How well everything is blooming right now, the early English roses, philadelphus,(Brides blossom) peony roses and honey suckle and ohh, the fragrances, they are sure to trigger memories of early summer 2011 in the future
The rain we have been getting along with the warm sunny days and very little wind make for perfect growing conditions, long may it last.
This week I was ruthless and pulled out or cut back the fillers that flowered through spring, a change over needed to be done and with the ground so warm the new plantings will clump up quickly. I planted petunias,lavatera,lobelia,statice, blue salvia and geranium cuttings that I set to make roots a few months ago along with purple sage and lavender, all grew fantastic roots which I hope will reward me with a nice show over summer.
If you are also doing this, once the ground has been cleared of plants that have finished flowering the soil will be starved, give it a good watering then apply compost and a sprinkle of slow release fertiliser or blood and bone before replanting.
I see the biddy bid sticky weed is starting to make seed!!!! so much of it is still being pulled out of our garden, I am determined to get it all before it spreads it's seeds. If you see any in your garden get rid of it now at the flowering stage the seeds develop very quickly from now on.
Keep dead heading roses, it's six weeks from cutting at an outward facing bud to another bloom at this time of the year. Keep the water up to them But make sure they go into the night dry. Moisture on leaves and blooms on warm nights will encourage mildew and black spot. If they were not fed after the winter prune give them some stable manure or slow release fertiliser now to keep the bushes healthy and flowering well.
Spring bulbs have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of daffodils rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green to store in the bulb. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them in mass, they increase in the bulb but also seed successfully.
Keep the water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth and some are flowering now, they resent being in dry ground so mulching is a good idea and stake them now before they become too heavy.
It is time to break off the spent flower heads on rhododendrons, mine are not too tall for me to get around as yet, if they were I would break off only what i could reach. There is a point just above where the new leaf growth starts that snaps off clean by using finger and thumb. Tight fitting plastic gloves are best worn because the seed heads are really sticky. Removing the heads before they set seed allows the bush to put it's energy into making new flower buds instead.
Ahh,The endless summer holidays of trying to keep the kids entertained and away from the TV and computer. With out them even knowing, why not set up a painting and planting table...... gather up all the discarded kids paint brushes plus small ones from the shed along with half tins of house paint which can be tipped into screw top jars and add a few test paint pots to increase the colour range. Water based house paint will withstand the outside weather, is very cheap, and most of all, will wash off hands and clothes. Next visit the recycling center and hunt out planting pots of all different sizes to be painted by your young Artists. Then choose seeds that are suitable for planting in pots, or hunt around the garden for plants already seeding like calandula( marigolds) hellobours (winter rose) alyssum and heaps of bulbs and other plants that have sowen seed in the ground and are now small plants ready to be dug up and planted in a pot. A seed and plant hunt would fill in time while the painted pots are drying.
With a little help from an older child, parent or grand parent even pre-school children can enjoy this .If you’re keen to promote an interest in healthy food, why not try growing salad greens, beans and peas. Runner beans in a large pot with an old fanning branch heeled in for the beans to climb will go well with the Jack n the bean stalk story.
Once the painting is finished and pots have had time to dry, fill to the top with potting mix and a little added slow release fertiliser or blood and bone and start planting. Sit planted pots in full sun with a watering can on stand by for the job of watering each day. This activity can be on going for as long as you want to draw it out by not letting Children do it all on the first day and then giving them the responsibility of maintaining the pots.
Another activity that works with keeping kids busy is giving them a lump of oamaru stone to chisel, saw and rasp, they will surprise you with what they create for the garden....(Christmas present??) so when the painting and potting up is finished the table can become a stone work bench.
Vegetables
Tomatoes will be growing rapidly and will need regular feeding and watering. Be sure to remove laterals off taller growing tomatoes and make sure they are firmly staked. They should be flowering now and can be sprayed with a Tomset to help pollinate the flowers, especially where bees are absent like in a glasshouse.
Continue successive planting of Lettuces, Radishes, Spring Onions, Beetroot, etc.It is very important to keep the vegetable garden moist now with early morning watering to minimize water wastage.
Remember to "Mole" up your Potato's to encourage a good hearty crop.
Leeks, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Silver beet, Onions, Spinach, Celery can all be planted this month.
FIRST QUARTER
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Garden:
Prick out any seedlings as necessary
Keep up watering
carefully observe all plants - they'll tell you if they need some more water, nutrients, help with pest control, tying up for more space.... This is a very important time to take good care of tomatoes and peppers.
Orchard:
You should be able to have a break for a few weeks now if you're up to date!
Time to begin picking the fruit and enjoying the season!
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 6th December 2011
As I write the rain is falling and I am happy about that because after those hot days just past, my garden needs a freshen up.
The big clean up after all the hedge trimming has been on going here, things look as I said last week a little too neat and tidy but nature will do it's best to put that right!
I know you will be finding there is so much to be cut back in the garden, plants like tree peony which doubles in size each growing season. Don't let tree peony swamp your garden and smother other plants. When finished flowering the older woody canes can be cut down to the second bud from the bottom leaving the new green stalks to be next years flower branches. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, and false Valerian. These will all grow back soon and look a lot nicer, some will flower again.
Dead head roses spoiled by the rain, they will only rot on the bush if left which will encourage fungus. Cut back to an outward facing bud on a strong lower section of the branch.
Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few of the ones I left in the ground from last year, I am guessing all the rain we had rotted them. I did dig out and store most of them and have planted them out. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around their roots.
Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue.
Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later than the ones you have cut back but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot. Because they put on a lot of growth in one season they soon become bushy and fill a pot.
Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings.
Tip cuttings from Hebe's will root with no trouble as well right now. Use wet crusher dust or river sand to strike them, never beach sand.
If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon (Chinese lantern ) it comes in three Strong colours, yellow, orange and burgundy. I have planted yellow and burgundy together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, being a rather spindly plant I am intertwining them as they grow, they are just starting to flower now and look great together. If you do train them against a wall you could leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers.
What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they are fantastic this year or am I just seeing more in peoples gardens? The brilliant shades and very large blooms fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting effort into making seed.
With the weight of rain I can see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. It's the lower branches that can be removed without making the tree look as though it has been cut. The upper branches will hide the cuts, so any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether.
Lawns
keep feeding lawns, dry lawn fertiliser must only be applied when we get rain to wash it in but a liquid fertiliser is fine any time. Lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies.
If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in. After a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring back in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil.
If lawn weeds are a problem spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the balance of the work going on in the soil beneath the lawn by contaminating it with chemicals.
Vegetables
Perfect weather for vegetables and fruit this year, keep the hoe going because the weeds are doing well also. The days are warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is still not a problem, in our garden! not that I want them laying their eggs on my veg plants, long may it last.
Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants, more nutrients going to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible to insects for pollination. Try it and see if you get a better crop.
The cooler nights tend to upset tomato plants, leaves an become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight. One method of keeping them in good health I have been reading up on is the use of copper wire.
Basic premise: The presence of copper (wire) would help the tomato plants be more resistant to "blight" related diseases during the course of the growing season.
Material: 12" length of 18 gauge, uninsulated copper wire (usually for wall picture hanging). 12" per tomato plant.
In spring, right after transplanting your tomato plants (assuming main vine is at least 1/4" in diameter and transplant shock is over). Insert or force one end of the wire thru the center of the main vine about 1" above ground level. Kink the protruding wire end so that it doesn't slip out of the vine. Force the remainder of the wire (9-10") into the root zone in the ground. That's all that's to it.
The person who wrote the above also wrote that he use this method on half his crop and controlled the other half with sprays. Result, the copper prevention was as successful as his spraying programme.
Our Daughter Tamin ( Golding Arts 2011) has designed a calendar for 2012 which includes my North Otago gardening suggestions for each month along with images of our garden. Should you be interested in purchasing one for yourself or to give as a gift they are available at Paper plus.
Cheers, Linda.
The big clean up after all the hedge trimming has been on going here, things look as I said last week a little too neat and tidy but nature will do it's best to put that right!
I know you will be finding there is so much to be cut back in the garden, plants like tree peony which doubles in size each growing season. Don't let tree peony swamp your garden and smother other plants. When finished flowering the older woody canes can be cut down to the second bud from the bottom leaving the new green stalks to be next years flower branches. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, and false Valerian. These will all grow back soon and look a lot nicer, some will flower again.
Dead head roses spoiled by the rain, they will only rot on the bush if left which will encourage fungus. Cut back to an outward facing bud on a strong lower section of the branch.
Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few of the ones I left in the ground from last year, I am guessing all the rain we had rotted them. I did dig out and store most of them and have planted them out. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around their roots.
Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue.
Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later than the ones you have cut back but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot. Because they put on a lot of growth in one season they soon become bushy and fill a pot.
Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings.
Tip cuttings from Hebe's will root with no trouble as well right now. Use wet crusher dust or river sand to strike them, never beach sand.
If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon (Chinese lantern ) it comes in three Strong colours, yellow, orange and burgundy. I have planted yellow and burgundy together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, being a rather spindly plant I am intertwining them as they grow, they are just starting to flower now and look great together. If you do train them against a wall you could leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers.
What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they are fantastic this year or am I just seeing more in peoples gardens? The brilliant shades and very large blooms fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting effort into making seed.
With the weight of rain I can see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. It's the lower branches that can be removed without making the tree look as though it has been cut. The upper branches will hide the cuts, so any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether.
Lawns
keep feeding lawns, dry lawn fertiliser must only be applied when we get rain to wash it in but a liquid fertiliser is fine any time. Lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies.
If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in. After a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring back in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil.
If lawn weeds are a problem spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the balance of the work going on in the soil beneath the lawn by contaminating it with chemicals.
Vegetables
Perfect weather for vegetables and fruit this year, keep the hoe going because the weeds are doing well also. The days are warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is still not a problem, in our garden! not that I want them laying their eggs on my veg plants, long may it last.
Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants, more nutrients going to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible to insects for pollination. Try it and see if you get a better crop.
The cooler nights tend to upset tomato plants, leaves an become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight. One method of keeping them in good health I have been reading up on is the use of copper wire.
Basic premise: The presence of copper (wire) would help the tomato plants be more resistant to "blight" related diseases during the course of the growing season.
Material: 12" length of 18 gauge, uninsulated copper wire (usually for wall picture hanging). 12" per tomato plant.
In spring, right after transplanting your tomato plants (assuming main vine is at least 1/4" in diameter and transplant shock is over). Insert or force one end of the wire thru the center of the main vine about 1" above ground level. Kink the protruding wire end so that it doesn't slip out of the vine. Force the remainder of the wire (9-10") into the root zone in the ground. That's all that's to it.
The person who wrote the above also wrote that he use this method on half his crop and controlled the other half with sprays. Result, the copper prevention was as successful as his spraying programme.
Our Daughter Tamin ( Golding Arts 2011) has designed a calendar for 2012 which includes my North Otago gardening suggestions for each month along with images of our garden. Should you be interested in purchasing one for yourself or to give as a gift they are available at Paper plus.
Cheers, Linda.
Friday, December 2, 2011
This week was all on for me, the start of the race to get so much completed before the Christmas deadline. With so much happening in our garden things need to be rearranged, trimmed, dug out, dug in, pricked out, planted and so on while ensuring tranquility is the essence of the garden for each and every new happening that taking place......which means those gnomes waiting in the wings are ready to pounce tools in hand at any given moment!!! well something like that.
So much trimming with all the new growth and plants like cat nip, aubretuia, ground cover phlox, erica's and all the herbs in a panic to make seed. stop them in their tracks by trimming them back which will encourage them to clump up with fresh new foliage to take them through summer. There are so many other plants waiting for enter stage now like lavender, lilies, hydrangeas, roses and all summer annuals the gaps will fill in no time.
With the help of my reliable hedge trimmer Pete we are half way through trimming the box hedges here, they look almost too neat but will not take long to soften with a little more new growth, the soft clippings are wonderful in the compost or even just scattered around the roots of shrubs. No feeding for them now or the clipping will need to be done all over again. Just keep the water up and let them harden off, once this has happened and the new growth can be snapped to break, cuttings can be taken and set to root in river sand.
All hedges can be trimmed now while the new growth is still soft.
I have been hearing about roses effected with mildew after all the rain we have had, this often occurs when roses are planted in sheltered areas. A combination spry of fungicide / pesticide sprayed every 10 days will help correct this problem. Remove leaves and buds that are too badly effected.
I prefer maintaining my rose's 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.
Plant up hanging baskets now with small rooted annuals like lobelia, petite or cascading petunias, nasturtium and cascading begonias. Avoid upright plants and plants that make a big root ball they need more depth than a basket can offer and will soon rob all the nutrients and fill the basket with dry roots. The secrete to hanging baskets is a good heavy potting mix, water crystals, a lot of slow release fertiliser consistent watering. I am using old carpet underlay as liners again this year but if I had none the coconut liners look good and do the job.
Lawns.
The lawn mower is doing a lot of over time right now in our garden, and the mountain of grass unsprayed are being used as mulch where needed. They break down quickly with moisture and warmth. If the weeds are taking over in your lawns now is the time to spray using a lawn weed spray. Don't spot spray with weed killer as it spreads onto the surrounding grass and you will end up having to resow patches.
I fed all my lawns during the last rain which will keep them green, and thick enough I hope to stop weed seeds drifting in.
