film and covering with stones or bark.
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CURLY LEAF IN STONE FRUIT TREES

Now is the time to start looking at your stone fruit trees and dependant on where you are in New Zealand, will depend on the movement (Bud swell and leaf emergence) for the new season.
Often gardeners miss the critical time to control annual problems and because of this they have limited success.
Last November I had a number of gardeners requesting information about the curly leaf problem on their trees, unfortunately it was a bit late to do much about it then.
Now is the right time... So here is a copy of that earlier article: (Note; as with the November article some of the content is from the Internet)
Peach leaf curl, also known as leaf curl, is a disease caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans.
Peach leaf curl affects the blossoms, fruit, leaves, and shoots of peaches, ornamental flowering peaches, and nectarines, and is one of the most common disease problems for backyard gardeners growing these trees. The distorted, reddened foliage that it causes is easily seen in spring.
When severe, the disease can reduce fruit production substantially.
Peach leaf curl first appears in spring as reddish areas on developing leaves. These areas become thickened and puckered, causing leaves to curl and severely distort. The thickened areas turn yellowish and then grayish white, as velvety spores are produced on the surface by the leaf curl fungus.
Later affected leaves turn yellow or brown and can remain on the tree or may fall off; they are replaced by a second set of leaves that develop more normally unless wet weather continues.
The loss of leaves and the production of a second set result in decreased tree growth and fruit production. Defoliation in spring may expose branches to sunburn injury.
The peach leaf curl pathogen also infects young, green twigs and shoots. Affected shoots become thickened, stunted, distorted, and often die. Only rarely do reddish, wrinkled to distorted (or hypertrophied) areas develop on fruit surfaces. Later in the season these infected areas of fruit become corky and tend to crack.
If leaf curl infection builds up and is left uncontrolled for several years, the tree may decline and need to be removed.
Leaf symptoms appear about 2 weeks after leaves emerge from buds. The fungus grows between leaf cells and stimulates them to divide and grow larger than normal, causing swelling and distortion of the leaf.
Red plant pigments accumulate in the distorted cells. Cells of the fungus break through the cuticle of distorted leaves and produce elongated, sac-like structures called asci that produce sexual spores called ascospores, which give the leaf a grayish white, powdery or velvet like appearance.
The ascospores are released into the air, carried to new tissues, and bud (divide) to form bud-conidia. The fungus survives the hot, dry summer as ascospores and bud-conidia (these are asexual spores) on the tree’s surfaces. When the weather turns cool and wet in fall, the ascospores germinate to produce more bud-conidia.
The new and old bud-conidia continue to increase in number by budding. Eventually a film of bud-conidia is formed on the tree’s surface. In spring, the bud-conidia move by splashing water from irrigation or rain and can infect new leaves.
Periods of cool, wet weather, when leaves are first opening on the tree, favor the disease. The optimum temperature for fungal growth in laboratory cultures is 20C, the minimum is 8.88C, and the maximum is 26C to 30C. Budding of bud-conidia occurs at or above 95% relative humidity.
Wetness from rain, dew, or irrigation for over 12.5 hours at temperatures below 16C is needed for infection. Maximum infection occurs when trees are wet for 2 or more days. Although leaves may be infected, symptoms may not appear if temperatures remain above 20C. Cool weather prolongs the period of disease development by favoring the pathogen and slowing leaf growth.
Development of peach leaf curl ceases when young tissue is no longer developing or when weather turns dry and warmer 26 to30C.
To prevent peach leaf curl, treat peach and nectarine trees with a fungicide every year after leaves have fallen in early winter. (Use Lime Sulphur or sprays of potassium permanganate)
Generally a single early treatment when the tree is dormant is effective, however, in areas of high rainfall or during a particularly wet winter it may be advisable to apply a second spray late in the dormant season, preferably as flower buds begin to swell, but before green leaf tips are first visible.
Copper. The most commonly used treatment, the greater the amount of copper particles, the more effective the product will be. (Use copper hydroxide such as Liquid Copper rather than copper oxychloride) However, other factors like coverage, use of additives like stickers and spreaders, (Raingard) and frequency and duration of rain, which can wash off the copper, will also impact product effectiveness. In all cases, the copper is active only when it is wet, when the copper ions are in solution.
This season I tried a different treatment for one of my stone fruit trees, instead of using the copper sprays.
I kept an eye on the developing leaves and when the first sign of any curly leaf appeared I then sprayed all the leaves within reach with Vaporgard, ensuring that both sides of the leaves were covered with the film.
Next a couple of days later I gave the tree and surrounding soil a good spray of potassium permanganate (Condys Crystals).
Since then I have done nothing but observed the results which is only about 20% of the leaves are affected by the disease. Most of the original leaves with the Vaporgard are good and its the ones that I had difficulty spraying that are most affected.
Another advantage with the Vaporgard is its UV shield aspect which protects the chlorophyll and allows the leaves to produce more energy from the sun.
The result is a better crop.
What to do if your tree has heaps of curly leaves and not too many good ones?
Well you could spray the good leaves with Vaporgard to improve their energy gaining potential.
The badly affected leaves will fall off to be replaced by new good leaves and these too could be sprayed with Vaporgard. This will assist in improving the size of the potential crop.
If the tree is too badly damaged then likely no crop this season.
After leaf fall in the autumn spray the tree all over with Lime Sulphur.
Leave for a while and in the middle of winter spray with potassium permanganate.
In the new season at the first sign of the disease on the new foliage spray with Vaporgard and then start a program with Liquid Copper sprays mixed with Raingard on a frequency of every 7 to 10 days.
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PUTTING SOME MAGIC INTO GARDENS

