As the long cloudless months approach, watering even well established gardens becomes a necessity. There are a few things to keep in mind to help grow strong healthy plants whilst reducing water wastage.

WHEN:

Water heavily, but less often

Once your plants are established, one to two watering sessions per week are usually sufficient. Rather than watering little and often, it is much better to water fewer times a week but with plenty of water; this promotes healthy root growth as the plants search deeper for the last pockets of moisture between waterings. This means that not only do your plants become stronger and more resilient, when a watering is missed you have nice strong plants which can cope with a little stress. 

Water early in the morning

When you water in the early morning less water evaporates than on hot soil during the middle of the day. This way the plants can sufficiently supply themselves with water before the day’s heat kicks in. If you are not able to water first thing, then you could water at the end of the day. However, be aware that watering in the evening does make your plants more susceptible to disease and fungal problems. To minimise the risk, try to water after the strongest heat of the day has passed, but whilst there is still enough time for leaves to dry out, and avoiding the leaves as much as possible.

WHERE

Keep leaves dry to avoid diseases

As mentioned above, wet leaves can become diseased leaves. Kept wet overnight, leaf-mould diseases may result. But conversely, leaves that are made wet in the hot sun can develop burn marks. It is better therefore to aim the water around the soil if you are using a hand held hose to water, or if installing irrigation then see if drip Irrigation or a soaker hose will suit your needs.

Distribute your watering

Continually watering at only one root point leads to one-sided root growth and thus weaker plants from poorer nutrient absorption.  Instead, always water around the plant evenly.

HOW

Irrigation Systems

There are many options for watering your garden, from using a hose or watering can, through to Irrigation systems such as drip irrigation, soaker hoses, micro sprays and sprinklers. It's worth researching the different types to see what will suit your situation the best.

How to use your hose 

If you are watering by hose try to use a lighter setting (such as mist) around smaller or more delicate plants. when using the shower setting invert the hose head so that you are spraying up into the air and the water droplets fall down mimicking rainfall, this is much gentler on your plants. 

Also, when we are watering only once or twice a week, the soil will likely have a dry crust, and the water therefore needs a moment to seep into the soil. To prevent water from flowing away unused, it’s better to water one section then move onto another before coming back to continue watering once the first lot has soaked in.

Mulch

Adding a thick layer of mulch helps to protect the soil surface from the harsh rays of the sun, it also greatly reduces the evaporation of water below. Adding a layer of wet newspaper (6-10 pages thick) between the soil and mulch will also help to suppress weeds (just don’t paper over any seedlings you want to keep of course). Ensure you water thoroughly before mulching, and if you are using fresh woodchips on bare soil it is a good idea to add a nitrogen rich fertiliser such as Blood and Bone as the woodchips will initially draw nitrogen out of the soil as they age (this is a temporary problem and they will of course feed the nitrogen right back into the soil wand then some as they break down).

And the most important rule…. When the inevitable rain day interrupts the summer sun, give yourself the day off, you’ve earned it.

Companion planting is the practice of growing together plants which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another. These benefits may include: assisting with pest control, encouraging pollination, attracting beneficial creatures, or simply maximizing the available space.

Some beneficial plants can camouflage nearby plants from pest insects either by their shape or by the scents they release. Other beneficial plants can help 'fix' the soil, for example deep rooted plants can help to aerate the soil, whilst members of the Legume family are 'nitrogen fixers' with roots which enable them to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form used by other plants.

Another way plants can be beneficial to their neighbours is by emitting chemicals from their roots which can act as growth stimulants for other plants. Conversely, some plants can also act negatively to prevent the germination of seeds, so this also needs to be taken into consideration.

The following guide from Palmers is by no means exhaustive but is a pretty handy guide. For a more comprehensive table head on over to https://www.palmers.co.nz/portfolio-posts/companion-planting/

Discourage ants and aphids

Plant penny royal and tansy throughout the garden. Ants farm aphids, by carrying them from plant to plant as they are very fond of the sweet substance which aphids secrete. The pungent smell of penny royal and tansy will also deter ants from coming into the house. Plant large clumps near entrances. Coriander will help keep aphids away from your garden.

Encourage apple trees

Apple trees are more productive and disease resistant if a good number of chives are grown under them.

Encourage apricot trees

Apricot trees benefit from planting basil and tansy nearby.

Encourage asparagus

Asparagus grows particularly well if it is surrounded by parsley.

Handy herb

Basil is one of the most valuable herbs in the garden. Ornamental basil, sweet basil and bush basil are all beneficial. Bees love it and therefore it brings fertility to the whole garden. It also deters aphids, fruit fly and the common house fly.

Encourage cabbages

Cabbages grow better when mint, thyme, sage, rosemary and dill are planted around them. Never grow rue near cabbages.

Encourage your vegetable garden

Borage is rich in organic potassium, calcium and natural minerals. It should always be grown near cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and strawberries.

Encourage celery and carrots

Celery likes to have dill planted nearby. Carrots like chives, sage and coriander planted between their rows.

Discourage birds, mice and slugs

When growing plants from seed, mix dried herbs of any variety to discourage birds, mice and slugs from eating them while they are germinating.

Discourage mosquitoes

Pots of garlic, which can be easily moved around, will repel mosquitoes. Great for when you are entertaining outdoors.

Encourage bees to your garden

Planting lemon balm and lavender will attract bees and improve the growth of all vegetables, especially tomatoes.

Discourage fleas

Discourage fleas by planting fennel near troublesome areas.

Encourage healthy plants

Lovage, marjoram and tarragon planted freely through vegetable and flower gardens will improve the health of all nearby plants.

Discourage insects

Nasturtium helps repel wooly aphid and many other garden insects.

