Gardening Articles for week ending 13th OCTOBER 2007
Written by Wally Richards. [Photo]
LABOUR WEEKEND IS COMING
We are now close to Labour Weekend and the traditional time
for gardeners to plant out their more tender plants such as
tomatoes, cucumbers and Impatiens.
Keen gardeners will have already planted out many tender varieties
and several of them have complained to me that the recent,
unexpected frost, damaged or wiped out a number of plants.
Even planting out on Labour Weekend can often be too soon
if a late frost happens as a result of a change in the weather.
So what can one do to reduce the damage and be able to plant
out?
What I do is spray the plants three days before planting out
with Vaporgard. This does give frost protection down to minus
3 for up to 3 months on the foliage sprayed. It also does
another important thing in so much as it shields the foliage
from UV which means the plant grows more vigorously as it
is able to capture more energy from the sun. The film over
the foliage also means the plant requires less watering, reduces
transplant shock and gives a degree of protection from pests
and diseases.
Ideally with tomatoes you should not plant out all the plants
you wish to grow in one hit. Plant a few now, wait a month
and plant a few more. I keep doing this right up till February
which means a constant supply of fresh tomatoes right into
winter.
If you find that by the end of November you cant buy any more
tomato plants, no problem, just strike the laterals (side
shoots) off your existing plants as cuttings. The best way
to do this is to spray the side shoot, a few days before removing,
with Vaporgard and then strike as a cutting in moist sand.
Many gardeners lose their tomato plants during the season
to a stem rot. What happens is that the plants get up to about
a metre tall, looking really great with flowers and fruit
forming and next thing the plant starts to droop. The collapse
quickens over the next few days and bye, bye tomato plant.
A disease has entered the plant, likely when you removed laterals,
leaves or was damaged in the wind.
The disease attacks on one part of the trunk where the area
becomes darker as the rot sets in, cutting off the transfer
of moisture from the roots and energy from the sun back down.
Aerial roots will often form as little bumps above the affected
area where the plant is desperately trying to produce new
roots to save its life.
The solution to the problem is to only remove laterals on
a sunny day when the air is dry, not humid.
Spray the wound immediately with Liquid Copper to protect.
Interestingly I had a gardener last season that told me that
as soon as he noticed the darker patch on the trunk he painted
undiluted Liquid Copper on the area and was able to arrest
the disease. Worth a try if it happens to you and the disease
has not got too far advanced. Spraying the tomato plants once
a month with Perkfection can also assist in prevention. If
blights start to occur spray the plants with the Perkfection
(monthly) and also spray Liquid Copper with Raingard every
10 to 14 days till the disease period is past.
If growing tomato plants in a glasshouse or indoors (must
be in full sun) you may need to, on a nice sunny day, tap
the plants to cause a little vibration so that the pollen
will move to set the tomatoes.
To overcome whitefly problems sprinkle Neem Tree Granules
around near the base of the plants and repeat every 6-8 weeks
with a little more. I have found by doing this, that I have
no whitefly problems on my tomatoes in the glasshouse or outside.
Start as soon as you plant.
Another important thing is to keep the soil or growing medium
moist but not wet. If growing in containers and the mix dries
out too much you will get a problem called blossom end rot
where the base of the tomato is black coming towards maturity.
It is caused by a lack of calcium at the time the fruit was
setting, as a result of insufficient moisture to move the
calcium to the fruit set.
There are several different tomato foods available, some better
than others and there is my own, Wallys Secret
Tomato Food with Neem Granules which a number of gardeners
have high praise for.
The important aspect is that tomatoes need adequate potash
and magnesium and often these are lacking or insufficient
in some foods. Apply Fruit and Flower Power once a month if
using other tomato foods to make up the required amounts needed
by the plants. (You obtain far better flavour.)
This also applies to citrus fertilisers as you will note with
the yellowing leaves, lack of juice in the fruit and thicker
skins. The last thing in the world I would give my citrus
trees would be citrus fertiliser.
Instead I just give mine adequate chicken manure, a yearly
dose of Ocean Solids and a monthly sprinkle of Fruit and Flower
Power. Alternative to the chicken manure would be a good dose
of Blood & bone, sheep manure pellets and cover these
with a layer of compost. You can also place wet sheets of
newspaper down before the compost to assist in worm activity.
A friend of mine that sells seeds tells me that sweet peas
are a very big line and that many gardeners grow sweet peas
for their fragrance and beauty.
If I was to grow a line of sweet peas I would soak the peas
in a solution of Magic Botanic Liquid over night to swell
up the pea seeds. Next make a swallow trench in a sunny spot
with a frame to support the vines and sprinkle Rapid Lime,
sheep manure pellets or Bio Boost (Break Through) along the
row with the pea seeds. Cover and keep moist. These same products
and method can be used also for garden peas and beans to great
success.
If you want faster results make a trench about 100 mm deep
and place fresh grass clippings into the trench to 80mm full,
cover with a little soil and then place the products and seeds
onto this soil and cover. The heat from the decomposing grass
below will warm the soil and speed up growth.
A gardener also recently told me he used the same trick to
grow kumera. Digging a pit about 200 mm deep and filling it
with grass clippings with a 50mm layer of soil on top into
which he planted the kumera plants. According to the gardener
it was the best crop he has ever grown.
Roses, not matter how healthy they are, will attract some
aphids about now so a spray of Neem Tree Oil with Key Pyrethrum
added, applied late in the day just before sunset will take
care of these pests.
Another interesting aspect with Neem tree Oil is if you spray
the foliage of the roses every couple of weeks it tends to
prevent diseases such as black spot, rust and mildews. Possums
and rabbits will also leave the plants alone if you live in
the country and have problems with these animals.
Two things will assist in giving you better crops and flowers
and that is, an annual dose of Ocean Solids which provides
all the minerals and elements from the sea. A three monthly
soil drench (Spring, Summer and Autumn) of Magic Botanic Liquid
(MBL) and a two to four weekly spray over the foliage of the
same.
The key to great gardens is the use of natural products and
the total avoidance of chemical foods and sprays. The last
thing plants want in their food chain is chemicals and this
also applies to ourselves.
It is not actually being organic, it is being sensible and
healthy.
Start planing now for Labour Weekend and visit your local
garden centre this week to beat the Labour Weekend rush.
Any Problems ring me at 0800 466464 (Palmerston North 3570606)
Email wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz
Web site www.gardenews.co.nz
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