Not much watering had to be done this week after the rain, and then Fridays wind soon had the hoses out again.
I have had the hedge trimmer on the go again and yes the plants and shrubs did shudder to their roots when I come their way!
If it needs it, it gets it! Trimming with secateurs is not practical with such a large garden and at this time of the year you can not do too much damage, the grow back rate is pretty quick.
This time last year I was lucky enough to find a young Man who loves trimming hedges, the box hedges have had a go over and what a great job he has done they are looking wonderful. It has been the perfect overcast weather for them to recover without the sun scorching them.
.
My buddleia's are out in flower now attracting the butterflies, They are a great fill in bush, I cut them back by half, when they have finished flowering and again at the end of Winter. They push up new growth very quickly and look attractive with their blue green foliage even without the flowers. There are blues, pinks & white shades to choose from, Plant at the back of a border and you will not be sorry.
Catmint can be trimmed back now, I know it is still showing heaps of colour but trim the long growth back by half and in no time at all it will re-grow into a neater clump and continue to flower.
The same applies to aubrietia, it will stay in a neater clump after a trim back, lavatera's and English abutilon need cut back now as well and they will bush right back up and flower. Most people pull out forget-me-not when it has finished flowering, I cut it right back to almost nothing and it returns in nice green clumps stronger than ever and becomes a perennial which will flower for years every spring. As a woodland plant you can't go past forget-me-not as a pretty sea of blue in the spring.
.
Anemones for winter flowering can be planted in the next two weeks, you will need to put a stick in where they are planted at this time of the year it's so easy to forget the spot and dig them up.Pop some in pots to replace all the Summer & autumn pots when finished flowering.
Lilies are flowering now, large clumps can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering and planted into good compost but they must never dry out so keep an eye on them through the dryer months. I have had clumps of Christmas lilies completely disappear and have not noticed until I miss them flowering at this time of the year. It takes ages for lilies to grow from little pup bulbs and seed so they are worth looking after.
It is time to shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, the growth is needed for the grapes that have started to form. If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some with shortening back.
I was told years ago that offal or a dead animal is what a domestic grape vine likes to have buried down around it's roots, too much nitrate fertiliser will produce leaves and leaders. like most fruiting plants a little pot ash to encourage fruiting is beneficial in spring.
If you don't like using sprays and you have a few flat weeds in the lawn try spot spraying them with vinegar, Most people would have vinegar in the kitchen. I was told about this recently and it works! I used white vinegar. It is also great for pathways and drives and leaves no dangerous residue to leach into nearby plants..
I am pretty sure it dose not kill clover, browns it off a little, but I am still watching to see how much it knocks it. The vinegar needs to be applied in dry sunny weather.
Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn likes to be mounded up also when it gets to about knee high. They have a shallow rooting system and the mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds.
I have been faced with a great crop of weeds in the vegetable garden, like most other gardeners I am sure.
How fast they appear and grow, one thing is for sure you can put off doing what you should do but you cannot put off what nature wants to do when it comes to weeds, and ripening of fruit and veg, Nature will have it's way and if you are too late to respond the weed seeds pop, the fruit over ripens and the veg bolts.
Cheers, Linda.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Gardening in North Otago NZ December 5th 2009
Well this week we were back to a winter chill, no wonder the night beetle has not made an appearance yet, they are usually dive bombing around now along with the big fat moths, long may they both stay away. I have only just started to notice green fly about, and I am hoping this recent bout of cold weather will have given a few a short shift as it did a month or two back. I am keeping up the fish emulsion but have had to use a nasty on the underside of my hellebore leaves. This is where they love to hide and breed ready to make a bee line to roses and other ornamentals so zap them before they do.
If you have orchids it is the time to repot them now, use the orchid mix for the best results, it takes the guess work out wondering what to feed them.
The wind has been cool since the rain so the ground is still holding some moisture, scatter grass clippings around if your lawns have not been sprayed, they become good humus but don't pile them on to thickly because they are inclined to form a shield that stops the rain reaching the soil beneath. I throw them on to empty the catcher and the rake them out later.
It is probably a good time to attend to the vegetable garden as things are growing so fast and needing food we need to keep the food up to tomatoes, currants an berries, lemons and fruit trees... it takes a lot out of a plant to fruit.
Now day's there are specially prepared fertilisers for most things with instructions for how much to apply and when. Blood and bone is a good all rounder but can attract fly's at this time of the year so water it in well.
All fruiting trees and plants need lots of water now to create juicy plump fruit, that small amount of rain we had this week will have been perfect for them but it's the winds that have followed that do the damage so keep the water up.
Remember to cover your strawberries to keep the birds from eating them as soon as they show any sign of red. Strawberry netting stretches out to cover a large area and does the job well, the birds are helping themselves to my gooseberries so I have thrown some frost cloth over them until I get a chance to pick them.
As tomatoes grow be sure to remove laterals of the taller growing variety and stake them to keep them upright as the fruit gets heaver. They should be flowering now waiting for the bee's to pollinate them, if they are in a glass house and you do not see many bee's you can spray with a product call tomset.
Early morning soaking on the vegetable garden keeps moisture up to them all through the day and helps with the germination of seeds and successive planting can be kept up right through the Summer.
If you must use spray's on your vegetables make sure you read on the container to know how long the with holding period is before you can eat the vegetables. Why not try an organic option there are more on offer every year, or try companion planting.
Some plants have been proven to help and enhance others so I will list what has worked.
Carrots and onions together, the onions help keep the carrot fly at bay and carrots the onion fly.
Celery and the brassica family, i.e.: cabbage, caulis, and broccoli. the celery will confuse the white butterfly when wanting to land and lay it's larvae eggs.
Marigolds and beans/brassicas, the marigold emits a natural gas which protects surrounding plants from insects like aphids and white fly.
Make your own natural sprays: The following plant leaves can be boiled in water and the resulting liquid used on plants.
Basil will eliminate aphids
Chives prevent mildew occurring on cucumbers, squash and pumpkins.
Coriander also for aphids and spider mite.
Eucalyptus is a good general purpose insecticide.
Rhubarb has been found to help prevent black spot.
These may be only plants but in liquid form they can be harmful to children so keep marked bottles high up.
I found out that it is not a good idea to breath in fumes when bringing to the boil, and to keep doors and window open. the fumes from some of them can certainly make you feel really off colour.
Get corn and pumpkins in as soon as possible because they need a long growing and ripening season Cheers Linda
If you have orchids it is the time to repot them now, use the orchid mix for the best results, it takes the guess work out wondering what to feed them.
The wind has been cool since the rain so the ground is still holding some moisture, scatter grass clippings around if your lawns have not been sprayed, they become good humus but don't pile them on to thickly because they are inclined to form a shield that stops the rain reaching the soil beneath. I throw them on to empty the catcher and the rake them out later.
It is probably a good time to attend to the vegetable garden as things are growing so fast and needing food we need to keep the food up to tomatoes, currants an berries, lemons and fruit trees... it takes a lot out of a plant to fruit.
Now day's there are specially prepared fertilisers for most things with instructions for how much to apply and when. Blood and bone is a good all rounder but can attract fly's at this time of the year so water it in well.
All fruiting trees and plants need lots of water now to create juicy plump fruit, that small amount of rain we had this week will have been perfect for them but it's the winds that have followed that do the damage so keep the water up.
Remember to cover your strawberries to keep the birds from eating them as soon as they show any sign of red. Strawberry netting stretches out to cover a large area and does the job well, the birds are helping themselves to my gooseberries so I have thrown some frost cloth over them until I get a chance to pick them.
As tomatoes grow be sure to remove laterals of the taller growing variety and stake them to keep them upright as the fruit gets heaver. They should be flowering now waiting for the bee's to pollinate them, if they are in a glass house and you do not see many bee's you can spray with a product call tomset.
Early morning soaking on the vegetable garden keeps moisture up to them all through the day and helps with the germination of seeds and successive planting can be kept up right through the Summer.
If you must use spray's on your vegetables make sure you read on the container to know how long the with holding period is before you can eat the vegetables. Why not try an organic option there are more on offer every year, or try companion planting.
Some plants have been proven to help and enhance others so I will list what has worked.
Carrots and onions together, the onions help keep the carrot fly at bay and carrots the onion fly.
Celery and the brassica family, i.e.: cabbage, caulis, and broccoli. the celery will confuse the white butterfly when wanting to land and lay it's larvae eggs.
Marigolds and beans/brassicas, the marigold emits a natural gas which protects surrounding plants from insects like aphids and white fly.
Make your own natural sprays: The following plant leaves can be boiled in water and the resulting liquid used on plants.
Basil will eliminate aphids
Chives prevent mildew occurring on cucumbers, squash and pumpkins.
Coriander also for aphids and spider mite.
Eucalyptus is a good general purpose insecticide.
Rhubarb has been found to help prevent black spot.
These may be only plants but in liquid form they can be harmful to children so keep marked bottles high up.
I found out that it is not a good idea to breath in fumes when bringing to the boil, and to keep doors and window open. the fumes from some of them can certainly make you feel really off colour.
Get corn and pumpkins in as soon as possible because they need a long growing and ripening season Cheers Linda
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Gardening in North Otago 26th November 2009
Well this week has been all about weeding, cutting back, cutting box hedges and planting.
I have divided clumps of violas because they have finished flowering now; I just dig up part of a large clump and pull it to bits basically. You can gently pull masses of new young plants out of the clump and plant them out separately in a cool shady part of the garden. they will soon form their own small cluster which can be planted out next year to flower where you want it.
