Tui Summer Times 2014

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SUMMER TIMES

SUMMER PROJECTS WITH ANNABEL LANGBEIN ISSUE 18

FEATURING:

• TOP TIPS FROM TUI GARDENER OF THE YEAR WINNERS PAGE 7 • FIRST FLUSH OF SUMMER IN ANNABEL’S GARDEN PAGE 8

Growing upwards – make your own wall garden using a recycled pallet as seen on Annabel Langbein Through the Seasons.

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School holiday fun – create a bee & butterfly friendly garden.

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WELCOME

TO THE TUI SUMMER TIMES FOR 2014/15.

The summer season has made a welcome arrival! Spring vege crops are ready to harvest, flowers are blooming and fresh fruit is waiting to be picked, right in time for summer entertaining. This issue is packed full of summer gardening projects so you can make the most of the warmer weather in your piece of paradise and build on your spring gardening efforts!

Spring saw Tui and Annabel Langbein team up to help Kiwis get inspired in the garden with the weekly Tui Garden Project featured on Annabel’s TV show, Through the Seasons. This issue we share a selection of these simple do-it-yourself projects to create in your own backyard.

Learn how to create a salad garden box on page 4 and enjoy a continuous supply of salad greens for summer salads at home or on holiday!

If you don’t have a lot of room in your garden, creating a wall garden using a pallet is the perfect way to maximise space and grow lots of your own fresh food. Go to page 10 to find out how to make your own wall garden using a recycled pallet.

To encourage kids to get out into the garden this summer check out how to create a bee and butterfly friendly garden on page 5, and enjoy the benefits of bees pollinating your crops.

This year we joined the search for Kiwi gardening superheroes in association with NZ Gardener magazine. From seasoned professionals to those just developing green fingers, the entries were inspirational!

Check out the five Tui Gardener of the Year category winners on page 7 and discover their top gardening tips.

Lastly, if you are looking for fresh Christmas gift ideas, or just a treat for yourself, turn to page 11 for our summer garden must-haves!

We would love to see what you have been up to in your garden – please share your photos on facebook.com/tuigarden or email them through to info@tuiproducts.co.nz Here’s to a great summer! Happy gardening and enjoy summer in the garden, from the Tui Team.

For gardening tips and advice join us at facebook.com/TuiGarden.

WIN A CAPE DAISY TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR BACKYARD! Add a burst of colour to your backyard with Gardening Solutionz new Cape Daisy flowers. Plant up in pots with Tui Certified Organic Potting Mix, a 100% BioGro certified organic growing medium to ensure your potted plants prosper. Enter to win one of 20 packs at www.tuigarden.co.nz/competitions Entries close 27 February 2015.

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YOUR GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER GARDEN Success in summer gardens is all about encouraging the plants you planted in spring. Reap the rewards of a healthy garden this summer with our top tips!

PLANTING

BUG ATTACK

Keep planting salad greens such as lettuce, mesclun, radish and spring onions for a continuous supply for summer salads. Summer is also the perfect time to plant capsicum, courgettes, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin; and fresh herbs like basil, chives, parsley and thyme.

Bugs will be out and about again over the warmer months. Check your crops for signs of pests and diseases which could ruin your carefully tended plants. Spray crops with Tui Insect Control for Fruit & Veges to prevent pests like aphids and whitefly taking hold, and regular applications of Tui Disease Control for Fruit & Veges will prevent powdery mildew on your zucchinis and cucumbers.

Add colour to your backyard by planting a variety of flowers. Good options for the summer months include chrysanthemum, cosmos, aster, dahlia, marigolds, geranium, gerbera, impatiens, marigold, and petunia.

WATER Keeping plants well watered is a big challenge over the summer months, but to make the most of your garden, it is essential. A well-watered garden is less likely to get pests and diseases. Watering deeply every 3 or so days is more effective than a shallow water each day. When watering, take care to water the soil not foliage as watering foliage increases the chance of disease.

Make your watering efforts more efficient and reduce water use by up to 50% with Debco SaturAid granular soil wetting agent. This holds water in the soil and distributes it evenly and directly to the root zone. Apply SaturAid to all areas of your garden including indoor and outdoor pot plants, shrubs, garden beds and lawns.

Mulching will also assist keeping roots moist and conserving moisture. Use Tui Pea Straw Mulch, a natural mulch made of 100% barley straw, or Tui Mulch & Feed, a two-in-one combination that provides the benefits of mulching and the healthy additions of blood and bone, mulching straw and sheep pellets.

To stop slugs and snails from munching on your seedlings and plants before you get the chance to enjoy them, lay Tui Quash slug & snail control.

