Growing for success

Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their new weekly gardening column.

It has certainly been a cold and dreary winter, but well done for hanging in there. Spring is finally here, with its beautiful sunny days and crisp morning air.

The wattles are making a stunning display already and fields of golden canola are everywhere, all inspiring us about the months ahead.

It also means that time is running out if you are wanting to purchase bare-rooted stock this season. Now, for those of you who are scratching your head and thinking “what on earth is he talking about?”, it is simply this.

Plants that go dormant in winter, such as roses, deciduous trees, shrubs and fruit trees, can be dug out of the ground and sold bare-rooted, no soil or pots, but this can only be done while the plant is in its dormant state.

The advantage of purchasing bare-rooted stock is that plants can be grown quicker and cheaper in the ground and, if the grower has done their job correctly, a sturdy, robust, well-shaped plant is the result.

When purchasing your bare-rooted plant make sure the roots have been covered and not been allowed to dry out, and on grafted plants make sure the graft union is strong and stable. Ask the nursery staff to explain what to look for and be guided by their selection.

Bare-rooted plants need to be planted once you get them home, and watered-in straight away. Once again, ask the nursery staff how best to plant and care for your new plant and what ongoing maintenance is required.

The bare-root season usually starts late May and goes through to the end of August, depending on the weather, because once the sap flow starts to move again, the plants need to be back in the soil.

In the garden centre we have already started potting up some of the early-moving bare-rooted stock and will more than likely have potted everything by early September. Some of our spring stock is already starting to show up in the nursery, with plenty more scheduled to roll in over the next few weeks. It is our intention to feature some of these each week in this column, along with a few tips for you to get the most out of your garden in the coming growing season.

So just a quick one this week to kick things off, we have pieris japonica Christmas cheer and mountain fire both in full flower and looking a picture.

Pieris love a dappled shaded position in the garden. They set their long chain of flower buds in late autumn — these hold through and open in late winter to be followed by colourful new growth in spring. They work well with azaleas, camellias and daphne and make a great pot plant.

Happy gardening and we hope to see you in the Garden Centre soon.

Growing For Success