Autumn Lawn Care
After yet another searing summer, it’s now the season where we greet cooler evenings and begin to get ready for the cold winter. Your grass will be relieved as summers can be lengthy and challenging. But with winter comes its own set of challenges. So here are our tips on how to care for your lawn in autumn, before it goes dormant in winter.
How to care for your roses in winter: planting and pruning tips
Roses are a stunning and hardy addition to your garden that can be planted as a colourful hedge, complementary pop of colour, or even on a feature such as an archway. So, if you want to make sure your roses look their best this year, winter is actually the best time to plant and maintain your roses to ensure a blossoming, gorgeous garden come spring. Planting, pruning, mulching, and spraying roses in New Zealand is all best done in winter, so check out these tips from our Mowing and Gardening experts on how you can care for your roses in winter.
Planting roses in winter
If you plant your rose bushes right, it will be a lot easier to keep them healthy, strong, and full of flowers. Roses like a lot of sunlight so choose a sunny spot; somewhere that gets at about 5 hours a day is best. Also try to pick a spot sheltered from strong winds.
Next, prepare your soil. Dig it through using a garden fork and remove any weeds. Add plenty of peat, compost, or any well-rotted organic material to give the soil a nutrient boost.
Now dig a hole big enough to hold the roots and create a small mound of soil (around 5cm high) in the centre of the hole. Carefully squeeze out your rose bush from its pot and place on top of the mound. Check that where the roots and stem meet is level with the top of the hole. If it isn’t you may need to adjust the size of your mound. Then spread out the roots around the mound.
Fill in the hole, firm the soil and water well.
Finally, add a layer of mulch around the rose bush to help prevent weeds from growing and to help retain water. Just make sure that mulch doesn’t touch the stem of the bush, as if it does it can cause it to rot.
What is the proper way to prune roses?
Roses should be pruned when they’re not in flower. This is generally around June or July, although in cooler regions, it may be more like August. Don’t be concerned if you still have a few roses flowering when it is time to prune. A few flowers are an acceptable sacrifice to ensure a good performance next year.
Choose a sunny dry day to prune, as wet weather can encourage the spread of disease. Always use sharp secateurs to get a clean cut. A clean cut prevents die back and bacterial disease from affecting roses.
TOP TIP: Dip secateurs in bleach or methylated spirits to reduce the chances of spreading disease.
To prune, first remove any dead or diseased growth and then clear the centre of the plant to allow air movement. Cut branches back by about half and make all cuts on an angle which slopes away from the bud.
HANDY HINT: Keep your garden bag handy to collect all the cuttings and debris that falls on the ground. You should dispose of this to stop the spread of disease rather than putting it into your compost bin (if you have one).
Watering and feeding roses in winter
Roses do not need watering or feeding in winter as they are dormant and not growing. But they do require plenty of water in summer. Consider installing an irrigation system to make sure your roses get the regular, deep watering they need.
When buds start to burst in early spring start feeding them approximately once a month with a balanced fertiliser specially blended for roses.
Roses do well with cool, moist, rich soils, and do not like competing with weeds for food and water, so continue to add a layer of mulch around the stem.
When to spray roses
To keep roses pest and disease-free many gardeners regularly spray them. Winter is a good time for spraying to catch any over-wintering insect eggs or fungal spores. A copper-based spray is a good general clean up spray to apply. Talk to a gardening expert for specific advice on different sprays available or alternative options for dealing with pests and disease.
HANDY HINT: There are lots of rose varieties available. Consider colour, planting location, and climate and scent when choosing your favourite.
If you’re looking at planting roses in winter, or want someone else to look after them for you, give one of our friendly team members a call on 0800 454 654 or enquire at Jim’s Mowing NZ for advice on caring for your garden and lawn this winter.
How to use a leaf blower like a PRO
Autumn has come and gone, which means many trees have now shed their leaves. While the leaves on the ground can be a different look (and sometimes fun to jump on, if you see a particularly crunchy-looking one!), many may wish to scoop them into a garden bed or dispose of the dead leaves. Dried leaves can be placed into a green bin, or added to your compost bin.
One way to clear leaves is to use a leaf blower. But leaf blowers aren’t just made for blowing leaves (despite what the name might suggest), these machines can also be used to dry wet surfaces and moving grass clippings. They’re pretty versatile pieces of equipment, which is why it can be handy to know how to use them!
There is more to leaf blowing than buying a machine, bringing it home, and turning it on. It’s important to consider safety precautions that need to happen, the time of day to use the leaf blower, and how to do so efficiently – just to name a few!
The internet has many video resources showing how to use a leaf blower – in fact, we have one ourselves – which could be helpful if you wish to learn the basics, check out our video below. If you would like additional help to keep your garden looking tidy, the team at Jim’s Mowing NZ provide complete Lawn Mowing and Garden Maintenance services throughout New Zealand.
In this article, we take a look at some additional tips and tricks regarding how to use a leaf blower, including how to efficiently move debris!
Using a leaf blower
Which blower to choose?
Before you begin on the job, you’ll need to pick out a blower. There are many different varieties of leaf blower on the market from smaller models through to large, powerful machines. There are Stihl leaf blowers, Ryobi leaf blowers, Husqvarna leaf blowers, plus blowers from many other brands. When it comes to choosing the best leaf blower for your needs, things to consider include how large the jobs you wish to tackle are, and how often you’re looking to use the machine. Be sure to do research into different brands and models, to find the type that is best for you!
Choose an appropriate time
While not everyone has the same work or sleeping schedule, choosing a time of day when most people are awake (and not trying to put their kids to sleep!) is a must when using a leaf blower at your residential property. Being woken up by a leaf blower isn’t the most peaceful way to start the day, so try to start work at a suitable time. If you want to take an extra step of consideration, think about knocking on your neighbours’ doors and asking them what times suit best for loud garden and housework.
Use safety gear
It is important to ensure you are equipped with proper protection when using a leaf blower. Before beginning the job, be sure to put on protective eyewear, filled-in shoes, gloves, ear protective equipment, and covered clothing. Make sure no loose clothing ties or strands of hair are flying about, and keep an eye out for where others are around you when doing the job. Ensuring you use these machines safely is imperative, so be sure you are stocked up on safety gear and protection before you begin!
Don’t rush in and start blowing the debris
While it can be exciting to get started, it’s best to not rush into it before thinking about the how. If you approach the item you wish to clear with too much force, you could find it blowing back and then having a bigger mess to have to clean up! What you want to do is start a bit further back, making sure to work around the debris you wish to move, and blow it into the spot you wish to move it to.
Decide where you want the debris to be moved to
This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s good to think about where you want your product to be moved to before you begin the process of clearing it. Are you looking to blow your leaves into a garden bed, or are you trying to make a pile so that it can be cleared more efficiently? Decide this before the job has started to avoid confusion (and the blowing of leaves back and forth in indecision!). Leaves can be a great addition to a compost bin, so don’t feel like they all need to end up in the garbage!
Don’t try to clear wet garden debris
Trying to clear wet debris just doesn’t work very well, so don’t think you’ll be popping outside to clear leaves away right after a rainstorm has passed! Wet and damp garden debris doesn’t much like to be blown around, making the task a lot harder (and more frustrating) for you. Wait until the debris has dried before attempting to clear it and it should easily be shifted.
We hope this article has been useful in showing some tips and tricks regarding how to use a leaf blower. Leaf blowers can make a great addition to your garden machinery, but it’s important to be informed (and well-protected) before you begin! If you would like to find out more about these machines and their uses, there are many great resources available on the web (and in books) explaining the process in more details. Good luck with your clearing!
6 Easy to Grow Food-Producing Plants
Many people love the idea of having a veggie patch in their yard, but the idea of getting started can seem daunting. While some fruits, vegetables and seeds can be tricky to grow for the inexperienced gardener, there are many out there that are relatively simple. We’ve outlined some to get you started on your food-growing journey.
