Articles & Tree Care

Tree Care Tips

Below is a list of plants and trees that like dry conditions…

Buxus Sempervirens (Common Box) Broadly conical, evergreen. Popular shrub for clipped hedges & topiary. Tolerates alkaline soils. Tolerates shade. Grows to 1-2m

Querus Prinus (Chestnut Oak) Broadly conical, straight trunk, deciduous. Tolerates dry sandy and gravelly soils. Little troubled by diseases or insects. Deeply and coarsely furrowed bark rich in tannins. Rare in NZ. Grows to 15-24m.

Dodonaea Viscose (Green NZ Ake Ake) Broadly spreading, evergreen. Tough shelter shrub for exposed and coastal conditions. Wood is hard and black, streaked with white. Attractive berries, fruits or cone. Grows to 3.6m.

Pinus Canariensis (Canary Island Pine) Narrowly conical, broadening with age, evergreen. Suited to drier, hotter parts of NZ. Tolerant of exposure – a landscape feature. Can survive fire. Resinous heartwood. Grows to 20-30m.

Spring is the perfect time to prune your ornamental trees, the sap has stopped rising, most trees are finishing flowering & leaves have developed. Trees are actively growing so any cuts are going to heal well. Trees are less prone to disease or infections due to the above reasons when pruned at this time of year. So for healthier trees & more sun during those evening BBQ’s & entertaining prune at the right time. If you need help or would prefer an expert arborist to do this for you please give us a CALL NOW on 344-6223 for your FREE Spring Tree Appraisal.

Not only have New Zealand’s Tui been described as one of the seven best songsters in the world, they are key pollinators for many native plants and important seed dispersers for native trees such as kowhai. Sadly, Tui disappeared from Banks Peninsula about 20 years ago due to a variety of reasons including habitat loss, introduced predators and possibly disease. The last birds to be seen in any number were around Akaroa. Only one or two birds have been reported since then.

The Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, in partnership with local hapu is working to restore the Tui to Banks Peninsula. The plan has support from the Department of Conservation, Lincoln University, and the Christchurch City Council. To flourish, Tui need trees, flowers, and insects. Tui are keen nectar feeders. This food is more than 70% of their diet at peak time of the year. Fruits and insects are also important. Ecologist Hugh Wilson, of Hinewai, has confirmed there is now enough year-round food available on Banks Peninsula for Tui. This guide for planting can help you attract Tui to your own property.

What you can do to help

• Provide good habitat – regeneration mixed hardwood forest, protected from grazing animals, offers good nesting territories nectar and fruit sources and insect prey.
• Gardens may help significantly with Tui tucker, as Tui are known to travel a long way to good nectar sources at the right time of year.
  Use locally sourced native plants – great not only for Tui but for restoration.
• Remove predators and grazers – priorities for removal are:
  – goats, deer, cattle, sheep and pigs
  – ship rats and possums
  – cats and stoats
• Report Tui sightings to the BPCT coordinator or enter into the NZ Biodiversity Recording System (www.nzbrn.org.nz).

Tui Top Six Plants
Kowhai, Mountain Flax, Cabbage Tree, Mountain Five Finger, NZ Ngaio & Tree Fuschia

Even today the olive tree has retained its symbolic power amongst the different cultures and nations.

The tree of wisdom: In several cultures tradition says that the olive tree was gifted from the gods to people. Thus, the symbol of the goddess Athena beside the owl symbolised an olive branch.

The tree of peace: Irena, the god of peace, daughter of Zeus and Themed, was always depicted with an olive branch in her hand. Later, in periods of war, the couriers of peace were sent holding a symbolic olive branch in their hand.

The tree of hope: In the Old Testament a dove returns with an olive branch in the ark, in order to announce the end of flood and bring hope to people.

The tree of fertility: In folk tradition of Greek medicine the olive oil is considered to be aphrodisiac. People offered to new couples bread in oval shape were they previously purred the first oil of the year, as an antidote to sterility.

The tree of health: The value of olive oil to the health is widely known for centuries. Thus, the olive tree symbolises power and health. Moreover, this symbolism is totally accurate due to the fact that olive trees are long-lived, simple and resistant.

The tree of wealth: For many families the olive trees and their products represent the main source of income.

The tree of balance: The olive tree was considered to be the tree of balance by the Celts. For this reason they devoted the day of 23rd of September to it as that particular date the day has the same duration as the night.

Feature in the NZ Herald: The arborists of Whanganui