The same for polly type primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent growth.
There is still time to divide agapanthus, large and dwarf varieties. they can get a bit clump bound which reduces their flowering.
Dig out the whole clump (if it is still manageable enough to do this), then pull off smaller root balls and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get the roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants.
The weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, and most are easy to pull when they have grown a bit. I am still battling with biddy bid and convolvulus, I have resorted to spraying the convolvulus with round up which should travel right back to the root of the long runners and kill them. If it is tangled up through plants and bushes I have been pulling the runners until they break and then waiting till the new shoots pop up to zap them with round up. It's going to be a long battle because it seems to be growing everywhere this year.
If you have some aged compost that has finished working and is ready to put on your garden then you are able to make some economical compost tea.
Compost Tea is a nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic plant food made by steeping aged compost in water. The water is then diluted and used as a root and/or foliar feed. It is also noted for its ability to control various plant diseases (blights, molds, wilts, etc. when used as a foliar spray), to repel and control insect pests and their damage when used on a regular basis, and to encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria which results in healthier, more stress-tolerant plants. The basic recipe most often recommended is as follows:
1 large container with lid (plastic rubbish bin works well) enough aged, completed compost to fill an old pillow case 1/2-3/4 full. Fill the container with water, place the compost into an old pillowcase (cheese cloth bag or pantyhose also work well), tie off the top and submerge in the container of water. Cover (to prevent odor and insect problems) and let steep for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. This steeping time is crucial to the formation of beneficial bacteria and the required fermentation process. When finished, dip out the tea and dilute it (3 parts water to 1 part tea) and use as root food for any and all plants on a weekly or as-needed basis.
To use as a foliar spray or on young seedlings dilute it a little more. The remaining tea can continue to steep until needed. The following factors will determine the quality of the finished tea: Use well-aged, finished compost - Fresh compost can burn the plants or contain harmful pathogens and compost past its best will be nutritionally deficient. The contents of the compost should be balanced. If using purchased compost it should contain a portion of aged animal manure which apparently remains active longer than composed made up only of plant matter.
(It is important to note that COMPOST TEA AND MANURE TEA ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Manure tea can be made in the same way but is not generally recommended as foliar spray and is not as nutritionally well-balanced.) Never apply as a folia spray in the heat of the day but apply to the roots any time.
Next week I will write about companion planting in the vegetable garden.
I have divided clumps of violas because they have finished flowering now; I just dig up part of a large clump and pull it to bits basically. You can gently pull masses of new young plants out of the clump and plant them out separately in a cool shady part of the garden. they will soon form their own small cluster which can be planted out next year to flower where you want it.
The same for polly type primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent growth.
There is still time to divide agapanthus, large and dwarf varieties. they can get a bit clump bound which reduces their flowering.
Dig out the whole clump (if it is still manageable enough to do this), then pull off smaller root balls and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get the roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants.
The weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, and most are easy to pull when they have grown a bit. I am still battling with biddy bid and convolvulus, I have resorted to spraying the convolvulus with round up which should travel right back to the root of the long runners and kill them. If it is tangled up through plants and bushes I have been pulling the runners until they break and then waiting till the new shoots pop up to zap them with round up. It's going to be a long battle because it seems to be growing everywhere this year.
If you have some aged compost that has finished working and is ready to put on your garden then you are able to make some economical compost tea.
Compost Tea is a nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic plant food made by steeping aged compost in water. The water is then diluted and used as a root and/or foliar feed. It is also noted for its ability to control various plant diseases (blights, molds, wilts, etc. when used as a foliar spray), to repel and control insect pests and their damage when used on a regular basis, and to encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria which results in healthier, more stress-tolerant plants. The basic recipe most often recommended is as follows:
1 large container with lid (plastic rubbish bin works well) enough aged, completed compost to fill an old pillow case 1/2-3/4 full. Fill the container with water, place the compost into an old pillowcase (cheese cloth bag or pantyhose also work well), tie off the top and submerge in the container of water. Cover (to prevent odor and insect problems) and let steep for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. This steeping time is crucial to the formation of beneficial bacteria and the required fermentation process. When finished, dip out the tea and dilute it (3 parts water to 1 part tea) and use as root food for any and all plants on a weekly or as-needed basis.
To use as a foliar spray or on young seedlings dilute it a little more. The remaining tea can continue to steep until needed. The following factors will determine the quality of the finished tea: Use well-aged, finished compost - Fresh compost can burn the plants or contain harmful pathogens and compost past its best will be nutritionally deficient. The contents of the compost should be balanced. If using purchased compost it should contain a portion of aged animal manure which apparently remains active longer than composed made up only of plant matter.
(It is important to note that COMPOST TEA AND MANURE TEA ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Manure tea can be made in the same way but is not generally recommended as foliar spray and is not as nutritionally well-balanced.) Never apply as a folia spray in the heat of the day but apply to the roots any time.
Next week I will write about companion planting in the vegetable garden.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Gardening in North Otago 20th November 2009
This was a better week,apart from the wind. it was good to get some warmth yesterday.
I have been weeding, weeding,!! and cutting back heaps of stuff that has finished flowering, alyssum, ground cover phlox, aubrietia and aquilegias, if you cut them back now they will green up again and look good over summer. same goes for Erica's, cut all the brown spent flower stems off and they will green up again in no time.
I have also been changing the flower beds from Spring to summer, all the forget-me-not is gone along with the died down bulb tops.
I spread my compost on the cleared ground and then covered that with some pig and sawdust manure and mushroom compost because it is clean with no weed seeds, I have started filling every gap with flower seedlings like cosmos, static, blue salvia, natushims, lavatera and lobelia not leaving any room for weeds to grow.
All trees have leafed up now, don't be afraid to cut out over crowding branches to let light in to what is planted underneath. If there are two branches filling the same spot take the lower one out. Maple trees tend to grow thick canopies so I have been thinning mine out. I remove heaps but when I stand back and look it is not noticeable and now there is ice dappled light coming through.
Dahlias can be pinched out like chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness' but they will still get tall so put stakes in now before they begin to bend and fall.
There are autumn flowering bulbs in now, like belladonnas, crocuses, nerines, plant in full sun where they will not be disturbed.
Lift tulips now. Store in paper bags in a cool place to be replanted in the autumn.
If your daffodils did not flower so well this spring, It's a good time to break up large clumps while you can still see where they have been, flowering can be restricted when the clumps get over crowded. Plant out in small groups in about 20cm of compost...plant to a depth of double their height then feed with blood and bone and mulch so they don't dry out over summer.
Lawn mowers need to be lifted a notch now, try mowing without the catcher now and then, and rake the clippings out over the lawn to add humus to the lawn. Lawns need fed regularly through the growing and cutting seasons but never feed a dry lawn, if you do you are in danger of burning it. Have some fertiliser on hand for the next rain or feed each area when watering. I sprayed the daisies and weeds two weeks ago, then fed them in the rain and already the gaps where the weeds died have almost filled in with grass.
Water lilies can be added to ponds now that the water is warmer, if buying one it should be in leaf now so plant into a plastic pot using thick news paper first then rich manure and garden soil. Manure first with soil on top plant the lily and top with a thick layer of stones or gravel. It is important not to let any fertiliser or manure leach out into the pond water because it will encourage the water to go green with slime which is harmful to fish when caught in their gills.
If your pond is stagnating it means that it is not working ... try putting in some old unsprayed straw or hay, weigh it down with a rock so it does not float around on the surface of the water. At first the pond water will not look too healthy but soon you will be amazed at how fast it will clear and stay clear once things start working naturally. To work naturally the bottom of the pond can and should be a little muddy, but the top should be clear, you can easily tell when it is.
A way to fill your pond with fish now the water is warmer is to put oxygen weed in from a pond already filled with fish, the fish blow their eggs into the weed so there is sure to be eggs that will hatch out in your pond and no big fish around to eat them.
If the pond is working well you will not have to feed fish in the warmer months, they will get plenty of bugs from now on.
Check your fruit trees now for over crowded bunches, thin the bunches out by snipping small fruits off with sharp scissors. Give each fruiting tree and bush a good root soak now and then in this dry weather.
Keep planting all vegetables but not too many of the same at one time.
I have been weeding, weeding,!! and cutting back heaps of stuff that has finished flowering, alyssum, ground cover phlox, aubrietia and aquilegias, if you cut them back now they will green up again and look good over summer. same goes for Erica's, cut all the brown spent flower stems off and they will green up again in no time.
I have also been changing the flower beds from Spring to summer, all the forget-me-not is gone along with the died down bulb tops.
I spread my compost on the cleared ground and then covered that with some pig and sawdust manure and mushroom compost because it is clean with no weed seeds, I have started filling every gap with flower seedlings like cosmos, static, blue salvia, natushims, lavatera and lobelia not leaving any room for weeds to grow.
All trees have leafed up now, don't be afraid to cut out over crowding branches to let light in to what is planted underneath. If there are two branches filling the same spot take the lower one out. Maple trees tend to grow thick canopies so I have been thinning mine out. I remove heaps but when I stand back and look it is not noticeable and now there is ice dappled light coming through.
Dahlias can be pinched out like chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness' but they will still get tall so put stakes in now before they begin to bend and fall.
There are autumn flowering bulbs in now, like belladonnas, crocuses, nerines, plant in full sun where they will not be disturbed.
Lift tulips now. Store in paper bags in a cool place to be replanted in the autumn.
