Grow forth from the shortest day

WINTER BLOOMER: Camellias give gorgeous colour to the colder months. PICTURES / GARETH CARTER

When you are keen on gardening you can't help but be aware of the weather as its effects are highly determinant in the level of success you will have. Last Sunday was the shortest day, so from now on the days will get longer, the nights shorter and ironically the weather often gets colder.
Many plants regulate their growth cycles based on the day and night length. So as the days lengthen in the coming weeks many trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs will react in varying ways. Spring bulbs such as paper whites and early jonquils are starting to flower while daffodils are starting to come through the soil for flowering in August and September. Crocus is always one of the earliest of the spring bulbs to flower. It is often referred that crocuses "herald the coming of spring" as these tend to flower around late July and August.
Gardening is very much about working with the seasons and we have created "traditional" planting times that help us to remember when to plant certain crops. So just as many people will always plant tomato plants at Labour Weekend, many will always plant garlic bulbs on the shortest day and harvest it on the longest. As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you can in actual fact plant garlic any time from May until the end of July.
Another vegetable crop that is excellent for healthy living and should be sown now are onions. The bulb of an onion develops in response to day length, so for best results following the correct sowing and planting times is important. They are not difficult to grow and take up little room. Before sowing the ground should be well worked with all lumps of soil broken down and all weeds removed. Sprinkle the soil with general fertiliser and fork in. A shallow furrow should be made and seeds planted at 6mm deep and covered with seed raising mix or fine soil. Watch out for slugs and snails and protect seedlings with slug bait, they germinate within 10-14 days. Seeds and seedlings can be purchased from garden centres. Planted now they will be ready for harvest in mid summer.
Gardening by the moon is another practice that many follow, it dates back to the Babylonian era making it one of the oldest gardening practices.
In brief the concept is the earth has a gravitational field that is influenced by the sun and moon, and that the water within the soil of the earth is pulled by the moon just as the tides are. In the first two quarters of the moon, when light is increasing, it is considered a good time to graft trees, plant evergreens and sow seeds. A good article on this topic can be found at http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/lifestyle-file/rural-people-a-issues/gardening/item/754-gardening-by-the-moon.html
It is well known that, June and July are optimum months for planting deciduous trees, including both ornamentals and fruit trees. Next month is pruning month for roses and fruit trees, more information on pruning in next week's column. Fruit tree pruning demonstrations are to be held at Springvale Garden Centre on Sunday July 6 and 13 at 2pm - mark your calendar now.
Another plant that bursts forth with bloom during the winter months are camellias.
Camellias are a useful evergreen shrub; having rich green glossy foliage and great beauty and diversity of flower from May to November each year. The flowers may be single, double or semi double and pink, red, sometimes white or mixtures of all three. There are even a few yellowish and bluish-purple flowered varieties.
Camellias can be grown successfully in containers as well as outdoors in the garden. Most grow to their best potential in partial shade and acidic, composted soil. Camellias need soil that is well drained but moisture retentive.
There are three main types of camellias.
Camellia Japonicas are the camellias best known to us. There are thousands of named cultivars of all flower forms and colours. They are particularly hardy. Their foliage is glossy deep green and a careful selection can provide continuous flowering for up to six months of the year. Flower sizes vary from miniatures under 5cm across to the flamboyant 20cm doubles, all great for a garden display or floral art. Popular varieties include Nicky Crisp; (mid pink) and Man Size (white anemone shape flowers). Camellia reticulata have the largest flowers and is the most spectacular of all camellias. There are numerous hybrids and often they commence flowering in May. Well known hybrid varieties include; Dr Clifford Parkes (scarlet orange) and Dream Girl (delicate pale satin pink).
Camellia Sasanqua are very hardy and are the first flowering of the camellia season, beginning in April. By the time the japonicas begin to take centre stage they have mostly finished flowering. They produce an abundance of small blooms often fragrant in a full range of colours of white, through pink to red. They have great versatility. Some varieties are highly desirable as hedge plants. Camellia Quintessence can be used as a ground cover in semi shady positions, it is a hybrid that flowers pure white with a yellow centre and miniature spreading growth habit and a sweet musk fragrance.
Others can be easily espaliered or grown in containers. Smaller leaved varieties can also be trained into topiary forms. Sasanquas are more tolerant of sun than are japonicas and grow well in Wanganui. Popular varieties include; Setsugeka (pure white with yellow stamens), Crimson King (red) and Yuletide (orange - red).
¦ Gareth Carter is General Manager of Springvale Garden Centre