Some gardeners strive for perfection while others toil to produce reasonable gardens. No matter which category you are in, there is much satisfaction to be gained when your plants are looking good at the end of the day.
Its also great to go out to the vegetable plot and pick a nice head of broccoli, a few stalks of silverbeet, a lettuce, celery and some tomatoes for the evening meal.
You have real fresh vegetables (not ones days old from the green grocer) the taste is so different and you also know what has gone into the soil and how chemical free your produce is.
I like to cook a stew every now and then and I usually buy a swede from the supermarket to add to the mix.
Last season I threw a couple of swede seeds into one of my raised gardens and they germinated, then matured to good size. The amazing thing I found was when I cut into them they were juicy, not dry like I was used to from purchased ones.
The taste was divine.
The recent food survey showed that our fruit and vegetables have risen in price to the point that they are too dear for many families on lower incomes or with heavy commitments.
This makes for a another great reason to grow as much of your own fruit and vegetables as possible.
The easiest way to achieve this is with raised gardens using sheets of corrugated roofing iron The details on how this is done is in previous articles on my web site or in my third book ‘Wallys Gardening and Health’.
To have great gardens, produce, roses and flowers you need to garden your soil, forget the plants, they have been growing for thousands of years very happily till man came along and upset their life’s blood; The Soil.
When you garden the soil you feed it with all the natural things that are non acidic and not harmful to the soil life (Soil food Web)
That means no or very little man made fertilisers, no chemical sprays, no chemicals, no herbicides and no chlorinated water.
Last week we talked about putting minerals and elements back into our soils. The source of these are the Ocean (Ocean Solids) and from rocks (Rok Solid) There is another which is in liquid form called, Magic Botanic Liquid. (MBL)
How does this relate to you and your garden? There are many applications that MBL can be used for, some of the most interesting include; Unlocking chemicals in the soil. (If you have been using fertilisers in your garden for sometime you will have a lot of fertiliser locked up in the soil.) Drench the soil with MBL and these come available to plants.
You could have a lot of dollars locked up in your gardens and lawns. It will also clean up many undesirable chemicals in the soil and in one trial, contaminated land was transformed into certifiable organic in 12 months.
MBL is a growth booster for plants, it makes for much bigger root systems, stronger and healthier plants. It is been used with balanced NPK fertilisers to create world record vegetables in America such as 26.7 kg Celery and a 14 kg cauliflower to mention two of many.
If you are into growing record breaking vegetables for shows this could be for you. More benefits include; Aids and speeds up germination of seeds. Helps to release locked up fertilisers from past applications especially phosphates. Helps increase availability of chemical fertilisers and organic foods for plants. Helps reduce many common plant disease problems. Cleans up many toxic compounds, chemicals and oil spills in soil.
Helps to establish plants in areas where they cant or struggle to establish. Stimulates growth of soil micro organisms. Increases root respiration and formation. Increases availability of micro nutrients. Increases permeability of plant membranes, which enhances nutrient uptake.
Increases vitamin content of plants. Improves seed germination. Accelerates root development. Stimulates plant enzymes. Contains a number of trace elements such as Si, Mg, S, Mn and more. Increases photosynthesis. Contains silica which strengthens cell walls, helps block disease and regulates cell temperature which increases drought and frost tolerance.
Increase pH buffering properties of soil. Retains and releases water soluble fertilisers for plants when needed. Increases soil aeration. Improves soil structure. Makes soil more friable.
Has a capacity to detoxify chemical residues and heavy metals. A powerful, natural chelating agent. Improves taste and shelf-life. Fulvic acid (Part of MBL) can promote prolonged production, as it tends to delay the aging process. Fulvic acid increases the metabolism of proteins.
MBL used at the rates of 20 mils per litre as a soil drench as required and 10 mils per litre as a foliar spray once or twice a month.
A must for roses, tomatoes and all vegetable and fruit crops. Green keepers are using it for better turf so onto the lawn for better healthier lawns.
If you have brown patches on the lawn where dogs have urinated use MBL to restore or re-establish grass. Use on your flowering annuals for bigger displays and you will need less plants to fill beds. (with balanced NPK or organic mulches etc)
Whether you use chemical fertilisers or organic preparations, MBL will give you better results and you need to use far less chemical fertilisers and so saving you money.
Put it in your weed killers for better results. Can be mixed as a foliage spray with most garden sprays to advantage. The commercial trade name is Liquid Good.
I believe this is one of the greatest gardening products since we invented the spade. Because it has so many uses and advantages, thats why it was called, MAGIC.
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HEALTHY PLANTS

