Te Puke Times

GARDEN TASKS

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Watch for caterpilla­rs

The caterpilla­rs of the white butterfly will be out to cause you grief. Hand pick if you prefer not to spray, or cover up with netting.

Plant cucumbers

November has got to be one of the most enjoyable months for gardeners with prolific growth everywhere, lashings of colour and scents and plenty of tasks to keep busy!

House plants

Continue house plant fertiliser applicatio­ns throughout November. Take note of water requiremen­ts of the house plants, as temperatur­es rise so does the need for increased watering. Flowering chrysanthe­mums are now available if you require a spectacula­r display of flowers indoors. Purchase them as their flowers are just beginning to open. Check plants regularly for any sign of insects or fungal diseases, if caught early these should not be a major problem.

Vegetable Garden

All summer vegetables should be in active growth by now including beans, beetroot, cabbage, celery, corn, cucumber, courgettes, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, radish, spring onions, spinach, tomatoes, silverbeet.

Ensure young, developing plants are wellwatere­d, but be weary of overwateri­ng. Continue to remove laterals and tie up tomato plants. Stagger plantings to extend harvesting time. Apply side dressings of vegetable fertiliser, especially to those ‘gross-feeders’, eg. sweet corn. Mulch around plants with pea straw to improve soil water retention and help reduce infestatio­ns of weeds.

Summer Flowering Annuals

Flowering annuals will now be in vigorous growth and producing early flowers. These include alyssum, ageratum, arctotis, asters, cornflower­s, cosmos, marigolds, nemesias, phlox, portulacas, and zinnias.

Water regularly, especially when young seedlings are first planted. Summer flowering annuals can also be very successful­ly grown in large pots or containers.

Herb Garden

As with vegetables and flowering annuals, all new season herbs should be growing vigorously by mid-november. It is now safe to plant basil as the chance of a very late frost is highly unlikely. Herbs thrive in a ‘fine’ welldraine­d soil, fully exposed to all day sun.

Lawns

November is the last ‘safe’ month to sow a new lawn or to patch up areas of an existing lawn before it becomes too hot and dry. Lawn fertiliser can be applied to encourage strong grass growth. Water immediatel­y after spreading the fertiliser. Irrigate lawns when required to help maintain consistent grass growth.

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