The Star
Thursday January 4 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Gardening
GARDENING ADVICE
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Regular watering and garden management is critical for plant health during the hot summer months. Adding a thick layer of mulch around plants will help prevent soil moisture evaporating. Avoid watering during the hottest part of the day when plants are heat stressed; instead water in the early morning or evening.
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We have a Daltons Garden Mulch Pack to giveaway. Each pack is valued at over $85 and contains:
What is the best way to save young trees from night beetle infestation? The insect you refer to sounds like the brown or bronze beetle which is an adult grass grub. They wreak havoc with lawns as larvae and once they have pupated into beetles, they feed on the foliage of ornamental shrubs and trees for around 2-3 weeks in early Spring/early Summer on warm, still evenings.
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3 x Daltons Mulch & Grow 3 x Daltons Nugget Bark 4 x Besgrow Coir Briquette PLUS a pair of comfortable, versatile Red Back gardening gloves from Omni Products (www.omniproducts.co.nz)
$85 PR
PACIZE K!
BE IN
There are a number of insecticides that specifically deal with these types of beetles which can either be sprayed on the foliage of trees from October onwards, or granules distributed on the ground around plants. Another suggestion would be to also treat your lawn for grass grubs from late January/early February until the end of Autumn to attack the problem early on.
TO WIN!
Talk to your local garden centre for product advice as they are typically aware of problems in your local area and can give you advice on which product has worked best for others. Another tip - check your various plants to see which of them are less prone to major beetle damage, this will provide a guide for future plantings. For more gardening advice, read our How to Grow guides at: www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides
Send us your gardening question to be in to win!
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Today’s winning question came from Alana Witteman. Congratulations!
What’s in fashion
FASHIONS come and go, and changes in climate and lifestyle influence our gardens just as they affect other parts of life. So it’s fun to try and predict the outdoor trends for this year. Here are some suggestions: •Organics will rule. The trend to organics will accelerate and most gardeners will be looking for natural-based fertilisers and low toxic pest controls. •Food plants are in. It’s everyone’s ambition to
have a vegetable garden. Even the smallest garden can find room for a herb pot. Beginners should start their herb garden with a pot of chives. They’re probably the easiest herbs to grow, and they tolerate a fair amount of neglect. •Edible gardens are in but in smaller spaces. Dwarf fruit trees in fashionable containers, and small-growing vegetable varieties are popular even for larger gardens. •Flowers in the garden will hit the comeback trail. Strappy-leafed plants and
foliage plants will still be in favour but their dominance will start to fade. A nostalgic hankering for flowering plants is beginning to surface. Plants that straddle both categories (day lilies, dwarf agapanthus and tulbaghia, also called society garlic, are good examples) will lead this resurgence. •Water (or lack of it) will be one of the biggest challenges. Cistus (rock rose), Indian hawthorn and the native mirror plants (Coprosma spp) are some of these tough survivors.
Email your question and glove size to: chchstar@daltons.co.nz Entries must be received by 11th Jan 2018
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465 Ferry Rd • Phone 389-4352
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Offer excludes current specials and citrus