The recent cold snap had a lot of us shivering with the arctic chills and in Palmerston North it was the very first time I have witnessed a decent fall of snow.
The cold snap will have done a lot of good in gardens, killing pests that were hanging on till warmer times and also may have helped with some plant diseases as well.
A good freezing does wonders for gardens in winter.
There will be a number of pests and diseases that has survived the cold and they will cause problems in the coming season.
One aspect which is very common sense is; If you have very healthy plants then they are less likely to have much in the way of pests or diseases.
So what makes plants un-healthy? Stress would be one of the major problems and this can be caused by several things including; too wet, too dry, rapid changes to temperature, too hot, too cold, too humid wrong pH, incorrect growing conditions and lack of vital elements in the right proportions.
Unhealthy soil also is a big problem for plants and a unhealthy soil is one which has low soil life this includes worms, microbes and beneficial fungi.
If you feed acidic, manmade fertilisers to the soil, use chemical sprays, including all chemical herbicides, water with chlorinated water, then you harm the soil life then your gardens and plants are unhealthy. This results in greater attacks of insects and diseases which if you use chemicals to control the problems you actually increase the problem.
The problems get worse and the more you treat the worse they become and you spend a lot of wasted money. I have witnessed in the past gardeners spraying regularly with a once popular rose spray and never beating the problems. When they stopped using this chemical spray then after a few seasons the roses regained their natural health and looked 100 times better.
The alternative is to use only natural products to feed the soil such as; animal manures including sheep manure pellets, blood & bone, composts, BioBoost, Dolomite, Gypsum and garden lime along with many other natural products.
That is the first step to having healthy plants.
The next aspect is minerals and elements. There are 114 known minerals and elements on the planet and these are found in the right proportions in the blue water of our oceans.
About 95% sodium chloride (salt) the balance is the other 113 elements.
If you go out in a boat and collect a couple of containers of this mineral rich water and then dilute it to about 1 part to 10 and spray/water that over your gardens about every 3 months you will be putting all those natural elements into your gardens for your plants.
If you don't have the ability to obtain the ocean water then you can use a product called Ocean Solids. The second source of minerals is from ground up rocks of various types.
Rocks hold a vast amount of minerals and elements and when the rocks are crushed to power then the goodness is made available to the gardens.
Do you need both and I think the answer is yes as they perform in different ways.
Rok Solid is designed to work in the soil, increasing the mineral content to the benefit of the health of the soil and plants growing there.
Used on food crops means your produce will have greater nutritional value and taste.
Rok Solid contains over 60 minerals and elements and is specially selected for its natural energy (paramagnetism), this energy is what gives the soil it’s vitality assisting in the nutrient uptake of plants.
The high silica content (43%) helps in plant formation.
Rok Solid is blended with Organic 100 liquid fertiliser concentrate made from fish and seaweed, which contributes a further array of minerals, together with microbial stimulates.
These organisms being necessary to hold soil balance, regulate nutrient to the plants, build humus and help detoxify the soil.
Rok Solid is used at 100 grams per square metre for new plantings.
Alternatively about a level teaspoon into each planting hole for seedlings or a sprinkling along a row of seeds, with the seeds at planting time.
Larger plants about a level tablespoon in the planting hole.
For existing gardens with plants 100 grams per square metre twice a year (spring and Autumn) for fruit trees, shrubs, vegetable and flower gardens and lawns.
Roses an application of one to two teaspoons per rose spring and autumn.
For the home gardener Rok Solid is available in 1kg and 3 kg jars.
Analysis of Rok Solid (Averages)
Nitrogen [N] .15%
Phosphorus [P] .8%
Potassium {k} 1.4%
Sulphur [S] .14%
Calcium [Ca] 4.4%
Magnesium [Mg] 5.69%
Sodium [Na] 2.95%
Silica [Si] 43.0%
Iron [Fe] 39,000ppm
Manganese [Mn] 1,100ppm
Boron [B] 55ppm
Copper [Cu] 90ppm
Zinc [Zn] 142ppm
Cobalt [Co] 59ppm
Molybdenum [Mo] 2ppm
Selenium [Se] 3ppm
Plus many other trace elements.
Another big benefit from putting minerals into your gardens is that the food plants you grow will be brimming with goodness and that is how you make your body healthy also.
Our health begins along with all things in the soil. Healthy, mineral rich soil means great health for you and yours.
Why do 22 people in NZ die of cancer every day, with that number increasing each year?
The answer is very evident to anyone with a bit of grey matter between their ears.
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LAWNS