If your daffodils did not flower so well this spring, It's a good time to break up large clumps while you can still see where they have been, flowering can be restricted when the clumps get over crowded. Plant out in small groups in about 20cm of compost...plant to a depth of double their height then feed with blood and bone and mulch so they don't dry out over summer.
Lawn mowers need to be lifted a notch now, try mowing without the catcher now and then, and rake the clippings out over the lawn to add humus to the lawn. Lawns need fed regularly through the growing and cutting seasons but never feed a dry lawn, if you do you are in danger of burning it. Have some fertiliser on hand for the next rain or feed each area when watering. I sprayed the daisies and weeds two weeks ago, then fed them in the rain and already the gaps where the weeds died have almost filled in with grass.
Water lilies can be added to ponds now that the water is warmer, if buying one it should be in leaf now so plant into a plastic pot using thick news paper first then rich manure and garden soil. Manure first with soil on top plant the lily and top with a thick layer of stones or gravel. It is important not to let any fertiliser or manure leach out into the pond water because it will encourage the water to go green with slime which is harmful to fish when caught in their gills.
If your pond is stagnating it means that it is not working ... try putting in some old unsprayed straw or hay, weigh it down with a rock so it does not float around on the surface of the water. At first the pond water will not look too healthy but soon you will be amazed at how fast it will clear and stay clear once things start working naturally. To work naturally the bottom of the pond can and should be a little muddy, but the top should be clear, you can easily tell when it is.
A way to fill your pond with fish now the water is warmer is to put oxygen weed in from a pond already filled with fish, the fish blow their eggs into the weed so there is sure to be eggs that will hatch out in your pond and no big fish around to eat them.
If the pond is working well you will not have to feed fish in the warmer months, they will get plenty of bugs from now on.
Check your fruit trees now for over crowded bunches, thin the bunches out by snipping small fruits off with sharp scissors. Give each fruiting tree and bush a good root soak now and then in this dry weather.
Keep planting all vegetables but not too many of the same at one time.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Grow Vegetables - PEPPERS
Peppers are fast becoming one of the most popular of all vegetables to grow, second only to tomatoes, why? Why not, there are hundreds of varieties available to the home gardener, especially if you grow them from seed. They come in all shapes and colors, and range from the sweetest to downright fiery. One final attribute, most are prolific producers.
Often, gardeners get addicted to growing peppers by chance. They buy a variety at the local nursery for fun and to experiment. It turned out to be such a success, next year they plant three. Because of the limited varieties offered at garden shops, they’re now buying seed and starting their own. With hundreds of varieties and all easy to grow it’s easy to become a real fan of peppers. Soon they have a dozen different cultivars thriving in their garden.
Peppers enjoy an well-amended soil that contains plenty of organic matter, supplemented with a balanced fertilizer or better yet, one with slightly higher nitrogen and phosphorous levels. Place in an area that will receive the most sun and plant 18 inches apart with rows 3 feet apart. Support with small tomato cages or a similar device to keep plants from splitting or falling over due to a heavy
crop.
Early spring is NOT the time to put your peppers in the garden. Wait until nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees, which is late May to early June. To have a bountiful harvest, protect from wind and do not allow plants to be shocked by cold temperatures. If you’ve already set the plants out and you hear a discouraging forecast, protect with hot caps or other successful season extenders. For earlier planting, preheat the soil with plastic mulch, which will offer weed reduction and moisture control later in the season. Then use walls-o-water to protect against wind and low temperatures.
Peppers are relatively pest free which makes them a favorite among many gardeners. Perhaps you may want to protect the stem from cutworms by using a paper collar or a 6-inch plastic pot with the bottom cut out. Using the pot method will also allow protection from the wind for small seedlings.
When harvesting, using gloves, use a sharp knife or pruners to avoid damaging the plant. One word of caution, don’t rub your eyes while working with the fruit, oils will get on your hands and will definitely irritate the eyes. All peppers will turn red when ripe, but flavor is not influenced by maturity. Pick the fruit, no matter the color, when it achieves the size you need or want. Besides eating them fresh, try pickling, drying or marinating, you’re only limited by your imagination. So add spice to your lives, try growing peppers.
Laura Fox
Learn more about Organic Gardening here....
Peppers are fast becoming one of the most popular of all vegetables to grow, second only to tomatoes, why? Why not, there are hundreds of varieties available to the home gardener, especially if you grow them from seed. They come in all shapes and colors, and range from the sweetest to downright fiery. One final attribute, most are prolific producers.
Often, gardeners get addicted to growing peppers by chance. They buy a variety at the local nursery for fun and to experiment. It turned out to be such a success, next year they plant three. Because of the limited varieties offered at garden shops, they’re now buying seed and starting their own. With hundreds of varieties and all easy to grow it’s easy to become a real fan of peppers. Soon they have a dozen different cultivars thriving in their garden.
Peppers enjoy an well-amended soil that contains plenty of organic matter, supplemented with a balanced fertilizer or better yet, one with slightly higher nitrogen and phosphorous levels. Place in an area that will receive the most sun and plant 18 inches apart with rows 3 feet apart. Support with small tomato cages or a similar device to keep plants from splitting or falling over due to a heavy
crop.
Early spring is NOT the time to put your peppers in the garden. Wait until nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees, which is late May to early June. To have a bountiful harvest, protect from wind and do not allow plants to be shocked by cold temperatures. If you’ve already set the plants out and you hear a discouraging forecast, protect with hot caps or other successful season extenders. For earlier planting, preheat the soil with plastic mulch, which will offer weed reduction and moisture control later in the season. Then use walls-o-water to protect against wind and low temperatures.
Peppers are relatively pest free which makes them a favorite among many gardeners. Perhaps you may want to protect the stem from cutworms by using a paper collar or a 6-inch plastic pot with the bottom cut out. Using the pot method will also allow protection from the wind for small seedlings.
When harvesting, using gloves, use a sharp knife or pruners to avoid damaging the plant. One word of caution, don’t rub your eyes while working with the fruit, oils will get on your hands and will definitely irritate the eyes. All peppers will turn red when ripe, but flavor is not influenced by maturity. Pick the fruit, no matter the color, when it achieves the size you need or want. Besides eating them fresh, try pickling, drying or marinating, you’re only limited by your imagination. So add spice to your lives, try growing peppers.
Laura Fox
Learn more about Organic Gardening here....
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Gardening in North Otago November 11 2009
Still a chill in the air and a little rain on Friday morning, it would be perfect growing weather without the dreaded wind drying things out so much
I have spent a lot of time watering this week, some of the rhododendrons were drooping they are the first to let me know the ground is dry because they are so shallow rooted. If the leaves are drooping they need a really good soak and the some mulch around the roots to keep the moisture there.
My roses started to flower this week, they are at their best right now with fresh new leaves. To keep them like this they need to be healthy and sprayed every 10 days. Keeping them healthy means keeping the food up to them at the roots and folia feeding.
I always add liquid fertiliser when I spray for bugs and fungus.
Most years I use only fish emulation but have noticed a few green fly and the changable weather is also hard on new growth so I have decided to use shield to give them a good start into what I feel will be a hot dry season.
Always spray on an overcast day, the hot sun can magnify through droplets and burn fresh new leaves. No problem to spray on brighter days once the leaves have toughened up. Remember not to let wet leaves go into the night, this will encourage mildew.
Deep watering around the roots in the early evening is fine.
French and Italian lavenders have finished their first flowering now so cut off the spent flowers to encourage new buds and feed with liquid fertiliser or liquid manure. The French and the Italian lavenders are the ones with flowers like a bumble bee. The English lavenders are not ready to flower just yet. All lavenders like lime.
The Peony roses are stunning right now in bud and flower, it pays to put supports under them to hold up the heavy flowers and because they are growing so fast, I have tall wire supports shaped like a u that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place. They need lots of water and some liquid fertiliser. I have heaps of lovely fat buds ready to open on my larger bushes. I also have some crowns that were planted last season so I have let only one flower develop to see what it is like and removed any others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. The clump will form much faster if you do not let it flower for the first two years.
Peony roses need full sun and do not like to be smothered by other plants.
Some hybrid clematis are looking beautiful right now, you have to be quick to train them where you want them to go because they grow so fast from now on. Direct them while the trailers are still soft, they too like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights.
Manure is great for them, they can't get enough of it. Don't worry if you have one with no buds just yet they all have different flowering times, If you have just put one in this year, let it flower then cut it to the ground this will make it put up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber.
If your hybrid is showing leaf then it is sure to flower but if you have one that looks dead with the ends wilting I am afraid it has the wilt and should be cut off at the ground. Don't remove it because I have known some to shoot away again the following year.
climatic also like lime.
I have been filling the gaps in the flower garden with old fashioned cottage flowers like cosmos, love in the mist, salvia blue bidder
clary sage, and lavatera. These are all taller flowering annuals so put a lot in close together so they hold each other up. The more plants I put in the less weeds will grow is the plan and all the plants I mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for weeks after that.
The nor westers arrived and blew my board bean down stakes and all.... I should have been firmer with the stakes, I lost quite a few stalks. I notice that they have no rust this year, could it be the pinch of potash I put in with them when I planted them? or just a lot more sun this growing season than the last few.
keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. If you put too many in at one time they will all bolt at this time off the year if they are not used.
Our garden is open from now on through until winter, it is full and lush with fresh growth, a really lovely time before things start to look a little tired from the wind and hot days to come. We are getting lots of visitors, some bring a picnic and some just like to wander around and relax, plenty of tables, seating and toilets and a donation box as you walk into the round garden.
I have spent a lot of time watering this week, some of the rhododendrons were drooping they are the first to let me know the ground is dry because they are so shallow rooted. If the leaves are drooping they need a really good soak and the some mulch around the roots to keep the moisture there.
My roses started to flower this week, they are at their best right now with fresh new leaves. To keep them like this they need to be healthy and sprayed every 10 days. Keeping them healthy means keeping the food up to them at the roots and folia feeding.
I always add liquid fertiliser when I spray for bugs and fungus.
Most years I use only fish emulation but have noticed a few green fly and the changable weather is also hard on new growth so I have decided to use shield to give them a good start into what I feel will be a hot dry season.
Always spray on an overcast day, the hot sun can magnify through droplets and burn fresh new leaves. No problem to spray on brighter days once the leaves have toughened up. Remember not to let wet leaves go into the night, this will encourage mildew.
Deep watering around the roots in the early evening is fine.
French and Italian lavenders have finished their first flowering now so cut off the spent flowers to encourage new buds and feed with liquid fertiliser or liquid manure. The French and the Italian lavenders are the ones with flowers like a bumble bee. The English lavenders are not ready to flower just yet. All lavenders like lime.
The Peony roses are stunning right now in bud and flower, it pays to put supports under them to hold up the heavy flowers and because they are growing so fast, I have tall wire supports shaped like a u that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place. They need lots of water and some liquid fertiliser. I have heaps of lovely fat buds ready to open on my larger bushes. I also have some crowns that were planted last season so I have let only one flower develop to see what it is like and removed any others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. The clump will form much faster if you do not let it flower for the first two years.
Peony roses need full sun and do not like to be smothered by other plants.
Some hybrid clematis are looking beautiful right now, you have to be quick to train them where you want them to go because they grow so fast from now on. Direct them while the trailers are still soft, they too like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights.
Manure is great for them, they can't get enough of it. Don't worry if you have one with no buds just yet they all have different flowering times, If you have just put one in this year, let it flower then cut it to the ground this will make it put up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber.
If your hybrid is showing leaf then it is sure to flower but if you have one that looks dead with the ends wilting I am afraid it has the wilt and should be cut off at the ground. Don't remove it because I have known some to shoot away again the following year.
climatic also like lime.
I have been filling the gaps in the flower garden with old fashioned cottage flowers like cosmos, love in the mist, salvia blue bidder
clary sage, and lavatera. These are all taller flowering annuals so put a lot in close together so they hold each other up. The more plants I put in the less weeds will grow is the plan and all the plants I mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for weeks after that.
The nor westers arrived and blew my board bean down stakes and all.... I should have been firmer with the stakes, I lost quite a few stalks. I notice that they have no rust this year, could it be the pinch of potash I put in with them when I planted them? or just a lot more sun this growing season than the last few.
keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. If you put too many in at one time they will all bolt at this time off the year if they are not used.
Our garden is open from now on through until winter, it is full and lush with fresh growth, a really lovely time before things start to look a little tired from the wind and hot days to come. We are getting lots of visitors, some bring a picnic and some just like to wander around and relax, plenty of tables, seating and toilets and a donation box as you walk into the round garden.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Gardening in North Otago November 6th 2009
My roses are just starting to flower, Phyllis Bide, Complicata and Fritz Nobis. the rest are full of fat buds waiting to burst open.
They still have no green fly attacking them or black spot, no doubt they will arrive eventually. I have just sprayed with Winter oil and fish emulsion combined, the leaves are so soft and new it pays to do your spraying on a dull day so the sun will not burn through droplets and damage the leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up to spray in the sun. Never spray or water the leaves at dusk, they should be dry going into warm nights to prevent mildew growing.
This is the best Spring ever for transplanting seedlings that have popped up from existing plants in the garden, like last years hellebore seeds. ( Winter rose) they should be nice strong small plants now so plant them out in groups under deciduous trees, or around rhododendrons, camellias, hydrangeas and fuchsias, they all like the same shady conditions.
Trim spent flowers from perennials and daisy bushes often to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody.
Cut chrysanthemums and perennial asters back now so they will grow up a second time but hopefully not so tall and fall all over the place. I cut some chrysanthemums back 3 times.... their flowering time is not until the end of Summer.
The tips from what you cut from the chrysanthemums can be put into river sand and every one will root and give you as many new plants as you need for new bushes.
Planting on a slope:
Spring is a good time to plant out a slope or bank, the ground is moist and plant roots are growing fast which means they will get a good hold before the dreaded winds arrive.
Spray out all weeds, they will compete with moisture that your plants will need. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around the roots.
If this cannot be done try not to disturbed soil/clay in areas that are not being planted. If the soil is disturbed and broken up it will wash away with rain and watering.
Planting;
Dig a hole that is deep into the bank and shallow at the front, (an angle hole) this will create a hollow reserve for water.
Make sure it dips down at the back for water to pool. Use stones around each plant, this will help in preventing wind blowing soil away from the roots.
Choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant what survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. The plants they can leave for a while and they still look good when dried out.
I have massed lupines to fill the gaps on my bank until all the other plants get bigger.
I have been trimming the soft growth off some of my hedges this week, if a hedge has reached the height required best to take the soft growth off now before the foliage beneath gets too much protection from the top growth. The Winter hardened the under growth up and it should still be strong enough not to get sunburned.I am trying this with my box hedges this year because they have all reached the required height. If a hedge is not yet as tall and thick as required leave the new growth to harden off, if you have to trim just do enough to tidy it up. I put all my soft trimmings on the garden as mulch.
Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If like me you have not had to spray the weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus. Don't leave thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it now the warmth is here to break it down.
My no dig veg garden is still going strong, no weeds and the rough straw on top is a great deterrent to slugs. As I use a lettuce I put a new lettuce plant back in its place. The conventional flat veg garden we are converting into raised beds will be finished next week, I have seeds and plants lined up ready to plant once they have been filled with fresh soil and compost, can't wait.
I sowed mustard seed in some vacant areas 2 weeks ago and it is almost ready to dig in now.
Cheers linda.
They still have no green fly attacking them or black spot, no doubt they will arrive eventually. I have just sprayed with Winter oil and fish emulsion combined, the leaves are so soft and new it pays to do your spraying on a dull day so the sun will not burn through droplets and damage the leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up to spray in the sun. Never spray or water the leaves at dusk, they should be dry going into warm nights to prevent mildew growing.
This is the best Spring ever for transplanting seedlings that have popped up from existing plants in the garden, like last years hellebore seeds. ( Winter rose) they should be nice strong small plants now so plant them out in groups under deciduous trees, or around rhododendrons, camellias, hydrangeas and fuchsias, they all like the same shady conditions.
Trim spent flowers from perennials and daisy bushes often to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody.
Cut chrysanthemums and perennial asters back now so they will grow up a second time but hopefully not so tall and fall all over the place. I cut some chrysanthemums back 3 times.... their flowering time is not until the end of Summer.
The tips from what you cut from the chrysanthemums can be put into river sand and every one will root and give you as many new plants as you need for new bushes.
Planting on a slope:
Spring is a good time to plant out a slope or bank, the ground is moist and plant roots are growing fast which means they will get a good hold before the dreaded winds arrive.
Spray out all weeds, they will compete with moisture that your plants will need. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around the roots.
If this cannot be done try not to disturbed soil/clay in areas that are not being planted. If the soil is disturbed and broken up it will wash away with rain and watering.
Planting;
Dig a hole that is deep into the bank and shallow at the front, (an angle hole) this will create a hollow reserve for water.
Make sure it dips down at the back for water to pool. Use stones around each plant, this will help in preventing wind blowing soil away from the roots.
Choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant what survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. The plants they can leave for a while and they still look good when dried out.
I have massed lupines to fill the gaps on my bank until all the other plants get bigger.
I have been trimming the soft growth off some of my hedges this week, if a hedge has reached the height required best to take the soft growth off now before the foliage beneath gets too much protection from the top growth. The Winter hardened the under growth up and it should still be strong enough not to get sunburned.I am trying this with my box hedges this year because they have all reached the required height. If a hedge is not yet as tall and thick as required leave the new growth to harden off, if you have to trim just do enough to tidy it up. I put all my soft trimmings on the garden as mulch.
Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If like me you have not had to spray the weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus. Don't leave thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it now the warmth is here to break it down.
My no dig veg garden is still going strong, no weeds and the rough straw on top is a great deterrent to slugs. As I use a lettuce I put a new lettuce plant back in its place. The conventional flat veg garden we are converting into raised beds will be finished next week, I have seeds and plants lined up ready to plant once they have been filled with fresh soil and compost, can't wait.
I sowed mustard seed in some vacant areas 2 weeks ago and it is almost ready to dig in now.
Cheers linda.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Gardening in North Otago October 31st 2009
Labor weekend gone already! count down now until Christmas.
It takes about 6 weeks from now on from seed to flower... so if bedding plants are put in now they will be flowering beautifully by Christmas.
I have found the growth to be stop start with the cold nights and days we have been experiencing. Some of the bedding plants I have grown with protection then hardened off for a week with no protection are going strong and will not look back when planted out.
Lack of sun and wet soil through the cold nights is not a great start to newly planted annuals, if you see some of yours dying off take them away from the others as soon as possible so that mould and fungus will not spread to the others.
Start feeding everything now, except azaleas... they are fed after they have flowered.