Vegetables & Fruit
With this great growing weather both the above are romping away, I have had to thin out a few clusters of apples, especially the larger type, sacrifice half to let the remainder grow to a good size and keep the water up and mulch to preserve moisture as they grow and fill with juice. If you do not have the time to thin out fruit leave it to the strong winds they will knock a few off.
Cover berries with strawberry netting before they ripen, the birds will be watching and waiting.
Keep mounding up potatoes to encourage bigger numbers by keeping them deep.
You will have good strikes with all seeds sown now, sow at two week intervals to have a secession of fresh vegetables.
Use seed trays for: lettuce, silver- beet, celery, cabbage, courgettes, pumpkin, basil and tomato. Plant out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plant straight in the garden: carrot, beetroot, corn, peas, beans, cucumber, coriander, rocket and chives.
Planting by the moon
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refill with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, , carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery.
Cheers, Linda
So much trimming with all the new growth and plants like cat nip, aubretuia, ground cover phlox, erica's and all the herbs in a panic to make seed. stop them in their tracks by trimming them back which will encourage them to clump up with fresh new foliage to take them through summer. There are so many other plants waiting for enter stage now like lavender, lilies, hydrangeas, roses and all summer annuals the gaps will fill in no time.
With the help of my reliable hedge trimmer Pete we are half way through trimming the box hedges here, they look almost too neat but will not take long to soften with a little more new growth, the soft clippings are wonderful in the compost or even just scattered around the roots of shrubs. No feeding for them now or the clipping will need to be done all over again. Just keep the water up and let them harden off, once this has happened and the new growth can be snapped to break, cuttings can be taken and set to root in river sand.
All hedges can be trimmed now while the new growth is still soft.
I have been hearing about roses effected with mildew after all the rain we have had, this often occurs when roses are planted in sheltered areas. A combination spry of fungicide / pesticide sprayed every 10 days will help correct this problem. Remove leaves and buds that are too badly effected.
I prefer maintaining my rose's 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.
Plant up hanging baskets now with small rooted annuals like lobelia, petite or cascading petunias, nasturtium and cascading begonias. Avoid upright plants and plants that make a big root ball they need more depth than a basket can offer and will soon rob all the nutrients and fill the basket with dry roots. The secrete to hanging baskets is a good heavy potting mix, water crystals, a lot of slow release fertiliser consistent watering. I am using old carpet underlay as liners again this year but if I had none the coconut liners look good and do the job.
Lawns.
The lawn mower is doing a lot of over time right now in our garden, and the mountain of grass unsprayed are being used as mulch where needed. They break down quickly with moisture and warmth. If the weeds are taking over in your lawns now is the time to spray using a lawn weed spray. Don't spot spray with weed killer as it spreads onto the surrounding grass and you will end up having to resow patches.
I fed all my lawns during the last rain which will keep them green, and thick enough I hope to stop weed seeds drifting in.
Vegetables & Fruit
With this great growing weather both the above are romping away, I have had to thin out a few clusters of apples, especially the larger type, sacrifice half to let the remainder grow to a good size and keep the water up and mulch to preserve moisture as they grow and fill with juice. If you do not have the time to thin out fruit leave it to the strong winds they will knock a few off.
Cover berries with strawberry netting before they ripen, the birds will be watching and waiting.
Keep mounding up potatoes to encourage bigger numbers by keeping them deep.
You will have good strikes with all seeds sown now, sow at two week intervals to have a secession of fresh vegetables.
Use seed trays for: lettuce, silver- beet, celery, cabbage, courgettes, pumpkin, basil and tomato. Plant out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plant straight in the garden: carrot, beetroot, corn, peas, beans, cucumber, coriander, rocket and chives.
Planting by the moon
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refill with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, , carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 30th November 2011
This week was all on for me, the start of the race to get so much completed before the Christmas deadline. With so much happening in our garden things need to be rearranged, trimmed, dug out, dug in, pricked out, planted and so on while ensuring tranquility is the essence of the garden for each and every new happening that taking place......which means those gnomes waiting in the wings are ready to pounce tools in hand at any given moment!!! well something like that.
So much trimming with all the new growth and plants like cat nip, aubretuia, ground cover phlox, erica's and all the herbs in a panic to make seed. stop them in their tracks by trimming them back which will encourage them to clump up with fresh new foliage to take them through summer. There are so many other plants waiting for enter stage now like lavender, lilies, hydrangeas, roses and all summer annuals the gaps will fill in no time.
With the help of my reliable hedge trimmer Pete we are half way through trimming the box hedges here, they look almost too neat but will not take long to soften with a little more new growth, the soft clippings are wonderful in the compost or even just scattered around the roots of shrubs. No feeding for them now or the clipping will need to be done all over again. Just keep the water up and let them harden off, once this has happened and the new growth can be snapped to break, cuttings can be taken and set to root in river sand.
All hedges can be trimmed now while the new growth is still soft.
I have been hearing about roses effected with mildew after all the rain we have had, this often occurs when roses are planted in sheltered areas. A combination spry of fungicide / pesticide sprayed every 10 days will help correct this problem. Remove leaves and buds that are too badly effected.
I prefer maintaining my rose's 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.
Plant up hanging baskets now with small rooted annuals like lobelia, petite or cascading petunias, nasturtium and cascading begonias. Avoid upright plants and plants that make a big root ball they need more depth than a basket can offer and will soon rob all the nutrients and fill the basket with dry roots. The secrete to hanging baskets is a good heavy potting mix, water crystals, a lot of slow release fertiliser consistent watering. I am using old carpet underlay as liners again this year but if I had none the coconut liners look good and do the job.
Lawns.
The lawn mower is doing a lot of over time right now in our garden, and the mountain of grass unsprayed are being used as mulch where needed. They break down quickly with moisture and warmth. If the weeds are taking over in your lawns now is the time to spray using a lawn weed spray. Don't spot spray with weed killer as it spreads onto the surrounding grass and you will end up having to resow patches.
I fed all my lawns during the last rain which will keep them green, and thick enough I hope to stop weed seeds drifting in.
Vegetables & Fruit
With this great growing weather both the above are romping away, I have had to thin out a few clusters of apples, especially the larger type, sacrifice half to let the remainder grow to a good size and keep the water up and mulch to preserve moisture as they grow and fill with juice. If you do not have the time to thin out fruit leave it to the strong winds they will knock a few off.
Cover berries with strawberry netting before they ripen, the birds will be watching and waiting.
Keep mounding up potatoes to encourage bigger numbers by keeping them deep.
You will have good strikes with all seeds sown now, sow at two week intervals to have a secession of fresh vegetables.
Use seed trays for: lettuce, silver- beet, celery, cabbage, courgettes, pumpkin, basil and tomato. Plant out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plant straight in the garden: carrot, beetroot, corn, peas, beans, cucumber, coriander, rocket and chives.
Planting by the moon
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refill with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, , carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery.
Cheers, Linda
So much trimming with all the new growth and plants like cat nip, aubretuia, ground cover phlox, erica's and all the herbs in a panic to make seed. stop them in their tracks by trimming them back which will encourage them to clump up with fresh new foliage to take them through summer. There are so many other plants waiting for enter stage now like lavender, lilies, hydrangeas, roses and all summer annuals the gaps will fill in no time.
With the help of my reliable hedge trimmer Pete we are half way through trimming the box hedges here, they look almost too neat but will not take long to soften with a little more new growth, the soft clippings are wonderful in the compost or even just scattered around the roots of shrubs. No feeding for them now or the clipping will need to be done all over again. Just keep the water up and let them harden off, once this has happened and the new growth can be snapped to break, cuttings can be taken and set to root in river sand.
All hedges can be trimmed now while the new growth is still soft.
I have been hearing about roses effected with mildew after all the rain we have had, this often occurs when roses are planted in sheltered areas. A combination spry of fungicide / pesticide sprayed every 10 days will help correct this problem. Remove leaves and buds that are too badly effected.
I prefer maintaining my rose's 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.
Plant up hanging baskets now with small rooted annuals like lobelia, petite or cascading petunias, nasturtium and cascading begonias. Avoid upright plants and plants that make a big root ball they need more depth than a basket can offer and will soon rob all the nutrients and fill the basket with dry roots. The secrete to hanging baskets is a good heavy potting mix, water crystals, a lot of slow release fertiliser consistent watering. I am using old carpet underlay as liners again this year but if I had none the coconut liners look good and do the job.
Lawns.
The lawn mower is doing a lot of over time right now in our garden, and the mountain of grass unsprayed are being used as mulch where needed. They break down quickly with moisture and warmth. If the weeds are taking over in your lawns now is the time to spray using a lawn weed spray. Don't spot spray with weed killer as it spreads onto the surrounding grass and you will end up having to resow patches.
I fed all my lawns during the last rain which will keep them green, and thick enough I hope to stop weed seeds drifting in.
Vegetables & Fruit
With this great growing weather both the above are romping away, I have had to thin out a few clusters of apples, especially the larger type, sacrifice half to let the remainder grow to a good size and keep the water up and mulch to preserve moisture as they grow and fill with juice. If you do not have the time to thin out fruit leave it to the strong winds they will knock a few off.
Cover berries with strawberry netting before they ripen, the birds will be watching and waiting.
Keep mounding up potatoes to encourage bigger numbers by keeping them deep.
You will have good strikes with all seeds sown now, sow at two week intervals to have a secession of fresh vegetables.
Use seed trays for: lettuce, silver- beet, celery, cabbage, courgettes, pumpkin, basil and tomato. Plant out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plant straight in the garden: carrot, beetroot, corn, peas, beans, cucumber, coriander, rocket and chives.
Planting by the moon
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refill with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, , carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 22nd November 2011
Another brilliant rain, how lucky are we here in North Otago? I was away from the garden for all of last week, very foolish I know at this time of the year but unavoidable. I came home to find Mother Nature took full advantage off my absence I swear everything grew a foot so this week has been all about weeding, cutting back, and planting to fill in the gaps.
I have cut back and 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 clump which can be planted out next autumn to flower where you want it.
The same for pollyantha 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.
I have decided it is time now to trim box hedging, hopfully there will be an overcast day soon for this to be done. Trimming in the heat of the day will result in soft under growth to wilt and sometimes not recover.
The weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, and most are easy to pull when the ground is soft and they have put on some growth . I am still battling with biddy bid and convolvulus so 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. It's going to be an on going 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 compost 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 compost 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 foliar spray in the heat of the day but apply to the roots any time.
Vegetables & fruit
Well the broccoli bolted, the herbs have gone mad and the broad beans would make Jack n the bean stalk proud. I find the the potato tops are growing too fast and are too soft too early. I have been mounding
but feel there is too much growth going into the tops instead of the potatoes. Will have to wait and see around Christmas time.
The herbs, mint, marjoram, thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary I have cut and have laid out to dry on news paper in a dry shed. Once they are crunchy I will rub them and store them in brown paper bags or air tight dry glass jars.
Gooseberries and currants are fruiting well, all the rain and heat are just what they need in fact all fruiting shrubs and trees should be doing well this spring.
I have corn and beetroot up in the no dig garden but the pumpkins had to be re planted after that cold blast a few weeks ago. I would not add any further plant food if your soil is well composted, more food will only encourage more soft top growth.
Planting by the moon.
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Vegetable Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refilled with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, courgettes, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery
Orchard:
Check young trees carefully for moisture stress. Water stress now will mean damage from, shield bugs, pear slug, woolly aphids and die back on young trees.
Watch fruit carefully and net trees where you need to. We use 10m squares of knitted bird netting, raised over the trees with a bamboo pole on two corners of the netting and pulled together underneath.
Watch carefully for branches of stone fruit showing signs of silver leaf - often just one limb of a tree will have silver leaves. Now is the time to cut that limb off and burn it and seal the tree with Trichopaste.
Cheers, Linda.
I have cut back and 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 clump which can be planted out next autumn to flower where you want it.
The same for pollyantha 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.
I have decided it is time now to trim box hedging, hopfully there will be an overcast day soon for this to be done. Trimming in the heat of the day will result in soft under growth to wilt and sometimes not recover.
The weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, and most are easy to pull when the ground is soft and they have put on some growth . I am still battling with biddy bid and convolvulus so 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. It's going to be an on going 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 compost 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 compost 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 foliar spray in the heat of the day but apply to the roots any time.
Vegetables & fruit
Well the broccoli bolted, the herbs have gone mad and the broad beans would make Jack n the bean stalk proud. I find the the potato tops are growing too fast and are too soft too early. I have been mounding
but feel there is too much growth going into the tops instead of the potatoes. Will have to wait and see around Christmas time.
The herbs, mint, marjoram, thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary I have cut and have laid out to dry on news paper in a dry shed. Once they are crunchy I will rub them and store them in brown paper bags or air tight dry glass jars.
Gooseberries and currants are fruiting well, all the rain and heat are just what they need in fact all fruiting shrubs and trees should be doing well this spring.
I have corn and beetroot up in the no dig garden but the pumpkins had to be re planted after that cold blast a few weeks ago. I would not add any further plant food if your soil is well composted, more food will only encourage more soft top growth.
Planting by the moon.
NEW MOON
Friday, 25 November 2011
Vegetable Garden:
Transplant last of spring plantings - late crop tomatoes, beans and corn, basil, courgettes, cucumbers and leeks.
Take care of liquid fertiliser barrels; keep stirred and refilled with comfrey, manure, seaweed etc. Tomatoes, corn, pumpkins may need a boost now
Plant seed into trays for late summer harvesting of dwarf and climbing beans, courgettes, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, basil, short season corn (if you are in an area with a long summer) celery
Orchard:
Check young trees carefully for moisture stress. Water stress now will mean damage from, shield bugs, pear slug, woolly aphids and die back on young trees.