Lawns could be summarized into one of 3 groups, The Immaculate Lawn which is perfect in every way, even turf, always mowed frequently to an exact height, weed free and not a blade of grass out of place.
At the other end of the scale we have the Tatty Lawn, this is not really a lawn but a number of various weeds with the odd struggling bit of grass. It is never mowed but scalped with a rotary mower every now and then when the owner feels it should be cut down.
In between we have the Every Day Lawn which the owner tries to make into a better lawn but often because of other commitments the improvements are often haphazard.
To have that Immaculate Lawn takes a good amount of time, patience and money.
It can create a great sense of pride but also become a tomb stone around ones neck.
Recently a reader sent me this little story which puts another perspective on lawns.
Entitled: God,on Lawn Care

God said: "Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan.
Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles."
St. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer.
In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis
Well Suburbanites what do you think of that?
Nature has a way of looking after itself and its only mankind that may try to change the natural course of events. Which brings me to suggest a very interesting book that I have been reading about an early sheep station in NZ written just over a 100 years ago.
It an internationally acclaimed classic of ecological writing, William Herbert Guthrie-Smith's Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station (1921). This was New Zealand's first major environmentalist publication.
William Herbert Guthrie-Smith talks about the changes that occurred on the sheep station over the years in regards to wild life, weeds climate and introduced species.
A very observant man and a well written book which is completely free to down load from the NZTEC web site and available as a free E-book.
From a Internet search:

Lake Tutira is an idyllic picnicking and camping spot fringed by weeping willows. It was declared a bird sanctuary at the instigation of farmer/author/ornithologist William Herbert Guthrie-Smith (1861 - 1940) who farmed neighbouring Tutira Station.
The Tutira Walkway, steep in places, passes through Tutira Station and the adjoining Lake Tutira Domain.
There are splendid views of coastal Hawke's Bay from Table Mountain Trig.
Allow five hours for the full round trip of nine kilometres.
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HOW SAFE IS IT?

While I was away on holiday I received an email that is of great concern to all people that use Glyphosate for killing weeds. Even more so for public works that use the chemical in parks, play grounds and road sides.
I have strongly believed for some years that Glyphosate is likely to be one of the very worst chemicals that man has made and use commercially and domestically.
Here is a copy of the email which you should read and also share with anyone that is pregnant or breeds animals........

