Well what can I say, North Otago has been on the map this week, so much rain I am so pleased we built on a rise.
The bottom of our garden is a lake and the run off from the hills behind us has created a river that is running out nicely now through the culvert under the road taking anything in it's path to the Oamaru creek then out to sea.
Nothing much been done in my garden this week apart from digging ditches and raking up leaves. While the ground is so sodden it is best to keep off it, if the lawns are walked on too much they will turn into mud. (lets hope the grass grub has drowned!)
I have been making sure my doves, bantams and aviary birds are well fed and as sheltered as they can be outside, they all look decidedly cold & bedraggled.
I shifted the fish out of the ground level pond before the rain into a raised pond so they would not be washed away, outside fish need food from now until spring. With this cold there are no bugs around for them.
Make sure saucers are removed from all potted plants now so they don't drown, and when the rain is over mulch them around the top of the pot with compost or straw to stop the roots freezing when the big freeze hits us.
North Otago is renowned for draining away quickly after a rain like this but deep wet ground will freeze deep so protect soft plants now before the ground freezes, Pea straw is good for this and there is plenty around this year being sold as a fund raiser for different clubs.
Lift... Dahlia tubers now because they are likley to rot in this wet ground, store the in a dry place.
Lightly cut back daisies, geraniums and others that have finished flowering, leave a little top growth on for winter protection.
I have been looking at what is available for planting in the retail outlets, plenty to choose from so while it is too wet to get out and do anything do some planning. I mentioned last week how I buy bedding and perennial plants now and pot them up and nurse them over winter, with the ground being so wet I will pot up a lot more and get them to the budding stage before I plant them out at the end of winter. They need to be in full light in a sheltered place and up off the cold ground in polystyrene trays for insulation to raise the ground temperature for continued growth. Overhead watering is not advisable unless early on a sunny day, water only when really needed down into the roots, again at the start of the day. The roots will not be using a lot of moisture over the coldest months.
Feed… Citrus trees with Citrus Fertiliser as they make prolific growth now. Thin out big clusters of fruit to improve fruit quality and cover bushes with frost cloth in colder areas.
PLANT... Broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, onions, peas, shallots (bulbs) and spinach, get seed potatoes sprouting.
Plant lupins and mustard in vacant areas to be worked into the soil late winter
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Gardening in North Otago May 21st 2010
Lots of moisture in the ground now.
I am still raking up leaves which are nice and wet and layering them on the compost heaps along with the remaining compost that I have been using around each plant, tree and shrub in the garden to add organic matter to their roots. I spread it around the roots and then let the worms do their job of taking it down into the soil.
Next week I will be spreading pea straw around each garden, the bales are wet which makes it easier to work with and pack down around the roots of plants. I will then turn my back on weeding until spring YA!
Lately I have been buying punnets and bundles of bedding and perennial plants and planting them into deep polystyrene trays, the polystyrene insulates the roots from the cold ground allowing the roots to grow faster. Once the plants show signs of strong growth and the start of budding I plant them out into a sunny spot in the garden in the hope that they will go on to flower during winter if it is a mild one. The worst that can happen is they Will sit making strong roots until early spring and flower then. Any one wanting early colour in their gardens around September/October should do this now.
You can start planting garlic now to the end of the month, Plant garlic 3-5cm deep and 10-12 cm apart in warm, sunny well drained place.
Deciduous fruit and citrus trees will be in retail outlets soon, if you are planning on planting some get the soil ready now by digging and working the ground in the spot chosen for planting. If you plan to plant a few out together measure the distance between now and dig the holes. Read up on the varieties you plan to plant before you do this, taking note of the height and spread each tree will eventually grow. Fruit tress need sun and light right around them to fruit and ripen well so allow plenty of room for each tree. At planting time use slow release fertiliser under each tree as it lasts for two years.
Fruit tree pruning should start as soon as the leaves have dropped.
Harvest your lemons now frosts make the fruit bitter and dry.
Harvest pumpkins after the first frost
Pick once the pumpkins have coloured up and sound hollow when you knock the shell with your knuckles.
If the skin of the pumpkin is hard and doesn’t leave a dent when ‘knocked’ it is ripe.
also once the leaves have died away is another way to know your pumpkins are ripe.