FEEDING It is important to replenish nutrients for plentiful harvests over the summer season! Apply Seasol, a seaweed based plant tonic, every four weeks to promote strong root growth and reduce transplant shock. Use the Tui Food range of specialty fertilisers for your crops like tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes as they have the right blend of nutrients needed.

FOLLOW TUI’S 4 STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER GARDEN 01

PREPARE

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PLANT

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NOURISH

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PROTECT

PREPARE Like building a house a good foundation is key to success in your garden. The better the soil the better the crops – replenish gardens with Tui Compost and Tui Super Sheep Pellets.

PLANT Plant in a planting mix specifically designed for your plant or crop.

The best times to plant are early in the morning or late in the day, so the plants aren’t exposed to the hot sun straight away.

NOURISH Feed your plants and they will feed you. Plants use nutrients from the soil as they grow, so replenishing the nutrients ensures you get maximum yields and long lasting crops.

PROTECT The weather, weeds, pest insects and diseases can all impact on the success of your garden. Protect your plants with layers of mulch and use the Tui Plant Protection range for any problems that arise.

Questions about summer gardening? Ask us at facebook.com/TuiGarden

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garden project reens g d la a s g in grow Nothing beats the satisfaction of ‘growing your own’! Fresh salad greens are perfect for salads and sandwiches and you don’t need a huge garden to grow them. Plant a variety of salad greens and enjoy a succession of harvests over the coming weeks.

Directions for growing a salad box: Great options for your salad box garden include: lettuce, mesclun, radish and spring onions. Salad boxes can be planted densely, so you can fit plenty of fresh greens in!

1. Choose a crate or wooden box (beer crate size works well) made from untreated timber.

2. Fill the base and line the sides of your crate with Tui Pea Straw Mulch so you don’t need to use as much soil to keep the weight of the box down. It also helps create moisture in the box.

3. Fill the box with Tui Vegetable Mix, a high quality natural-based planting mix containing the right blend of nutrients to provide your salad greens with the best possible start and sustained growth.

4. Sprinkle in a layer of Tui Super Sheep Pellets to give your garden an instant boost.

5. Fill a bucket with water and add two capfuls of Seasol, a seaweed based plant tonic.

6. Soak seedlings in the bucket of Seasol, ensuring the container is fully submerged. Wait for the bubbles to stop before removing from the bucket.

7. Plant seedlings in a zig zag pattern so there is room for each plant to grow and you can fit more in the container.

8. For each plant make a hole, approximately twice the size of the root ball of your plant.

9. Gently loosen the root ball of your plant and position in the centre of the hole.

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10. Press the soil firmly around the base of the plant.

11. Next plant the spring onions by lying them on their side and pushing the roots into the soil.

12. Sprinkle radish seeds in the gaps between the plants and lightly cover the seeds with Tui Vegetable Mix. 13. Water plants well.

14. Feed with Seasol plant tonic every two weeks or so, to encourage strong, healthy plant growth.

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SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROJECT! BEE & BUTTERFLY GARDEN

Create a beautiful bee and butterfly friendly garden with the kids this summer holidays. Bees are very important friends in the garden as they pollinate the crops you grow. If you’re short on space grab some containers and get planting!

BEE FRIENDLY Attract beneficial bees into your garden to aid pollination of your crops with sweet smelling flowers. Bees like flowers that are single with open, flat shapes or clusters of tiny flowers, rather than ruffled frilly double flowers. These are the easiest for bees to get in to feed.

Bee friendly flowers include: calendula, marigolds, sunflowers, forget-me-nots, poppies, cosmos, lavender, fox gloves, clover, nasturtiums, Queen Anne’s Lace, polyanthus, violas, pansies, snapdragons, sweet William, alyssum, dahlias, echinacea and geraniums.

Herbs that will also attract bees into your backyard include: sage, borage, rosemary, and thyme.

Bring bees to your backyard with the sweet nectar of colourful borage, sage, purple tansy and Queen Anne’s lace flowers in the Annabel Langbein Delicious Gardens Bee Friendly Seed Mix.

Swan plants are available from your local garden centre and are a host plant for monarch butterflies. Tweedia is another host plant option to plant in your garden.

Mass plantings of one colour are easier for butterflies to spot and guide them to your garden, rather than mixed colours.

Suitable flowers usually have ‘landing platforms’, and many daisies are excellent.

Calendula, marigold, chrysanthemum, sweet William, snapdragon, English wallflower and zinnia are the perfect plants to provide nectar for butterflies.

BUTTERFLY FRIENDLY All butterflies need two types of plants: the females will lay eggs on host plants and then all adults, males and females need nectar from flowering plants.

