MANDARIN MADNESS

Welcome to winter! Don’t let the cooler weather stop you from getting out in the garden, as there are so many plants to sow, grow and enjoy.

Mandarins are a vibrant and welcome sight during the cooler seasons. They’re so handy to pop in a lunchbox or to have as an on-the-go healthy snack. Mandarins are little packages of juicy citrus goodness.

“Emperor” mandarins are a delicious variety that ripen in mid-winter, so are at their peak in July. Emperors are extra easy to peel as they tend to have loose puffy skin.

Growing Tips:

Emperor mandarins will grow in all but the coldest areas and prefer a sunny location with well-drained soil.

Grafted dwarf Emperor mandarins grow no taller than around 2m, so are perfect for small backyards and can also be grown in a large container filled with good quality potting mix such as Yates Premium Potting Mix. When planting a new mandarin tree into the ground, mix some Yates Thrive Natural Blood Bone with Seaweed into the bottom of the planting hole. Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone improves the quality of the soil and supplies the newly planted mandarin with gentle, organic nutrients as it establishes. Mandarins, like other citrus, are heavy feeders and require lots of nutrients to support all the foliage, flowers and developing fruit. From spring until the mandarins are harvested, feed each week with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food, alternatively top dress with Yates Thrive Natural Citrus Fruit Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food

Sometimes mandarins will produce fruit only every second year (called biennial or alternate bearing). To help minimise this, remove some of the fruit when it’s still small and green, which reduces the drain on the tree’s energy reserves. And don’t forget to feed, feed feed!

Growing a range of varieties, including Emperor, Imperial and Honey Murcott can provide fruit from late autumn through to early spring.

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT

If you love sweet fresh strawberries or enjoy a strawberry cheesecake, pavlova or trifles, it’s time to grow this delicious fruit at your place.

Strawberry crowns, runners or potted strawberries can be planted during July in cool and temperate areas.

Growing Tips:

Find a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden and mix some Yates Thrive Natural Blood Bone with Seaweed into the soil. This will help improve the soil quality and provide gentle organic nutrients to the strawberry plants as they establish. Strawberries are also perfect for growing in pots, hanging baskets, special strawberry pots and troughs.

Keep the new strawberry plants wellwatered as they settle in

and once new growth emerges, start feeding each week with a complete plant food like Yates Thrive Strawberry Berry Fruit Liquid Plant Food, to promote healthy green leaf growth and lots of juicy berries.

For more information and inspiration visit yates.co.nz