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Saturday 13th July, 2024

Hi

Week three .... Trees, trees and more trees 
I often wonder how we ever managed without our new lean-to shed for potting. It seems pure luxury these days to be sheltered from the rain, to have a concrete floor that cleans and the privilege of space to spread out and organise all the trees for potting. The roof line may look high at the tallest end but pot a 2.5 to 3 metre tree on a bench and it's nearly hitting the roof. The high space is also great for using the front end loader on the tractor to put potting mix on the tables too. All that said, for a practical utility space it's actually a very beautiful place to work down there, with its vistas to the trees and the back of the display garden.

 
A delivery of 2000 trees actually takes quite a bit of room to lay out in an appropriate order so we can count, label and get them into bags, but we are nearly there. Another week I guess and we will have broken the back of potting for this year and I think in record time as well. The next major task will be to get the entire nursery in good order with all the roses, fruit and ornamental tree into some good alphabetical sequence and all the orders dealt with.
On the subject of tree orders, because of the numbers and the size of the nursery, it's easiest if we have prior notice of your intention to collect so that we can get your order ready. At this point in the season, because everything is not in its appropriate place, it can be difficult to find plants especially those we have in small numbers.

 
Dealing with large numbers of trees is keeping our staff in packaging and freight busy too. If you are expecting an order to be sent to you, it will probably take a little longer than usual at this time of year. Please bear with us and believe we are getting plants ready to send as quickly as we can.
Check out all  the Apples, Pears, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots and Cherries by following all the appropriate links.

Questions I often get asked 
I often get asked in the garden centre, "when will this tree fruit?" and most of the fruit trees that we stock are capable of fruiting straight away as mostly they all bear on previous season (and older) wood, well stems or branches. We often get fruit on all the trees that we sell but usually pick them off as they are too heavy for the plants.
Realistically, you don't want fruit for the first year or three as you need to grow the structure, or the framework, of the style of trees that you want and this takes approx. 3-4 years. Typically a plant from a garden centre will be around 1.5 to 1.8 metres tall with what I will describe as scruffy branching which, in my opinion, is not desirable as this occurs from too low.
   
I imagine that most will be after a classic vase-shaped tree with a trunk at a suitable height to stand under to pick the fruit and, in this day and age, to whip around with the ride-on lawn mower. The other desirable characteristic is that the tree doesn't grow so high that only the birds and possums get your fruit.  So, you are aiming for an open star-fish, flattish shape tree that spread outwards but at the right height. Off course, if you are after an espalier shape then the training will be different, but really the principals are all the same.
From a new plant this would usually entail planting and staking with a circle of mulch laid out around your tree. Remove lower branches to a single leader to encourage new growth from the top, which will take the first year. Note here we often rub off, in the first spring, all the lower buds that grow as we don't want that low growth. In your second winter establish how high the trunk needs to be by removing lower branches that are too close to the ground and choose from the highest growth 5 to 7 branches that will become the start of the upper framework.

 
In my orchard, once I have an established framework, I try to keep the centre open so that the sun and air can move through the trees and if I can give one really helpful piece of advice make sure the trunk is high enough, and the circle wide enough, to get the lawn mower around...It's not much fun being slapped in the face with the branches of a plum tree.
There are always new arrivals even whilst potting 
If you like doing floral work, or even if you don't, then Proteas are a great choice for picking and they last for ages in the vase. I find that they actually benefit from being picked all of the time and that keeps the shrub itself in good shape and you with plenty of flowers inside or to give away. Full sun and good drainage is a must for these Aussie and South African natives and not often will I say this, but also poor soil works well. Don't feed these beauties with phosphate rich ferts as they don't like them having evolved to sort out minerals for themselves
Protea Tsitsikamma  Luscious leathery leaves and stunning satin pink flowers that appear in late winter early spring. This cynaroides variety is from Tsitsikamma, Africa.  Easy to grow in a sunny position with excellent drainage. Tolerates light frost. Evergreen.

 
Protea Snowcrest Snowcrest is noted for its silky pink coloured flowers in winter which have a heavy white beard. This shrub has a tidy growth habit. Medium frost hardy. Flowers are suitable for picking. Needs to be pruned to size and shape in spring. Evergreen.
Protea Rose Mink  An erect quick growing plant with attractive medium size rosy red flowers which can be seen on the plant almost all year round. 
Not only are there Proteas that have just arrived but a good range of Leucospermums or the pin cushion style of the protea genus, Banksias of all sorts and Grevilleas.

 
Of Special note 
Erica cerinthoides Red which I think is pretty cool with its clusters of stunning tubular deep red flowers in Winter and Spring. A compact rounded shrub suitable for full sun and most well drained soils. Frost hardy and drought tolerant.
Acacia Howittii Std. These weeping Acacia are pretty cool  Sticky Wattle. Usually a ground cover but presented here as a topiary standard transforming it into a beautiful designer plant. Fast growing with graceful weeping branches. Tolerates most soil conditions as long as its well drained. Fragrant pale yellow flowers. 
Its that time of year for Daphne
Daphne always come into store in the winter and probably because it's that time of year for it to flower. Everybody loves Daphne and it can be a tad temperamental but get its position right then it will reward you with its beautiful fragrant flowers every year.

 
So what does Daphne like, well a position that gets the the morning sun or that kind of equivalent. Lovely rich peat or humus kind of soil but on the drier side because it doesn't like wet feet. Finally, this one is an acid lover like Camellias and so feed with a slow release Camellia food.
We have Daphne leucanthe and also Alba in stock which is the classic form that all will know. Forms a small bushy shrub around 70cm high and wide .

Waikato rose society.... Questions, Answers, Pruning and whatever else you need to know!
Our Wednesday session was a great success.. If this is something about roses that interests you then diarise one of the next two sessions 
Saturday 20th July 1.00pm  to 3.00pm 
Sunday 28th July 11.00am to 1.00pm


 
I'm sure that we haven't had this number of frosts for years, but its worth the cold for the stunning day that follows.. Great days to get out there and start pruning the fruit trees in your orchard like Tony is going to start today, remember to only prune on dry days. Hopefully the weekend that is coming is just as good. For those that are on holiday, enjoy!
Take care and have a great weekend.
All the very best from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.

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Last 25 Newsletters...

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Wairere Nursery
826 Gordonton Road, R D 1, Hamilton 3281 Ph: (07) 824 3430 Email: