McKechnie Nurseries
McKechnie Nurseries, Robinson Road, Coatesville, RD3, Albany
 
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Grant's Handy Hints

for cutting back
If you have an evergreen that needs to be cut back, it's a good idea to fertilise three weeks or so prior to pruning. This will help the plant respond and produce new growth.

for healthy cabbage trees
Spray for caterpillars at first sign of infestation, and avoid piling bark mulch up against the trunk. Bark harbours slaters, which love to chew the soft trunks, often below ground level.

for hedge trimming
Trimming a hedge once a year gives you a tidy hedge, twice a year gives you a neat hedge, and three times a year gives you a neat and tidy hedge. Trimming once every second year is a hack and gives you bare patches.

for mulching
'Lay it on thick' is the motto to remember when mulching. A good 10 - 15 cm (4 - 6 inches) of bark, sawdust, or similar material on top of the soil after you've planted your tree will help suppress weeds and aid moisture retention over summer.

for planters
Get your spade nice and sharp before you start planting - it makes digging holes much easier, especially if you have to get through the grass. (Watch out for those toes, though.)

for planters
Usually the top 100mm (four inches) of soil is your best, so when planting, keep it to one side, then, when you've finished digging, put it in the bottom of the hole. That way, it's under the plant, and not wasted.

It's you or them
Now's a good time to spray plants prone to insect damage. By spraying now, hopefully you'll stop any insects over-wintering on your plants and coming out for munchies next spring.

 

©2010 Grant McKechnie


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