Winter gardening

When it comes to dressing the garden much confusion arises over what to use and what for. Supermarket or garden centre shelves with their extensive range of garden products can be confusing. So to simplify matters we precis, or chunk down, What to Feed and How to Protect at this time of year.

Fertilisers Feed

Soil needs food-balance withahealthy digging-in of compost, humus, animal manure and mineral additives like lime-anessential calcium which neutralises acidic soil, conditions and improves the texture of clay soils. Since

earthworms breakdown and aerate the soil, consider starting a simple worm farm.

 

General garden fertilisers come in granular or liquid form to be applied around the base of your existing plants, veggies, trees,spuds and so on while they are in growth. Use Phostrogen, Yates general fertiliser or any seaweed-based liquid fertilisers.

 

There are plant specific fertilisers such as Tui's specialty citrus feed or Epsom salts which should be sprinkled around the drip line of citrus tree branches now and in spring.

 

Winter lawns need a long acting, slow release low nitrogen high phosphate dressing to stimulate root growth (ie Yates slow release Lawn Master) and lawn spiking is an important task to aerate the soil after heavy compacting winter cold and rain.

 

Plant green crop like comfrey, mustard and lupin which are nitrogen fixers and a few weeks hence can be dug back into the ground to give good nutrients and humus back to the soil.

Sprays that Protect Against Pests

Insecticides-Aproduct like Yates Confidor kills aphids, mealy bugs, whitefly scale and thrips.

 

Hang (codling) moth traps and grease-band pear and apple tree trunks to trap pests.

 

Treat lawns withagrass grub and beetle killer this month usingaproduct containing Diazinon.

 

Scatter Derris dust at the start of caterpillar attack on brassicas and use slug and snail bait to protect young plantlets in the greenhouse and in situ in the veggie patch.

Miticides are used to control mites especially red spider mite. Try Kelthan which contains dicofol.

Fungicides are used to treat fungal diseases (parasitic non-chlorophyll-making organisms that leech their host.

 

Copper hydroxide spray for stone fruit trees prevent leaf curl. Lime Sulphur sprays used for killing disease spores, scale overwintering pests especially on roses this month.

 

Spray citrus trees withawhite oil product which smothers scale in August. Use dormant sprays before bud burst in spring, never spray on open flowers which busy bees may visit to pollinate.

 

Winter may have slowed things down in the garden, but planning and preparation for the approaching spring will pay wonderful dividends.