Discourage slugs and snails

Rosemary and rue repel slugs and snails so plant them by your more tender plants.

Encourage roses

Garlic and chives planted near roses help repel aphids and other insects whilst enhancing the fragrance of the rose flowers.

Discourage white fly

Marigolds planted throughout the garden will help discourage whitefly.

We all know how vital bees are for pollination, but did you know there are a few simple steps you can take to support the little fellas ? Yes, you probably did, but as it’s Bee awareness month I’m going to list them here anyway:

Bee Food – One of the easiest ways you can help bees is by planting bee-friendly plants. It gets better, you don’t really need to put much effort into it at all. Just grab a packet of bee friendly seeds, check the back of the packet for when and where to sow, and pop them in your garden with a good watering when you sow and again as needed. Pretty soon you’ll be rewarded with some pretty flowers and a nice warm glow from being so wonderful.

Some good choices of seeds include: Wildflower / pollinator mixes, Lavender, Bee balm (funnily enough), Lemon Balm, Catmint (if you don’t mind the neighbourhood cats popping over for a nibble). Or if you feel like feeding yourself as well as the bees, the following are also favoured by our honey making friends: Rosemary, Basil, Mint, Sage, Thyme, Fennel, Parsley, Coriander and Nasturtium. There’s a whole host of other bee-friendly seeds and seedlings to choose from, and if you’re growing any fruits or veggies your crops well definitely benefit too.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to plant any bee food, you can still help out by not doing something. Not spraying harmful pesticides makes a massive contribution to saving the bee population. And if you really have to spray, you can greatly minimise harm by spraying at sunset when the bees are less active

Water - you can leave a small saucer or bowl of fresh water for bees to drink from in the garden. It helps to leave a few pebbles in there for them to rest on while they sup. 

Want to do  a little more? Perhaps you want to give your veggie garden a boost, or maybe you just like the idea of helping out the local bee population? Why not set up a Bee nesting box? orderings.co.nz have some beautiful options, but you can make them yourself or have a look at your local garden centre or DIY store. Worried about pets or little ones? Leafcutter Bees are ideal, they pollinate most fruit and veggies, and they are safe around children and pets.

Hope you have a Bee-utiful September (sorrynotsorry)

If you are lucky enough to live within walking distance of a beach, you may have noticed that certain plants tend to thrive in your garden, whilst others are just not as able to cope with the salt laden winds of the coast.

There are two ways to handle planting in coastal environments. If you want plants that are not hardy to salty breezes you can protect them by planting a protective shelter around them. Alternatively, there are a plethora of interesting coastal hardy plants to choose from:

Trees and shrubs which can act as a protective barrier for less tolerant plants include Banksia –who’s spectacular flower heads are also valued for attracting, Tui and even  Waxeyes ;  Norfolk pine – although be aware these are extremely large trees growing up to a height of 50–65 m when mature; Callistemon (bottle brush) – which are also prized for their striking flowers. Cabbage Trees are a New Zealand icon and are a great addition to the landscape, especially in mixed plantings.  Similarly striking are Pseudopanax, as well as the Puka  and Puriri which both have  outstanding foliage and  berries which entice a multitude of birds including Kereru. Another classic NZ tree is the Pohutakawa, whilst the most famous Metrosideros excelsa can grow to over  10m tall, it has smaller cousins who grow to around 4 or 5 metres and even the dwarf Metrosideros polymorpha Tahiti, a shrub which reaches around a meter and has brilliant scarlet-orange flowers from mid-winter through spring. Manukas are also suitable to coastal areas as are  Leucadendrons, which  not only look spectacular, they require very little care once established and their vibrant bracts make great cut flowers.

As for hedging, the  Cupressocyparis family make great tall hedging plants, as do Pittosporum, Phebalium (Satin Wood), and Griselinia. Grevillea banksia also makes a colourful screen. All of the Westringas are coastal hardy and provide a variety of hedging heights from 0.5m up to 2m tall.

And so to shrubs, Coprosma, Corokia,  and Cistus (rock rose),  are all suitable, hardy shrubs; as are  Hebes, Lavender, and Rosemary which also serve the important role of attracting bees. Flaxes such as Phormium, Astelia chathamica and the sedge Carex testacea are also good hardy choices.The Kowhai Sophora Longicarinata is an excellent small tree to consider, with its graceful weeping form, fine dainty foliage and greenish-yellow flowers which are attractive to birds. Viburnum ‘Emerald Beauty’, and the Arthropodium cirratum and Arthropodium ‘Matapouri Bay’ all provide attractive white flowers. For something more exotic, look to Hibiscus, Protea, and Bird of Paradise.

Pimelia make for a hardy and fast growing groundcover, as do several types of low growing Coprosma such as C. acerosa and Coprosma x kirkii

Only very hardy climbers can withstand coastal climes. These include Bougainvillea (although be warned, as enticing as they are, these thorny customers can be difficult to keep in check), Ficus pumila, Hardenbergia, Pyrostegia (flame vine), also all make excellent choices, but none more so than the threatened  Tecomanthe speciosa Three King’s Climber, which interestingly will only flower when it is growing horizontally.

The above list is by no means exhaustive, but serves to illustrate that there are an abundance of plants which are suitable to coastal climes. Of course with the correct shelter and care you can still include plants that aren't as tolerant of coastal conditions.

Whatever you plan to plant, it is important to give it the best chance of flourishing by ensuring the plant fits the site conditions, such as exposure, soil type, drainage, temperature, and sunlight available. Healthy plants growing in ideal conditions will be less likely to become diseased and  are also less likely to be adversely affected by insect damage. If you work with the garden and choose suitable plants it will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run and reward you for years to come.