Watch fruit carefully and net trees where you need to. We use 10m squares of knitted bird netting, raised over the trees with a bamboo pole on two corners of the netting and pulled together underneath.
Watch carefully for branches of stone fruit showing signs of silver leaf - often just one limb of a tree will have silver leaves. Now is the time to cut that limb off and burn it and seal the tree with Trichopaste.
Cheers, Linda.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 22nd November 2011
The gusty winds have been doing a good job in blowing any remaining blossom off, I guess it is time to concentrate on the next stage of spring now, roses, peony roses, delphiniums, begonias and lots of other beautiful happenings soon make us forget about the bulbs and blossom. With all the rain we have had I can all most see and hear plants growing.
I have learned over the years that it is a waste of time and money nursing plants that need warmer conditions and more rain than North Otago offers. Plants such as hibiscus, gardenia, banana palm,
any plant that requires a tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle if not in a hot house with the right humidity.
After writing all that Bougainvillea is growing here on the coast and I have managed to keep mine going out here at Weston for many years. After some harsh winters it has looked very sad but I have it under an eve against a sunny Oamaru stone wall and most years it becomes a mass of vibrant magenta in summer through to Autumn. If you have a bougainvillea right now is the time to really get the water into it along with some all purpose fertiliser (not slow release) to simulate a rainy season. Once this has been done and your plant is established like mine do not water or feed it again, they do the best flowering when they are stressed. A newly planted bougainvillea will need watered now and then to get it established but NO food, if fed often they put out leaf not flowers.
Read the labels when buying to make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year.
Roses:
Time to start spraying roses for green fly and disease if you have not already started. A product like Shield takes care of both if you follow the instructions and spray at the suggested intervals. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water.
The for-get-me-no'ts and spring bulbs have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of daffodils rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green into storage. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them in mass, they increase in the bulb but also seed successfully. I cut forget- me -not's back and give them some blood & bone because they grow back fresh green leaves and sit in nice clums until they flower again next spring.
Keep the water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and the ground they are in must never dry out, stake them now before they become too heavy.
I have been spraying the weeds again, germination from the first lot of spring weeds have scattered their seeds and blown in on the wind, an every three week job from now on.
There are a number of organic weed sprays available now, these need to be spayed on the weeds when they are small and really hot and thirsty.
As I have mentioned before the most economical weed control is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions.
This works very fast on annual weeds but perennials probably needing further salt treatment.
If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died.
Lawns
Lawn mowers will be mowing flat out everywhere with all this lush growth, now that my compost bins have been treated to many full catchers I will spay out the lawn weeds now which means the clippings will need to be spread in areas where plants will not be affected by the contamination. On lawns where there are just a few flat weeds I will spot spray. Never spot spray weeds on lawns with anything other than a lawn weed spray which will not effect the surrounding grass. I have seen disastrous results where normal weed spray has been used to spot spray lawns which has leached from the weed into the grass leaving bald patches everywhere that need to be resown with grass seed.
Vegetables:
Keep mounding the potatoes to keep them producing, consistent watering is important for potatoes and all root vegetables so we should have some good crops after the rain we have had.
Leafy veg tends to run to seed during hot days so no extra feeding to help them do this.
Plant as many plants you think you would use when ready to pick and hold back other small seedling plants from the same batch to plant at two week intervals. The small plants will hold if watered only when too dry (don't over water seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot, keeping them in a semi shaded place will hold them back until required for planting.
Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, their roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed.
All new small plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential .
Gardening by the moon
LAST QUARTER
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Garden:
Weed, mulch and water.
Continue pricking out and transplanting.
Watch carefully for insects/diseases and learn what they are, how they impact you and what the best ways are to manage them.
Continue harvesting flowers and herbs for drying.
Orchard:
Continue watering and mulching.
Observe which trees are happy and which ones are stressed and why
Mulch all fruit trees, scythed grass is more beneficial than grass clippings.
Cheers, Linda
I have learned over the years that it is a waste of time and money nursing plants that need warmer conditions and more rain than North Otago offers. Plants such as hibiscus, gardenia, banana palm,
any plant that requires a tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle if not in a hot house with the right humidity.
After writing all that Bougainvillea is growing here on the coast and I have managed to keep mine going out here at Weston for many years. After some harsh winters it has looked very sad but I have it under an eve against a sunny Oamaru stone wall and most years it becomes a mass of vibrant magenta in summer through to Autumn. If you have a bougainvillea right now is the time to really get the water into it along with some all purpose fertiliser (not slow release) to simulate a rainy season. Once this has been done and your plant is established like mine do not water or feed it again, they do the best flowering when they are stressed. A newly planted bougainvillea will need watered now and then to get it established but NO food, if fed often they put out leaf not flowers.
Read the labels when buying to make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year.
Roses:
Time to start spraying roses for green fly and disease if you have not already started. A product like Shield takes care of both if you follow the instructions and spray at the suggested intervals. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water.
The for-get-me-no'ts and spring bulbs have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of daffodils rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green into storage. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them in mass, they increase in the bulb but also seed successfully. I cut forget- me -not's back and give them some blood & bone because they grow back fresh green leaves and sit in nice clums until they flower again next spring.
Keep the water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and the ground they are in must never dry out, stake them now before they become too heavy.
I have been spraying the weeds again, germination from the first lot of spring weeds have scattered their seeds and blown in on the wind, an every three week job from now on.
There are a number of organic weed sprays available now, these need to be spayed on the weeds when they are small and really hot and thirsty.
As I have mentioned before the most economical weed control is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions.
This works very fast on annual weeds but perennials probably needing further salt treatment.
If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died.
Lawns
Lawn mowers will be mowing flat out everywhere with all this lush growth, now that my compost bins have been treated to many full catchers I will spay out the lawn weeds now which means the clippings will need to be spread in areas where plants will not be affected by the contamination. On lawns where there are just a few flat weeds I will spot spray. Never spot spray weeds on lawns with anything other than a lawn weed spray which will not effect the surrounding grass. I have seen disastrous results where normal weed spray has been used to spot spray lawns which has leached from the weed into the grass leaving bald patches everywhere that need to be resown with grass seed.
Vegetables:
Keep mounding the potatoes to keep them producing, consistent watering is important for potatoes and all root vegetables so we should have some good crops after the rain we have had.
Leafy veg tends to run to seed during hot days so no extra feeding to help them do this.
Plant as many plants you think you would use when ready to pick and hold back other small seedling plants from the same batch to plant at two week intervals. The small plants will hold if watered only when too dry (don't over water seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot, keeping them in a semi shaded place will hold them back until required for planting.
Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, their roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed.
All new small plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential .
Gardening by the moon
LAST QUARTER
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Garden:
Weed, mulch and water.
Continue pricking out and transplanting.
Watch carefully for insects/diseases and learn what they are, how they impact you and what the best ways are to manage them.
Continue harvesting flowers and herbs for drying.
Orchard:
Continue watering and mulching.
Observe which trees are happy and which ones are stressed and why
Mulch all fruit trees, scythed grass is more beneficial than grass clippings.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 8th November 2011
What a cold blast we got last Friday!! just when we, as well as the garden had warmed after the winter chill. The damage was noticeable in our garden, hydrangeas, potatoes and grapes being hit the hardest along with the new growth on box hedge and one or two other plants. I am sure gardeners further inland would have feared badly. Remove the damaged growth and let new growth over take it, damaged growth on roses is a shame because the first flush of blooms will not happen now. Cut damaged branches back to a new bud and in six weeks you will have flower buds again.
Most of the blossom has been raked up here, a shame such beauty it is over so soon. "But oh", the Rhododendrons how beautiful they are right now, in my view they are equal to the beautiful tropical flowers unable to be grown this far south.
One or two my roses started to flower this week, a little later than usual according to my notes. They are at their best right now with fresh new leaves To keep them like this food needs to be kept up to them at the roots as well as folia spraying. I add liquid fertiliser to the bug and fungus spray at 10 day intervals until things are under control, then fish emulation is a good maintainer as well as a great folia food.
Peony roses are starting to flower, supports under them help to hold up the heavy flower heads. I have tall wire supports shaped like a u at the top 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 benefit from liquid fertiliser. I have heaps of lovely fat buds ready to open on my larger clumps and have some crowns that were planted last season, I am letting only one flower develop on these to remember what I planted and have removed all others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. The clump will form much faster if no blooms are produced 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, Hybrid's are especially large, bell shaped or delicate flowered variety, not the invasive pink and white montana type. You have to be quick to train hybrids where you want them to go while the trailers are still soft, they too like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights. Manure with a little lime added deep down in their planting hole is what is needed. 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 send up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber. If you have a hybrid showing leaf then it is sure to flower at some stage before the end of the growing season. Hybrids can also wilt and die for no reason if this happens cut it to the ground but don't be quick to dig it out because I have known some to shoot away again the following year with no sign of wilt.
The first of my roses are out this week, later than past years but looking at their best with fresh new leaves. To keep them like this they need food kept up to them at the roots and folia feeding is helpful, add some each time you spray.
Most years I use only fish emulation but have noticed quite a few green fly so I have decided to use a systemic pesticide/fungicide spray to give them a good start.
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, I put a lot in close together so they hold each other up. The more plants I put in the less room for weeds to grow is the plan. All the plants I mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for ages after if dead headed regularly.
Vegetables & Fruit
The nor wester 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 altogether in the heat of summer. I have just planted coriander, rocket, lettuce, corn and beetroot seeds.
The night beetle stripped the leaves from our apricot tree, the fruit is forming and should hopefully continue to grow along with some new leaves.
Planting by the moon
FULL MOON
Friday, 11 November 2011
Since prehistoric times, man has been planting and harvesting crops according to the phases of the moon. In a nutshell, it means that various plants do best when planted or harvested at certain phases.
Basic lunar planting info: All crops that produce their yield above ground should be planted during the Waxing (New to Full) Moon. The first week is especially good for crops that have their seeds on the outside, and the second week (between the 1st quarter and the Full Moon) is best for crops that produce seeds on the inside.
During the waning Moon (Full to New Moon) is the time to plant root crops. No planting is to be done on the day of the New moon or Full Moon.
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
CHEERS LINDA
Most of the blossom has been raked up here, a shame such beauty it is over so soon. "But oh", the Rhododendrons how beautiful they are right now, in my view they are equal to the beautiful tropical flowers unable to be grown this far south.
One or two my roses started to flower this week, a little later than usual according to my notes. They are at their best right now with fresh new leaves To keep them like this food needs to be kept up to them at the roots as well as folia spraying. I add liquid fertiliser to the bug and fungus spray at 10 day intervals until things are under control, then fish emulation is a good maintainer as well as a great folia food.
Peony roses are starting to flower, supports under them help to hold up the heavy flower heads. I have tall wire supports shaped like a u at the top 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 benefit from liquid fertiliser. I have heaps of lovely fat buds ready to open on my larger clumps and have some crowns that were planted last season, I am letting only one flower develop on these to remember what I planted and have removed all others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. The clump will form much faster if no blooms are produced 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, Hybrid's are especially large, bell shaped or delicate flowered variety, not the invasive pink and white montana type. You have to be quick to train hybrids where you want them to go while the trailers are still soft, they too like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights. Manure with a little lime added deep down in their planting hole is what is needed. 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 send up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber. If you have a hybrid showing leaf then it is sure to flower at some stage before the end of the growing season. Hybrids can also wilt and die for no reason if this happens cut it to the ground but don't be quick to dig it out because I have known some to shoot away again the following year with no sign of wilt.
The first of my roses are out this week, later than past years but looking at their best with fresh new leaves. To keep them like this they need food kept up to them at the roots and folia feeding is helpful, add some each time you spray.
Most years I use only fish emulation but have noticed quite a few green fly so I have decided to use a systemic pesticide/fungicide spray to give them a good start.
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, I put a lot in close together so they hold each other up. The more plants I put in the less room for weeds to grow is the plan. All the plants I mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for ages after if dead headed regularly.
Vegetables & Fruit
The nor wester 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 altogether in the heat of summer. I have just planted coriander, rocket, lettuce, corn and beetroot seeds.
The night beetle stripped the leaves from our apricot tree, the fruit is forming and should hopefully continue to grow along with some new leaves.
Planting by the moon
FULL MOON
Friday, 11 November 2011
Since prehistoric times, man has been planting and harvesting crops according to the phases of the moon. In a nutshell, it means that various plants do best when planted or harvested at certain phases.
Basic lunar planting info: All crops that produce their yield above ground should be planted during the Waxing (New to Full) Moon. The first week is especially good for crops that have their seeds on the outside, and the second week (between the 1st quarter and the Full Moon) is best for crops that produce seeds on the inside.
During the waning Moon (Full to New Moon) is the time to plant root crops. No planting is to be done on the day of the New moon or Full Moon.
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
CHEERS LINDA
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 31st October 2011
November, into yet another month and my roses are full of fat buds waiting to burst open and I have just noticed the green fly are in full force!! so have sprayed with Winter oil and fish emulsion combined. The leaves are very soft and new so I picked a dull day to spry to avoid the sun burning through droplets and damaging the leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up to spray in the sun but never spray or water the leaves at dusk, they should be dry going into warm nights to prevent mildew growing.
This has been 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, daisy bushes and dentata lavender often to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody.
Another reminder to 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, their flowering time is not until the end of Summer.
