Overcast,dull days and still very wet and sticky ground but plants and new lambs are pushing on and making it feel more like spring everyday.
This week I have been doing the final winter clean up around the gardens i do not mulch with pea straw, these gardens get a covering of the lovely black compost we get each year from the Pukuiri freezing works, which allows the bluebells, and daffodils to take center stage for the next couple of months. I do have pea straw in areas where bulbs are growing and now that I can see where where they they are popping up clear keep it clear around them so the needed light can get to them.
Weeds are growing!! nights and mornings are so cold but the afternoons are very mild and these conditions seem to promote weeds. Start your spraying programme and zap them while still very small.
After all the rain moss is thriving in lawns, pathways and garden structures. There are a lot of products out there to deal with moss but killing the moss in lawns is simply a short term measure they do nothing by way of treating the basic problem of moss in lawns. They simply kill the moss which is there. It will return

If you really want to eradicate moss from your lawn, then you have to find out the actual problem that is causing it, the reasons are various, but not too difficult to isolate. Moss is a sign that something is basically wrong with your lawn, and because there are so many moss kill products on offer encourages gardeners to just treat the problem off moss every year.

Things that could be causing moss in your lawn could be:


Water logging - in winter or summer.
Poor feeding regime - usually shown by light green grass.
soil too acid - carry out a test, lime may be needed.
Shaded Lawns - overhanging trees or large shrubs.
Mowing lawns too close is a very common cause, for it weakens the grass allowing moss to take hold
Drought - if severe enough to harm or kill the grass. Not to be confused with a bit of summer-browning
Sandy - free-draining soils. This can weaken the grass and allow moss to take over. Some mosses are quite happy in these conditions. Add humus (compost or sieved soil) to add more body and rake in, this will encourage worms as well.
Compaction - continued use by children and pets with no remedial attention by way of aeration in the Autumn.
Generally, lawns that are well maintained - which includes being well fed, cut properly, aerated and de-thatched - problems which result in moss will not occur in the first place. Moss can rarely compete with strong growing grass in lawns. Get the grass growing properly starting with the first spring feeding.

Treating small areas of lawn moss can be carried out with sulphate of iron watered on at the strength displayed on the pack per sq meter. After a couple of weeks, you can rake out the dead moss and re-seed. If you need to use a feed for the area, it is better to feed the whole lawn in order to avoid patchiness!

Staying with grass, trim back ornamental grass's now, cut back the old seeded ends and clean out the dead thatch around the base, its amazing how much you will need to cart away up after this hair cut but they will look wonderful and will grow back to their soft wafting shape in no time. Use what you have cut off as mulch around the garden, a cover for the compost or in the chook or calf house if you have one.

It is at this time of the year I notice yellowing of some plants, the ground gets depleted of nitrogen during winter especially when plants are shallow rooted like camellia and rhododendrons, and potted plants with roots trapped in what you have planted them in. With applications of complete plant food and compost this condition will be rectified, all the slow release fertilisers on offer now it's makes it easy, each time it rains or you water food is released to the plant.

Vegetable

Pick winter crops while still at their best - Fold cauliflower leaves over and tie to protect from frost and keep florets tight.

Dig over empty sections of the vegetable garden, avoiding working on wet soil, to prepare for next seasons crops. Add well-rotted compost and dig in well..

Asparagus is a vegetable that repays planting over many years. To prepare beds cultivate deeply and add generous amounts of compost. Existing asparagus beds should be cultivated carefully to avoid damaging the crowns that lie just below the surface, add a new layer of mulch.

To get spring sowings off to an early start now, use a row of cloches or a stretch of clear polythene to warm and dry out the soil. Garlic and shallots can be planted here on the coast along with broad beans. In cooler districts - nothing yet except under cover - cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce seedlings can be nursed along until it's time to plant out.

Fruit

Fruit trees - remove secondary growth since summer pruning of trained fruit trees. Citrus are susceptible to water logging so avoid over-watering and always ensure that your trees have good drainage and are not sitting in a puddle of water.

Cheers, Linda