Get your bee and butterfly friendly plants off to the best start with Tui Flower Mix, a high quality planting mix containing the right blend of nutrients to provide sustained flowering throughout the season. We’ve added Acadian seaweed to this mix, for extra-strong healthy plants and potassium to maximise flower production. Use in garden beds, pots, containers and hanging baskets, and watch your plants reach their flowering potential before your eyes, bringing bees and butterflies into your backyard!

We would love to see photos of your school holiday projects in the garden – share on our Facebook page facebook.com/TuiGarden to be in to win a spot prize!

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TUI GARDEN PROBLEM SOLVER

Insect pests, diseases, and lack of water can all affect the success of your fruit & vege garden during the hot summer months. Combat common problems and keep your garden healthy this season!

1. POWDERY MILDEW

4. PASSION VINE HOPPER

Infected leaves become covered in white powder and can become distorted and discoloured. Commonly affects cucumber and zucchini over summer.

Brown sap sucking moths with mottled wings and a fluffy tail. They are visible on leaves and jump when disturbed. Plants lose vigour when infested with this bug, and honey dew is excreted, causing black sooty mould. Commonly affects passionfruit vines, citrus, berry fruits and beans.

Solve it: Tui Disease Control for Fruit & Veges, Tui Disease Eliminator for Fruit & Veges.

2. WHITE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY CATERPILLAR Small worm-like insects that are green in colour. Large holes are eaten in the leaves of brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower and broccoflower, leaving ‘windows’.

Common in early summer and autumn.

Solve it: Tui Caterpillar Eliminator for Fruit & Veges.

3. APHIDS Small pear-shaped soft body sap sucking insects, that are often found on the underside of leaves. Aphids can be green, black, yellow or grey and commonly affect potatoes, brassicas and carrots.

Aphid infestations cause stunted growth, distorted, curled leaves, and honey dew to be excreted, causing black sooty mould.

Solve it: Tui Insect Control for Fruit & Veges, Tui Insect Eliminator for Fruit & Veges, Tui Caterpillar Eliminator for Fruit & Veges.

Solve it: Tui Caterpillar Eliminator for Fruit & Veges.

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5. DEHYDRATED PLANTS Dehydrated plants can be mistaken for plants affected by pests or disease.

Lack of water causes plants to become dehydrated with wilted or curled leaves.

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Solve it: To revive dehydrated plants in pots, put the whole pot in a bucket of water and soak overnight, with some Seasol Plant Tonic. For plants in garden beds give them a good, deep soak with water and some Seasol Plant Tonic. Apply Debco SaturAid and Tui Mulch & Feed to help avoid dehydration in future.

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TUI TIPS • Avoid insect pest and disease infestations by watering and feeding plants regularly. • Try blasting small infestations with a hose or squashing with your fingers.

Having trouble identifying pest & diseases in your garden? Use the Tui Garden Problem Solver tool at tuigarden.co.nz/garden-problem-solver 6

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TOP TIPS FROM TUI GARDENER OF THE YEAR WINNERS We caught up with some of this year’s category winners and gained some great tips to share!

LIN CHETTY – MY GARDENING MENTOR Nominated by daughter Jaclyn Chetty, Lin “is a mother to the whole community”, and Lin supplies half her neighbourhood with greens. Jaclyn says: “She isn’t just my Gardening Mentor, she’s a mentor to hundreds of others too.”

Top gardening tips: • To help stop fungal disease on my tomatoes I spray with skim milk, and also add milk powder into the planting hole when planting.

• To deter cats I put dock weed into a milk bottle and wait for them to decompose before adding to my garden as cats hate the smell!

MICHAEL MATTHEWS – MY GROW YOUR OWN GURU Undergoing dialysis three times a week hasn’t stopped Tauranga resident Michael Matthews from gardening – it’s inspired him, to improve the health of his community.

Top gardening tip: • I plant regularly to ensure a continued supply of leafy vegetable such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, beetroot and a summer favourite – sweetcorn.

OMOKOROA COUNTRY ESTATE – BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT These retirees have set up their own shared garden space, which has helped foster a greater sense of community among them and built friendships.

Top gardening tip: • Graeme Goodin – It is very important to remove any diseased strawberry plants as soon as they are detected. I keep half of last year’s new plants from runners, this gives quantity from the older plants and larger sized fruit from the new plants.

I use wood shavings as mulch to help retain moisture for the plants.

OWEN TAKUIRA-NGAROPO – MAKE A DIFFERENCE GARDENER Owen Takuira-Ngaropo was tired of his street in Papamoa being known for the wrong reasons. He saw people struggling to provide their families with three meals a day and he wanted to do something about it. Now, what was once an unused mowing strip behind Hartford Ave, is a thriving community garden known as The Rock.

Top gardening tip: • Preparation is paramount. Act accordingly to what you are planting – seeds or seedlings. If you give your crops a good start they will be good to you.

ST ANTHONY’S SCHOOL PAHIATUA – BEST SCHOOL GARDEN These kids are so passionate about gardening that they’ve dug up some of their playground for new plots. Supported by their teachers and experienced vegetable gardener Traci Wheeler, one of their main focuses has been to provide the local food bank with veges they’ve grown.

Top gardening tip: • Make your own paper pots to raise your seedlings, we recycle our scrap paper and newspapers. The paper pots can be planted straight into the ground as they will rot and the plants roots will not be disturbed.

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THE FIRST FLUSH OF SUMMER

BY ANNABEL LANGBEIN As we head into early summer it’s wonderful to see the planting and seedraising I did back in spring coming to fruition. The garden looks so lush at this time of year, and it’s hard to keep up with the salad greens, broad beans, snow peas and spring herbs (not that I’m complaining – these are some of my favourite vegetables!).

I love to just wander around the garden and see everything ramping up – the tiny peppers, tomatoes and eggplants are set, the first zucchinis are fattening up and the beans are flowering. In the evening I can often be found up in the garden watering – at the end of a hot day things can feel a bit frazzled and there’s something quite therapeutic about standing there with the hose, giving the garden a good soak, knowing my plants will spring back into life and grow without any stress.

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Every four weeks I give the garden a good drink of Seasol seaweed-based tonic to boost root growth and flower and fruit production. As the days continue to lengthen, giving us late, light evenings, we often set a table up in the garden and have dinner out there, where we can just reach down and pick some fresh snacks!

Warm weather and lengthening days mean some plants will start going to seed around this time of year, especially rocket, coriander, spinach, Asian greens and silverbeet. I always leave a couple of plants to go to seed – the bees love the flowers and I can collect the seeds and use them next season!

If you’re short on space a salad box garden or a wall garden are great ways to grow some of your own veges. And box gardens are a terrific idea for a special Christmas present for your foodie friends – get them started in early December and by 25 December they will be flourishing and nearly ready to pick.

If you’re heading away somewhere remote for the summer holidays, plant up a portable salad and herb box to take along. Include mesclun, rocket, lettuces, spring onions and soft herbs – that way you know you’ll always have fresh greens at hand to transform easy summer meals

into something special. I never pick whole plants from my boxes – I just pluck a few leaves from each plant so they can carry on growing, and that way I also get a longer supply.

Wall gardens are another great option – a clever way to upcycle old wooden pallets and lots of fun to do with the kids in the school holidays. Set up a couple and grow a different cuisine in each!

For an Asian-inspired wall garden use bok choy, chives and coriander. For an Italian-inspired garden try rocket, flatleaf parsley, basil and even some bush cherry tomatoes!

The most important thing about these wall gardens is to keep them well watered – I give them a good soak every two days as they can dry out so quickly.

Use a quality container mix such as Tui Outdoor Container Mix and stir through Tui Super Sheep to give an extra boost.

It’s really important to have lots of nutrients available to your plants when they are packed in like this, otherwise they won’t flourish.

• Create your own salad box – see page 4 • Build a pallet garden – see page 10

ANNABEL LANGBEIN’S SUMMER MANGO SALAD Prep time 15 mins

2 tsp grated fresh ginger ground black pepper, to taste

Serves 8

Method

Ingredients 250g snow peas 6-8 handfuls lettuce leaves 2 just-ripe mangos, flesh cut into strips 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced 2 just-ripe avocados, flesh cut into strips Ginger Lime Dressing 2 tbsp neutral oil 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tsp fish sauce

To make Ginger Lime Dressing shake together all ingredients in a small jar.

Place snow peas in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 minute, then drain, cool under cold water and drain again. Arrange lettuce in a salad bowl and top with snow peas and all other ingredients (don’t add the avocado until just before serving). When ready to serve, add avocado and dressing and toss gently.

® Go from garden to plate this season with ease with the Annabel Langbein Delicious Gardens range.

Proudly brought to you by

Available at garden centres and hardware stores. Find out more at tuiproducts.co.nz

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garden project

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Creating a wall garden using a pallet is the perfect way to maximise space and grow lots of your own fresh food if you don’t have a lot of room in your garden. Plant Asian greens for stirfrys, leafy greens for lovely salads and herbs to add a flavour punch to any meal!