The pesticide industry knew from its own studies (including one by Monsanto) as long ago as the 1980s and EU regulators knew since the 1990s that the best-selling herbicide Roundup causes birth defects.
A new report by international scientists now exposes the 30-year cover-up, including efforts as recent as last year by the German government's consumer protection office to rebut a 2010 study showing Roundup causes birth defects in frogs and chickens at tiny doses.
The study was prompted by reports of high rates of birth defects and cancers in areas of South America growing GM Roundup Ready soy, which is sprayed with high doses of the herbicide.
Read a lengthy article on this in the Huffington Post, a summary in The Ecologist, or the full report "Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?" (See http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5 ) Monsanto responded to the report, but the report's authors pick apart the company's statements, showing how they are unsupported and unscientific.
The chemical at the heart of the planet's most widely used herbicide -- Roundup weedkiller, used in farms and gardens across the U.S. -- is coming under more intense scrutiny following the release of a new report calling for a heightened regulatory response around its use.
Critics have argued for decades that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides used around the globe, poses a serious threat to public health. Industry regulators, however, appear to have consistently overlooked their concerns.
A comprehensive review of existing data released this month by Earth Open Source, an organization that uses open-source collaboration to advance sustainable food production, suggests that industry regulators in Europe have known for years that glyphosate, originally introduced by American agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto in 1976, causes birth defects in the embryos of laboratory animals.
The Earth Open Source study also reports that by 1993 the herbicide industry, including Monsanto, knew that visceral anomalies such as dilation of the heart could occur in rabbits at low and medium-sized doses. The report further suggests that since 2002, regulators with the European Commission have known that glyphosate causes developmental malformations in lab animals.
As recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BLV), a government agency conducting a review of glyphosate, told the European Commission that there was no evidence the compound causes birth defects, according to the report.
The agency reached that conclusion despite almost half a dozen industry studies that found glyphosate produced fetal malformations in lab animals, as well as an independent study from 2007 that found that Roundup induces adverse reproductive effects in the male offspring of a certain kind of rats.
For its part, Earth Open Source said that government approval of the ubiquitous herbicide has been rash and problematic.
"Our examination of the evidence leads us to the conclusion that the current approval of glyphosate and Roundup is deeply flawed and unreliable," wrote the report's authors. "What is more, we have learned from experts familiar with pesticide assessments and approvals that the case of glyphosate is not unusual.
"They say that the approvals of numerous pesticides rest on data and risk assessments that are just as scientifically flawed, if not more so," the authors added. "This is all the more reason why the Commission must urgently review glyphosate and other pesticides according to the most rigorous and up-to-date standards."
While Roundup has been associated with deformities in a host of laboratory animals, its impact on humans remains unclear. One laboratory study done in France in 2005 found that Roundup and glyphosate caused the death of human placental cells and abnormal embryonic cells.
Another study, conducted in 2009, found that Roundup caused total cell death in human umbilical, embryonic and placental cells within 24 hours. Yet researchers have conducted few follow-up studies.
"Obviously there's a limit to what's appropriate in terms of testing poison on humans," said Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which lobbies against genetically modified food. "But if you look at the line of converging evidence, it points to a serious problem.
And if you look at the animal feeding studies with genetically modified Roundup ready crops, there's a consistent theme of reproductive disorders, which we don't know the cause for because follow-up studies have not been done."
The Argentine government helped pull the country out of a recession in the 1990s in part by promoting genetically modified soy.
Though it was something of a miracle for poor farmers, several years after the first big harvests residents near where the soy cop grew began reporting health problems, including high rates of birth defects and cancers, as well as the losses of crops and livestock as the herbicide spray drifted across the countryside.
Such reports gained further traction after an Argentine government scientist, Andres Carrasco conducted a study, "Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Produce Teratogenic Effects on Vertebrates by Impairing Retinoic Acid Signaling" in 2009.
The study, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology in 2010, found that glyphosate causes malformations in frog and chicken embryos at doses far lower than those used in agricultural spraying.
It also found that malformations caused in frog and chicken embryos by Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate were similar to human birth defects found in genetically modified soy-producing regions.
"The findings in the lab are compatible with malformations observed in humans exposed to glyphosate during pregnancy," wrote Carrasco, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology at the University of Buenos Aires. "I suspect the toxicity classification of glyphosate is too low."
"In some cases this can be a powerful poison," he concluded. End