The winter roses have almost finished flowering, now it is time for their lovely leaves, give them a dressing of blood and bone and a spray each time you spray the roses to keep the green fly off them.
The hostas are making lots of growth now, time to spray or water on fish manure or put slug bate around them. Some go as far as putting broken egg shells or gravel as a barrier to the slugs.
The climbers are all taking off now, don't let them be the boss get in and wack them back to where you want them to be.
I have to keep at mine all the time at this time of the year, they are strangling near by trees, growing along the ground, shooting miles up into the air. Don't be afraid to tame them now because with the days warming up it will not hurt them at all.
The longer you leave ivy the harder it is to trim so get into it before it makes hard wood.
Pinch out the tops of chrysanthemums, tall and dwarf, not everyone is as ruthless as me in cutting them back twice before they make their final buds in mid December. But it is important to pinch them out to keep them bushy.
remove tops when they are about 20 cm high and pinch the next lot of shoots they make at about 10cm high. You will find it well worth doing this to end up with a bushier plant with a mass of blooms.
I have been pulling out the self sewn seedlings like honesty and other weedy things while they are still smallish and I can still get into and around the plants. Another 2 weeks and every space will have filled up, the ones I miss I will cut the heads off before they seed and spread if I see them.
I am still ripping out biddy bid by the barrow load, the plan is to get every last bit before it seeds and take note this time next year if I have beaten it.
my grapes are starting to leaf up now, if your grapes suffer from powdery mildew each year you will need to spray them every 2 weeks until the grapes are full size with saprol or home made baking soda spray,( some say this works) For gray mould use copper or bravo. lets hope we have some sunny days to bring the bees out to pollinate the fruit flowers.
All vegetables can be planted now, it's such a battle with the weeds in my conventional ground level veg garden so Bob and I are replacing it with two high raised beds using, yes you guessed it, Oamaru stone with a ravel path between and gravel right around the beds, no more muddy shoes I will be able to just reach into the raised beds and dig the veg out with a trowel. I have planted veg and herbs in my no dig garden which are growing well with not having to compete with weeds.
Our garden out here is looking lovely right now so I have had the open sign out and will keep it out from now on, people are welcome to come and enjoy the garden any time. There is a donation box and the proceeds help with the on going up keep.
Cheers Linda.
It takes about 6 weeks from now on from seed to flower... so if bedding plants are put in now they will be flowering beautifully by Christmas.
I have found the growth to be stop start with the cold nights and days we have been experiencing. Some of the bedding plants I have grown with protection then hardened off for a week with no protection are going strong and will not look back when planted out.
Lack of sun and wet soil through the cold nights is not a great start to newly planted annuals, if you see some of yours dying off take them away from the others as soon as possible so that mould and fungus will not spread to the others.
Start feeding everything now, except azaleas... they are fed after they have flowered.
The winter roses have almost finished flowering, now it is time for their lovely leaves, give them a dressing of blood and bone and a spray each time you spray the roses to keep the green fly off them.
The hostas are making lots of growth now, time to spray or water on fish manure or put slug bate around them. Some go as far as putting broken egg shells or gravel as a barrier to the slugs.
The climbers are all taking off now, don't let them be the boss get in and wack them back to where you want them to be.
I have to keep at mine all the time at this time of the year, they are strangling near by trees, growing along the ground, shooting miles up into the air. Don't be afraid to tame them now because with the days warming up it will not hurt them at all.
The longer you leave ivy the harder it is to trim so get into it before it makes hard wood.
Pinch out the tops of chrysanthemums, tall and dwarf, not everyone is as ruthless as me in cutting them back twice before they make their final buds in mid December. But it is important to pinch them out to keep them bushy.
remove tops when they are about 20 cm high and pinch the next lot of shoots they make at about 10cm high. You will find it well worth doing this to end up with a bushier plant with a mass of blooms.
I have been pulling out the self sewn seedlings like honesty and other weedy things while they are still smallish and I can still get into and around the plants. Another 2 weeks and every space will have filled up, the ones I miss I will cut the heads off before they seed and spread if I see them.
I am still ripping out biddy bid by the barrow load, the plan is to get every last bit before it seeds and take note this time next year if I have beaten it.
my grapes are starting to leaf up now, if your grapes suffer from powdery mildew each year you will need to spray them every 2 weeks until the grapes are full size with saprol or home made baking soda spray,( some say this works) For gray mould use copper or bravo. lets hope we have some sunny days to bring the bees out to pollinate the fruit flowers.
All vegetables can be planted now, it's such a battle with the weeds in my conventional ground level veg garden so Bob and I are replacing it with two high raised beds using, yes you guessed it, Oamaru stone with a ravel path between and gravel right around the beds, no more muddy shoes I will be able to just reach into the raised beds and dig the veg out with a trowel. I have planted veg and herbs in my no dig garden which are growing well with not having to compete with weeds.
Our garden out here is looking lovely right now so I have had the open sign out and will keep it out from now on, people are welcome to come and enjoy the garden any time. There is a donation box and the proceeds help with the on going up keep.
Cheers Linda.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Organic container gardening
Organic Container Gardening
If you want fresh organic veggies and flowers but don’t have a garden space, you’re in luck. Organic container gardening fits just about anywhere, and it’s even easier than having an organic garden plot.
Containers
Anything that you can put soil in can be a garden container. Some organic gardeners prefer to use natural containers, such as those made from wood or clay, but you can use anything. You can put a plant in an bucket, a worn-out shoe, a milk carton or any other container that will hold dirt and won’t fall apart when it gets wet.
Make sure the container will drain; few plants like too much water. If necessary, you can drill a few drainage holes in the bottom of almost anything. Add about an inch of gravel to the bottom of the pot. If you want to, you can put a layer of torn up newspaper or shredded leaves on top of the gravel. The gravel helps ensure good drainage, and the leaves helps retain the water so the soil stays slightly moist.
Soil
Organic container gardening relies on organic, living soil. With a regular garden, you start with the soil you have and add organic material to it. With organic container gardening, you have to start out with organic soil.
Because you don’t have any subsoil, you need organic soil that will hold water without letting the plant’s roots get too wet. The best way to do that is to add peat moss to your organic soil. Leaf compost and composted manure, mixed with peat moss, make great soil for organic container gardening. You can also use straight peat moss.
Plants
You can plant the same things in organic container gardening that you would in regular organic gardening. You can plant beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, eggplant - anything you want to – the only difference is that they will be in containers. Make sure you have room for the plant, and that you use a container of the appropriate size. Zucchini takes up the same amount of room on your patio that it does in the garden - and it needs a pot big enough to contain the plant.
Technically, you should use organic seed and/or plants for organic container gardening. Unless you’re planning to sell organic produce, however, the choice is yours.
Organic Practices
Organic container gardening is well suited for organic gardening practices, especially where pest control is concerned. It’s much easier to pick tomato hookworms off of a container tomato than it is in a large garden. You can easily wash each leaf and stem of a plant with aphids when it’s in a pot on your patio. You will rarely have problems with cutworms in organic container gardening. Slugs will still go for your plants but diatomaceous earth will still deter them; just sprinkle it on the surface of the soil in the pot.
Organic container gardening will allow you to have plenty of healthy organic produce to feed your family. If you have a sheltered area and can provide enough light, you can have vegetables from organic container gardening all year round.
If you want fresh organic veggies and flowers but don’t have a garden space, you’re in luck. Organic container gardening fits just about anywhere, and it’s even easier than having an organic garden plot.
Containers
Anything that you can put soil in can be a garden container. Some organic gardeners prefer to use natural containers, such as those made from wood or clay, but you can use anything. You can put a plant in an bucket, a worn-out shoe, a milk carton or any other container that will hold dirt and won’t fall apart when it gets wet.
Make sure the container will drain; few plants like too much water. If necessary, you can drill a few drainage holes in the bottom of almost anything. Add about an inch of gravel to the bottom of the pot. If you want to, you can put a layer of torn up newspaper or shredded leaves on top of the gravel. The gravel helps ensure good drainage, and the leaves helps retain the water so the soil stays slightly moist.
Soil
Organic container gardening relies on organic, living soil. With a regular garden, you start with the soil you have and add organic material to it. With organic container gardening, you have to start out with organic soil.
Because you don’t have any subsoil, you need organic soil that will hold water without letting the plant’s roots get too wet. The best way to do that is to add peat moss to your organic soil. Leaf compost and composted manure, mixed with peat moss, make great soil for organic container gardening. You can also use straight peat moss.
Plants
You can plant the same things in organic container gardening that you would in regular organic gardening. You can plant beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, eggplant - anything you want to – the only difference is that they will be in containers. Make sure you have room for the plant, and that you use a container of the appropriate size. Zucchini takes up the same amount of room on your patio that it does in the garden - and it needs a pot big enough to contain the plant.
Technically, you should use organic seed and/or plants for organic container gardening. Unless you’re planning to sell organic produce, however, the choice is yours.
Organic Practices
Organic container gardening is well suited for organic gardening practices, especially where pest control is concerned. It’s much easier to pick tomato hookworms off of a container tomato than it is in a large garden. You can easily wash each leaf and stem of a plant with aphids when it’s in a pot on your patio. You will rarely have problems with cutworms in organic container gardening. Slugs will still go for your plants but diatomaceous earth will still deter them; just sprinkle it on the surface of the soil in the pot.
Organic container gardening will allow you to have plenty of healthy organic produce to feed your family. If you have a sheltered area and can provide enough light, you can have vegetables from organic container gardening all year round.