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.
On the coast choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, further inland ask the Garden center assistant what what is frost hardy and survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. 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. Lupines will flower the second year after planting and with all the shades they produce they look fantastic marching up a slope.
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 and always trim buxus on overcast days.
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 with the warmth here to break it down.
Veg & Fruit
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 potatoes are well up, I have been moulding them up with compost and more straw.
If you have vacant areas in the veg garden after pulling rows of winter veg out sowed some mustard seed, it should be up in a couple of weeks for you to dig in and add humus to the soil before replanting.
I have heard from two people lately that the old method of controlling carrot fly infestation is to sprinkle condys Chrystal's along the rows when planting seed and then watering with condys Chrystal's in a watering can once the carrot tops are up. I read up on this method of carrot fly deterrent and found that gardeners in the past had success with this a swore by it, worth a try.
There are still a few fruit trees on offer, they have blossomed now and fruit is forming so get them in quick, stake them well until established then pick straight from the tree when ripe.
Gardening by the Moon
FIRST QUARTER
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Prick out and transplant seedlings, make sure you have loads of companion flowers going into the vege garden.
Basil, alyssum and classic zinnias are great companions for tomatoes. Plant them now.
Give a regular foliar spray using seaweed, vermiliquid, fish emulsion etc
Apply liquid feed such as comfrey, liquid cow manure by watering can to ground under tomatoes, peppers and any other plants needing a boost.
Harvest herbs for drying
Decide how you're going to manage blight on tomatoes and potatoes. Prevention is more efective than sorting the problem once blight is there. Try a weekly raw milk spray, or a weekly Agrisea seaweed spray, or maybe a copper spray with rain guard to make it last longer when needed.
Feed and water asparagus to keep it producing until Christmas
Orchard:
Keep up the watering
Check for pest problems, spray if necessary
Remove any unwanted suckers from berry fruit
Watch for breaking branches as early fruit swells, may need to thin fruit or prop up branches.
Feed citrus to encourage strong healthy growth at this time
This has been 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, daisy bushes and dentata lavender often to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody.
Another reminder to 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, their flowering time is not until the end of Summer.
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.
On the coast choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, further inland ask the Garden center assistant what what is frost hardy and survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. 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. Lupines will flower the second year after planting and with all the shades they produce they look fantastic marching up a slope.
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 and always trim buxus on overcast days.
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 with the warmth here to break it down.
Veg & Fruit
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 potatoes are well up, I have been moulding them up with compost and more straw.
If you have vacant areas in the veg garden after pulling rows of winter veg out sowed some mustard seed, it should be up in a couple of weeks for you to dig in and add humus to the soil before replanting.
I have heard from two people lately that the old method of controlling carrot fly infestation is to sprinkle condys Chrystal's along the rows when planting seed and then watering with condys Chrystal's in a watering can once the carrot tops are up. I read up on this method of carrot fly deterrent and found that gardeners in the past had success with this a swore by it, worth a try.
There are still a few fruit trees on offer, they have blossomed now and fruit is forming so get them in quick, stake them well until established then pick straight from the tree when ripe.
Gardening by the Moon
FIRST QUARTER
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Prick out and transplant seedlings, make sure you have loads of companion flowers going into the vege garden.
Basil, alyssum and classic zinnias are great companions for tomatoes. Plant them now.
Give a regular foliar spray using seaweed, vermiliquid, fish emulsion etc
Apply liquid feed such as comfrey, liquid cow manure by watering can to ground under tomatoes, peppers and any other plants needing a boost.
Harvest herbs for drying
Decide how you're going to manage blight on tomatoes and potatoes. Prevention is more efective than sorting the problem once blight is there. Try a weekly raw milk spray, or a weekly Agrisea seaweed spray, or maybe a copper spray with rain guard to make it last longer when needed.
Feed and water asparagus to keep it producing until Christmas
Orchard:
Keep up the watering
Check for pest problems, spray if necessary
Remove any unwanted suckers from berry fruit
Watch for breaking branches as early fruit swells, may need to thin fruit or prop up branches.
Feed citrus to encourage strong healthy growth at this time
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 25th October 2011
Rain,wind then more lovely rain, I knew strong winds would arrive around Labour weekend when the pink Kanzan blossom will, as usual turn into pink snow in many gardens.
Spring rain is so needed to soak well down in the dry North Otago ground, with the moisture and warmth from now on summer growing is looking pretty good.
If you are wanting to transplant Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas, do it immediately after flowering before they put on their new season growth, and if your spring flowering shrubs are in need of a trim prune them back once they have finished flowering.
Geraniums and pelargoniums are available now and should be planted in sunny positions. Fuchsias are also on offer, they benefit from afternoon shade.
If you are concerned about a hot dry Summer having a disastrous effect on your garden? Plenty of Mulch breaking down in your soil will help retain water as well as improving the structure of your soil and suppressing weed growth. Mulch like straw, grass clippings and weed free compost is also excellent for breaking down clay or poor draining soil.
Newly planted roses are starting to make new growth so this is the month to feed them with slow release Fertiliser which will add nutrients to roots when ever water is applied.
Potted plants also need slow release fertiliser and re-pot any plants that have been in the same container for more than three or four years. As long as they are not too root-bound they can go back into the same pot, but should have most of the old potting mix removed and some fresh mix packed around the roots.
cymbidium orchids, Divide and re-pot now if crowded.
Water lilies are available this month and need to be planted in a basket lined with sphagnum moss or old carpet underlay, add garden soil, slow release fertiliser tabs or manure then the lily and lastly a thick layer of shingle placed on top to help weigh the basket down in the water and stop the fertiliser / manure from leaching out which will create green slime growth in the pond as the water warms up.
Fish start breeding now as water warms, they will blow eggs into oxygen weed. If big fish are shifted to another pond at the end of spring eggs will be able to escape being eaten and hatch into tiny grey fish. These tiny fish will eventually become gold fish. The big fish can be returned to the pond when new fish have grown past a meal size.
Fruit and veg:
Watch your fruit trees and Grapes for fungal diseases which may need spraying with a fungicide.
Last chance to get your Codling Moth traps up.
Aphids may start to become a problem so keep an eye out for infestation and if necessary wash off with a forceful hose or spray with an organic pesticide.
Gardening by the Moon
Opps! last week I gave this weeks information so I will back track a week, this is from the 20th October.
LAST QUARTER
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Garden:
Continue pricking out seedlings and transplanting.
Mound up earlier plantings of potatoes, critical that you either mulch or mound up well to obtain heavy crops and avoid potato worms. A foliar spray with raw milk is a great way to kill blight spores, add to a foliar spray of high quality compost tea, this is a great way to strengthen the microbe populations on the potato and tomato leaves to help avoid blight.
Orchard:
Dig up comfrey root, cut into 3-5 cm pieces and plant into seedling trays to make roots before transplanting into the orchard. If soil conditions are good you can plant the pieces of root directly into the ground now.
Make sure all the irrigation systems are working well now.
Weed and feed comfrey borders and barriers.
If it's warm and the grass is growing well in the orchard then scything the grass will mean you can mulch your fruit trees. I guess most people would be inclined to use a weed eater these days, scything has proven to make a better usable mulch (quote)
Pop out to Weston and enjoy a walk around our pretty spring garden, we are hosting a wedding on Saturday afternoon but Sunday and during the week is open for viewing, seating and toilet available, donation box on entering.
Cheers, Linda
http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.com
Spring rain is so needed to soak well down in the dry North Otago ground, with the moisture and warmth from now on summer growing is looking pretty good.
If you are wanting to transplant Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas, do it immediately after flowering before they put on their new season growth, and if your spring flowering shrubs are in need of a trim prune them back once they have finished flowering.
Geraniums and pelargoniums are available now and should be planted in sunny positions. Fuchsias are also on offer, they benefit from afternoon shade.
If you are concerned about a hot dry Summer having a disastrous effect on your garden? Plenty of Mulch breaking down in your soil will help retain water as well as improving the structure of your soil and suppressing weed growth. Mulch like straw, grass clippings and weed free compost is also excellent for breaking down clay or poor draining soil.
Newly planted roses are starting to make new growth so this is the month to feed them with slow release Fertiliser which will add nutrients to roots when ever water is applied.
Potted plants also need slow release fertiliser and re-pot any plants that have been in the same container for more than three or four years. As long as they are not too root-bound they can go back into the same pot, but should have most of the old potting mix removed and some fresh mix packed around the roots.
cymbidium orchids, Divide and re-pot now if crowded.
Water lilies are available this month and need to be planted in a basket lined with sphagnum moss or old carpet underlay, add garden soil, slow release fertiliser tabs or manure then the lily and lastly a thick layer of shingle placed on top to help weigh the basket down in the water and stop the fertiliser / manure from leaching out which will create green slime growth in the pond as the water warms up.
Fish start breeding now as water warms, they will blow eggs into oxygen weed. If big fish are shifted to another pond at the end of spring eggs will be able to escape being eaten and hatch into tiny grey fish. These tiny fish will eventually become gold fish. The big fish can be returned to the pond when new fish have grown past a meal size.
Fruit and veg:
Watch your fruit trees and Grapes for fungal diseases which may need spraying with a fungicide.
Last chance to get your Codling Moth traps up.
Aphids may start to become a problem so keep an eye out for infestation and if necessary wash off with a forceful hose or spray with an organic pesticide.
Gardening by the Moon
Opps! last week I gave this weeks information so I will back track a week, this is from the 20th October.
LAST QUARTER
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Garden:
Continue pricking out seedlings and transplanting.
Mound up earlier plantings of potatoes, critical that you either mulch or mound up well to obtain heavy crops and avoid potato worms. A foliar spray with raw milk is a great way to kill blight spores, add to a foliar spray of high quality compost tea, this is a great way to strengthen the microbe populations on the potato and tomato leaves to help avoid blight.
Orchard:
Dig up comfrey root, cut into 3-5 cm pieces and plant into seedling trays to make roots before transplanting into the orchard. If soil conditions are good you can plant the pieces of root directly into the ground now.
Make sure all the irrigation systems are working well now.
Weed and feed comfrey borders and barriers.
If it's warm and the grass is growing well in the orchard then scything the grass will mean you can mulch your fruit trees. I guess most people would be inclined to use a weed eater these days, scything has proven to make a better usable mulch (quote)
Pop out to Weston and enjoy a walk around our pretty spring garden, we are hosting a wedding on Saturday afternoon but Sunday and during the week is open for viewing, seating and toilet available, donation box on entering.
Cheers, Linda
http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 11th October 2011
Cold start to this week and it looked like we might get rain, but no. It is a bit worrying now, well into October and still no much needed spring rain here in North Otago.
I have been sifting soil again this week for resowing the patches in lawn and using to add body to gardens and pots, baskets and seed trays. With all the mulches used today gardens become light and fluffy and don't hold moisture. Sifted soil is the answer, spread it on top and it will wash in beneath the mulch with each watering.
Spring bulbs are starting to finish, don't be tempted to cut leaves off just yet as the bulbs top up on food for next year from the leaves as they die back.
If you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space there is always someone willing to bring a spade and halve big clumps then adopting bulbs removed for their garden. Put a sign at the gate saying Bulbs to give away, bring a spade!
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 with 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 doing well so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now from shrubs, dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer ready for planting out at the end of next winter.
Keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums they start making growth now, I cut back the first new growth before they make hard wood. They do not flower until the Autumn so by removing the first new growth they should regrow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so, they will make new fresh growth, because they flower on new seasons wood they can be taken well back.
Too early yet to trim box hedges, wait until the new growth firms up a little. The perfect time to trim box in spring is when there are a few overcast days in a row, the hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days give them time to recover.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer colour. 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 and varieties on offer now, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Vegetables:
I touched on Tomatoes last week because they are in the shops now. For those with glass houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost. This will need to have been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated. Because our summers here in North Otago can be cool a glass or tunnel house is the a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly by plants, never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet.
There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from.
Beefsteak, the big tomato best for sandwiches & cooking,
Early girl, stars producing early and keeps on until late in the season,
Potentate, medium/small firm with moderate acidity and low in sugar,
Money maker, medium size and good flavor ,
Doctor Walter is the very low acid tomato
Cherry tomato's, the plant you can grow in a pot inside or on a porch, great for Childrens lunch boxes.
Russian red a tomato to grow outside in a sunny spot protected from the wind.
Heirloom tomatoes have become popular, they don't look great but they have the great taste of yesteryear.
There are others that I have not mentioned, nearly all need staked and tied up in the glass house and ALL tomato's like sun all day, 6 to 8 hours and it helps the fruit if there are fewer leaves on the plants. Tomato leaves compete for nutrients, create unwanted shade and harbor disease.
Keep planting vegetable seeds directly into the garden but don't sow too thickly mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning.
Planting by the moon
I thought I would add a planting by the moon section each week being the original planting method since gardening began, and spring is a great time to start.
FULL MOON
The moon is full from the 12th of this month so I will begin here with what I have learned relating to South Island New Zealand.
Flower garden:
If your dahlias over wintered in the ground then now is the time to lift and divide and replant.
Vegetables garden:
Good time to foliar feed or spray
Direct sow carrots and parsnips
Plant main crop potatoes (onto comfrey and or seaweed), carrots, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, yams all tubers and root crops
If you want to grow waterchestnuts put them in a plastic tub, they need 20cm of water fed with lime and cow manure.