Pick pumpkins from the vine but leave the stem on. This is important because if you cut it off you leave a wound which may cause the pumpkin to rot rather than store well.
Place in a dry, dark place away from rain and weather. Garages, wood - sheds and tool sheds are perfect – just keep them up off the ground.
I am still raking up leaves which are nice and wet and layering them on the compost heaps along with the remaining compost that I have been using around each plant, tree and shrub in the garden to add organic matter to their roots. I spread it around the roots and then let the worms do their job of taking it down into the soil.
Next week I will be spreading pea straw around each garden, the bales are wet which makes it easier to work with and pack down around the roots of plants. I will then turn my back on weeding until spring YA!
Lately I have been buying punnets and bundles of bedding and perennial plants and planting them into deep polystyrene trays, the polystyrene insulates the roots from the cold ground allowing the roots to grow faster. Once the plants show signs of strong growth and the start of budding I plant them out into a sunny spot in the garden in the hope that they will go on to flower during winter if it is a mild one. The worst that can happen is they Will sit making strong roots until early spring and flower then. Any one wanting early colour in their gardens around September/October should do this now.
You can start planting garlic now to the end of the month, Plant garlic 3-5cm deep and 10-12 cm apart in warm, sunny well drained place.
Deciduous fruit and citrus trees will be in retail outlets soon, if you are planning on planting some get the soil ready now by digging and working the ground in the spot chosen for planting. If you plan to plant a few out together measure the distance between now and dig the holes. Read up on the varieties you plan to plant before you do this, taking note of the height and spread each tree will eventually grow. Fruit tress need sun and light right around them to fruit and ripen well so allow plenty of room for each tree. At planting time use slow release fertiliser under each tree as it lasts for two years.
Fruit tree pruning should start as soon as the leaves have dropped.
Harvest your lemons now frosts make the fruit bitter and dry.
Harvest pumpkins after the first frost
Pick once the pumpkins have coloured up and sound hollow when you knock the shell with your knuckles.
If the skin of the pumpkin is hard and doesn’t leave a dent when ‘knocked’ it is ripe.
also once the leaves have died away is another way to know your pumpkins are ripe.
Pick pumpkins from the vine but leave the stem on. This is important because if you cut it off you leave a wound which may cause the pumpkin to rot rather than store well.
Place in a dry, dark place away from rain and weather. Garages, wood - sheds and tool sheds are perfect – just keep them up off the ground.
Gardening in North Otago May 14th 2010
The year is marching on! and May is the official beginning of winter for NZ . For me it is leaves, leaves and more leaves.
Leaves are soil food, they fall to the ground to creating humus but leaves falling around a garden are usually raked up, this is why it is so important to add compost to the garden and lawns.
I am adding to my compost daily layering with leaves. grass clippings, soft garden and hedge clippings and manure. The last rain we had gave the heaps moisture on the top but at this time of the year the moisture needs to get right to the bottom to generate heat and steam which will help the heap break down and turn into compost for spring. So the sprinkler left on for a while is a good idea.
Terry maybe you can explain what you do to make compost in your bins as I do not have any, I do know that the cold weather has a marked slowing down effect on compost organisms and any insulation wrapped around the bin will help them keep working. I do this on my heaps with a thick layer of straw.
The cut back is almost complete in my gardens now and the compost/ mulch is going on to provide food for the plants when they need it and to keep the soil a little warmer for them over winter. Once every plant, shrub and tree has been mulched and watered well the pea straw will go on.
After the rain I am finding a lot of snails in the garden, at this time of the year they will find a dark sheltered spot among pots or behind plants growing up against a wall, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails which will multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because the have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it up and put them in the freezer. This way they will go to sleep and not wake up.
Keep planting tulips until the end of this month, plant them deep because they like it cool, if you have a special tulips you would like to multiply plant them against a south facing wall and forget about them they will grow and multiply there for years.
Keep planting and dividing Lilly's now as well, there should be a good range in the garden centres.