Gardening in North Otago NZ October 17th 2009
I have been busy getting my garden presentable for all the Spring Quarry tours that have started, but have still been planting out and weeding madly.
The ground is just right for planting out and not having to keep the water up to get plants established. Remember to keep dead heading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep on flowering.
Begonias are shooting now ,they love any fish fertilisers start feeding them now to get them strong.
The coastal gardens will be quite away ahead of inland gardens, I am sure these gardens will be still getting reasonable frosts with the chill we on the coast are still feeling. Don't be in a hurry to plant out summer annuals yet, but most vegetables can be planted now.
Late frosts on roses new growth can be a problem but don't be too concerned because rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time.
Don't et rose foliage go into the night wet, water and spray them early in the day, when the nights start warming up any dampness on them will encourage mildew.
Keep the food up to your roses now, they are making their buds and it's hungry roses that get diseased. nitrophosca is good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs for a quick result, use every fortnight to keep the food supply up.
It is about this time of the year that I think about keeping the weeds away from the beds I change from a spring annual show to a summer show. In these beds I cannot use bark covering because I am changing them every season so I use mushroom compost. the trick is to get rid of the surface weeds and past flowering annuals then water the bed well. Then put a thick layer of the mushroom compost on top of the wet soil. it must be a thick layer! do not dig it in! leave it on top and plant your new seasons plants into it. The mushroom compost has been heated to such a heat that it will have no weed seeds left that will germinate up amongst your newly planted plants. I use this as weed suppression method around my roses as well because I feel that bark robs too much nitrogen from the ground around roses.
.I have been spot spraying convolvulus, couch and clover, fresh new growth is coming through the ground now so its the right time to zap it, I use buster because it deals to clover where as round up won't. This must always be done on a non windy day be cause if roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die.
Camellias can be trimmed and shaped now, take out branches from the middle if your bush is dense and bushy. This lets the light in to help form next years buds.There should be enough gaps for a bird to fly through to get the best results from a camellia.
Some are still flowering so enjoy the flowers a while longer.
If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established.
Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, mine got a little blackened last week... frost cloth is great and a reasonable price to buy.
The ground is just right for planting out and not having to keep the water up to get plants established. Remember to keep dead heading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep on flowering.
Begonias are shooting now ,they love any fish fertilisers start feeding them now to get them strong.
The coastal gardens will be quite away ahead of inland gardens, I am sure these gardens will be still getting reasonable frosts with the chill we on the coast are still feeling. Don't be in a hurry to plant out summer annuals yet, but most vegetables can be planted now.
Late frosts on roses new growth can be a problem but don't be too concerned because rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time.
Don't et rose foliage go into the night wet, water and spray them early in the day, when the nights start warming up any dampness on them will encourage mildew.
Keep the food up to your roses now, they are making their buds and it's hungry roses that get diseased. nitrophosca is good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs for a quick result, use every fortnight to keep the food supply up.
It is about this time of the year that I think about keeping the weeds away from the beds I change from a spring annual show to a summer show. In these beds I cannot use bark covering because I am changing them every season so I use mushroom compost. the trick is to get rid of the surface weeds and past flowering annuals then water the bed well. Then put a thick layer of the mushroom compost on top of the wet soil. it must be a thick layer! do not dig it in! leave it on top and plant your new seasons plants into it. The mushroom compost has been heated to such a heat that it will have no weed seeds left that will germinate up amongst your newly planted plants. I use this as weed suppression method around my roses as well because I feel that bark robs too much nitrogen from the ground around roses.
.I have been spot spraying convolvulus, couch and clover, fresh new growth is coming through the ground now so its the right time to zap it, I use buster because it deals to clover where as round up won't. This must always be done on a non windy day be cause if roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die.
Camellias can be trimmed and shaped now, take out branches from the middle if your bush is dense and bushy. This lets the light in to help form next years buds.There should be enough gaps for a bird to fly through to get the best results from a camellia.
Some are still flowering so enjoy the flowers a while longer.
If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established.
Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, mine got a little blackened last week... frost cloth is great and a reasonable price to buy.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Rose Gardening
As one of the most beautiful and distinctive flowers, roses have a reputation of being high maintenance and difficult to grow. However, with a little know how and care, rose gardening can add an attractive and fragrant mainstay to your gardens. Modern hybrids and winter hardy varieties have made rose gardening simpler and more rewarding than ever before.
Roses come in colors from white to almost black, and every shade in between. In addition to a kaleidoscope of colors, roses come in a number of varieties that have different growing habits, from low growing shrub roses to elegant climbing roses. One of the most enjoyable parts of rose gardening is choosing varieties and colors.
Planting
The key to successful rose gardening is choosing an ideal location for planting. Roses need full sun and well-drained soil to thrive. Rich soil containing plenty of organic matter is preferable, but roses tolerate most soil types. Prepare your garden bed before selecting plants, so that the plants you choose can be put in the ground immediately.
When purchasing roses, there are two options: bare root and potted. Bare root roses are less expensive because they are packaged and shipped in their dormant state, but potted roses provide an excellent, quick start for your rose garden. Potted roses take root and bloom more quickly, and are a good choice for beginning rose gardeners.
Once you have prepared the garden and chosen roses, it is time to begin planting. This is the hard work of rose gardening; each hole should be large enough to accommodate the entire root system of the rose, and deep enough to plant the rose to the crown.
Pruning and Care
Rose gardening also involves some ongoing upkeep. Roses should be pruned in both spring and fall to maintain plant health and encourage new growth. Pruning should clear out any dead or weak branches and cut back twiggy, non-productive growth.
Winterizing your rose bushes is an important part of rose gardening, especially in areas with cold or snowy winters. Simply mounding mulch around the base of each rose bush and anchoring it in place with a collar or cage will protect your roses from winter chills.
With a long, rich history, rose gardening is known as the hobby of royalty, Southern belles and modern gardeners alike. All it takes to enjoy this hobby yourself is a little knowledge and a patch of garden space
Laura Fox
Learn more about Organic Gardening here....
As one of the most beautiful and distinctive flowers, roses have a reputation of being high maintenance and difficult to grow. However, with a little know how and care, rose gardening can add an attractive and fragrant mainstay to your gardens. Modern hybrids and winter hardy varieties have made rose gardening simpler and more rewarding than ever before.
Roses come in colors from white to almost black, and every shade in between. In addition to a kaleidoscope of colors, roses come in a number of varieties that have different growing habits, from low growing shrub roses to elegant climbing roses. One of the most enjoyable parts of rose gardening is choosing varieties and colors.
Planting
The key to successful rose gardening is choosing an ideal location for planting. Roses need full sun and well-drained soil to thrive. Rich soil containing plenty of organic matter is preferable, but roses tolerate most soil types. Prepare your garden bed before selecting plants, so that the plants you choose can be put in the ground immediately.
When purchasing roses, there are two options: bare root and potted. Bare root roses are less expensive because they are packaged and shipped in their dormant state, but potted roses provide an excellent, quick start for your rose garden. Potted roses take root and bloom more quickly, and are a good choice for beginning rose gardeners.
Once you have prepared the garden and chosen roses, it is time to begin planting. This is the hard work of rose gardening; each hole should be large enough to accommodate the entire root system of the rose, and deep enough to plant the rose to the crown.
Pruning and Care
Rose gardening also involves some ongoing upkeep. Roses should be pruned in both spring and fall to maintain plant health and encourage new growth. Pruning should clear out any dead or weak branches and cut back twiggy, non-productive growth.
Winterizing your rose bushes is an important part of rose gardening, especially in areas with cold or snowy winters. Simply mounding mulch around the base of each rose bush and anchoring it in place with a collar or cage will protect your roses from winter chills.
With a long, rich history, rose gardening is known as the hobby of royalty, Southern belles and modern gardeners alike. All it takes to enjoy this hobby yourself is a little knowledge and a patch of garden space
Laura Fox
Learn more about Organic Gardening here....
Gardening in North Otago NZ October 9th 2009
October’s a rewarding month in the garden, with plenty to do, much to enjoy and many plants looking at their best but, talk about cold! what a week there was so much warmth in the sun at the beginning of the week but it has been all down hill from there, but spring rain in North Otago is always needed and our gardens will benefit in the months to come.
The Kanzan cherry trees are in full bloom right now and look glorious, these are the bright pink double blossom vase shaped tree's. Most years they come out and the wind takes the blossom within a few days.
My lawns finally took off this week after I fertilised in the last rain so I spayed the weeds and they are sitting up already. Because I spread lime on the lawns in winter clover is always a problem in the spring but I soon get it under control now while it is still young and fresh.
It's a good time to get rid of dandelions too before they go to seed and spread, it's easy to see them now with their bright yellow heads popping up everywhere.
With this wet weather the moss will continue to be a problem, use sulphate of iron in a watering can and water on, the moss will turn black and die then it can be racked out, the grass will soon grow into the gaps at this time of the year.
I have had to pull quite a few lavenders out this year because they have reached the end of their growing, After their trim back at the end of Winter they were not making a lot of new growth. Just a little bit here and there and most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. I noticed last year that some plants were not as strong so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer then you can plant them out in the Autumn or pot them on to plant out next Spring.
Tip cuttings of fuchsia, hebe's, and chrysanthemum can also be taken now, as long as the stems snap off when bent they are ready, if they don't then they are still too soft. Now is the time to cut back the new growth on tall chrysanthemums for the first time, then when they put up another lot of new growth cut them back again. They do not flower until the Autumn and if you let them flower on their third lot of new growth they should grow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now and they will make new fresh growth, they flower on their new wood so can be taken well back.
