PlumcotWhen a plum and apricot are crossed, you get a plumcot. Plumcot “Spring Satin” combines the lively flavour of plums with the sweetness of apricots. The large reddish-black skinned fruit has delicious golden flesh.
“Spring Satin” is an early season variety and although self-fertile, it produces more fruit if grown with any Japanese plum flowering at the same time, such as Santa Rosa. It’s a productive, semi-dwarf tree growing to around 3m tall, so it’s ideal for a backyard.
When planting deciduous fruit trees, improve the soil in the planting hole first by mixing in Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food. The rich organic matter in Dynamic Lifter will help retain moisture and nutrients as well as encouraging hard working earthworms and beneficial soil micro-organisms.
Flowers to sowIn temperate zones, there is still a range of lovely flowers to sow in early winter. Sowing flower seeds now is like putting flowers in the bank to enjoy in a few months time
Alyssum “Carpet of Snow” is a drought- hardy annual that has masses of tiny white fragrant flowers over a long period and makes an ideal border, ground cover or potted flower. It’s as easy as scattering seed directly where they are to grow and lightly covering with soil or seed raising mix and keeping the area moist while the seedlings establish.
Statice is another tough annual that produces vibrant coloured flowers in white, yellow, blue and rose, that can be picked fresh for a vase or dried for a long-lasting display.
Baby’s breath remains a very popular cut flower and you can grow your own by sowing Gypsophila Baby’s Breath in June. They can be sown directly where they are to grow in rows or clumps and plants will flower in around 10 weeks.
Once flower seedlings are around 5cm tall, start feeding with potassium fortified Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food, which contains a balanced blend of nutrients to promote healthy leaf growth as well as lots of colourful flowers.
Winter rosesHellebores, often called “Winter Roses”, put on a prolific display of large, bell-shaped flowers from winter into early spring. Flower colours range from creamy white through delicate pink and deep magenta.
Growing to around 50cm tall and spreading to 60cm wide, they are easy care, tidy plants and are ideal for adding colour into shaded or low-light areas. Mass plantings of hellebores in garden beds look stunning and they can also be grown in containers, which can be displayed indoors for up to six weeks.
Sprinkle Acticote Pots, Planters & Garden Beds around the root zone during the flowering season. It contains a special combination of advanced fertiliser technology that gives plants an instant release of nutrients then continues feeding for up to 12 months. Trim finished flowering stems back to ground level in late spring.
A gift for the birds and the beesThere are many fantastic varieties of proteas that flower during winter so it’s an ideal time to visit your local nursery and choose your favourite. Colours range from creamy white and yellow through to light pink and port wine red and some proteas have very attractive black fringing on the flowers. Proteas also make a beautiful and long-lasting cut flower.
Most varieties grow between 1 and 2m tall and have a medium frost tolerance. Proteas attract native birds like the tui into the garden and winter flowering varieties in particular provide an important source of food during the cooler months for birds and bees.
Once proteas are well established, a light sprinkling of Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food around the root zone will provide gentle, slow-release organic nutrients. After flowering, prune off around half of each stem that has flowered to keep the plant compact and tidy.
Wall of figsFigs are attractive trees with large lush looking foliage and have fruit with delicious sweet flesh that can be eaten fresh or dried or made into jams and used in desserts. Some varieties will produce two crops of fruit each year.
They are hardy, deciduous trees and can be grown in most parts of New Zealand (young trees should be protected from frosts).
If you fancy a fig at your place but don’t think you have the space, have a look at your walls. In a spot with well-drained soil, figs can be espaliered against a sunny fence and provide a very attractive and edible screen.
Figs can also be grown in a large container. So this winter, start your very own espalier fig.
Planting tip: water in newly-planted figs with Thrive Natural Seaweed to promote strong healthy root growth.
Ants are also attracted to the honeydew produced by aphids. Aphids can be controlled with Conqueror Spraying Oil.
— Courtesy of Yates
