IN THE GARDEN - 20 JUNE 2024

Not a lot happening above the soil, but it’s all go down below. On new plantings the roots develop steadily over Winter.

We’re busy potting up Roses in June and they all come in bare-rooted so as we pot them up we get to see all the tiny white roots shooting out keenly.

By the time the warm weather and longer days get here those roots will mean maximum growth and the plants will be well settled into the soil.

Main job at home right now?  Cutting back deciduous shrubs and trees, and cutting to the ground all perennials that die right back in Winter. Then a quick skim across the soil with a hoe to deal to weeds and, hey presto, the garden looks respectable again.

Dried Blood is a great pick-me-up in the Winter for new plantings – seedlings, hellebores, shrubs, vegetables etc.   We use it at home on Winter-flowering colour, and all the Winter Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflowers etc). Dried Blood accelerates growth, intensifies colour and quantity of flowers, and increases size and flavour of vegetables.

Winter is a good time to plant berryfruits, grapes, feijoas, and all deciduous fruit trees etc to get their root systems well established over the winter ready for strong Spring growth.

Plant with Real Blood & Bone to maximise root development over the Winter. 

Good range of fruiting varieties now in stock, including the brilliant ICan range, especially selected for good performance and exclusive to Terra Viva in Christchurch. The range will increase steadily from the end of June onwards with good numbers of fruit trees arriving in July.

Here's a few of the varieties that we have in store at the moment...

Plant lily bulbs!  Heads Up!

We’re expecting Lily Bulbs in the last week of June – Christmas Lilies, Asiatics, and Orientals coming. Lilies love a really sunny position with well-composted, well-drained soil.  And of course they’re brilliant for picking with a very good vase life.

Too early to prune Roses yet (unless you have to get them done early) so leave them until late July if possible.  A longer dormant phase will mean better results next season. Remember that sharpened tools make all the difference when it comes to pruning so check out those secateurs and loppers (loppers are great for those big thick stems at the base of the plant). 

Note: We’ll have Cooky’s Sharpening Service here from 9am on the day of our Rose MasterClass – Saturday 13 July.

AND we’ll have some great rose-related specials around mid July.

Prune raspberries now, down to approx 10–20cm above the soil level, except for the very thin spindly stems and the white semi-dead stems which can be taken right out.

Got empty spaces in the garden waiting for Spring planting?   Spread peastraw across them to suppress weeds, encourage earthworms, and improve soil texture as the straw breaks down. New stocks again this week.

Pruning deciduous fruit trees – now is the time to prune while they have bare branches to make it easier. For young trees, aim to get the main shape of the tree into a ‘vase’ shape, and reduce density. 

 For older trees removing dead or diseased wood is the main purpose, plus controlling height, although this can also be done in summer.  If you have any queries about tree pruning, including both ornamental and fruit trees, get in touch with Kathryn who is very knowledgeable on all tree queries.