Gardening in North Otago 12th february 2011

Well we got the decent rain that we were waiting for and what a lot of good it has done to freshen everything up after such hot weather this
It is great compost weather, plenty of moisture and heat to get compost heaps cooking. I know we have a lot of grass clippings right now but don't pile these on your compost heap on their own especially if they are wet, they will form a shield and not let the air and rain in and end up with a musty smelly mess. A compost heap needs air to work well. When starting your compost heap roll up some wire netting and secure with stakes. place this in the center and build up the heap around and over it. The wire can be removed when the heap is well cooked and ready to use. another way to aerate is to place thin planks of wood at different depths across the width of the pile as you are filling. When filled you can then move the planks up and down to let air in while decomposing.

Dahlia's are taking center stage now, and will carry us into autumn. Dahlias are making it into our flower borders where they contribute bright clear colour over a long season. Mix them with other late flowering perennials, there's a dahlia style and colour for every situation - cacti, singles, pompom and more. A bright splash of candy pink, almost black, vivid red or sassy orange, dahlias bring vibrant colour into a summer garden and remain through until the frosts force them back into the ground. Dahlia tuba's are a good investment for the garden because they increase in size from year to year and in time can be broken up to plant as gap fillers. They can be left in well draining ground all year round but if left in ground that holds water they will rot.

Plant annual seeds now to give colour in the winter like Iceland poppy, primula malacoidies, Virginian stock (a great plant for winter hanging baskets) wall flower, and flowering kale. have any of these at budding stage before the frosts arrive and they will push on and flower. This applies to coastal gardens only not further in land unless you have a frost free sheltered spot.
Lawns have really benifited from that last lot of rain it is strange to see them so green at this time of the year. I will give another reminder about dealing to grass grub from now until May when they are most active. have some granuals ready to apply during.. the next lot of rain.
Veg & fruit
Many edibles are peaking in production at the moment so enjoy – the more you harvest, the more some crops such as beans will crop
Water in the morning or evening before or after the full heat of the sun, otherwise there’s too much evaporation for the plants to thrive.

Here is a tip I read, Deter cats from using your new veggie garden as a toilet: blend up 4tsp chilli powder, 3 garlic cloves and an onion and stand in 2 litres of water overnight. Strain then spray the soil – also use on plants to control caterpillars and aphids. Might be worth trying if you have cat problems.

Cheers, Linda