To early to trim my box hedge yet, I was trimming it this time last year but the cold is holding the spring growth back so will leave it for a while yet.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer color. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers.They are so reliable and there are some beautiful shades about now in so many different varieties, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move now so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the Rhododendrons have finished dahlias will do the trick.They are on offer now in shops, If you choose some and get them into those gaps now they will be up and flowering in no time. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Begonias are making a move now to, I see the little sprouts appearing on mine so have cut up a few of my larger red flamboyant tubas into quarters to spread them around the garden. Begonia tubas are a good investment because they increase in size annually.
Still too cold to plant out most summer flowering annuals, but a great time to get them started in a sheltered spot to be shifted when the ground warms up.
Keep planting lettuce and other green leaf vegetables in rotation, I have a heap of lettuce come up in a seed tray that is kept in a cool place, I plant out a few of the small plants every second week so they will mature at different times.
The Kanzan cherry trees are in full bloom right now and look glorious, these are the bright pink double blossom vase shaped tree's. Most years they come out and the wind takes the blossom within a few days.
My lawns finally took off this week after I fertilised in the last rain so I spayed the weeds and they are sitting up already. Because I spread lime on the lawns in winter clover is always a problem in the spring but I soon get it under control now while it is still young and fresh.
It's a good time to get rid of dandelions too before they go to seed and spread, it's easy to see them now with their bright yellow heads popping up everywhere.
With this wet weather the moss will continue to be a problem, use sulphate of iron in a watering can and water on, the moss will turn black and die then it can be racked out, the grass will soon grow into the gaps at this time of the year.
I have had to pull quite a few lavenders out this year because they have reached the end of their growing, After their trim back at the end of Winter they were not making a lot of new growth. Just a little bit here and there and most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. I noticed last year that some plants were not as strong so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer then you can plant them out in the Autumn or pot them on to plant out next Spring.
Tip cuttings of fuchsia, hebe's, and chrysanthemum can also be taken now, as long as the stems snap off when bent they are ready, if they don't then they are still too soft. Now is the time to cut back the new growth on tall chrysanthemums for the first time, then when they put up another lot of new growth cut them back again. They do not flower until the Autumn and if you let them flower on their third lot of new growth they should grow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now and they will make new fresh growth, they flower on their new wood so can be taken well back.
To early to trim my box hedge yet, I was trimming it this time last year but the cold is holding the spring growth back so will leave it for a while yet.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer color. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers.They are so reliable and there are some beautiful shades about now in so many different varieties, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move now so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the Rhododendrons have finished dahlias will do the trick.They are on offer now in shops, If you choose some and get them into those gaps now they will be up and flowering in no time. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Begonias are making a move now to, I see the little sprouts appearing on mine so have cut up a few of my larger red flamboyant tubas into quarters to spread them around the garden. Begonia tubas are a good investment because they increase in size annually.
Still too cold to plant out most summer flowering annuals, but a great time to get them started in a sheltered spot to be shifted when the ground warms up.
Keep planting lettuce and other green leaf vegetables in rotation, I have a heap of lettuce come up in a seed tray that is kept in a cool place, I plant out a few of the small plants every second week so they will mature at different times.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October’s a rewarding month in the garden, with plenty to do, much to enjoy and many plants looking at their best but, talk about cold! what a week there was so much warmth in the sun at the beginning of the week but it has been all down hill from there, but spring rain in North Otago is always needed and our gardens will benefit in the months to come.
The Kanzan cherry trees are in full bloom right now and look glorious, these are the bright pink double blossom vase shaped tree's. Most years they come out and the wind takes the blossom within a few days.
My lawns finally took off this week after I fertilised in the last rain so I spayed the weeds and they are sitting up already. Because I spread lime on the lawns in winter clover is always a problem in the spring but I soon get it under control now while it is still young and fresh.
It's a good time to get rid of dandelions too before they go to seed and spread, it's easy to see them now with their bright yellow heads popping up everywhere.
With this wet weather the moss will continue to be a problem, use sulphate of iron in a watering can and water on, the moss will turn black and die then it can be racked out, the grass will soon grow into the gaps at this time of the year.
I have had to pull quite a few lavenders out this year because they have reached the end of their growing, After their trim back at the end of Winter they were not making a lot of new growth. Just a little bit here and there and most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. I noticed last year that some plants were not as strong so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer then you can plant them out in the Autumn or pot them on to plant out next Spring.
Tip cuttings of fuchsia, hebe's, and chrysanthemum can also be taken now, as long as the stems snap off when bent they are ready, if they don't then they are still too soft. Now is the time to cut back the new growth on tall chrysanthemums for the first time, then when they put up another lot of new growth cut them back again. They do not flower until the Autumn and if you let them flower on their third lot of new growth they should grow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now and they will make new fresh growth, they flower on their new wood so can be taken well back.
To early to trim my box hedge yet, I was trimming it this time last year but the cold is holding the spring growth back so will leave it for a while yet.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer color. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers.They are so reliable and there are some beautiful shades about now in so many different varieties, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move now so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the Rhododendrons have finished dahlias will do the trick.They are on offer now in shops, If you choose some and get them into those gaps now they will be up and flowering in no time. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Begonias are making a move now to, I see the little sprouts appearing on mine so have cut up a few of my larger red flamboyant tubas into quarters to spread them around the garden. Begonia tubas are a good investment because they increase in size annually.
Still too cold to plant out most summer flowering annuals, but a great time to get them started in a sheltered spot to be shifted when the ground warms up.
Keep planting lettuce and other green vegetables in rotation, I have a heap of lettuce come up in a seed tray that is kept in a cool place, I plant out a few of the small plants every second week so they will mature at different times.
The Kanzan cherry trees are in full bloom right now and look glorious, these are the bright pink double blossom vase shaped tree's. Most years they come out and the wind takes the blossom within a few days.
My lawns finally took off this week after I fertilised in the last rain so I spayed the weeds and they are sitting up already. Because I spread lime on the lawns in winter clover is always a problem in the spring but I soon get it under control now while it is still young and fresh.
It's a good time to get rid of dandelions too before they go to seed and spread, it's easy to see them now with their bright yellow heads popping up everywhere.
With this wet weather the moss will continue to be a problem, use sulphate of iron in a watering can and water on, the moss will turn black and die then it can be racked out, the grass will soon grow into the gaps at this time of the year.
I have had to pull quite a few lavenders out this year because they have reached the end of their growing, After their trim back at the end of Winter they were not making a lot of new growth. Just a little bit here and there and most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. I noticed last year that some plants were not as strong so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer then you can plant them out in the Autumn or pot them on to plant out next Spring.
Tip cuttings of fuchsia, hebe's, and chrysanthemum can also be taken now, as long as the stems snap off when bent they are ready, if they don't then they are still too soft. Now is the time to cut back the new growth on tall chrysanthemums for the first time, then when they put up another lot of new growth cut them back again. They do not flower until the Autumn and if you let them flower on their third lot of new growth they should grow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now and they will make new fresh growth, they flower on their new wood so can be taken well back.
To early to trim my box hedge yet, I was trimming it this time last year but the cold is holding the spring growth back so will leave it for a while yet.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer color. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers.They are so reliable and there are some beautiful shades about now in so many different varieties, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move now so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the Rhododendrons have finished dahlias will do the trick.They are on offer now in shops, If you choose some and get them into those gaps now they will be up and flowering in no time. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Begonias are making a move now to, I see the little sprouts appearing on mine so have cut up a few of my larger red flamboyant tubas into quarters to spread them around the garden. Begonia tubas are a good investment because they increase in size annually.
Still too cold to plant out most summer flowering annuals, but a great time to get them started in a sheltered spot to be shifted when the ground warms up.
Keep planting lettuce and other green vegetables in rotation, I have a heap of lettuce come up in a seed tray that is kept in a cool place, I plant out a few of the small plants every second week so they will mature at different times.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Gardening in North Otago September 24th 2009
That's more like it Spring rain and lots of it and very considerate as well with the clouds opening on us after lambing and the tailing.
Mulching roots to keep in moisture is worth doing when the rain stops. Cut up squares of old wool carpet and fit snugly around the trunk to hold in place with a rock at the join to stop it lifting with the wind. This will keep the dampness in for ages. It works on my worm farm, once I have soaked the mound the old woolen carpet is then wet and goes on top, it's always still damp underneath weeks later. If you can get hold of pea or barley straw this is a great mulch as well but I am pretty sure there is very little of either around this year.Layers of grass clippings are fine also along as the layers are not very thick it's all adding good humus to the soil and suppressing the weed seeds at the same time.Don't use saw dust as a mulch except on a very wet area, sawdust will rob the nitrogen from the ground while breaking down.I use sawdust on my woodland paths and top it up every year.
Some prunus trees have finished flowering now and will have put out branch growth already, If they are drooping too much and shading the garden beneath lift the branches by trimming them up to let more light in. Leave larger branch pruning until the summer when the sap is well up
I have been dead heading my early flowering Rhododendrons a little at a time as I walk past them, this way it is not such a chore. Once the flowers have dropped break off the what's left before it makes seed. there is a point where it breaks easily, once you have broken a few you will know where it is. All the new growth should go not the bush not into making seeds.
Also remove all brown camellia flowers if you have time, to keep the bushes looking fresh right to the last
As soon as your evergreen azaleas have stopped flowering feed them with acid plant food and they will reward you well again next year.
