Saturday 24th August, 2024
Hi
Is it spring right now?
I know that the jonquils, paperwhites and daffodils have been flowering and so have the early blooming cherries like the
Felix Jury and
Pink cloud. My guess is that the
Yedoensis form of flowering cherries, like the NZ raised cultivar
Awanui, won't be too far away from exploding with pink blossoms and looking like candy floss all around the Waikato. There are so many other signs of spring as I look around at the countryside: the grass suddenly seems greener and lush. The buds on all the trees and shrubs are all looking quite plump with the promise of blossom and new leaves that will soon be bursting out from under their protective layers.
I notice in my home orchards that the
plums and
peaches are about to blossom and it's probably a good time to again quickly mention that if you haven't pruned it's time to get onto it ASAP. That goes for everything that need pruning from
roses to
fruit trees to
grapes and
berries etc.
We have seen the early
Magnolias flower like my fav
Denudata Alba, also
Vulcan,
Burgundy star and so on, but I see that our magnificent
Iolanthe in the nursery is about to open from those big fat furry buds and look amazing. Some of the
Michelias which have now been reclassified as
Magnolias have been flowering for ages. In our system they are mostly still Michelias except the
Fairy blush and
Fairy white which are named Magnolia. Note to self that we may need to sort that naming?
It would be fair to say that here in NZ spring officially starts in September, which is now only days away. It would be pretty hard to dispute that when it all seems so full-on right now, though there will be many that will say it's only official once we reach the spring equinox, being Sept 19th.
In case you were wondering
The
roses in the nursery are growing at an exceptional rate of knots, I swear that I can literally see them grow, especially on a day when the sun is shining. The roses in the nursery are way advanced compared to the ones in the garden with quite a lot of foliage now happening.
There are several reasons for this in my opinion and the first is that they are root pruned to enable them to be potted. Because the roots have been trimmed this stimulates them to grow, not unlike the pruning of a stem or branch. Another good reason is that they go into the ultimate perfect growing media aka
potting mix, which is scientifically designed to grow plants and specifically our roses. The other main reason that springs to mind is that potted roses are in black plastic bags that sit on top of black weed cloth in a sheltered environment and of course this must be a few degrees warmer than in the garden at present, which all helps growth.
In a nursery situation we have a large monoculture of roses all in very close proximity to each other and care of these is quite crucial for us to be able to supply you with a quality plant. We are constantly moving and re-blocking/ spacing the roses so that they have more air space around each individual plant. There are several reasons for this including reducing fungal infection by keeping more air movement around them and allowing better spray coverage. No two roses are created equal and some roses are more susceptible to infections of downy mildew than others (same goes for black spot) and if we manage to keep them all clean then the more disease-prone varieties don't incubate and spread the infection to others in close proximity.
At this time of year fungal infection is a real risk for us because our bagged roses are so advanced and have lots of new season's leaves that have a soft leaf cuticle. Rain, water from sprinklers, humidity and frosts etc. are all conducive to spores germinating on these leaves and penetrating their tender baby-skin and so we constantly spray preventatively, just about every time it rains.
It's quite different in the home garden
I have
roses at home and if I can get away without spraying then I just don't bother, I have enough to do in the nursery! At this stage of the season our roses haven't leafed in earnest yet and as a consequence, they are not so vulnerable to this inclement Winter/early Spring weather and infection. I do try and do the Winter spraying of
copper and
conqueror oil as this sets up for a good entry into the Spring.
I work on maintaining the high health of my roses at home by providing lots of good organic food as in
sheep pellets,
compost,
blood and bone etc. constantly throughout the year. This time of year, give them an additional boost of proprietary
rose fert. to give them added nutrients and give them a good push into Spring.