Shopping list: A recycled pallet, plywood, Tui Outdoor Container Mix, Tui Super Sheep Pellets, Seasol plant tonic, vege seedlings.

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Directions for creating a wall garden using a pallet: 1. Choose veges and herbs that will grow quickly, and are shallow rooted – Asian greens like bok choy, salad greens, and herbs like coriander and chives.

Include some lobelia, to add colour.

2. First you need to create pockets you can plant into, by adding a base to each row of the pallet. To do this, cut bits of ply in a ‘jig’ shape to be nailed on to the base of each row of the pallet. Overlap the pieces of ply to create a secure base.

3. Nail the pieces of ply to the pallet. You don’t need to be too fussy about this.

4. Turn the pallet around so it is facing upright.

5. Line each row with weed mat to help prevent the soil from coming out and to help keep moisture in.

6. In a wheelbarrow mix together a bag of Tui Outdoor Container Mix, a free draining mix specially formulated for containers, and half a bag of Tui Super Sheep Pellets for an instant boost.

7. Fill each row with the mix.

8. Fill a bucket with water and add two capfuls of Seasol, a seaweed based plant tonic.

9. Soak seedlings in the bucket of Seasol, ensuring the container is fully submerged. Wait for all the bubbles to stop before removing.

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Plywood nailed as shown here

10. Dig small holes with your finger and position each plant in a hole.

11. Press soil around each plant.

12. Water plants well, and continue to water every second day to keep it nice and moist.

13. In four to six weeks you will have a bumper crop of greens and herbs to harvest!

Find more of Annabel’s projects at tuigarden.co.nz/how-to-guide/ Annabel-Langbein

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SUMMER GARDEN MUST HAVES

Fantastic Christmas presents for the gardeners in your life!

FUN FEEDERS FOR ALL!

A RAINBOW OF COLOURFUL POTS

Encourage children to learn about New Zealand’s wildlife by creating your very own wild bird café in your garden!

Our Fun Feeders range comes in five unique designs to add colour to your garden and attract a wide variety of wild birds. Use with Tui Fun Feeder Wild Bird Seed Mix.

Made from frost resistant ceramics, these mini pots come in a rainbow of seven bright, bold colours, and are perfect for herbs or house plants. With a diameter of 14cm, each pot includes a drainage hole with an optional rubber stopper.

Available in purple, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and black.

ANNABEL LANGBEIN DELICIOUS GARDENS® GARDEN TRUG Carry your carefully tended fruit, vege and flower harvests and garden tools with ease in the Annabel Langbein Delicious Gardens Garden Trug. This is an essential accessory when planting and harvesting in your garden this summer!

TUI FUN FEEDER WILD BIRD SEED MIX Feeding birds is a simple way to increase the number of birds that visit your backyard. Tui Fun Feeder Wild Bird Seed Mix is a natural mix with no artificial colours and flavours. It has been specially formulated for use in Fun Feeders, and contains a nutritious blend of seeds and grains to keep wild birds happy and healthy.

and Microgreen Goodness, each pack contains 4 types of seeds for you to grow at home.

Asian Treats Bring zing to your table throughout the seasons with some of Annabel’s favourite Asian herbs and vegetables – bok choy, capsicum, coriander and garlic chives.

Italian Banquet Bring the flavours of the Mediterranean to your garden and your plate with Italian favourites: zucchini, mesclun mix, basil and Italian parsley.

Mexican Feast Sweetcorn, butter beans, buttercup squash and tomatoes cohabit so well in the garden and on the plate. Plant sweetcorn, beans and squash together for a traditional Mexican three-sisters garden.

Microgreen Goodness Sow directly into pots or trays and you’ll be snipping your first harvest in days.

Microgreens can be grown indoors at any time of year and are a fun way to introduce children to gardening.

Bee Friendly The sweet nectar of colourful borage, sage, purple tansy and Queen Anne’s lace flowers will entice honeybees into your garden to aid pollination.

ANNABEL LANGBEIN DELICIOUS GARDENS® SEED RANGE Grow your own ingredients to create delicious dishes from garden to plate with the Annabel Langbein Delicious Gardens Seed Range. There are five unique varieties available: Asian Treats, Italian Banquet, Bee Friendly, Mexican Feast

Get gardening tips and giveways to your inbox! Join the Tui newsletter to get regular tips, advice and giveaways to help you grow a successful garden each season. Join here: tuigarden.co.nz/page/tui-newsletter

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Tel 07 575 2160 Fax 0800 442 398 Email info@tuiproducts.co.nz Mt Maunganui, New Zealand

Homegrown Ingenuity

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