We’re all set up for AUTUMN
Now is the time to make new plantings of trees, shrubs and fruits writes Gareth Carter
With the arrival of March we are officially into the autumnal season. This season usually brings with it settled weather featuring clear days, gradually cooling nights and increasing rain.
The wet summer we have experienced has set us up in advance for autumn planting which is fantastic.
Now is the time to make new plantings of trees, shrubs, fruits and any other plants that are not frost tender. Planting in the Autumn gives three seasons ahead (Autumn, Winter & Spring) for plants to get their roots established before the pressures of potential drought arrive next summer.
A plant that I associate with Autumn is the Chilean Guava. The fruit of the Chilean Guava are just starting to get towards harvest size and give off their delicious perfume.
The name Chilean guava is the common name for the bush given that the plant originates from Chile where its fruits are grown commercially, exported to Japan and sold locally. The other common name “NZ Cranberry” is often a source of confusion, as other than the look of the fruit, the plant growth and fruit taste are nothing similar to the ‘real’ cranberry.
The Chilean guava produces attractive white flowers during spring and then form round red berries (0.5-1.5cm across) during the summer months. Towards late February and during March these berries reach maturity. It is the ripening berries that produce the delicious smell. They are also delicious to eat fresh as well as being suitable for making juices, jams and other preserves.
The plants yield quite well with a 3-yearold plant producing about 1kg of fruit which will increase by a 1kg a year subsequently.
The plants themselves have a number of landscaping uses. If left unchecked they will grow to 1.5m high x 1m wide. They are best trimmed each year after fruiting to maintain some form otherwise they can become a rather straggly and leggy bush.
They are great grown in a courtyard where the scent when fruiting coincides with barbecue season. They are suitable for containers and patio situations where their drought hardy tendencies can be useful, though lack of water can affect fruit quality.
The Chilean guava’s dense forming habit and small leaves make it an ideal topiary which offers not just good form but the added value of scent and fruit.
They also make a marvellous fruiting hedge. Their leaves resemble those of buxus, though slightly more rounded. The growth habit is much faster than buxus, allowing establishment of a 30cm high hedge in about 2 years.
The tradeoff of a faster growing hedge is that it will need trimming 2-3 times a year to maintain a tidy look.
Culturally they are an easy-care plant. The main insect offender to be aware of are thrips, these will often attack plants that become stressed from drought, but these are all easily controlled with an insecticide such as Yates Mavrik if it becomes a problem.
They are hardy to around -6C and are happy growing in full sun or part shade. They are tolerant of salty air but perform far better if they are out of the prevailing wind in a slightly more sheltered situation. They grow best in fertile well drained soil, however being very versatile they will also grow well in clay and even in sandy soils.
Pest Watch
After a hot summer there has been an explosion in insect numbers including whitefly, aphids, mites, scale, caterpillars and thrip on many plants. Rain throughout summer and now heavy dews has created more humidity, showing up many cases of blight, mildew and other fungus infections.
Maintain vigilant monitoring on crops for white fly and caterpillar damage on tomatoes, cucurbits and newly planted brassicas – it is wise to spray at first sign to keep the population down for as long as possible. Yates Mavrik is a good control – concentrate on the new growth where the pest is worst. If White Fly has populated out of control then spraying for 3-5 consecutive days will break the lifecycle. Spraying with Grosafe Freeflo Copper mixed with Enspray 99 is recommended to control powdery and downy mildew on cucurbits and to protect tomatoes from blight. Another prevalent pest at this time of year is passion vine hopper, which attacks a wide range of plants. Insect sprays Mavrik and Pyrethrum will control this.
Citrus
It has been a good season for growth and fruit development on citrus but be wary
— I have recently seen a lot of citrus covered in sooty mould and closer inspection shows the cause – a heavy infestation of scale on the undersides of leaves. Apply a spray of Yates Mavrik combined with 10ml per litre of Grosafe Enspray 99 to kill the invaders and protect the new season growth. A follow-up spray later in March would be advisable.
Now is also a good time to fertilise citrus and ensure they are being watered deeply. The plants will have fruit formed on them now and if they become stressed due to drought, fruit may drop or quality can deteriorate. If your citrus are growing in pots or containers then ensure you use a specialist citrus fertiliser that is suitable, such as Ican Fruit Food for Pots, Yates Acticote Citrus & Fruit Fertiliser or Tui Enrich Fruit & Citrus.
If leaves are showing signs of yellowing then a liquid fertiliser feed of Yates Liquid Manganese Chelates and/ or Yates Liquid Trace Element Chelates is highly recommended and will green the leaves up. Remember a well-fed, well-watered healthy tree will be far less prone and more resilient to insect and disease attacks.
The addition of Saturaid re-wetting granules to citrus growing in containers is highly recommended. This product should be applied annually, to channel water to the root zone where it is needed most. It promotes even water distribution so there is less water run-off and dry spots in potting mix and soils. It makes watering, rainfall and fertiliser more effective. It can also be used in the garden even in sandy, clay or compacted soils.
For more gardening information visit www.springvalegardencentre.co.nz
Have a good week.
Gareth Carter is General Manager of Springvale Garden Centre