Saturday 18th May, 2024
Hi
Frosts speed up the process of leaf fall
Omg I think those were three pretty good frosts that we had last week. They certainly looked as if they were around -2 or -3, so it was pretty cool in the morning but the days that followed were just perfect. I don't think that we have had frosts that hard for a few years now as I have become just a tad complacent.
One frost you can usually get away with but the cumulative effect of 3 in a row of that calibre takes its toll. For a nursery like us that doesn't have any crop covers it certainly sent us running for the frost cloth and
Vaporgard. We also create an area, where we tend to move the more frost tender plants, which has some shelter.
Vaporgard is a great product and is suitable for use on plants like citrus, giving their new growth some protection against being burnt by the frost. The mature leaves on citrus tend not to be frost tender. Vaporgard doesn't really give protection to plants that are actually frost tender and is not suitable for all plants, like I guess ferns, and so trial and error is the way to go.
I always say that in a climate like ours in the Waikato, because on the whole we enjoy relatively warm winter temperatures, when we do get a frost like the other few days it really hammers the plants. Then of course we are back to quite warm days again. In contrast in a cooler climate, where growth actually stops, there isn't so much tender new growth to be damaged by Autumn frosts. This is why in the Waikato it's best to leave pruning until just before bud burst because in many plant types, esp. roses, pruning actually promotes growth. The other tip here is that some plants (like
Cannas) that have been frosted are best cut back after the winter so the next frost just hits the already damaged foliage. Then there are perennials like
Dahlias and
Hostas that just need you to clear the now-finished leaf material away. Though if you are like me, then I just get in and do what I have to do to make everything in the garden look tidy.
On that note, those very cold days and nights have certainly had an effect on the Deciduous trees. Autumn colours have definitely intensified and leaf drop has quickened. The
Maples at home have just been stunning, but I reckon that they will almost finish defoliating over the next couple of days. Most of the fruit trees in my orchard were already bare but the
fig, which still had its leaves, dropped them all almost overnight.
I find it fascinating that while some trees have lost all their leaves, others look like they have no intention of doing so, and so Autumn in the Waikato is quite a prolonged affair. The
Variegated Elm at home hasn't even started to drop its leaves whereas our
Horizontal Elm is now naked.
It's the time to be thinking trees
I have an avenue of
Tilias or European lime trees that are quite established now and these line the left hand side of the Right-Of-Way. On the right hand side we planted
Upright Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus fastigata) which as the name suggests have quite the upright (fastigate) growth habit which does look good. Both of these are hardy trees and have quite a pleasant yellow Autumn tone which is enhanced if we get that cold snap.
Upright or fastigate trees
Upright or fastigate trees are fab for narrow spaces where it's best for the tree not to spread too wide, but don't think that these forms still don't grow large. Upright trees are a perfect choice to line a driveway that doesn't have too much verge or in small beds where you don't want the tree to get too broad. If I recollect
Upright Hornbeams have been used as trees in the main street of Huntly. Wairere drive has
Upright Oaks (Quercus robur fastigiata) planted in the centre island.
There are really quite a few upright versions of the trees of different genera... In the maples there are a couple of rubrum types that are more columnar and these have spectacular fiery red autumn tones. Check out
Acer rubrum columnare and also
Acer Bowhall.
One of my favourite trees would be the
Tulip Tree or Liriodendron Tulipifera and the normal form is a very handsome, large rounded tree which is quite hardy and goes a pretty buttery yellow at this time of the year. There is a fastigate form called
Liriodendron Arnold and these are sometime used as street trees due to the narrower habit.
Cascading trees
There are many beautiful Deciduous trees that have a weeping or cascading form. In a kind of weird way they don't grow up, but rather downwards, and as a result they often don't get super tall. Of course, they do get taller but when they send a shoot upwards it sort of grows up and then over and that is how they increment in size. Again, don't think of weeping trees as small unless they are a small cultivar as many can get quite wide and tall. After all, they are trees!
Flowering cherries like
Pendula Rosea and
Falling Snow are both great blossom trees and have that popular cascading form. Most Cherries also tend to give quite pretty Autumn tones of an orange hue.
Ulmus Horizontalis is a beauty and its form is just amazing with those very horizontal branches not unlike an umbrella. I'd say the most perfect for a shade tree with not too much work.
Ulmus Glabra Pendula has a much more weeping form than its mate
horizontalis, and also makes for a great shade tree once it gets some age. I think that there are some pretty cool specimans of
pendula in the centre of Matamata's main street, and also outside the Cambridge town hall, that boast a bit of age.
There are quite few
Crabapples (Malus) that have a weeping form. Then there are others that have more of a cascading or arching habit, meaning that they grow up and then down.
Red Jade and
Echtermeyer have an actual weeping habit whereas one like
Floribunda has a more arching and spreading character. Then there's
Prairifire, which is a different form again, having an upright trunk but a spreading canopy which is oval-shaped at maturity.
It's the time to be thinking "trees" as all our new season's stock will be potted in July after the roses. Of course we still have quite some selection here, but we will be full to the brim again after a few more weeks. If you don't see what you require in-stock, then do go and waitlist the trees that you want as these only come in once a year. If you are in the nursery and want some more help, then ask the team.
Some deals still
We're now counting down the days until we start potting the new season's roses and that is why the large area in the centre of the nursery is empty and the few roses remaining there need to go. All the roses in-stock (including standards) are priced to clear at just $15.00.
We still have some great quality
Camellias originally priced at $42.99 that now have 20% discount on them (now $34.39). Prefect if you need a hedge or a few of them and also great for a shrubbery in the garden.
Then there are the
standard Camellias, and they are the best quality, and there will be no more of these as this grower has retired from producing them. There is a good range to choose from and these also attract a 20% discount.
Just arrived
Strawberry (Camarosa) plants arrived yesterday and should be dispatched first thing next week. For those who chose to collect theirs: you should soon get an email saying they are ready to collect. If you haven't had an email and have had them on order, then do get in touch with the office.
There is plenty to do in the garden including raking leaves and cleaning away frosted foliage. We had 30 mls of rain here, which was just perfect to keep the garden growing and the weather forecast seems to be fine for the weekend.
Whatever your plans, have a great weekend.
Cheers from Lloyd, Tony and the Wairere team.
