Hydrangea Raspberry Crush is one of the darkest reds available in a hydrangea.
Hydrangea Raspberry Crush is one of the darkest reds available in a hydrangea.
Wind, higher temperatures and sunshine are great indicators that the summer season is on its way.
Summer’s drier soils mean keeping an eye on plant health and water stress.
An amazing combination for plant growth is warm summer temperatures and deep watering weekly in evenings.
Combine these factors and you have a recipe for establishing a successful garden.
Now is a good time to mulch exposed soil areas with products such as bark chips or nuggets, pea straw, barley straw or bagged products like Tui Mulch & Feed.
Hydrangeas have surged in popularity in recent years. They are on trend as classic plants from yesteryear.
Their large full lush blooms carry happy memories of our grandparents, who also loved them.
They are reproduced as faux flowers as well as dried and dyed for year-round displays indoors in public places and modern interior decorating around the home. Freshly picked in a vase, they last well too.
Growing in the garden, hydrangeas are star performers for the summer months.
The blooms start in late November and carry on through Christmas and into January and February.
Some will have blooms that will stay on the plant into the Autumn months changing colour to antique shades as the flowers age.
The most familiar hydrangea are “macrophylla” hybrids, which means long or large leaves. The bold heads bloom in white, pink, red and blue in summer.
The macrophylla types include “mop head” and “lace cap” forms.
The mophead is recognised as the “classic” hydrangea with a rounded flowerhead while the lace cap has a flatter flower head with florets around the blooms and the centre has the appearance of an unopened bud.
There is another range of hydrangea which are “paniculata” varieties. These plants are later in their flowering, with blooms generally starting in December or January.
Blue colours may be retained in acid soil situations. This can be created if not naturally occurring with applications of aluminum sulphate, applied at monthly intervals during the winter months and prior to flowering.
Red and pink colours occur in alkaline soil situations, applications of garden lime will make the soil more alkaline to keep these colours vibrant.
These pH-adjusting products are available in the garden centre in both liquid and powder forms.
The white flowers stay true to name in both acid and alkaline soil situations.
Produces masses of blood-red, mophead flowers in ball-shaped clusters.
Deep, dark green foliage which takes on a heavy maroon toning which intensifies through summer. Grows approximately 1.5m high x 1.5m wide.
Hydrangea Strawberries & Cream
Puts on a spectacular show with lace cap blooms contrasting a strong show between red florets and cream centres. Grows approximately 90cm high x 120cm wide.
Hydrangea White Wave
A lace cap form with white florets surrounded white centre with blue tinges, highly attractive. Grows approximately 2m x 2m.
A mop-head hydrangea which has striking bi-colour blooms. The flower clusters are large with cerise pink florets that are edged with a thin band of white.
The petals are also a touch more pointy-edged than usual mopheads. An unusual and striking combination. Grows to around 120cm. Perfect for shady spots!
Hydrangea Goldie
A superb plant to lift a shady area with gold/green-coloured leaves.
The white mophead-type flowers make an attractive show. Grows approximately 1m x 1m.
A paniculata variety producing masses of lime green flowers through the summer months.
An amazing display of flowers in the heat of summer. Grows approximately 1.2m high x 1m wide
Protect against insect pests
The warming temperatures that are promoting good growth in the garden are also resulting in a rapidly expanding population of aphids, whitefly, caterpillars, scale, potato/tomato psyllid and other attacking insects.
The effects of psyllid on potatoes and tomatoes is completely devastating.
These crops should be sprayed now with bee-friendly insect spray Yates Mavrik.
This spray works on contact with the insect. This means that to break the life cycle of an infestation a few sprays in quick succession will be needed to knock back the population.
Follow all packet directions carefully when spraying pests and diseases, care should be taken so that the spray reaches both sides of the leaves to get an effective result.
An organic product, Naturally Neem, can be used for aphid, whitefly, thrip and mealy bug.
I have recently read a recommendation of mixing these two products to good effect.
Mavrik works by contact and ingestion, while Naturally Neem stops feeding and disrupts the breeding cycle.
A mixture of Yates Mavrik with Naturally Neem offers a two-pronged attack giving particularly effective results. This combo works on all chewing and sucking insects.
Once the spray is dry, it is bee-safe. It can be used on vegetables and has a three-day withholding period.
Combat 3 in 1 for Roses is a good rose spray.
Combat is the only three in one - insecticide, fungicide and fertiliser especially for roses. Combat is marketed as a rose spray but is also suitable for other ornamental plants.
Another range of products that has recently come to my attention particularly for the treatment of psyllid on potatoes and tomatoes is the Wally’s range of silicon products.
These products are reputed to work by making the plant’s cells too tough for the psyllid nymphs to pierce and feed from. Definitely something to try in the battle against these destructive pests.
Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre
