Gardening in North Otago May 27th 2010

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