Garden Centre Visit

Palmers Garden Centre
Welcome Bay

26 March 2015

G3 visit was to Palmers Garden Centre, on the Welcome Bay roundabout in Tauranga. This garden centre happily gives talks, might I add, at no cost, on anything you like. They are also very keen to be involved in schools, working with children and seeing the enjoyment they get from planting a thing or two!

Thank you to all that came. This little garden centre changed hands 3 or 4 years ago and the new owners have done an amazing job to bring it back to life.

There are a number of knowledgeable people there to help, in particular Darren and Alan. Darren was away but if you are wanting the more technical, perhaps scientific side to gardening he is the man you want. So today we had Alan share a few of his life experiences, personal interests and answer a number of questions that we fired at him!

Alan is self taught/learnt through many years of experience here and overseas.

He spent a number of years  working in the U.K in gardening centres, turfing companies and landscaping. He has seen many different sorts of garden, from your massive English garden to apartment living. Alans' particular interest/passion at present is organics. He reminds us to be very wary of any sprays we use. That there are alternative products out there, Neam is one, and if used correctly they will do the job. He says prevention is the key rather than waiting for the damage to appear. Spraying in winter before eggs are laid. Don't forget all these new varieties of dwarf fruit trees says Alan, they can be used in many areas of the garden and you get something back from them, nothing like walking out the back door to collect a plum for breaky. 

Do your homework/research, think and plan! You need to remember to feed and look after these trees as you would yourself, especially if you live in the suburbs where land nutrients may not be as plentiful. Liquid feed not granules. Make sure they are open, regular pruning to allow for air flow, especially for citrus along with magnesium and lots of nitrogen. Beware of chicken and horse compost, where you are putting it as it often comes with weeds of course! 

Alan suggested you could first put it in your compost bin where the heat that is produced will kill the seeds! Think about creating longer fruiting seasons by planting a variety of varieties of plants e.g blueberries, different varieties fruit at slightly different times. Take fruit off in the first two years of fruiting…if that's too hard maybe leave one or two on! This then leaves the nutrients for the growth of the tree.

Pruning throughout the garden can be done at anytime really. There is a new thought now that the best time is during summer, when trees are at their healthiest opposed to being done when they are dormant. This also goes for transplanting, mind if it is done in the hight of summer you must remember to water!

Copper spraying for fungus bacteria can be done in August before leaf burst or with no leaves not when plant has new leaves.

These were a few points I picked up during Alans' interesting, helpful, enjoyable talk!  You may need to nip back if I have missed things.

We finished off  with a good coffee (of course some of us added a sweet to that) from the centres very friendly relaxing cafe.

Emily