FuturEcology & EmGuard ™ June 2024 update
By Jan Fryer
Who can believe we are now officially in winter as of the 1st of June. We were experiencing temperatures over 18 degrees over Kings birthday weekend, although we have a good sound frost this morning.
In Nelson, we are experiencing a winter drought and when talking to customers around the country, it sounds like much the same is happening elsewhere. This is having a major impact on planting.
We got off to a great start in early April and got over 30,000 plants in the ground. Now, we are having to go back and water these in some of our driest sites. Imagine Emma dragging a fire hose around a large gravel riverbank, with the hose all tangled in her hair. What a mission that turned out to be.
The challenging puzzle, which Jan finished over several weeks while watching The Bay on TV.
We are in the middle of renovations at home, so on the one hand, the dry weather is great but on the other, we would certainly love to see some rain.
It sounds like nurseries have plenty of stock this year, so please get in and support them and keep getting plants in the ground for the sake of our biodiversity and future.
Winter is a great time for hunkering down and reading lots, and I justify my TV watching with doing puzzles. The annual book fair is on in Nelson and I think there are many places round the country that do similar things. I got a stack of gardening magazines and we have just had a site levelled for a new vegetable garden, so I’m doing lots of dreaming and planning for the spring.
My last puzzle was a gorgeous one of NZ flowers and moths, but oh my goodness, so many black pieces. It was a mission and a half to finish.
The shortest day is only just around the corner. Stay warm and enjoy planning your next project.
Jan’s Favourite Tools
By Jan Fryer
I was reading a gardening magazine this morning which had an article on gardening tools. I have a couple of favourites that are an essential part of my kit.
The first one is on the left, I call it a “diggy stick”. I’m not sure of its official title, but it is probably something boring like a garden weeder. However, the key to it is the pronged fork and the fulcrum that you use as a lever for levering your weeds out. It works particularly well if the soil is damp. It is good on plants with both tap roots or spreading roots. I have used it to great effect digging out paspalum from our “proper” lawn out the front of the house. A very satisfying and meditative task, if you just want to let your mind drift. Make sure you get a good robust tool, as there are a few on the market that are a bit light and flimsy. The one I have has a stout wooden handle and stainless steel fork.
My second favourite tool, which we at FutureEcology call the “grim reaper”, is especially good if you are cutting back flax, agapanthus or grasses. It has been given its nickname name because two of the staff have ended up needing stitches from not being totally focused on what they were doing when using them.
Their official title is Japanese Flax Cutter and we like the Maruyoshi or Niwashi Brand. They have a serrated edge on the inside of a high carbon steel curved blade. The Maruyoshi Blade is tempered to give long lasting durability and features a special “back bar” designed to add even more strength to the blade. Look for the carbon steel version, not a stainless steel one, as they are extremely efficient at cutting.
They are an absolute wizard on flax and kikuyu grass. You sweep them towards yourself though when cutting, which is why you need good strong leather gloves, probably tuff cuffs on your wrists and to be really focused. Our whole team really like them for hand clearing around plants and will often choose them above using a weedeater, as they have more control over the outcome.
The link below takes you to the Silky Store for some fabulous tools.
Weed of the Month
By Emma Fryer
Elaeagnus x reflexa
Elaeagnus is a scrambling evergreen shrub with stems that can grow up to 20 metres long. These long, tough stems have young shoots which are brown and scaly, while the older stems often have spines. The leaves are hairless and silvery brown and arranged alternatively on the stems.
It has small drooping clusters of whitish, fragrant flowers March-May, which are followed by a pale reddish-orange fruit containing one ribbed seed.
Photo: weedbusters.co.nz
Photo: weedbusters.co.nz
Elaeagnus is thought to be from Japan originally and was introduced to New Zealand as a stock proof hedging and windbreak plant. The plant has lost its favour as a hedging plant, as its vigorous growth makes for a high maintenance pruning regime.
Elaeagnus is considered weedy due to its scrambling nature and suckering roots. It is tolerant of drought, wet, high to medium-low temperatures, wind, salt, most soil types and moderate shade.
Elaeagnus slowly smothers all other plants to canopy height. It favours forest margins, consolidated sand dunes, shrubland, cliffs and fernland.
It can be very challenging to remove and control.
Weedbusters recommends the following:
What can I do to get rid of it?
1. Dig out with machinery wherever possible. Dry and burn roots and stems or bury deeply.
2. Stump swab (ground level): glyphosate (250ml/L) or a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (undiluted) or picloram gel. Follow up likewise on suckers. Dispose of cut stems at a refuse transfer station, burn or bury deeply to prevent resprouting.
3. Injection (best in autumn): drill holes sloping into the sapwood at regular intervals around the tree. As each hole is drilled place glyphosate (250ml/L) or metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (20g/L) or a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (undiluted) into the hole.