Plan new plantings of deciduous trees and shrubs remembering they will grow both up and outwards. Deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into retail outlets until July, if your ground tends to get wet and sticky in winter it would be a good idea to dig the area up now while the soil is easy to work with. Dig out the soil ad peat or compost and blood and bone to it then fill back in again until you are ready to plant. If you know which deciduous trees and shrubs you require order them now from the garden centre and you will not miss out.
Don't prune hydrangeas yet, let them harden off for a while, in cold districts don't prune back until spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Very strong rambler roses can be pruned now cutting out any dead stems and cutting back all side stems on canes to with in 2-3 buds from the main steam.Shorten back vigorous leaders by about 1/3 to promote branching. If the bush is out of control like some of mine reduce the size with a hedge trimmer then cut canes right out from ground level.
Veg:
Continue planting strawberries, raising the beds where drainage is suspect.
it is still not too late to sow a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden , oats or blue lupin are a good nitrogen fix when dug in. Broad beans are also suitable, better than a single variety is a mixture of legume and a cereal. Dig them in while still soft and green, this tends to the nitrogen and bulk needed in the soil.
If worms are rare in your garden, this usually indicates that the organic content of the soil is very low, worms seem to always find manure but it needs to be spread as a layer low down under a soil bed for them to come up to it. This would be a daunting task to undertake in established gardens, although worth doing bit by bit. But worth remembering when setting out new gardens where the soil is dry and has clay content.
spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Leaves are soil food, they fall to the ground to creating humus but leaves falling around a garden are usually raked up, this is why it is so important to add compost to the garden and lawns.
I am adding to my compost daily layering with leaves. grass clippings, soft garden and hedge clippings and manure. The last rain we had gave the heaps moisture on the top but at this time of the year the moisture needs to get right to the bottom to generate heat and steam which will help the heap break down and turn into compost for spring. So the sprinkler left on for a while is a good idea.
Terry maybe you can explain what you do to make compost in your bins as I do not have any, I do know that the cold weather has a marked slowing down effect on compost organisms and any insulation wrapped around the bin will help them keep working. I do this on my heaps with a thick layer of straw.
The cut back is almost complete in my gardens now and the compost/ mulch is going on to provide food for the plants when they need it and to keep the soil a little warmer for them over winter. Once every plant, shrub and tree has been mulched and watered well the pea straw will go on.
After the rain I am finding a lot of snails in the garden, at this time of the year they will find a dark sheltered spot among pots or behind plants growing up against a wall, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails which will multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because the have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it up and put them in the freezer. This way they will go to sleep and not wake up.
Keep planting tulips until the end of this month, plant them deep because they like it cool, if you have a special tulips you would like to multiply plant them against a south facing wall and forget about them they will grow and multiply there for years.
Keep planting and dividing Lilly's now as well, there should be a good range in the garden centres.
Plan new plantings of deciduous trees and shrubs remembering they will grow both up and outwards. Deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into retail outlets until July, if your ground tends to get wet and sticky in winter it would be a good idea to dig the area up now while the soil is easy to work with. Dig out the soil ad peat or compost and blood and bone to it then fill back in again until you are ready to plant. If you know which deciduous trees and shrubs you require order them now from the garden centre and you will not miss out.
Don't prune hydrangeas yet, let them harden off for a while, in cold districts don't prune back until spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Very strong rambler roses can be pruned now cutting out any dead stems and cutting back all side stems on canes to with in 2-3 buds from the main steam.Shorten back vigorous leaders by about 1/3 to promote branching. If the bush is out of control like some of mine reduce the size with a hedge trimmer then cut canes right out from ground level.
Veg:
Continue planting strawberries, raising the beds where drainage is suspect.
it is still not too late to sow a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden , oats or blue lupin are a good nitrogen fix when dug in. Broad beans are also suitable, better than a single variety is a mixture of legume and a cereal. Dig them in while still soft and green, this tends to the nitrogen and bulk needed in the soil.
If worms are rare in your garden, this usually indicates that the organic content of the soil is very low, worms seem to always find manure but it needs to be spread as a layer low down under a soil bed for them to come up to it. This would be a daunting task to undertake in established gardens, although worth doing bit by bit. But worth remembering when setting out new gardens where the soil is dry and has clay content.
spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
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