Clean Up Your Trees and Shrubs When Dormant 

Winter is a good time to get into the garden and protect your trees, shrubs and roses from pests and diseases. It may look like nothing is happening in the garden but lurking among the leaf litter, bark and dead twigs are the spores of diseases and the eggs of pests.

In frost-free weather prune and destroy dead, damaged and diseased parts of trees and shrubs. Then protect them from disease and pests using Kiwicare winter protectants PLANThealth Copper Fungicide liquid, Organic Super Spraying Oil and Organic Super Sulphur. Use the sulphur separately a few weeks after copper and oil. This will control fungal spores and insect eggs on the trees and prevent fungal disease from entering through damaged parts of the plants. Spray again after any pruning and throughout winter.

Clear up leaf litter and dead twigs or other plant material on the ground below and around your trees, shrubs and roses. This can be disposed of in your organics bin, burned or composted, but if composting make sure the compost is not used for at least 6 months to ensure any disease spores and pest eggs are killed.

To protect from mites, powdery mildew, rust, moss and lichen on these plants spray with Organic Super Sulphur; first after leaf fall and again in late winter before new growth appears.

TIP

Do Not mix Organic Super Sulphur with other garden sprays.

Make sure to protect tender trees and shrubs from wind and frost. Move them into sheltered positions or wrap them in wind and frost protecting garden windbreak.

Do not allow leaves to build up on the grass where they would rot and kill the grass underneath. Rake up fallen leaves regularly and finish laying any new turf or re-seeding. Mow your lawn only if growth makes it necessary but set the blades at least 2cm higher than normal.

Winter gardens can be pleasant places to spend time and because you will have fewer pests and diseases to deal with in spring and summer the work done protecting your plants now will give you more time to enjoy your garden.

Note: For roses see Spraying to Protect Roses.

David Brittain
Kiwicare