4. Frilling: use a sharp chisel or axe and make deep cuts into the sapwood at regular intervals around the base of the tree, taking care not to ring-bark the plant. Immediately apply glyphosate (250ml/L) or a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (undiluted) to the cuts using a paintbrush or a squeeze bottle.
5. Spray: glyphosate (300ml/15L (knapsack) or 2L/100L (spraygun)) or metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (5g/10L on small plants and regrowth). Treatment may need to be repeated.
CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY. Ensure that all instructions and directions for the use and storage of the product are followed and adhered to.
What can I do to stop it coming back?
Stumps resprout, roots sucker and cut stems can layer. It is extremely hard to kill, so repeat treatments are needed.
Tree of the Month
Photo: inaturalist.nz
By Anna Bradley
Lophomyrtus obcordata
Lophomyrtus obcordata, or rōhutu, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, usually found in lowland coastal forest but also in montane forests in both the North and South Islands. Locally, there is a lovely stand of trees at the Cable Bay Adventure Park.
It is a tall bushy shrub that can grow up to 6m and is popular in landscaping, as it is well-suited for hedging or screening . It has attractive fine shiny red foliage, white flowers in summer and fruit that ripens to dark red, which is attractive to birds.
Lophomyrtus obcordata was officially listed as “threatened” and “nationally critical” in New Zealand in 2018, because of its susceptibility to myrtle rust. Myrtle rust is a fungal disease that can affect the plants of the Myrtaceae family.
This disease forms bright yellow spots, like pimples. These are spores that spread from one plant to another. It quickly spreads over the entire surface of the leaf, starting from the underside. If the disease spreads too much, the leaves may curl up, and necroses may appear.
Jan recently made an observation that the bark of a rōhutu tree she happened to touch early one morning was very cold compared to the trees around it.
Mystery Creek Update
By Emma Fryer
Not many sleeps now! The Mystery Creek Fielddays are approaching quickly, and we are frantic with our last minute preparations and adjustments.
We are really looking forward to connecting with new people and seeing the many other great businesses at Fielddays.
If you are planning on heading along, please do come and see us. We will be at stall E14 opposite the Wellness Hub.
EmGuard Update
The workshop is full of EmGuards ready to go and do their job of protecting your plantings from pesky hares, rabbits and pukeko. We would love to hear from you if you are planning a winter planting and are in need of some quality plant protection .
Thanks very much to Kelly for sending through tis beautiful picture from Minmoor Nurseries.
Interesting Snippets
What We’ve Been reading: The Trial of the Cannibal Dog - by Anne Salmond
By Robert Fryer
This was a fantastic read. It didn't take me quite as long as Cook’s 3 voyages, but was still a hefty task. I really enjoyed getting a bit of background about Cook and his humble beginnings in Whitby. He was certainly a very accomplished sailor, with excellent navigation and mapping skills.
I started out by being really impressed with what he achieved and the way he conducted his ship and interactions with the people he encountered. My opinion was to change after reading about his second voyage, when his crew started to get mutinous due to Cook’s lack of willingness to avenge the deaths of 10 of the sailors on an accompanying ship. Interestingly, the original inhabitants of Totaranui /Queen Charlotte Sound also lacked respect for him for failing to punish those who were responsible for his crews deaths. Cooks behavior on his third voyage became quite erratic, with some very unhappy interactions throughout the Pacific.
An interesting piece of trivia, is that William Bligh of Bounty mutiny fame, was an officer on Cook’s third voyage. Perhaps he learnt some of his behaviours from this voyage.
Cook was killed in Hawaii, in an incident that could well have been avoided.
I certainly enjoyed getting a different perspective on the history that I learnt at school and can thoroughly recommend this book to all.
Recipe:
If like us, you have an abundance of feijoas at this time of year, here is a great recipe for a quick, easy and delicious cake.
By Jan Fryer
Mum’s Favourite Feijoa Cake
Ingredients
Approx 1 cup peeled, chopped feijoas
1 ½ cups flour
1 egg
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
125gms melted butter
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Handful of sultanas or raisins – optional
Method
Put feijoas, egg, sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix well together.
Add dry ingredients and mix together.
Add sultanas if desired.
Put into a ring tin or a square 25cm tin.
You can add additional cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. (Or sprinkle with icing sugar to serve)
Bake at 180 degrees C for 45 – 60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Serve with yoghurt or fresh cream.
Conclusion:
By Emma Fryer
This year seems to be flying by, with less than 3 weeks until the shortest day. It is easy to get bogged down by the cold, short days, but we have some exciting things in the mix for June. We are keeping focused on those and as Pete used to say, “we’ve got air in our lungs, so every day is a good day!”.
Here is to another good month and hopefully some rain!
If you have any projects in mind and would like to talk further, give us a call or pop in and see us.
We look forward to hearing from you!