I leave you to draw your own conclusions. Wally Richards

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NEW SEASON POTATOES

A month ago I wrote about spud time as it was a good time to buy the new seasons seed potatoes and start sprouting them for planting out.
The time for planting out is mostly governed by frosts and the damage they can do to a early crop. Now days we face an even bigger danger and that is a new pest, the potato psyllid, which is causing total loss of crops in many areas.
One key factor is that a very early crop of fairly quick manuring potatoes will suffer only minor damage in most gardens. Later in the season when the pest numbers increase, which makes it is more difficult to control, there is a noticeable increase in damage and crop failure..
Potato crops planted say in November or December will need a lot of protection to produce good spuds for storage.
In the worst affected areas of New Zealand plantings in October will also need ample protection.
Tomatoes on early plantings will produce good size fruits relative to type planted, but as the season progresses then the fruit size is likely to decrease.
MAF New Zealand has placed a web page on their web site and forwarded the same information to garden centres through out NZ.
Here is part of that information:
What does the tomato/potato psyllid look like?
The adult tomato/potato psyllid is about the size of an adult aphid but looks like a tiny cicada under magnification. The female lays yellow eggs that are attached by stalks to plant leaves, usually to the leaf edges. Psyllid nymphs hatch from these eggs and after five moults become adults.
The nymphs are flat scale-like insects which are mostly inactive but move when disturbed.
Nymphs and adults feed by sucking plant juices, which is how they are thought to spread Liberibacter. (The toxin that does the damage)
Nymphs and adults secrete plant sap as white granules called ‘psyllid sugars’ which can be seen on the leaves.
In humid conditions and where there are large numbers of psyllids, black sooty mould fungi can grow on the sugars. Dense sooty mould on leaves may reduce photosynthesis, but this is rarely a problem on outdoor plants as the psyllid sugars are usually removed by wind and rain.
How will the tomato/potato psyllid/Liberibacter affect my plants?
On tomato the symptoms of psyllid yellows are the yellowing and stunting of the growing tip and a cupping or curling of the leaves. Many flowers may fall off the trusses of infected plants and fruit may be small and mis-shaped.
On potato, psyllid yellows disease causes a stunting and yellowing of the growing tip, and the edges of the curled leaves often have a pink blush.
The stem may have swollen nodes and show a browning of the vascular tissue. After a while, infected potatoes develop a scorched appearance and plants collapse prematurely. Potato plants that are infected at an early stage develop numerous small tubers.
The tomato/potato psyllid breeds mainly on plants in the Solanaceae (potato and tomato family), but can also attack some species of Convolvulaceae (kumara and bindweed family).
Other host plants of the tomato/potato psyllid include Apple of Peru, capsicum, chilli, egg plant, kumara, poroporo, tamarillo, pepino and thornapple.
Why is the tomato/potato psyllid a problem? Tomato/potato psyllid adults and nymphs cause damage to host plants through feeding on leaves and by transmitting a bacterial pathogen, Liberibacter, that lives in plants.
The bacterium is believed to cause diseases such as ‘psyllid yellows’ in tomatoes and potatoes, and ‘zebra chip’ symptoms in potato tubers. These diseases can drastically reduce the quality and yield of your crop.
So the problem is greater than just protecting your tomatoes and potatoes as you are likely to have other plants and weeds growing that will also host the pests which means they will re-infest your crops which will require continued protection.
It also answers another question for my garden last summer as my tamarillo produced a very poor crop, capsicums and chilli were also poorer than usual.
A number of gardeners will likely have convolvulus growing on their land or nearby and this common weed is also a host.
A plant not mentioned but of the same family as tomatoes is pepinos and my pepino plants were also poor producers this last season.
What to do?
My advise has been to place Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole of all crops affected by the psyllid. With potatoes a further sprinkling as a side dressing once mounding up is completed.
With other crops a side dressing after planting out and this repeated at 6 -8 week periods.
Sprays with Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum applied on a regular program starting at say once a month early season and increasing to about 7-10 days later in the season.
Spraying late afternoon ensuring coverage of undersides of leaves.
Spraying should involve all host plants of the pest including weeds as mentioned unless these are removed safely.
The winged adult psyllid has been reported to be able to fly for 1524 miles so re-infestation from other gardens nearby will be a ongoing problem.
The female laying 510 eggs in a 21 day period is another reason for good controls.
The yellow sticky cards available to home gardeners should be employed near the tops of growing plants and in doorways and ventilation entrances of glasshouses.
The cards catch adults flying into a crop and that also helps to keep population levels low.
It has been found with tomatoes that if an effected plant is cleared of he pest then new fruits will be normal. This is a little late for potatoes that have formed when plant is infected.
The psyllid is a much bigger problem for the home gardener than previously thought.
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