Alstroemeria has a compact habit with larger blooms and intense flower colours.
Gareth Carter is the general manager of Springvale Garden Centre in Whanganui.
OPINION
There is always something to do in the garden. The nature of the seasons bring about things in both the flower and vegetable garden in every month of the year.
Whether it’s planting, maintaining or harvesting, there is joy to be had in the garden.
If you manage to get some time in the garden over the festive season a couple of the flowering favourites of the season are talked about plus some vegetable garden tips too.
Alstroemeria
There are a few different series of these that have come from different breeders, both ‘Inca’ and ‘inticancha’ ranges of dwarf alstroemeria, also called Peruvian Lily, are top performers.
Featuring compact habit with larger blooms and intense flower colours. Like all alstroemeria they perform best in a sunny well drained situation.
In sheltered spots they can remain evergreen but where heavier frost occurs they will be dormant in the winter months.
They respond well to feeding with Novatec, best applied in September and January each year.
Alstroemeria are generally pest free with the occasional infestation from aphids, this is controlled easily with rose spray or another insecticide. When growing in pots ensure the pot is not too small.
A common reason for plants not succeeding in pots is that at the time of planting consideration is not given to how big and at what rate a plant will grow.
If a pot is too small then there is little soil content for water storage for the plant to use.
This results in the plant being stressed and consequently underperforms or even dies during dry periods. Use a good quality potting mix such as Ican Premium Potting Mix to ensure the plant performs at its best.
Garvinea Gerberas
Traditionally gerberas have been notoriously difficult to keep alive for long periods.
Their sensitivity to overwatering, humidity and fungus disease had put them into the too hard basket for many.
However, the alluring flowers of the gerbera make them a highly desirable plant.
A turning point for home gardeners in NZ was the arrival of a new generation of gerbera. Garvinea Gerbera has proven to be revolutionary with a unique combination of features.
Using genetics from wild South African plants, breeders have managed to come up with a colour palette of strong, prolific, free flowering gerberas which have cold tolerance and superior pest and disease resistance.
There are a number of vibrant colours available in New Zealand. Garvinea are happy in full sun to part shade and look gorgeous mass planted in garden beds and large containers.
What Garvinea lacks in flower size compared to other gerberas is more than made up for by the quantity of flowers, with the average plant yielding well over 70 blooms per year.
They provide continuous colour from spring right through summer to the end of autumn.
Garvinea are winter hardy and survive where temperatures may drop to -5C.
Come spring the flowers will start popping up for another long season.
Being pest and disease tolerant means that Garvinea are much easier to grow than most other gerberas. They thrive best in sunny well drained situations as they resent wet feet.
Switching direction into the vegetable garden there are a few timely tips to attend to.
Tomatoes
If you haven’t yet planted many heat-loving summer vegetables there is still time. For those who planted early, your plants are likely now fruiting. High humidity after rain increases the risk of blight, mildew and other fungal disease. Protect plants with sprays of Growsafe Certified Organic Freeflo Copper or Yates Liquid Copper. The insect psylid is also active, spray with Yates Mavrik or Wallys Silicon Cell Strengthener.
Note Mavrik and copper can be mixed and applied together.
Capsicums and chilli
These plants love the heat and will grow and produce quickly in a hot position during the summer months. Find a full sun location out of the wind to grow these low fuss vegetables. Feed with Ican Tomato Food for good results.
Sow seeds
Those that can be sown direct into the soil now include; carrots, butter beans, dwarf beans, climbing beans and radishes. Last plantings of corn can be made now. Continue with successive plantings of other vegetables including lettuce varieties, celery, spinach and silverbeet, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Seeds of these sown in trays now will be ready for planting out in February and will make a good mid Autumn harvest in late March/ early April.
Leeks
Traditionally are planted between Christmas and New Year (bit like the tradition of planting tomatoes at Labour weekend).
While planting is definitely not limited to this time, planting during December and early January tends to produce larger more robust plants than those planted later.
Leeks are a hardy vegetable that have very few pests/diseases that affect them.
The bigger the leek, the more flavoured it is. Leeks are best planted in free draining, organically rich soil.
Apply generous amounts of lime to the soil, a few weeks before planting, if possible.
Plants can be purchased in stores or grown from seeds. Seedlings grown in trays can be transplanted easily but leave them until they have grown to 20cm high.
When transplanting, trim 8cm off the shoots and about 2cm off the roots before planting out.
This is usually not necessary on seedlings bought from garden centres as they are already prepared.
Dropping more than one leak per hole is fine, but the leeks will be smaller.
Alternatively the plants can be thinned as if growing carrots and the thinnings can be added to soups and salads.
Keep leeks weed free as they hate competing for light and moisture.
Leeks can be safely left in the ground until needed or alternatively dig up the crop and place them in a container filled with soil (cover the stems, leaving the leaves free), and store in a convenient spot until needed.
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are adorned by some and detested by others. Brussel sprouts are one winter vegetable that needs to go in really early to get good height on the plants before the growth stops in cooler weather – the number of sprouts you get is almost 100% determined by the length of the stem, planting in January is ideal.
Like its brassica cousins of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, Brussel sprouts will perform best in rich fertile soil.
The addition of well rotted animal manures, mushroom compost or soil conditioners such as Yates Dynamic Lifter or Tui Sheep Pellets will do much to enhance the soil structure and fertility and you will have a good chance to harvest a decent crop.
They too like the leeks prefer an alkaline soil so the addition of lime before planting is beneficial.
The biggest pest to Brussel sprouts is the white cabbage butterfly and caterpillar which can be easily treated by the use of derris dust or a spray with Yates Mavrik or Yates Success.
A non spray alternative is to completely enclose the plants with a fine meshed ‘Bug Netting’ where the butterflies cannot reach the plants to lay eggs and thus preventing caterpillars from gaining access to the plants.
Companion plants said to deter white cabbage butterfly and keep the caterpillars away from brassicas includes oregano, mint, hyssop, thyme and rosemary.
Planting sage and dill with your brassicas is said to improve their growth and growing with chamomile is said to improve the flavour.
When planting any of the above prepare the soil with iCan Real Blood & Bone and then feed monthly with the iCan Organic Vegetable Food. If the growth is slow, fertilise with liquid fertiliser such as Ican Fast Food once a week.
Comment: There are food sources that have a stronger attraction for certain birds.