Here is Wally’s latest updates from his Weekly Newsletter page. Check out his website for lots of information & advice on local gardening plus recommended products. This week he’s commented on Big Tobacco, Germany, the bees and Bayer, and on the WHO and glyphosate….
WINTER IS COMING
Now that day light savings has finished we realise that winter is coming and in a number of areas light frosts have already occurred.
From my own experience in Palmerston North and talking to gardeners in other areas including Invercargill, the winters now days are very mild to what we experienced when we were young.
Heavy frosty mornings with frost lasting well into midday but nice sunny blue skies except when we had what we called a black frost.
That was when the frost did not disappear because the day would have heavy clouds, which did not allow the sun to warm the ground. Not nice.
These days in Palmerston North at least we do not have too many frosts in winter and usually the ones we have are light and soon disappear. Outside of the city you do not have to go far to find a good frosting when the conditions are right.
What has changed besides ‘climate change’ is the warmth that a city generates from houses, vehicles and street lighting. Pollution in the air also acts the same as cloud cover trapping heat and preventing frosts to settle. We are more likely to see fogs than frosts.
This bodes well for the more tender plants which would be damaged or killed by a good frost.
It does not help with control of pest insects and plant diseases which a good heavy frost will knock them for a six.
For us gardeners we still need to give more tender plants some protection and later in winter use methods to reduce disease and insect pests.
Now is the time to take action to help your plants survive the winter chills.
Apply Fruit & Flower Power to the root zone of plants that could be damaged, your preferred plants and any tender plants. The potash and magnesium in this product hardens up the foliage, strengthens the root system and helps to maintain nice green foliage.
Apply this month and again monthly for the next two months on evergreen plants but only once on deciduous plants and trees.
Wet weather diseases are caused by lots of rain and insufficient drainage.
The root systems need oxygen and if there is too much water then there is insufficient oxygen, the roots can hold their breath (so to speak) for a while but then they will start rotting.
You will see leaves turning yellow, curling and dropping followed by the plant’s death.
You can assist the plants to withstand wet weather diseases by spraying them with Perkfection Supa once a month for the next 3 months on evergreens such as citrus. One spray on your roses and deciduous trees at this time.
If you can; ensure that the drainage around plants that hate wet feet is improved where possible.
One easy way on established plants such as citrus or around the edge of vegetable gardens is to dig a trench one or two spades deep. On citrus and similar just out beyond the drip line.
Excess water will drain into the trench where wind and sun will evaporate it away quicker.
This is only needed where you know that ponding takes place during rainy times, good free draining areas are not so prone to the problems.
For our final protection of tender plants we can use the ‘spray on frost protection’ called Vaporgard.
Mixed at 15mls per litre in warm water and sprayed over the foliage of tender plants it will give them down to minus 3 degrees frost protection for 3 months within 3 days of application.
This works very well on the first frost but if there are several frosts in a row, night after night then additional protection such as frost cloth will be needed.
The reason for this is the damage to the cells does not have a chance to repair before they are frozen again.
Tender plants that are in containers can be moved to places where they are protected such as under the eaves or under evergreen trees. I now can keep impatiens and petunias in containers going year after year by using all the above suggestions and having them in sheltered areas.
Plants such as capsicums and peppers growing in open ground can be sprayed with Vaporgard under and over foliage and a couple of days later carefully lifted and placed into containers.
Then moved to a glasshouse or protected area like a porch where they will continue to produce for you slowly over winter as long as you keep them a little on the dry side.
Now that the soil is cooler and rains have starting to moisten the gardens; means you can plant your spring bulbs in sunny areas. Container grown bulbs are likely planted already.
Let your strawberries run and root in for a fresh lot of plants later in May.
LATEST NEWS:
Monsanto & Bayer
The latest news is very interesting as chemical company giants, Monsanto and Bayer are taking a hammering as reports about the harm some of their main products are doing to our health and the environment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently placed glyphosate on level 4 meaning its a very probable cause of cancer. (Level 5 means it does definitely cause cancer.)
Monsanto’s cause was not helped by the video of pro-GMO Patrick Moore claiming Monsanto’s glyphosate is “safe to drink,” then walking out of an interview when asked to prove it, has been making the cyber-rounds. But perhaps no one has framed it better than Jeffrey Jaxen, a writer for Before It’s News.
Jaxen calls the Moore interview a “Big Tobacco Moment,” comparing it to the publicly televised statement in 1994, by William Campbell, then-CEO of tobacco giant Phillip Morris, who told Congress, “I believe nicotine is not addictive.”
Jaxen wrote: “When paradigms shift, tyrants fall, or corporations lose their market it is often not from some spectacular event, but by a single, humanizing display.”
If you have not seen it go to: https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/gmos-big-tobacco-moment-shocks-public-awake
Bayer is loosing its battle; saying their toxic neonicotinoids such as Confidor are safe. Study after study show neonicotinoids are a key culprit in bee declines and are harming other organisms, from earthworms to birds.
Bayer filed a lawsuit against Friends of the Earth Germany in an effort to shut down their campaign to save the bees. Thanks to the work of concerned people across Europe, Bayer lost and Friends of the Earth Germany won. This demonstrates the importance and power of organizing and when the truth is revealed, people can push back against corporate power, and win. On the home front it was reported that Lloyds of London are not covering events of smart meter fires or health risks associated with wireless devices. Likely soon most insurance companies will follow suit as they normally do when Lloyds makes exclusions.. Are Smart Metres causing fires? According to TV3 news yes; within the last five months there have been 67 call outs in Canterbury to malfunctions involving power boxes, and 422 throughout the country.
Smart Meters & Power Surges Causing Fires
Your power company installs a smart meter and then when there is a power surge it can blow up appliances and possibly set your home on fire, which has happened in NZ and overseas.
Then you could find your Insurance company has wavered damage cause by Smart Metres.
Not only that but health problems cause by High Intensity Radio Frequencies are not going to be covered either. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF-djNIb5Oc
People and children sensitive to this radiation can have problems of head aches, nose bleeds, emotional problems and sleeplessness. Makes for more interesting times.
Wally Richards
Environmental Health Watch NZ 