Keep planting up pots and baskets, they need to be planted when it is still cool so they don't bolt and go to flower too quickly, the cooler nights hold the flowering and they bush up a lot more than when planted in the cooler weather. If you want to hold flowering back until needed for a special occasion, plant them out now but keep them in a cool shady spot until you are ready to put them in the sun to bud up. I see tomatoes plants on sale, still early enough yet unless you are prepared to cover them at night even in a glass house. The nights are still not letting the ground warm up enough so don't let them go into the night with cold wet roots, this is only asking for fungus trouble and they will sit and do nothing until it warms up a little more at nights. Plant some small marigolds now and basil later when it's warmer around where the tomatoes plants will grow so they will be flowering at the same time to help keep away the white fly. Still the right time to get a veg garden going, and still no white butterflies around to spoil nice new plants. Seeds sown now are popping up quickly so get them in and how about encouraging children to help, you may be surprised at how interested they are in watching what they have planted develop into food.
Grape vines are fast making growth and they need water from now on, so this rain has been perfect timing for them.
Cheers Linda
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Late September is a great time to create a herb garden
HERB GARDENING Herb gardening is becoming more and more popular every day, and for a good reason. Herbs have practical value, serve a purpose, and with herb gardening you can actually use your plants. When most people think of herb gardening they automatically think of cooking, but herbs are also grown for their pleasant aroma and their beauty.
One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them. First the tops of leafy herbs have to be cut, washed, and hung up for the water to evaporate. Then, tie stems together and hang up in a paper bag to dry. After two to three weeks they must be removed; crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven, and store in a glass jar.
One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening is basil. "Dark Opal" and regular green basil are beautiful additions to any garden and often used as decoration. Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red leaves. Basil isn't just used for its looks; it is used for extra flavor in tomato juices and pastes.
Chives are very petite looking and resemble a blade of grass. They are much stronger than they look, however, and will grow well through a drought and a drought. Their toughness and sturdiness makes Chives a perfect plant for herb gardening, especially if the gardener doesn't want plants that require a lot of hassle. Chives are good used in salads, egg dishes, and many different sauces.
Mint is also very simple to grow and is good to use in mint jelly, mint juleps, lemonade, and any other kind of fruity drink. Mint is also good in herb gardening for its unique minty smell. Two herbs that appear in nearly everyone's herb garden are thyme and sage. Both of these herb gardening favorites are used for flavoring soups, chicken, turkey, pork, and other sausages. Sage is also grown sometimes for its beautiful blue spiked flowers.
Lavender is probably the best smelling herb in all of herb gardening and is often used in candles, as a perfume scent, and to improve the smell in linen chests. The light purple flowers smell absolutely lovely Other types of herbs often grown in herb gardening include borage (used in salads), chervil (used in egg dishes), sweet marjoram (flavors lamb, fish, salad, and soup), sesame (flavors crackers, cookies, and bread), and dill (flavors meats and used in pickles). Herb gardening allows gardeners to use herbs from their own garden for cooking, looks, and smell. Herb gardening will produce much fresher herbs with more flavor than store-bought herbs, and are a lot cheaper.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Gardening in North Otago September 19th 2009
Watering is what is needed now to keep the spring growth happening after that really strong wind we had on Monday night.
This would have to be the best lambing season I can remember, but it can rain any time NOW.
This week I have been looking around and enjoying the cheery blossom, it's a good time to choose prunus trees if putting in a new garden. The blossom is only on the tree for a short time so it should not be the only reason for choice.
Full grown size, height and spread should come first. Some prunus grow very large and spread wide and low.
Fortunately to day we have choice thanks to the grafting done by the growers. We can purchase trees on a short or a taller graft to suit a situation.
A 1.8 mtr. trunk before branching will allow clearance along a drive or walk way right from planting.
Large spreading trees have large spreading roots! keep this in mind when planting near concrete and the house.
Also the leaf and blossom drop should be taken into consideration, thick blossom on paved walking areas is a real problem, it sticks to feet and is tracked inside, plus it can become very slippery to walk on. The leaf drop near pathways and roof guttering is a pain as well, but a spreading tree over grass walk ways is lovely and everything dropped can be taken up with the lawn mower.
There are so many things to consider when planting trees close to the house, but if you are like me and like the house and garden to be one then you will need to ask the right people about the right trees because there is a tree for every spot, to create the over grown look without the problems.
It really is the time for planting now to beat the weeds, I have been busy with the hoe moving the small weeds around before they get a really good hold, you will only have to blink from now on and they will be up around the ankles!
Either sow seeds directly into the ground or into trays of seed mix, they will be up in no time if keept well watered. Pricking out is done at the second lot of leaf stage, then plant on into containers like punnets to form strong roots before planting out, and as I said last week be sure to harden off newly bought bedding plans to the out side conditions before planting them out.
Lavenders are starting to make new growth right now, they like a dressing of lime and some liquid or slow release fertiliser to help them along. If they look a bit scruffy you can trim them now and they will soon grow back and bud up.
If a lavender is looking really woody and the new growth is on the yellow side and just at the very top of the bush, dig it out and put in another one, they do not go on for ever.
I have trimmed back the bougainvillea this week in readiness for it's new growth, I will flood and feed it at the beginning next month to simulate the rainy season of it's origins, then leave it alone after that. If you feed and water them through summer they will produce more leaf than flowers, they need to be stressed to flower their best.
Don't be tempted to transplant hellebore seedlings just yet, I know there are heaps growing around existing plants but they will only flop if you dig them out now, wait until the new leaves harden up.
It's a good time to put in stakes for delphiniums and peony roses now before they shoot up anymore, put the support in before they need it.
Vegetable garden:
If you have not pruned back black current bushes there is still time to do it as they are just coming into leaf. My bushes are newish so I will take a few branches back hard and leave a few longer, then mulch with compost and rotted hay.
Keep planting your veg before the end of September they should be ready for Christmas dinner. There are lot's of different potatoes to choose from now and most have written on the bag what they are best used for, chipping, mashing or roasting. I grow Rockets for early and the good old
The most important thing at this time of the year is to enjoy Spring and all it is offering.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
September 11th Gardening in North Otago
What a great week it has been here in North Otago weather wise.
I have been watering different areas of the garden each day each day to keep things going until the next Spring rain arrives.
Roses are top priority right now : Things to watch out for
Watch for die back after the Winter not all canes make the grade, cut them right back to new growth if they have been affected.
Watch for growth below the graft, it comes up from the rootstock, it is usually a different colour to the other grafted canes. Cut it right out because it is stronger and will leave the grafted canes behind. All roses are grafted onto strong disease free root stock that is not an attractive flowering rose.
Spraying begins now to keep your bushes healthy, use what has worked well for you every 10 to 14 days if you are new to roses good old shield or guild will do the job, they combated both insects and disease.
I prefer maintaining mine organically with fish emulsion and pyrethrum spray plus a natures way fungicide.
Fish emulsion feeds the buses and fools the insects into thinking that the foliage is protein.
I have spotted green fly all ready on my roses.
Keep the crowns clear of soil and remove most lower leaves that come in contact with the ground, they allow fungal infections to travel up into the bush especially after rain.
Do not water roses at the end of the day, don't let them go into the night wet, mildew thrives on wet rose leaves at night.
Eliminate stress right from the start of the season by supplying lots of food for new growth and not letting the roots dry out. Always water powder fertiliser in, a rose will always let you know if it is stressed by dropping leaves or being susceptible to black spot and rust, it is hard to bring it back to good health after stress
I have been sowing grass seed in the areas of lawn that have been effected by grass grub, I am sure the birds were delighted when they saw me doing this and were down on the seed as soon as I turned my back! I covered as much as I could with frost cloth and shade cloth, this still allows light and moisture through and I leave it on until the seed has germinated. once the young grass is up keep the moisture up to it but do this early in the day so the ground is not attracting fungus's by being wet and cold through the night.
I would have treated the moss in the our lawns with sulphate of iron but we have the first wedding of the season in the garden today so I didn't want to have black patches everywhere. Sulphate of iron is great for getting rid of moss in lawns, buy a small bag from a garden centre which will tell you how much to put into a watering can and water on effected areas.
It is now time to plant cyclamen outside in a cool shady spot, to finish their growing year. keep an eye on them over the summer and make sure they have plenty of moisture in Autumn, pot them up just before Winter and bring them back inside to flower. They will continue to do this for many years. I find mine respond to a little dried blood.
Hosta's are starting to make a move now but there is still time to put the spade through clumps that are big enough to divide. Just slice cleanly through and transplant small clumps where you need them. Be ready with the slug bait because the slugs will be ready for the fresh new leaves. I use fish emulsion on these and cinerarias, it confuses the slugs and butterflies for a while but if I forget to keep applying they are in like Flynn.
Keep the water up to every thing now as the ground is really drying out, rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, hydrangea & roses have shallow roots and suffer when it is so dry,
The nights are still too cold for new young seedlings and plants without covering them with frost cloth, this goes for vegetable plants too in colder area's, I have a lot of seedlings planted early to get the roots going but the cover still goes on at night.
Get seed potatoes and peas in now and they should make good growth and be ready for Christmas and all herbs can go in now there are heaps on offer for summer cooking. Always harden new flower and veg plants off before planting out, leave them outside in a sheltered lightly shaded spot for 2 or 3 days to get them used to your outside temperature Never plant them out in the heat of the day, they will only wilt and then take a while to recover.
Cheers, Linda.
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