#29 - Jul 2019 - Garden Stuff - © Sandy Lang - slang@xtra.co.nz
CLEVER PLANTS June/July: Days lengthening (since winter solstice 22 June). Time to tidy up…
Tree too big? Take out a whole main limb (or two, or three) from the base. Choose it right and the tree still looks natural, attractive and of balanced shape - but less dense and smaller.
Always cut bigger limbs twice... •Cut-1 cut further out to remove most of the limb but leaving a stub about 30 cm long (there’s often bark damage as a big limb falls). •Cut-2 cut off the 30 cm stub, cut 5 cm beyond the ‘collar’ (the bark of the collar looks different - not like the truck, not like the branch)(cut off the collar and disease can get in). •Seal the cut surface with house paint (disease). •SAFETY - Limb too big? Too heavy? Too high? Don’t die. Employ arborist. They’ve skills and gear.
Other: •Prune grapes, roses, fruit trees etc for training, shaping and flowering/fruiting… •Plant trees, shrubs… •Kill weeds, don’t pull. Pulling disturbs soil and triggers weed-seed germination… •Mulch over to stop new weeds. There’s heaps of free mulch at the bus barns just now…
Clever plants: To survive and thrive, plants must be aware of their surroundings. They don't have brains but they know whats all about. They’re quite clever really… Did you know...?
Shoots up/roots down: Google statocytes - Like marbles in a can, statocytes sink to the bottom of the cell and let the cell know which way is down/up.
Time of year? Google phytochrome Google red/far-red ratio - Daylength is a much more reliable indicator of time of year than the weather. Daylength triggers flowering at the right time. Plants detect sunrise and sunset and an internal bio-clock measures the time difference.
End of winter? Google seed stratification - In autumn, most seeds are dormant as they lie in the ground. After a measured period of wet and cold, seeds know it’s now springtime. You can break seed dormancy in the fridge (damp and cold in a plastic bag at 1-3°C for 1-3 months).
End of winter: Google chill units - Mature plants also need to know what time of year it is. Cherry trees won’t flower north of Hawkes Bay. It’s not cold enough for long enough.
Seed dormancy: Google phytochrome - Light triggers weed-seed germination. If you disturb the soil by weeding, you expose buried dormant seeds to the light. Whoopsie…!
Where’s the sun? Google heliotropism - Sunflowers swivel their heads to follow the sun.
Day vs. night: Google nyctinasty - Lawn daisies open day, close night. Keeps the pollen dry. Apple flowers do too.
Touch: Google thigmonasty - Venus fly trap and mimosa move fast when touched.
More? Google nastic movements, Google tropic movements Google taxis movements ____________________________________
CLEVER PLANTS June/July: Days lengthening (since winter solstice 22 June). Time to tidy up…
Tree too big? Take out a whole main limb (or two, or three) from the base. Choose it right and the tree still looks natural, attractive and of balanced shape - but less dense and smaller.
Always cut bigger limbs twice... •Cut-1 cut further out to remove most of the limb but leaving a stub about 30 cm long (there’s often bark damage as a big limb falls). •Cut-2 cut off the 30 cm stub, cut 5 cm beyond the ‘collar’ (the bark of the collar looks different - not like the truck, not like the branch)(cut off the collar and disease can get in). •Seal the cut surface with house paint (disease). •SAFETY - Limb too big? Too heavy? Too high? Don’t die. Employ arborist. They’ve skills and gear.
Other: •Prune grapes, roses, fruit trees etc for training, shaping and flowering/fruiting… •Plant trees, shrubs… •Kill weeds, don’t pull. Pulling disturbs soil and triggers weed-seed germination… •Mulch over to stop new weeds. There’s heaps of free mulch at the bus barns just now…
Clever plants: To survive and thrive, plants must be aware of their surroundings. They don't have brains but they know whats all about. They’re quite clever really… Did you know...?
Shoots up/roots down: Google statocytes - Like marbles in a can, statocytes sink to the bottom of the cell and let the cell know which way is down/up.
Time of year? Google phytochrome Google red/far-red ratio - Daylength is a much more reliable indicator of time of year than the weather. Daylength triggers flowering at the right time. Plants detect sunrise and sunset and an internal bio-clock measures the time difference.
End of winter? Google seed stratification - In autumn, most seeds are dormant as they lie in the ground. After a measured period of wet and cold, seeds know it’s now springtime. You can break seed dormancy in the fridge (damp and cold in a plastic bag at 1-3°C for 1-3 months).
End of winter: Google chill units - Mature plants also need to know what time of year it is. Cherry trees won’t flower north of Hawkes Bay. It’s not cold enough for long enough.
Seed dormancy: Google phytochrome - Light triggers weed-seed germination. If you disturb the soil by weeding, you expose buried dormant seeds to the light. Whoopsie…!
Where’s the sun? Google heliotropism - Sunflowers swivel their heads to follow the sun.
Day vs. night: Google nyctinasty - Lawn daisies open day, close night. Keeps the pollen dry. Apple flowers do too.
Touch: Google thigmonasty - Venus fly trap and mimosa move fast when touched.
More? Google nastic movements, Google tropic movements Google taxis movements ____________________________________