Gardening A to Z: M

Useful information for you, brought to you by Garden NZ

Introduction
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Magnesium
Essential in chlorophyll formation and therefore helps to give plants their green colour.

Matawhero Nursery
Has been growing plants since 1983, with owners Lana & Nigel Hope operating the nursery since 1995. They provide a mail-order service nationwide as well as a sales area which is open Monday to Saturday.

Male
Any plant that lacks functioning female organs and hence cannot produce seeds. Male plants produce pollen, required to fertilise the female organs if seed is to result. The majority of flowering plants are bisexual, bearing male and female organs on the one plant, though often in different flowers, which are then called male and female flowers (as in oaks and chestnuts).

Mandarin
See Citrus.

Manure
The excrement of animals, used as fertiliser. Like all materials of organic origin it adds humus to the soil.

Marginal Plant
One which in the wild grows in the swampy margins of ponds or lakes, and which can be cultivated in similar positions around a garden pond, such as Iris Ensata. Most don’t mind having their roots submerged for at least part of the year.

Mauways Nursery
Established by Maureen and Wayne Healey in 1996. Situated in the hub of Rangatiki Mauways offers an extensive range of perennials, grasses hostas and shrubs.

McGregors
McGregors is a range of Gardening Products developed by Gardeners for Gardeners with the aim of providing simple garden solutions.

Mealy bug
Small sap-sucking insects of the family Coccidae, to which scale insects also belong. Mealybugs are tiny but easily seen, flattened and slow-moving, with a whitish water-repellent coating like flour dusted over cobwebby hairs. They hide on the undersides of leaves, among sheathing leaf bases, and among plant roots, thriving best on plants grown indoors in very open potting mix. They are persistent and difficult to eradicate.

Mediterranean (of plant distributions)
The Mediterranean climate is characteristically mild and wet in Winter but hot and dry in Summer. Similar climates in other parts of the world, notably California, western South Africa and coastal southern Australia are often termed ‘Mediterranean’.

Mediterranean Gardens
Create your own "place in the sun" a Mediterranean garden is easy to grow, very tolerant – great for smaller city gardens.

Midge
Chrysanthemum Midge and Apple Leaf Roller Midge can both be controlled by spraying.

Midrib
The main central vein of a leaf; the central stalk to which the leaflets of a pinnate leaf are attached.

Midway Nursery
A wholesale nursery growing their own plants and selling directly to the public. It is situated in the village of Rangiriri, midway between the cities of Auckland and Hamilton on State Highway 1. (location map)

Mildew
Certain kinds of fungi that form fine webs on the surfaces of organic materials, or on the leaves of live plants. Mildews thrive in warm, humid conditions and mainly affect plants that are not adapted to such conditions. Downy mildews are virulent plant diseases, the most notorious being downy mildew of grape.

Missionview Gardens
Situated in Napier, within the Hawkes Bay. Liz Moss and her inspirational team are truly open with their passion and love of gardening, and just quietly it's infectious.

Mitre10
Mitre 10 Online is the Website that caters for all your home improvement needs. You can SHOP, seek DIY ADVICE or browse our TV SHOWS. From installing a watering system, to creating a garden pond, to lawn care and composting suggestions, our GARDEN ADVICE section offers a range of "How to" guides. You can also email your question to our expert.

Molybdenum
Plays an important role in leaf development and in Nitrogen fixation.

Monocarpic
A plant which flowers only once in its life and then dies, for example Agave Americana and the Fishtail Palm (Caryota Urens).

Morris & James Pottery & Tileworks
Morris & James – creators of distinctive environments. Morris & James has been making pots, tiles and decorative ceramics on the banks of the Matakana River for over 25 years and is famous for its rich, vibrant glazes. The translucence and depth of the glaze evoke a sense of seeing through a stream of pure colour.

Moss
A large group of species of primitive non-flowering plants which need moist soil to grow. Most are of very diminutive stature; some are cultivated as ground cover.

Mosaic Creations
Vitreous glass and cut ceramic tiles set in concrete. Most outdoor tiles measure 40×40 cm.

Mulch
A blanket spread over the bare surface of soil to block the loss of moisture and to discourage the growth of weeds. Most mulches are of such organic matter as manure, compost, straw, bark chips etc which eventually rot and add humus to the soil, thus enhancing its fertility. Inorganic materials are also used.