NEWS & TIPS FOR JANUARY 2021
Wow, the Christmas break has flown by. The desire to be rid of 2020 seems to have ushered in 2021 at a frenetic pace. I hope all of you had a restful break and were able to catch your breath and some of the good weather. We are back and working hard to get our shelves stocked. Unfortunately, like most retailers we have been hit by supply chain issues. We were meant to have our shipment of Kikuyu in by early November, then it was early January and now it looks like mid to late February (still plenty of time to sow). We have been able to source a small amount to tide us over but stocks are limited until our shipment arrives.
On a more positive supply note for our bird friends – we now have back in stock mineral blocks, calcium cakes and a wide range of grits.
January in the garden is a mixed bag – normally it’s all about keeping the garden alive with limited moisture and although we have had a bit of rain about up here, it's drying out again. So, mulch and compost are a must. Pea straw is great because when its watered it releases nitrogen. Remember, with mulch it’s always a good idea to open the bag and leave it a few days before applying it to the ground.
Cricket season is about to hit us so if you are one of those unlucky people who regularly have infestations of crickets that can cause wholesale destruction of your garden you might need some cricket bait. Keep the kids off it and don’t put it down before rain.
If you want to sow vegetables corn seed can still be put in the ground now and lettuces (with a bit of shade) but it’s really too hot for anything else (young seedlings really suffer in the intense heat). Right now, it’s all about harvesting and protecting crops from the birds. There are some crops you can harvest early and allow to ripen off the tree like stonefruit or just cover well with bird netting. Once you harvest your stonefruit it’s a good idea to give your tree a mini prune to shock it which actually encourages a healthier tree. Do it now and then again in March. Just remember to apply some seaweed fertiliser around the dripline after you prune.
Rightio, that’s probably enough of a to-do list to keep you all busy for the next wee while.
On a more positive supply note for our bird friends – we now have back in stock mineral blocks, calcium cakes and a wide range of grits.
January in the garden is a mixed bag – normally it’s all about keeping the garden alive with limited moisture and although we have had a bit of rain about up here, it's drying out again. So, mulch and compost are a must. Pea straw is great because when its watered it releases nitrogen. Remember, with mulch it’s always a good idea to open the bag and leave it a few days before applying it to the ground.
Cricket season is about to hit us so if you are one of those unlucky people who regularly have infestations of crickets that can cause wholesale destruction of your garden you might need some cricket bait. Keep the kids off it and don’t put it down before rain.
If you want to sow vegetables corn seed can still be put in the ground now and lettuces (with a bit of shade) but it’s really too hot for anything else (young seedlings really suffer in the intense heat). Right now, it’s all about harvesting and protecting crops from the birds. There are some crops you can harvest early and allow to ripen off the tree like stonefruit or just cover well with bird netting. Once you harvest your stonefruit it’s a good idea to give your tree a mini prune to shock it which actually encourages a healthier tree. Do it now and then again in March. Just remember to apply some seaweed fertiliser around the dripline after you prune.
Rightio, that’s probably enough of a to-do list to keep you all busy for the next wee while.