I make sure that there is plenty of air movement between the bushes by giving each rose its own space and I don't allow perennials to crowd them as I prefer minimal or no spraying. When they do get leaves and you want to spray then you will need to use
Super Shield rather than the Winter sprays. Spraying before rain gives roses a protective shield and then again after the rain to mop up any start of infection, otherwise perhaps don't spray at all.
So in a nut shell, if you haven't pruned (that's twice I have mentioned pruning) then you really must get this done asap, get some propriety
rose fert. around them to kick-start their growth and if you need to spray, then it's almost time to switch to
super shield, though you can still use
copper and
oil as a preventative fungicide.
We managed to get a few more
Austins, including
Abraham Darby, not mention a few others that we had sold out of. Follow the
link to check out all the
roses. If you are planting new season's roses from now on, then cut the bag off using a sharp knife as you don't want to overly damage all those new white roots. Plant firmly but don't be too rough with the new rose and plant it into good free draining top-soil without too much compost. Compost will hold the moisture in this wet season and may rot those new roots if it's too wet.
Abraham Darby A gorgeous shrub rose with deeply cupped, very fruity fragrant blooms in shades of warm apricot and pink that repeat all season. A disease resistant plant, with dark green foliage, that could be trained as a small climber.
Sharifa Asma The subtle charms of this lovely rose will simply delight you as you watch the beautifully cupped blooms open to perfect rosettes. The pale, pearly pink petals emit a delightful myrrh fragrance. Lovely. This rose appreciates light dappled shade in the afternoons.
Charlotte To those of you who know and love the rose Graham Thomas you will recognize that his genes are very much part of the parentage of Charlotte. Soft yellow cupped blooms with a delicious fragrance. Flowers continuously. A rose of superb quality.
Happy Child Happy Child is a lovely medium yellow rose with pretty cupped blooms that have an excellent fragrance. Slightly arching growth habit. Repeats well. A lovely rose to celebrate a birth or special occasion in a child's life.
Just arrived and a random selection
Magnolia Fairy White Bred in NZ by Mark Jury this beautiful small tree is easy to grow in sun or part shade. Pure white, fragrant flowers open from velvet brown buds in winter. Fresh foliage looks good all year round. Prefers acid soil.
Tecomanthe Speciosa Three kings vine This is a very special New Zealand plant. Originating from the Three Kings Islands where there is only one plant still remaining in the wild. All plants sold today are descended from this one wild plant.
Clematis Paniculata One of the loveliest NZ Native plants, suitable for trellises, walls or rambling joyfully through trees. Festoons of large, starry, pure white blooms with golden anthers appear in spring, followed by silken seed heads. Keep roots cool with a nice layer of mulch. Evergreen.
Lavender The Princess What a pretty little Princess this Australian bred lavender is with dark pink tufted blooms that appear from spring through to summer. Aromatic grey-green foliage combines well with the flowers. Loves the sun and good drainage and a coiffure after flowering.
Deutzia Nikko A pretty little spreading shrub that will delight you in mid-Winter when masses of white tubular flowers cover every bare branch and twig. The flowers are followed by fresh green summer foliage that has nice autumn tones before leaf fall. Hardy and easy to grow in sun or part shade.
Event
There will be an Antique & Collectable Fair at Woodlands Estate on the Weekend of Sat. 31st of August/Sunday 1st of September (10am to 4 pm both days). Woodlands is at 42 Whitikahu Road, and entry is $3 per person. Enquiries to Nick (0274430018)
Whatever your stance is on the official beginning of spring, it will be officially Father's day again on Sunday the 1st of September, being just over a week away. Just mentioning it so that you can plan a family dinner or some special treat for all the Dads out there.
It's the cusp of another not-quite-Spring weekend so a quick reminder, complete all pruning, slug bait all
Hostas,
Delphiniums,
Liriopes and anything else that resembles mollusc tucker. Get sorted to feed all the garden especially
Roses,
Camellias,
Fruit and
Citrus and so on.
Other than all that, make sure that you enjoy your time off!!!
Have a great weekend.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
