Plan 'three sisters' for strong crops

It is time to sow sunflowers for a summer and autumn display

The weather still seems unsettled, typical for spring weather. And while by the calendar spring is nearly over, it seems that many plantings are being done later this year and many plants are later than usual coming into bloom.
Most of the blossom trees such as the flowering cherries and many fruit trees; apple, pear, peach, plum etc have flowered and the new fruit is set and developing. Other major gardening delights are the rhododendrons; while some have finished other varieties are only just coming into flower.
Gardens need constant attention, especially if you have a new or young garden. Keep a watchful eye on the weather and if there is a dry spell make sure that all the plants you have planted are well watered. Seeds and young seedlings also need watching carefully. Weeds unfortunately appear almost daily and if you can control them now it can save a lot of work later. Remember that old saying: one year's seeding creates seven years' weeding.
Watch out for pests and diseases. If you can take action to control them when they first appear, the likelihood of a population explosion of these harmful little critters is reduced. Feedback from gardeners this time last year was when the tomato / potato psyllid showed itself in gardens. Now is the time to start spraying potatoes and tomatoes fortnightly with Yates Mavrik to control. If you wait to see damage it will be too late, as the psyllid injects a bacterial pathogen into the plant which, once infected, can't be treated. The psyllid is easily controlled which prevents the opportunity for infection (for more information visit www.springvalegardencentre.co.nz).
Another control is recently certified and newly released Yates Success Ultra. This is a new generation insecticide derived from beneficial soil bacteria.
Slugs and snails are also mean beasts in our gardens so spread the bait out regularly to protect your crops.
Roses A new rose was released on to the market for the first time last year and is now available in stores for this year. "Little Miss Perfect" is a gorgeous compact floribunda rose with beautifully formed coral blooms that smother the plant almost consistently. This is a rose for every garden and is available in both bush and standard forms. Its compact form makes it ideal for pots and it looks spectacular in entranceways or on the patio and with its excellent display will be an eye catching conversation piece.
Keep an eye on your roses for both pests and diseases. Look out for aphids, caterpillars, scale, red spider mites and thrips. Common diseases include blackspot, mildew and rose rust. The use of Yates Supershield helps to control these problems. If you notice rose buds going brown and rotting it is quite likely to be botrytis - (brown rot) a weather-related fungi. Prevent by spraying with Watkins Fungus & Mildew Spray or any spray that controls botrytis and downy mildew. A systemic spray that is effective is Yates Rose Gun Advanced. Ask at a garden centre if you want more advice.
Sunflowers It is time to sow sunflowers for a summer and autumn display. The tall growing varieties always have the greatest appeal. Try the "russian giant" variety which in ideal conditions will reach over two metres in height and flowers 30cm across.
When planting choose a sunny garden spot that is sheltered from the wind. Just about every part of the sunflower can be eaten. The petals can be tossed into green salads to add colour and ripe sunflower seeds can be eaten fresh or fried in a small amount of olive oil or butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper. They make a tasty snack.
Corn Corn is an easy to grow and productive crop that grows well in Wanganui. Seeds should be sown now directly into the soil. These will be ready for harvest between mid February and March.
An interesting story I have shared before from the Yates NZ website says that in the 1500s, when they were colonising the Americas, Europeans found that many of the Indian tribes grew three native vegetables - corn, climbing beans and squash together, and harvested them to provide the basis of a healthy diet. The Indians called these plants the "Three Sisters" and, while there are many Indian legends about the origins of this name, science has shown that these three plants, as well as being nutritious, do help each other to grow.
How? Well, for a start, upright corn stalks provide support for climbing beans. And beans, being legumes, use the bacteria on their roots to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into plant food, thereby fertilising the hungry corn and the squash. Squash does its part by sprawling over the ground and shading the soil, forming a natural mulch that keeps the roots cool and helps hold moisture in the soil.
If you grow your own "Three Sisters" garden you'll be maintaining a link to those native American gardeners who first began tilling the soil thousands of years ago.
Start by choosing a sunny part of the garden. Enrich the soil with good organic matter (compost or aged manure) and some dynamic lifter pellets or Ican Blood & Bone (a new blood and bone with nearly double the strength of other brands). Build up the soil into mounds that are about half a metre across at the top. Water well and next day sow six or seven corn seeds in the top. Yates Early Chief is the traditional yellow and Sun 'n' Snow has fascinating gold and white kernels. Remove the weak seedlings to leave at least four corn plants.
When the corn seedlings are about 15cm high, sow four or five climbing beans around the base. Yates Scarlet Runner Beans will produce pretty red flowers, followed by an abundance of green pods, and the amazing Purple King develops purple pods that change to green when they're cooked.
Next plant the squash (or pumpkin) seeds or plants. One butternut pumpkin plant will grow right over the mound. With such close planting and so much root competition, your "Three Sisters" will need plenty of care. Fertilise when planting with new Ican Blood and Bone, followed by Ican Organic Vegetable Food regularly as the plants are growing. Don't let the plants dry out but, when watering, try to keep the squash leaves dry because squash is prone to the fungal disease powdery mildew and wet leaves (especially overnight) encourage the disease to spread.
Yates Nature's Way Insect & Mite Killer controls many of the sap-sucking pests. Yates Success Ultra takes care of caterpillars.
Here are some tips from Yates for successfully growing corn
1. Choose a sunny spot that's protected from the wind.
2. Corn are gross feeders so prepare the soil well, dig in compost or old manure, and products such as; Sheep Pellets, Yates Dynamic Lifter pellets or Blood & Bone. Make sure these are mixed well into the soil.
3. Water the soil in the afternoon but don't sow the seeds until the next day. Sweet corn seeds are big enough to pick up between your thumb and forefinger.
4. Next morning, press two seeds into the soil (if both come up, pull out the weaker of the two plants).
5. Don't water again until after the baby plants have popped out of the soil.
6. Always plant corn in blocks with at least a dozen plants.
7. Mulch around the base of the plants with some compost, sugar cane mulch, straw or dried grass clippings.
8. Water regularly.
The corn should be ready to harvest in about 14 weeks. Why plant corn in blocks? - Young corn cobs must be fertilised by the pollen from the tassel at the top of the plant. The pollen has to land on the hairs (called silks) at the end of the cob. Planting corn in blocks (not rows) means that there's more pollen falling down among the plants, and more chance of it landing on the silks and causing the seeds to swell.
Gareth Carter is General Manager of Springvale Garden Centre.