#8 - Jun 2017 - Garden Stuff - © Sandy Lang - slang@xtra.co.nz
NEW TREES & SHRUBSJune/July: Early/mid-winter. Days lengthen after 21 June. Now’s the time to prune. Soil starts to warm after 15 July. Then’s the time to plant new trees/shrubs.
Pruning: Prune trees and shrubs to remove dead/diseased wood, to re-shape, to encourage flowering/fruiting and to contain size. To achieve these, each species requires specific pruning cuts. Google for roses, for grapes, for apples etc… Surgeons sterilise scalpels. Pruning is surgery. Sterilise secateurs/saws between plants. Dip in dilute bleach (1 bleach, 100 water). Else you may carry disease from plant to plant.
If you prune in dry weather, the pruning wounds dry and seal. Don’t prune in rainy weather or you open up entry points for disease. If you make a major cut, it will take years for the bark to heal over. Seal the wound with water-based paint. Use an old can of house paint or a test-pot.
Buying: It’s always worth buying good trees/shrubs. Why waste five years of your life discovering a cheap tree was no use? Buy early to get a good choice - don't be the last and take the plants rejected by the early birds. Check health: No pests/diseases. No discoloured leaves. No signs of leaf drop. Check shape: A straight stem. Several well-spaced branches. Be fussy…
Staking: A bamboo or 2.5x2.5 cm wood stake’s no good with our winds. For about $5 buy a 1.2 m (longer for a bigger tree), 5x5 cm, H4 stake (straight grain, no big knots). Hammer it in 40+ cm deep to leave 80+ cm aboveground. Dig a hole beside the stake 10 cm deeper and 10 cm wider than the tree’s root-ball. Add back 10 cm of loose soil to the bottom of the hole. Firm. Add a slow-release fertiliser.
Planting: Remove bag/pot from the root-ball. Don’t tease out the roots. Place the root-ball in the hole. The tree’s new soil level must be the same as the old. Backfill and firm well with your foot. Immediately water the tree very well. This reconnects the disturbed roots with the soil water.
Tying: Tie the tree near the top of the stake. Use a nail to stop the tie slipping down the stake. Check your hammering hasn’t made a rough edge on the top of the stake. If it has, file it smooth. The tree will bash against the stake in a strong wind, a rough edge will cut it. Most wind is from the NW - best to have the stake up-wind – less bashing.___________________________________