Keep all planted beds weed free and aerated every week if possible on the waning moon
Orchard:
Good time to foliar feed for health
Moisture levels critical for shallow roots. If any of your trees are looking unhappy then carefully check their roots: are they too dry, are they repelling the water you're putting on because they are too dry. Cheers, Linda.
I have been sifting soil again this week for resowing the patches in lawn and using to add body to gardens and pots, baskets and seed trays. With all the mulches used today gardens become light and fluffy and don't hold moisture. Sifted soil is the answer, spread it on top and it will wash in beneath the mulch with each watering.
Spring bulbs are starting to finish, don't be tempted to cut leaves off just yet as the bulbs top up on food for next year from the leaves as they die back.
If you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space there is always someone willing to bring a spade and halve big clumps then adopting bulbs removed for their garden. Put a sign at the gate saying Bulbs to give away, bring a spade!
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 with 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 doing well so I put in cuttings from stronger growing ones which I can plant out now to fill the gaps.
Take tip cuttings now from shrubs, dip them in hormone and push them into firm river sand, they will make roots over the Spring and summer ready for planting out at the end of next winter.
Keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums they start making growth now, I cut back the first new growth before they make hard wood. They do not flower until the Autumn so by removing the first new growth they should regrow shorter and be more manageable.
Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so, they will make new fresh growth, because they flower on new seasons wood they can be taken well back.
Too early yet to trim box hedges, wait until the new growth firms up a little. The perfect time to trim box in spring is when there are a few overcast days in a row, the hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days give them time to recover.
It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer colour. 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 and varieties on offer now, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet.
Vegetables:
I touched on Tomatoes last week because they are in the shops now. For those with glass houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost. This will need to have been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated. Because our summers here in North Otago can be cool a glass or tunnel house is the a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly by plants, never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet.
There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from.
Beefsteak, the big tomato best for sandwiches & cooking,
Early girl, stars producing early and keeps on until late in the season,
Potentate, medium/small firm with moderate acidity and low in sugar,
Money maker, medium size and good flavor ,
Doctor Walter is the very low acid tomato
Cherry tomato's, the plant you can grow in a pot inside or on a porch, great for Childrens lunch boxes.
Russian red a tomato to grow outside in a sunny spot protected from the wind.
Heirloom tomatoes have become popular, they don't look great but they have the great taste of yesteryear.
There are others that I have not mentioned, nearly all need staked and tied up in the glass house and ALL tomato's like sun all day, 6 to 8 hours and it helps the fruit if there are fewer leaves on the plants. Tomato leaves compete for nutrients, create unwanted shade and harbor disease.
Keep planting vegetable seeds directly into the garden but don't sow too thickly mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning.
Planting by the moon
I thought I would add a planting by the moon section each week being the original planting method since gardening began, and spring is a great time to start.
FULL MOON
The moon is full from the 12th of this month so I will begin here with what I have learned relating to South Island New Zealand.
Flower garden:
If your dahlias over wintered in the ground then now is the time to lift and divide and replant.
Vegetables garden:
Good time to foliar feed or spray
Direct sow carrots and parsnips
Plant main crop potatoes (onto comfrey and or seaweed), carrots, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, yams all tubers and root crops
If you want to grow waterchestnuts put them in a plastic tub, they need 20cm of water fed with lime and cow manure.
Keep all planted beds weed free and aerated every week if possible on the waning moon
Orchard:
Good time to foliar feed for health
Moisture levels critical for shallow roots. If any of your trees are looking unhappy then carefully check their roots: are they too dry, are they repelling the water you're putting on because they are too dry. Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Gardening in North Otago September 27th 2011
A chill in the air this week but still nice and sunny to bring the bees out.
This week all our gravel paths have had a work over, they pack down hard over winter and need grubbing and raking to get them weed free and looking fresh again. We use crushed marble from the Dunback Quarry this includes a good amount fines in the mix which help the gravel settle nicely.
I have had the sprayer on the go again to beat the weeds, if only the annual flowers I have planted would grow as fast!
If you do not want to use chemical sprays on annual weeds why not try some of the natural alternatives on sale, these work on hot sunny days when plants are very thirsty. The leaf of the plant collapses which means there is nothing left to support the roots causing the plant to die.
Perennial weeds like convolvulus and couch grass are not so easy to kill with alternative weed spray because their roots are long and strong but if you are prepared to keep at them, spraying what they send up you will beat them. When spraying flowering weeds be mindful of not harming bee's they are a HUGE part of natures plan for our World as we know it and need it to be.
The most economical weed control is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions.
This works very fast on annual weeds but perennials probably needing further salt treatment.
If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died.
Trim shrubs that flowered in late winter now before they put out new growth on past growth and get leggy, this partially applies to ericas, callunas and hebes which should not have old flowers left on to make seed as this makes them become woody.
All of this month is the time to layer azaleas and rhododendrons and low growing magnolias by pinning a low growing slim branch down to the soil and firming in with compost and soil. Hopefully by the end of this growing season this branch will have developed strong roots allowing it to be cut free from the mother plant and potted up to grow on as a new bush.
Wind put's stress on plants, trees & shrubs producing new growth, their roots are working hard and moisture is a must deep root watering is best and newly planted shrubs and trees need to be really well staked, if trunks and roots are moving around growth will be slow and stunted or not at all.
I have mentioned tubular begonias and should have added to bed them down into damp (not wet) sawdust or peat until they are sprouting well before potting or planting out. Once they are damp they must never dry out again until its time to store them again.
Lawns are growing strongly now, flat weeds and clover can be sprayed out now, liquid fertiliser can be added at the same time. Dry lawn foods need to be applied when we next get rain.
Herbs
If you have not cut your herbs back yet do it as soon as possible because they are really starting to put on growth, feed manure rich compost with lime added and keep picking often to encourage continual new growth all season for your salads and cooking.
Vegetables:
Still no white butterfly's about (in my garden) keep planting out but when the winds arrive deep watering is required. Keep mounding up potatoes as they push leaf through and cover at night should there be another cold snap which will blacken off new growth.
My peas are well up. Like climbing beans they need to be planted in an open sunny place and support has to go in when they are planted so they are not disturbed once they start growing. Once supported well you will not have to keep propping them up as they get heavier.
Cheers, Linda.
This week all our gravel paths have had a work over, they pack down hard over winter and need grubbing and raking to get them weed free and looking fresh again. We use crushed marble from the Dunback Quarry this includes a good amount fines in the mix which help the gravel settle nicely.
I have had the sprayer on the go again to beat the weeds, if only the annual flowers I have planted would grow as fast!
If you do not want to use chemical sprays on annual weeds why not try some of the natural alternatives on sale, these work on hot sunny days when plants are very thirsty. The leaf of the plant collapses which means there is nothing left to support the roots causing the plant to die.
Perennial weeds like convolvulus and couch grass are not so easy to kill with alternative weed spray because their roots are long and strong but if you are prepared to keep at them, spraying what they send up you will beat them. When spraying flowering weeds be mindful of not harming bee's they are a HUGE part of natures plan for our World as we know it and need it to be.
The most economical weed control is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions.
This works very fast on annual weeds but perennials probably needing further salt treatment.
If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died.
Trim shrubs that flowered in late winter now before they put out new growth on past growth and get leggy, this partially applies to ericas, callunas and hebes which should not have old flowers left on to make seed as this makes them become woody.
All of this month is the time to layer azaleas and rhododendrons and low growing magnolias by pinning a low growing slim branch down to the soil and firming in with compost and soil. Hopefully by the end of this growing season this branch will have developed strong roots allowing it to be cut free from the mother plant and potted up to grow on as a new bush.
Wind put's stress on plants, trees & shrubs producing new growth, their roots are working hard and moisture is a must deep root watering is best and newly planted shrubs and trees need to be really well staked, if trunks and roots are moving around growth will be slow and stunted or not at all.
I have mentioned tubular begonias and should have added to bed them down into damp (not wet) sawdust or peat until they are sprouting well before potting or planting out. Once they are damp they must never dry out again until its time to store them again.
Lawns are growing strongly now, flat weeds and clover can be sprayed out now, liquid fertiliser can be added at the same time. Dry lawn foods need to be applied when we next get rain.
Herbs
If you have not cut your herbs back yet do it as soon as possible because they are really starting to put on growth, feed manure rich compost with lime added and keep picking often to encourage continual new growth all season for your salads and cooking.
Vegetables:
Still no white butterfly's about (in my garden) keep planting out but when the winds arrive deep watering is required. Keep mounding up potatoes as they push leaf through and cover at night should there be another cold snap which will blacken off new growth.
My peas are well up. Like climbing beans they need to be planted in an open sunny place and support has to go in when they are planted so they are not disturbed once they start growing. Once supported well you will not have to keep propping them up as they get heavier.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 20th September 2011
Watering is what is needed now to keep the spring growth happening after really strong winds.
This has been a good dry lambing season but we need a decent rain any time now. If rain arrives I will be out with lawn fertiliser.
This week I have been looking around and enjoying the early blossom.
If putting in a new garden this is the time to choose prunus trees and the blossom type you love. If they are not available now make a note and order for next year. Blossom is only on the tree for a short time so it should not be the only reason for choice. Height and spread should be thought about as some prunus grow very large and spread wide and low.
Fortunately today we have choice thanks to the grafting done by 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! pull them now before they make seed.
Seeds: sow directly into the ground or into trays of seed mix, they will be up in no time if kept 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 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.
We are lucky enough to have a bourgainville growing, I want to trim it back in readiness for it's new growth but I will leave it a little longer. As soon as I see new leaf buds shooting I will run the hedge trimmer over it then flood and feed it at the beginning of next month to simulate the rainy season of it's origins. Then leave it alone from then on. If you feed and water them through summer they will produce more leaf than flowers, Bourgainvillea needs 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, peony roses, asters and tall phlox 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 the length they are, then mulch with compost and a little pot ash.
Keep planting your veg before the end of September, they should then be ready for Christmas dinner.
Benny and Rua or Agria to follow.
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 & Red king for early then the good old Jersey Benny, Rua or Agria to follow.
Potatoe guide
Waxy: for boiling, salads, casseroles & soups.
: Draga
: Early new season
: Frisia
: Nandine
All purpose for most uses
: Desiree
: Rua
: Vivaldi
Flowery for mashing, wedging, roasting chips and baking.
: Agria
: Ilam hardy
: Red jackets
: Red rascal
The most important thing at this time of the year is to enjoy Spring and all it is offering.
Cheers, Linda
This has been a good dry lambing season but we need a decent rain any time now. If rain arrives I will be out with lawn fertiliser.
This week I have been looking around and enjoying the early blossom.
If putting in a new garden this is the time to choose prunus trees and the blossom type you love. If they are not available now make a note and order for next year. Blossom is only on the tree for a short time so it should not be the only reason for choice. Height and spread should be thought about as some prunus grow very large and spread wide and low.
Fortunately today we have choice thanks to the grafting done by 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! pull them now before they make seed.
Seeds: sow directly into the ground or into trays of seed mix, they will be up in no time if kept 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 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.
We are lucky enough to have a bourgainville growing, I want to trim it back in readiness for it's new growth but I will leave it a little longer. As soon as I see new leaf buds shooting I will run the hedge trimmer over it then flood and feed it at the beginning of next month to simulate the rainy season of it's origins. Then leave it alone from then on. If you feed and water them through summer they will produce more leaf than flowers, Bourgainvillea needs 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, peony roses, asters and tall phlox 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 the length they are, then mulch with compost and a little pot ash.
Keep planting your veg before the end of September, they should then be ready for Christmas dinner.
Benny and Rua or Agria to follow.
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 & Red king for early then the good old Jersey Benny, Rua or Agria to follow.
Potatoe guide
Waxy: for boiling, salads, casseroles & soups.
: Draga
: Early new season
: Frisia
: Nandine
All purpose for most uses
: Desiree
: Rua
: Vivaldi
Flowery for mashing, wedging, roasting chips and baking.
: Agria
: Ilam hardy
: Red jackets
: Red rascal
The most important thing at this time of the year is to enjoy Spring and all it is offering.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 13th September 2011
Such beauty all around to enjoy but the ever changing weather of spring certainly came into focus this week.
For me it has been on again off again frost cloth and the hose has been full on after the strong, drying winds. It is very important to keep the water up to newly planted trees and shrubs right now while they are putting out new growth and staking is another must with newly planted tall tree's, it takes at least two years before roots take a firm hold in the ground.
I have been planting out bedding plants and putting the finishing touches to new garden theme designs this week. I am sure every gardener enjoys trying new plants and colour combinations. I had a large clump of lambs ear growing in my rockery which did not need to be so large so I dug half of it out and broke it up into single plants to use around the border of a garden and as silver drifts in amongst low annuals. Silver is a shade to use as a break between strong and soft shades, will grow in sun or semi shade and lambs ear has the added bonus of being an interesting texture as well.
Keep an eye on seeds that have germinated, up until now I have had mine under frost cloth and looked at them only occasionally to see if they had struck. This week I noticed they were well up and in need of thinning out and regular watering.
I thinned them out by transplanting some like Pansy and lobelia which have shallow roots into deeper seed trays and those with longer deeper roots like lupin and oriental poppy into their own individual small root pots. The shallow rooted plants transplant well into the garden or baskets from a tray but it is best to have a well developed root ball attached to the stronger deeper rooted seedlings when planting out.
Baskets and pots need to be thought about now, again use only shallow rooted plants for baskets like pansy, lobelia, small type petunias, Virginia stock and nasturtium with lots of slow release fertiliser and water Chrystal's to keep them going.
With pots, the roots of what you want to plant will determine the size and depth of the pot. Potted roses need a deep pot which will not heat up and cook the roots at the height of summer. Tin foil around the inside of a pot before filling,( shinny side facing out) will help keep roots cool for roses, camellias, azales', hydrangeas and small trees & shrubs. All potted plants need excellent drainage and a consistent supply of food and water. if a potted plant is left to really dry out before each watering it will never thrive and look lush and healthy.
Now is the time to take tubular begonias out of dry storage, I see mine are starting to sprout a little. I have been cutting large tubas with a sharp knife into smaller individual pieces each with a noticeable shoot ready to plant into baskets and containers.
The showy red flamboyant begonias become nice big tubas in time and by cutting sections off them each year you will achieve a nice boarder of them in no time. It's best to lift them at the end of their growing season each year because like dahlias they can rot in wet ground. All begonias love any fertiliser with a seaweed of fish content.
I have just planted wild flower seeds thickly into gaps created from removing old trees and shrubs. The wild flowers will make an interesting change until I decide on permanent plantings.
Roses are really leafing up now and the warmer it becomes the more aphids ( green fly) will be about, aphids settle on the top new growth of rose bushes and are easily visible on new small leaves for you to dispose of them by removing with finger and thumb along with the fish emulsion deterrent which will confuse bugs with it smelling of protein. I leave pesticide and fungicide spraying until leaves are well grown and and hardened up a little.
New lawns can be sown now on the coast and as soon as we have a few more nice sunny days in a row to warm the ground up the grass seed will strike, as I have mentioned before seed must be sown thickly in spring to beat the annual weeds. Keep the mower blades up when cutting spring grass to allow it to thicken up and feed a little each time it rains and they will stay lush.
Vegetables
Here on the coast Plant lettuce plants at two week intervals and any spare ground could be planted out in new potatoes, they are so much better dug just before you cook them.
My board beans are well up, I was once told to plant each bean with a little pot ash to help with rust problems, they still get a little rust but I think that's probably due to them getting too dry between watering's, like corn their roots are well up near the surface, mounding soil up over their roots stops roots becoming exposed and drying out too quickly. The birds were making a feast of my young cabbage and broccoli plants so I have covered them with frost cloth weighed down at the edges with stones. It's a bit of a pain having to remove it when I water but without the birds devouring them they continue to grow well.
Cheers, Linda.
For me it has been on again off again frost cloth and the hose has been full on after the strong, drying winds. It is very important to keep the water up to newly planted trees and shrubs right now while they are putting out new growth and staking is another must with newly planted tall tree's, it takes at least two years before roots take a firm hold in the ground.
I have been planting out bedding plants and putting the finishing touches to new garden theme designs this week. I am sure every gardener enjoys trying new plants and colour combinations. I had a large clump of lambs ear growing in my rockery which did not need to be so large so I dug half of it out and broke it up into single plants to use around the border of a garden and as silver drifts in amongst low annuals. Silver is a shade to use as a break between strong and soft shades, will grow in sun or semi shade and lambs ear has the added bonus of being an interesting texture as well.
Keep an eye on seeds that have germinated, up until now I have had mine under frost cloth and looked at them only occasionally to see if they had struck. This week I noticed they were well up and in need of thinning out and regular watering.
I thinned them out by transplanting some like Pansy and lobelia which have shallow roots into deeper seed trays and those with longer deeper roots like lupin and oriental poppy into their own individual small root pots. The shallow rooted plants transplant well into the garden or baskets from a tray but it is best to have a well developed root ball attached to the stronger deeper rooted seedlings when planting out.
Baskets and pots need to be thought about now, again use only shallow rooted plants for baskets like pansy, lobelia, small type petunias, Virginia stock and nasturtium with lots of slow release fertiliser and water Chrystal's to keep them going.
With pots, the roots of what you want to plant will determine the size and depth of the pot. Potted roses need a deep pot which will not heat up and cook the roots at the height of summer. Tin foil around the inside of a pot before filling,( shinny side facing out) will help keep roots cool for roses, camellias, azales', hydrangeas and small trees & shrubs. All potted plants need excellent drainage and a consistent supply of food and water. if a potted plant is left to really dry out before each watering it will never thrive and look lush and healthy.
Now is the time to take tubular begonias out of dry storage, I see mine are starting to sprout a little. I have been cutting large tubas with a sharp knife into smaller individual pieces each with a noticeable shoot ready to plant into baskets and containers.
The showy red flamboyant begonias become nice big tubas in time and by cutting sections off them each year you will achieve a nice boarder of them in no time. It's best to lift them at the end of their growing season each year because like dahlias they can rot in wet ground. All begonias love any fertiliser with a seaweed of fish content.
I have just planted wild flower seeds thickly into gaps created from removing old trees and shrubs. The wild flowers will make an interesting change until I decide on permanent plantings.
Roses are really leafing up now and the warmer it becomes the more aphids ( green fly) will be about, aphids settle on the top new growth of rose bushes and are easily visible on new small leaves for you to dispose of them by removing with finger and thumb along with the fish emulsion deterrent which will confuse bugs with it smelling of protein. I leave pesticide and fungicide spraying until leaves are well grown and and hardened up a little.
New lawns can be sown now on the coast and as soon as we have a few more nice sunny days in a row to warm the ground up the grass seed will strike, as I have mentioned before seed must be sown thickly in spring to beat the annual weeds. Keep the mower blades up when cutting spring grass to allow it to thicken up and feed a little each time it rains and they will stay lush.
Vegetables
Here on the coast Plant lettuce plants at two week intervals and any spare ground could be planted out in new potatoes, they are so much better dug just before you cook them.
My board beans are well up, I was once told to plant each bean with a little pot ash to help with rust problems, they still get a little rust but I think that's probably due to them getting too dry between watering's, like corn their roots are well up near the surface, mounding soil up over their roots stops roots becoming exposed and drying out too quickly. The birds were making a feast of my young cabbage and broccoli plants so I have covered them with frost cloth weighed down at the edges with stones. It's a bit of a pain having to remove it when I water but without the birds devouring them they continue to grow well.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 7th September 2011
Mmmm, warm Spring days, the season of new beginnings and this past week has convinced me that spring has arrived in North Otago although there is very little blossom in our garden yet, but something new is happening each day, sweet peas, ranunculus, anemones and tulips are through and putting on good growth. I am watching what is pushing through the pea straw and clearing a space to let light in.
We have very wide perennial boarders which insist on growing couch, biddy- bid, and chick-weed which I try to get rid of now while still small and the plants are still low. While doing this weeding I can see what needs attention like delphiniums needing stakes to give support while growing, removing mulch from around iris rhizomes and peony rose crowns and removing self sown plants and natives before they settle in.
The weeds are off to a flying start so the spraying has begun here, there are organic weed sprays on the market that work best when weeds are new and small so now is the time.
I cut the old growth from the cat-mint this week, I leave some on over the colder months to protect the new growth, once the new leaves start showing the old growth can be removed. I do the same to erigeron daisy, (sea side daisy). I also cut back my lavenders by half this week to prevent them from going woody.
Liquid feeding now on all perennials and bedding plants and a good general fertiliser watered in for trees and shrubs to help them along.
Azaleas and tulips are the exception, azaleas like fed after flowering and tulips store enough food in the bulb for their requirements. if you load them up with more they will grow more leaf than needed and hide the blooms. (No feeding for Australian or South African shrubs such as leucodendron, protea, waratah and grevillea.)
Roses, the secret to keeping roses free from is to remove all last years' diseased leaves from the ground around them and burn. Keep the food up to the bushes, starting now while they are beginning to leaf and continue right through until the end of summer. Manure enriched compost around them now will feed and protect the roots but keep it off the graft. (where the trunk is joined to the rootstock). Blood & bone, vormacast or the liquid form a worm farm is also good right now. When the ground warms up a little sprinkle the man made balanced rose fertiliser around them, these fertilisers have been designed to promote just the right amount of leaf and flower growth, and need the warmer soil to activate. Don't waste them by using them too soon.
All plants, shrubs and trees will respond to feeding now, the sap is well up and buds are swelling and bursting open.
Lets Get serious about growing vegetables!
I have come across people trying to make vegetable gardens work with limited top soil.
Sections have been cleared of top soil to build a home and the depth of soil remaining is not adequate for a good producing vegetable patch. Good deep loam containing a generous amount of humus
( organic matter) is what is required and a slightly raised deeply dug area is best. There is still time to prepare some ground for this years growing season.
1. Frame a sunny spot the size you require with Oamaru stone blocks or old railway sleepers or even small bales of straw or hay.
2. dig the area over to loosen the soil then add some clean top soil and animal manure.
3. Water deeply, then leave for a week or two to settle.
It will find it's level and you may need to add more top soil to obtain a good depth. When planting out your first crop of veg sift some weed free top soil into a wheel barrow to use along the rows to be planted out with either plants or seed. Sifted soil is nice and fine and packs tightly around new roots giving young plants a good start before roots get down into the top soil.
If space is limited why not create a no dig garden.
1. On flat ground edge an area with stone, sleepers or hay bales. ( Full sun)
2. first layer on top of the ground spread news paper a good half centimetre thick and saturate.
3. Second layer a generous amount of horse or cow manure. (this will bring the worms up)
4. Third layer, a generous amount of moist compost with some moist soil mixed plus a sprinkle of lime.
5. Forth layer, wads of lucerne hay (not too thick) wet and sprinkle a few handfuls of blood & bone on top.
5. Fifth layer more compost with soil mixed sprinkled with a little lime.
6. Soak each layer as you build
7. Sixth layer wet news paper, Oamaru mail thickness as a weed suppressant.
8. Seventh layer, top straw cover thick enough to keep light out. (except where seeds are planted)
9. Repeat layering as many times as you like to get the bulk required
10. Leave to sink and settle, this will remove air pockets, keep watering !
To plant: make holes through the wet news paper on the top layer, into the manure/soil for each plant ( leaves should be above straw in the light and roots below covered by the wet news paper and straw. Water regularly because raised gardens are quick draining.
The bed will break down into a nutrient-rich soil, so it will need to be kept topped up with organic matter like soft clippings, hay or pea straw, compost, un-sprayed grass clippings (thin layers)
I have tried no dig gardens with no soil content but found for me they did not have enough body to retain moisture in the heat of mid summer.
Why dig a garden the conventional way when there are millions of worms willing to do the work for you.
Cheers, Linda
We have very wide perennial boarders which insist on growing couch, biddy- bid, and chick-weed which I try to get rid of now while still small and the plants are still low. While doing this weeding I can see what needs attention like delphiniums needing stakes to give support while growing, removing mulch from around iris rhizomes and peony rose crowns and removing self sown plants and natives before they settle in.
The weeds are off to a flying start so the spraying has begun here, there are organic weed sprays on the market that work best when weeds are new and small so now is the time.
I cut the old growth from the cat-mint this week, I leave some on over the colder months to protect the new growth, once the new leaves start showing the old growth can be removed. I do the same to erigeron daisy, (sea side daisy). I also cut back my lavenders by half this week to prevent them from going woody.
Liquid feeding now on all perennials and bedding plants and a good general fertiliser watered in for trees and shrubs to help them along.
Azaleas and tulips are the exception, azaleas like fed after flowering and tulips store enough food in the bulb for their requirements. if you load them up with more they will grow more leaf than needed and hide the blooms. (No feeding for Australian or South African shrubs such as leucodendron, protea, waratah and grevillea.)
Roses, the secret to keeping roses free from is to remove all last years' diseased leaves from the ground around them and burn. Keep the food up to the bushes, starting now while they are beginning to leaf and continue right through until the end of summer. Manure enriched compost around them now will feed and protect the roots but keep it off the graft. (where the trunk is joined to the rootstock). Blood & bone, vormacast or the liquid form a worm farm is also good right now. When the ground warms up a little sprinkle the man made balanced rose fertiliser around them, these fertilisers have been designed to promote just the right amount of leaf and flower growth, and need the warmer soil to activate. Don't waste them by using them too soon.
All plants, shrubs and trees will respond to feeding now, the sap is well up and buds are swelling and bursting open.
Lets Get serious about growing vegetables!
I have come across people trying to make vegetable gardens work with limited top soil.
Sections have been cleared of top soil to build a home and the depth of soil remaining is not adequate for a good producing vegetable patch. Good deep loam containing a generous amount of humus
( organic matter) is what is required and a slightly raised deeply dug area is best. There is still time to prepare some ground for this years growing season.
1. Frame a sunny spot the size you require with Oamaru stone blocks or old railway sleepers or even small bales of straw or hay.
2. dig the area over to loosen the soil then add some clean top soil and animal manure.
3. Water deeply, then leave for a week or two to settle.
It will find it's level and you may need to add more top soil to obtain a good depth. When planting out your first crop of veg sift some weed free top soil into a wheel barrow to use along the rows to be planted out with either plants or seed. Sifted soil is nice and fine and packs tightly around new roots giving young plants a good start before roots get down into the top soil.
If space is limited why not create a no dig garden.
1. On flat ground edge an area with stone, sleepers or hay bales. ( Full sun)
2. first layer on top of the ground spread news paper a good half centimetre thick and saturate.
3. Second layer a generous amount of horse or cow manure. (this will bring the worms up)
4. Third layer, a generous amount of moist compost with some moist soil mixed plus a sprinkle of lime.
5. Forth layer, wads of lucerne hay (not too thick) wet and sprinkle a few handfuls of blood & bone on top.
5. Fifth layer more compost with soil mixed sprinkled with a little lime.
6. Soak each layer as you build
7. Sixth layer wet news paper, Oamaru mail thickness as a weed suppressant.
8. Seventh layer, top straw cover thick enough to keep light out. (except where seeds are planted)
9. Repeat layering as many times as you like to get the bulk required
10. Leave to sink and settle, this will remove air pockets, keep watering !
To plant: make holes through the wet news paper on the top layer, into the manure/soil for each plant ( leaves should be above straw in the light and roots below covered by the wet news paper and straw. Water regularly because raised gardens are quick draining.
The bed will break down into a nutrient-rich soil, so it will need to be kept topped up with organic matter like soft clippings, hay or pea straw, compost, un-sprayed grass clippings (thin layers)
I have tried no dig gardens with no soil content but found for me they did not have enough body to retain moisture in the heat of mid summer.
Why dig a garden the conventional way when there are millions of worms willing to do the work for you.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 30th August 2011
September already!! and what lovely mild days we have been enjoying but if other Septembers are anything to go by we should have a few more frosts yet.
My early magnolia Star Wars is in spectacular bloom right now but it will take only one good frost to spoil every bloom by turning them brown which is such a shame because these large baby pink blooms have been nursed in soft fury buds for quite some time.
Weeds have made a start with these unusually warm days,I have been pulling out chick weed and sticky biddy bid weed before they get a hold and I have been addressing flat weeds by spraying on the non windy days, zap them while they are small and the result is much better.
For paved areas and drive ways that have been cleaned of weeds there is a product call Ronstar that can be used to stop new seeds germinating. it comes in a granulated form and you sprinkle it on like salt. Concentrate on the cracks where weeds grow. it will have no effect growing leaves and roots but makes the ground sterile to stop seed germination.
Roses are leafing up now so start spraying with combination insecticide / fungicide spray like Shield at 10 day intervals. Add folia food at the same time, I use natures way organic sprays. Don't spray while the sun is at its strongest, the leaves are still very soft and tender and can be burned with hot sun shinning through droplets.
KEEP UP THE WATER AND FOOD TO ROSES FROM NOW ON, this is the best way to keep them healthy.
Two weeks ago I planted seeds and they have already popped through the soil, now it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the weather and nursing them until they are strong and can stand alone.
Enjoy the beautiful spring blooms but start thinking summer colour now... this is where you can paint your own picture in your garden.
Hot colours to zaz up an area or whites silvers and greens to tone down harsh background colours.
Where there is dirt fill with flowers, or weeds will grow instead. I plan to smother the garden with flowers. For low maintenance gardens with shrubs and bark cover you can create pockets of colour between the shrubs by scraping away the bark and with a craft knife cut a section of weed mat on 2 sides to a point, fold it under at the point edge and fill the dirt gap with annuals then replace the bark around them. Once they have finished flowering remove before they seed and pull the folded flap of weed mat back over the area then re- bark. A splash of colour among green shrubberies makes all the difference.
This weekend I will be ridding the pond of most of the oxygen weed, while the water is still too cold for fish to breed. I will leave enough weed for the female fish to blow their eggs into. If you wait to do this until the water is warmer you will be removing fish eggs with the weed. If you have a small pond and can catch the large fish I would remove them once you think eggs have been laid. Breeding starts when fish chase each other around the pond, when the chasing stops the eggs have been laid. By removing the big fish and putting them into a make shift pond (always filling with the original pond water) you will be removing the large predators who eat the eggs if they find them or eat the baby fish when they hatch out. Leaving the pond to grow all the baby fish to a size that the big fish will leave alone. A baby gold fish starts it's life a tiny grey fish as a camouflage, much smaller than a whitebait and changes to gold / orange when big enough to be out of danger from the bigger gold fish.
Vegetables & Fruit
I have put some corn and pumpkin seeds in which I will nurse for as long as it takes once they are up. I find the summer season to be too short for these two veg to ripen so an early start is the only thing that works here in my garden.
It is also the time to sow tomatoes seeds for the glass house right now, but don't let
seeds or plants go into the night cold and wet do the watering early in the day.
Fruit trees are beginning to blossom and if the sun keeps shinning the bees will be about to do their job.
Cheers, Linda http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.com/
My early magnolia Star Wars is in spectacular bloom right now but it will take only one good frost to spoil every bloom by turning them brown which is such a shame because these large baby pink blooms have been nursed in soft fury buds for quite some time.
Weeds have made a start with these unusually warm days,I have been pulling out chick weed and sticky biddy bid weed before they get a hold and I have been addressing flat weeds by spraying on the non windy days, zap them while they are small and the result is much better.
For paved areas and drive ways that have been cleaned of weeds there is a product call Ronstar that can be used to stop new seeds germinating. it comes in a granulated form and you sprinkle it on like salt. Concentrate on the cracks where weeds grow. it will have no effect growing leaves and roots but makes the ground sterile to stop seed germination.
Roses are leafing up now so start spraying with combination insecticide / fungicide spray like Shield at 10 day intervals. Add folia food at the same time, I use natures way organic sprays. Don't spray while the sun is at its strongest, the leaves are still very soft and tender and can be burned with hot sun shinning through droplets.
KEEP UP THE WATER AND FOOD TO ROSES FROM NOW ON, this is the best way to keep them healthy.
Two weeks ago I planted seeds and they have already popped through the soil, now it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the weather and nursing them until they are strong and can stand alone.
Enjoy the beautiful spring blooms but start thinking summer colour now... this is where you can paint your own picture in your garden.
Hot colours to zaz up an area or whites silvers and greens to tone down harsh background colours.
Where there is dirt fill with flowers, or weeds will grow instead. I plan to smother the garden with flowers. For low maintenance gardens with shrubs and bark cover you can create pockets of colour between the shrubs by scraping away the bark and with a craft knife cut a section of weed mat on 2 sides to a point, fold it under at the point edge and fill the dirt gap with annuals then replace the bark around them. Once they have finished flowering remove before they seed and pull the folded flap of weed mat back over the area then re- bark. A splash of colour among green shrubberies makes all the difference.
This weekend I will be ridding the pond of most of the oxygen weed, while the water is still too cold for fish to breed. I will leave enough weed for the female fish to blow their eggs into. If you wait to do this until the water is warmer you will be removing fish eggs with the weed. If you have a small pond and can catch the large fish I would remove them once you think eggs have been laid. Breeding starts when fish chase each other around the pond, when the chasing stops the eggs have been laid. By removing the big fish and putting them into a make shift pond (always filling with the original pond water) you will be removing the large predators who eat the eggs if they find them or eat the baby fish when they hatch out. Leaving the pond to grow all the baby fish to a size that the big fish will leave alone. A baby gold fish starts it's life a tiny grey fish as a camouflage, much smaller than a whitebait and changes to gold / orange when big enough to be out of danger from the bigger gold fish.
Vegetables & Fruit
I have put some corn and pumpkin seeds in which I will nurse for as long as it takes once they are up. I find the summer season to be too short for these two veg to ripen so an early start is the only thing that works here in my garden.
It is also the time to sow tomatoes seeds for the glass house right now, but don't let
seeds or plants go into the night cold and wet do the watering early in the day.
Fruit trees are beginning to blossom and if the sun keeps shinning the bees will be about to do their job.
Cheers, Linda http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 27th August 2011
How lovely it has been this week, nice sunny days to help spring come to life.
The Garden centers are filling up with wonderful well grown bedding plants, some even in flower which makes me think they will need protection in the garden when planted out while frosts are around. The best idea is to buy while there is a good selection on offer and hold them in a sheltered place to harden off for a week or two before planting out.
Roses on sale now are all leafing up in their bags, it is still ok to plant them for a while yet while the ground is moist and cold. They will be making feeder roots into the potting mix in their bags so planting will need to done carefully from now on so not to disturb those new feeder roots.
Trees and shrubs
There are some lovely magnolias and michelia's on offer now as well, they are all in bud and look as if they need hardened off before planting, to get plants to look as good as that this early in the South Island they will have had some pretty special growing conditions. One lovely small magnolia I noticed was called Fairy blush, it is an evergreen which grows bushier and smaller than the original grandiflora magnolias. This one can be grown as a hedge or in a large pot. magnolias resent having their fleshy roots disturbed so be very careful when planting.Also keep an eye out for flowering camellias and rhododendrons now in the garden centers, most are showing buds and flowers, this is the time to choose the right shades for your garden
Lawns
It will not be to long before lawns start growing again, if there is any hint of rain I will be feeding mine with nitrophoska blue which I have found is a great boost for grass coming back from winter conditions. it requires being watered in before it can become available to roots and rain is best for this. Lawn fertilisers will burn grass and roots if left sitting on dry lawn.
Herbs
With the popular modern cooking trend these days a kitchen herb garden is a pleasure to grow and have close to the house.
It is wonderful to be able to pluck needed herbs from your kitchen garden like parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, bay, basil, to name just a few. Herbs grow happily together and all like the same growing conditions, full sun and a well nourished good draining sweet soil. This means they can grow in a small area or even a large deep good draining container. A dressing of lime in winter will sweeten the soil in time for their growing season, mid spring through to winter.
Rosemary being a woody herb will produce strong roots that will encroach on softer growing herbs so in small herb gardens plant this in the top a bucket with the bottom cut out and buried in the ground. The bucket will contain the roots. Mint can be contained this way as well.
Never plant lemon balm in a kitchen herb garden because in no time at all it will spread and choke every other plant. Best planted in a container.
Tall plants like pineapple sage, fennel and upright rosemary can be planted as a low hedge divider if you wanted to section off an area in the veg garden for herbs. A standard bay planted at each end of a herb divider hedge looks good.
Vegetables
Its all on now for sowing as many seeds as you have room for and planting leaf veg before the white butterfly's arrive here on the coast,
keep the hoe moving between rows to keep weeds down, this movement will keep soil warmer.
Protection will still be needed further inland.
Seed Potatoes are available now for sprouting – place on a tray in a dry area for a couple of weeks until the ‘eyes’ are at least 2cm long. Early varieties around now include Swift, Rocket and Cliffs Kidney
Onions – spring, red or the popular Pukekohe ‘Long Keeper’ can be planted now, provided the soil is draining well.
Last weekend I cut back the leaves on strawberries that fruited for the first time last summer, added manure enriched compost to existing plants then planted out a few new runner plants. I created a raised strawberry bed last year by using two logs high edging to raise the bed up higher than ground level, Strawberry plants benefit from manure buried in shallow trenches along the side of the rows then when they start growing a dressing of fertiliser high in potash for good fruit development.
Putting out runners weakens a strawberry plant, best to remove the runners before new growth begins. I don't keep plants any longer that two fruiting seasons and always plant a bed of new runner plants which will take place of the second year fruiting plants once removed.
Cheers, Linda
The Garden centers are filling up with wonderful well grown bedding plants, some even in flower which makes me think they will need protection in the garden when planted out while frosts are around. The best idea is to buy while there is a good selection on offer and hold them in a sheltered place to harden off for a week or two before planting out.
Roses on sale now are all leafing up in their bags, it is still ok to plant them for a while yet while the ground is moist and cold. They will be making feeder roots into the potting mix in their bags so planting will need to done carefully from now on so not to disturb those new feeder roots.
Trees and shrubs
There are some lovely magnolias and michelia's on offer now as well, they are all in bud and look as if they need hardened off before planting, to get plants to look as good as that this early in the South Island they will have had some pretty special growing conditions. One lovely small magnolia I noticed was called Fairy blush, it is an evergreen which grows bushier and smaller than the original grandiflora magnolias. This one can be grown as a hedge or in a large pot. magnolias resent having their fleshy roots disturbed so be very careful when planting.Also keep an eye out for flowering camellias and rhododendrons now in the garden centers, most are showing buds and flowers, this is the time to choose the right shades for your garden
Lawns
It will not be to long before lawns start growing again, if there is any hint of rain I will be feeding mine with nitrophoska blue which I have found is a great boost for grass coming back from winter conditions. it requires being watered in before it can become available to roots and rain is best for this. Lawn fertilisers will burn grass and roots if left sitting on dry lawn.
Herbs
With the popular modern cooking trend these days a kitchen herb garden is a pleasure to grow and have close to the house.
It is wonderful to be able to pluck needed herbs from your kitchen garden like parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, bay, basil, to name just a few. Herbs grow happily together and all like the same growing conditions, full sun and a well nourished good draining sweet soil. This means they can grow in a small area or even a large deep good draining container. A dressing of lime in winter will sweeten the soil in time for their growing season, mid spring through to winter.
Rosemary being a woody herb will produce strong roots that will encroach on softer growing herbs so in small herb gardens plant this in the top a bucket with the bottom cut out and buried in the ground. The bucket will contain the roots. Mint can be contained this way as well.
Never plant lemon balm in a kitchen herb garden because in no time at all it will spread and choke every other plant. Best planted in a container.
Tall plants like pineapple sage, fennel and upright rosemary can be planted as a low hedge divider if you wanted to section off an area in the veg garden for herbs. A standard bay planted at each end of a herb divider hedge looks good.
Vegetables
Its all on now for sowing as many seeds as you have room for and planting leaf veg before the white butterfly's arrive here on the coast,
keep the hoe moving between rows to keep weeds down, this movement will keep soil warmer.
Protection will still be needed further inland.
Seed Potatoes are available now for sprouting – place on a tray in a dry area for a couple of weeks until the ‘eyes’ are at least 2cm long. Early varieties around now include Swift, Rocket and Cliffs Kidney
Onions – spring, red or the popular Pukekohe ‘Long Keeper’ can be planted now, provided the soil is draining well.
Last weekend I cut back the leaves on strawberries that fruited for the first time last summer, added manure enriched compost to existing plants then planted out a few new runner plants. I created a raised strawberry bed last year by using two logs high edging to raise the bed up higher than ground level, Strawberry plants benefit from manure buried in shallow trenches along the side of the rows then when they start growing a dressing of fertiliser high in potash for good fruit development.
Putting out runners weakens a strawberry plant, best to remove the runners before new growth begins. I don't keep plants any longer that two fruiting seasons and always plant a bed of new runner plants which will take place of the second year fruiting plants once removed.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 16th August 2011
Ohhh yes the forecasters were right, that was a polar blast! and boy did it set people back from normal day to day living. But from the garden and land point of view surely a good dollop of snow is just what a known drought area like North Otago needs. A good deep watering will come from this and the benefits will be obvious in the spring through to early summer. It is still very wet and sticky under foot but plants and new lambs are pushing on and making it feel more like spring everyday.
This week I have been doing inside stuff but did manage a bit of the final winter clean up around the gardens I don't 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 other areas where bulbs are growing and now that I can see where where they are popping up I push it away from them so light can get to them.
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 a lot of roots trapped out grow the container. With applications of complete plant food and compost this condition will be rectified, with 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.
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 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 shed if you have any.
Lawns
After all the snow & rain moss will thrive 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.
Things that would 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 rarely competes with strong growing grass in lawns. Get the grass growing properly starting with the first spring feeding when temperatures rise soon. Slow release grass fertliser is ideal when the ground is wet and rain is about.
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.
Vegetables
Pick winter crops while still at their best - Fold cauliflower leaves over and tie to protect from frost and keep florets tight.
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.
Here on the coast 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.
Further inland the soil will take a bit of thawing out before any planting Can be done.
Fruit
My peach trees are just at bud burst right now so I am waiting for the rain to stop to enable me me to spray with a copper spray which will help with leaf curl.
If you have not already pruned your peach or nectarine tree I will run through how to go about it although it is late enough with the sap up and trees coming into blossom.
1. For the glass shape pick four main scaffold branches and simplify, cut larger branches needing removed close to the trunk, leaving a collar will encourage tree borer.
2. Remove small weak upright branches on trunk or main branches.
3. Leave 50 to 75 pencil thick shooting wood per tree.
Both peach and nectarine fruit on wood developed last summer. Inspect the buds on newer wood, single buds are leaf buds, double buds are immature fruit buds and triple buds are mature fruit buds. Cut to an outward facing double bud, try to leave triples.
Citrus are susceptible to water logging so remove saucers from under potted lemon bushes while it is so wet and always ensure that your bushes in the ground have good drainage and are not sitting in a puddle of water.
Cheers, Linda
This week I have been doing inside stuff but did manage a bit of the final winter clean up around the gardens I don't 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 other areas where bulbs are growing and now that I can see where where they are popping up I push it away from them so light can get to them.
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 a lot of roots trapped out grow the container. With applications of complete plant food and compost this condition will be rectified, with 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.
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 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 shed if you have any.
Lawns
After all the snow & rain moss will thrive 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.
Things that would 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 rarely competes with strong growing grass in lawns. Get the grass growing properly starting with the first spring feeding when temperatures rise soon. Slow release grass fertliser is ideal when the ground is wet and rain is about.
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.
Vegetables
Pick winter crops while still at their best - Fold cauliflower leaves over and tie to protect from frost and keep florets tight.
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.
Here on the coast 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.
Further inland the soil will take a bit of thawing out before any planting Can be done.
Fruit
My peach trees are just at bud burst right now so I am waiting for the rain to stop to enable me me to spray with a copper spray which will help with leaf curl.
If you have not already pruned your peach or nectarine tree I will run through how to go about it although it is late enough with the sap up and trees coming into blossom.
1. For the glass shape pick four main scaffold branches and simplify, cut larger branches needing removed close to the trunk, leaving a collar will encourage tree borer.
2. Remove small weak upright branches on trunk or main branches.
3. Leave 50 to 75 pencil thick shooting wood per tree.
Both peach and nectarine fruit on wood developed last summer. Inspect the buds on newer wood, single buds are leaf buds, double buds are immature fruit buds and triple buds are mature fruit buds. Cut to an outward facing double bud, try to leave triples.
Citrus are susceptible to water logging so remove saucers from under potted lemon bushes while it is so wet and always ensure that your bushes in the ground have good drainage and are not sitting in a puddle of water.
Cheers, Linda
Friday, August 12, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 10th August 2011
So much is beginning to awaken in the garden, I feel spring in the air with the fragrance from winter sweet, witch hazel and Daphne wafting to the music of Chopin around our garden. The birds are beginning to nest and my first jonquils have opened. I do love the beginning of a new growing season as you can surely to tell!
After months of hard stuff going on in this garden it is now time to create and dress the garden by planting out, feeding and watering. I have been liquid feeding with worm juice from my worm farm, which I add at black tea strength to a full watering can then apply generously to all new leaf and budding plants like pollyantha's, forget-me-nots, dianthus, sweet peas, pansy, viola and winter roses. Helping them along with feeding now will get their roots going and keep them green and strong through the cold snaps yet to come.
Slow release fertiliser is a great idea now as well, sprinkle around established ornamental and newly planted trees and shrubs to be there ready when the plants needs food.
This week the chain-saw was on the go again removing shrubs that had become woody and trees too close to each other, I look forward to filling all the gaps and creating a new look.
While on the go I set to cutting back my wigelias and spirea, removing all the old branches that have flowed long enough, you can tell which branches they are because the wood looks really old and spent compared to the new fresh wood there ready and waiting to take their place.
A few more hydrangeas have been prunned as nice fat buds are swelling on the stems. Cut only those stems that have flowered at the second bud from the bottom, leave all other stems because these are the flowers for this year.
Grow some cuttings from the hardened hydrangea, flowered steams which have been removed. A shaded moist area is best for planting these and hopefully roots will grow to feed the buds on the cuttings. Some times I get good results by covering the cuttings with a box keeping the light out which holds the buds back to encourage roots.
I have also been taking cuttings from the hardened off geranium steams, fresh grown geraniums give amazing colour to a warm sunny garden for all of the growing season and even into the winter, they are so easy to grow from cuttings. Take short cuttings with semi hard wood, (not a new green steam) and let them dry out a little before planting them, which means you don't have to deal with them straight away. plant them into a soil and river sand mix and firm down, Potting mix is too light to get a tight seal around the cutting. I am forever taking cuttings from geraniums I like when I come across them in friends gardens, and giving cuttings from mine.
Trim dentata lavender now, (that's the tall growing hedging lavender with bumblebee flowers) as they are budding up now ready to burst into flower, but leave trimming other lavenders a little longer. All lavenders like sweetening up with a little lime,
Cut back bush lavatera now also, they get very woody if left.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are still available in the Garden centers this month, they can be planted from now until September.
Apply a dressing of Rose Food to establish Rose's and Water in well.
Vegetables & fruit
Fruit Trees are still available in most Garden Centres. If you think your garden is too small for fruit trees, I have seen dwarf Peach and Nectarine Trees on offer. What better if you need a little tree to add height in an area of your garden, why not have one that blossoms beautifully and then gives you fruit.They are perfect for the smaller garden as they only grow to a width and height of 1.5 metres. They can also be grown in a tub and require very little pruning.
The vegetable garden is still enjoying a frost or two, although my raised gardens are in such a sunny location I would have liked a few harder frosts to break up the soil. I am still digging carrots and using silver beet and broccoli, and the leeks are growing well, it is so good not to have to worry about the bugs during these colder months. If your veg garden is still cold and frosty there is not much for you to do apart from adding some compost and a little lime in readiness for when you plant out later this month.
I have finished pruning my wine grapes - this year I have had to remove some old leaders, replacing them with new growth leaders along wires. The result of this will be vertical budding and fruiting next year. To prune a fruiting leader remove all new long growth on the vine other than the fruiting leader, on the leaders prune each new growth back to the second bud. These fruiting buds should be around a hand space apart to ensure adequate sized fruit, this means removing some of the new bud growth along the top of the leader and all of the new bud growth growing underneath. Some of these new budding top growths will throw two lots of bud branch, remove the least stronger one leaving only one lot of double buds to produce fruit.
I see the bees at work already which is a good sign for the soon to be happening fruit blossom pollination .
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Gardening in North Otago August 2nd 2011
The start of another new month!! and a lovely week for working out in the garden this week for me, all the rose pruning now completed so will spray all this weekend with winter oil.
The wisteria is next to be pruned, All the long slim leaders growing out in all directions will
be removed.
Once your wisteria has reached the length you require with a chosen leader, or maybe two going in opposite directions all other leaders can be removed. If allowed to grow, a wispy new leader will eventually become as thick as a tree branch, and too many of theses become a tangled mess and very heavy if being trained along a balcony.Don't prune any other part off a wisteria at this time of the year because you may remove the flower buds being formed right now. Reduce the size of large established wisterias once flowering has finished.
Clumps of hellebore's are looking fantastic in our garden right now and with the sun we have been blessed with the bee's are out and about pollinating them. once pollinated the center of the flower changes with the forming of seed pods, when this has taken place the stems become firmer and will last in water when picked. Hellebore's seed down very readily growing masses of baby plants beneath the mother plants. These seedlings can be transplanted or potted up in the second year when they have developed two strong leaves, but will not flower until around the forth year.
I notice Marguerite daisies here that have been badly damaged after the snow, I will leave the damaged growth on top to protect the growth
below and cut back to hard wood when frosts have finished. Marguerite daisies like geraniums grow rapidly back to being bushy when the climate suits them.
Ordinary garden soils that missed a good conditioning in autumn would still benefit from a layer of Compost spread on top. It can be dug in around August once the temperatures begin to rise. Before then the worms will work their way up towards this new layer of organic matter
bringing the compost down into the soil for you!
Vegetables & Fruit
These lovely mid-winter days we are experiencing here in North otago seem perfect for planting at a time when we usually don't. There are edibles that go into the ground when it is cold and damp. But remember none of these will survive in boggy soils.I planted broad beans and peas three weeks ago and they are now well up.
Garlic and Shallots are available to plant - dig compost through your soil or fill a container and plant separated cloves of garlic approximately twice the depth of the clove. Take care not to damage cloves when separating out the bulb. You could get up to 20 cloves per bulb!
Strawberries are easy to plant in all kinds of containers or straight into sunny/raised garden beds along with slow release fertiliser. Strawberries also seem to do very well in a hanging strawberry bag, but it would pay to wrap it with bird netting once the fruit starts turning red.
I got really stuck into my gooseberry bushes this week, cleaned the middle out of cross over branches and took off the branches skirting the ground which lifted the bushes up enough for picking underneath, many of these lower branches had grown roots into the ground so I have potted these sections up, they will develop into good size bushes in a couple of growing seasons.
Cheers, Linda.
The wisteria is next to be pruned, All the long slim leaders growing out in all directions will
be removed.
Once your wisteria has reached the length you require with a chosen leader, or maybe two going in opposite directions all other leaders can be removed. If allowed to grow, a wispy new leader will eventually become as thick as a tree branch, and too many of theses become a tangled mess and very heavy if being trained along a balcony.Don't prune any other part off a wisteria at this time of the year because you may remove the flower buds being formed right now. Reduce the size of large established wisterias once flowering has finished.
Clumps of hellebore's are looking fantastic in our garden right now and with the sun we have been blessed with the bee's are out and about pollinating them. once pollinated the center of the flower changes with the forming of seed pods, when this has taken place the stems become firmer and will last in water when picked. Hellebore's seed down very readily growing masses of baby plants beneath the mother plants. These seedlings can be transplanted or potted up in the second year when they have developed two strong leaves, but will not flower until around the forth year.
I notice Marguerite daisies here that have been badly damaged after the snow, I will leave the damaged growth on top to protect the growth
below and cut back to hard wood when frosts have finished. Marguerite daisies like geraniums grow rapidly back to being bushy when the climate suits them.
Ordinary garden soils that missed a good conditioning in autumn would still benefit from a layer of Compost spread on top. It can be dug in around August once the temperatures begin to rise. Before then the worms will work their way up towards this new layer of organic matter
bringing the compost down into the soil for you!
Vegetables & Fruit
These lovely mid-winter days we are experiencing here in North otago seem perfect for planting at a time when we usually don't. There are edibles that go into the ground when it is cold and damp. But remember none of these will survive in boggy soils.I planted broad beans and peas three weeks ago and they are now well up.
Garlic and Shallots are available to plant - dig compost through your soil or fill a container and plant separated cloves of garlic approximately twice the depth of the clove. Take care not to damage cloves when separating out the bulb. You could get up to 20 cloves per bulb!
Strawberries are easy to plant in all kinds of containers or straight into sunny/raised garden beds along with slow release fertiliser. Strawberries also seem to do very well in a hanging strawberry bag, but it would pay to wrap it with bird netting once the fruit starts turning red.
I got really stuck into my gooseberry bushes this week, cleaned the middle out of cross over branches and took off the branches skirting the ground which lifted the bushes up enough for picking underneath, many of these lower branches had grown roots into the ground so I have potted these sections up, they will develop into good size bushes in a couple of growing seasons.
Cheers, Linda.
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