A good settled day or two this week to dry the sodden ground out a little.
With our wedding's now at an end for this season I have been taking stock of the garden and making plans for what gets trimmed, shifted, chopped out and nurtured over the soon to be here cold months.
Collecting seed and taking hard wood cuttings is top of the list because I need to get the seed when dry and the cuttings in while the days are still warm enough for them to settle and start to make roots.
Take advantage of the warm ground and cool mornings and nights to keep planting out shrubs, their roots really take off at this time of the year and settle themselves in well before the frosts. I have been finding runners on some of my low growing shrubs, branches that have grown down and rooted themselves into the ground. This is the time of year to cut them from the mother plant and pot them up and nurse them over the winter then plant them out when the pot is filled with roots and growth starts moving again. This applies to climbers as well, jasmine, honey suckle, clematis. Have a look around the garden and see what is there for the taking.
Lavatera's need a good cut back now if they are to look good and bushy through the winter, cut out all the old non producing wood and let it come fresh again before the frosts.
Same for geraniums, they have made a lot of growth over the summer months and need to be cleaned out in the middle where old leaves accumulate and white fly can be harboring, cut out old non productive stems and shorten back long lanky growth. Leave alone further inland cover when frosts come but first take cuttings and protect over winter just in case.
If you would like sweet-peas flowering in early spring plant them now, they will pop up and winter will hold them but as soon as the ground warms up a little they will take off and be there for picking in august. Sweet-peas are gross feeders, they do best in a different position each year. If you really want them planted in the same place dig a trench and fill with stable manure to keep them fed for their long flowering period.
Keep an eye on hellebore's ( Winter rose's) they dry out at this time of the year to the point where they die.They are one of the first plants to flower in late winter. Keep the water up to them and feed them, blood & bone, manure or slow release fertiliser. The baby plants growing around mother plants can be potted up now, they take about three years from seed to flower.
Fruit & Vegetables
Codling moth caterpillars can be trapped now as they are leaving the trees, Tie strips of corrugated cardboard (Corrugation inwards) around the trunks. Once the harvest is over remove and destroy the cardboard.
Keep sowing vegetable seeds onion, radish, spinach and planting seedlings, cabbage, celery, winter lettuce here on the coast. further inland broad beans, cabbage and spinach.
I like to sow and plant butter crunch lettuce now as it keeps growing well into the winter.
Cheers, Linda.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
More rain this week which will make leaves hang on a little longer before turning into their brilliant Autumn colours, although i must say that the silver birch up our driveway have turned and are falling so the rake is out now, and will remain out for a few months.
I have enjoyed the rain on the compost, it has saved me getting the hose out, I have been turning the heaps to get the moisture well, I am turning the heaps at the moment and feel the heat starting to build up. I try and alternate the dry leaves with grass clippings and horse manure, keeping the moisture up as the piles grows.
Bulbs: are available now and there are so many on offer to brighten up gardens after a dull cold winter. Bulbs are a good investment for a garden because they are not just a oncer, they flower and multiply each year and when you have too many in one spot you can lift a few and start them somewhere else.
Plant where there are gaps around shrubberies or maybe where a shrub or tree has been removed, why not fill the gap with bulbs until the new shrub matures. Along a fence line is a good place for tall bulbs like daffodils and jonquils because they die right down over the summer competing grass and weeds can be sprayed out while they are still down in the ground leaving the ground free for the bulbs to pop up in autumn.
Large gardens can accommodate clumps of bluebells which naturalise well in woodland areas, smaller gardens could control them by planting in a bucket buried in the ground with the bottom cut out, they seed well so heads would need to cut off after they flowered. Lachenalia look wonderful in large clumps as well, they look like small hyacinths and flower for long periods. Bulbs, as with all plants must be suitably located if they are to thrive. Although their requirements vary most prefer a sunny situation which is free draining - however many tolerate partial shade. most bulbs today are sold with a picture and planting instruction on the packet so you cannot go wrong.Tulip bulbs will be in soon to be
planted in May.
I have been planting out seed collected last month, marigold,hollyhock, foxglove, sweet peas, poppy's, sweet William and primula Have a look at what is seeding around your garden and either plantthem now if your garden is in a sheltered area or store in brown paper bags and plant out in the spring.
Keep dead heading dahlias, they will keep flowering until the frost cuts them down.
Take mulch away from iris rhizomes and let them bake in the sun for a while.
Don't be to worried about dead heading roses from now on if you live in a very cold area, the more you take off them now the more new growth you will encourage which may not harden up in time for winter. In warmer coastal gardens roses will keep budding up for a little longer yet.
Good old fashioned geraniums never let you down and always give a wonderful display over summer and autumn. Cuttings can be taken now that the wood has hardened, cut at a nice leafy section along a branch, remove buds and push into fine soil or river sand and leave in a warm spot. once they have sent out root spot them up and nurse them along over winter if you are in a very cold area and you will have nice new bushes for next summer. On the coast they can be planted out in areas protected from frosts.
*Veg & fruit*
My late peach tree is abundant this year and the peaches are sweet and juicy they do not all become ready at once which is helpful but when they are ready they drop to the ground and spoil so need to be picked
daily.
My pumpkins are doing their thing and seem to be growing before my eyes, I will leave them a little longer yet as they were planted late this year, I always wait to plant these when there is no hint of a frost to set them back .When they have grown and are not quite ready to pick when the first frosts come I cover them at night with frost cloth. If the pumpkin sounds hollow when you knock on it and it's stem connection is drying out then it is ready to pick. I sit them in a sunny frost free place for a time before I store them in a cool dry place.
Plant carrots, onions, broad beans, cabbage and spinach (cover cabbage with frost cloth to keep the white butterfly off, remove when it becomes too cold for butterfly.
Cheers, Linda.
I have enjoyed the rain on the compost, it has saved me getting the hose out, I have been turning the heaps to get the moisture well, I am turning the heaps at the moment and feel the heat starting to build up. I try and alternate the dry leaves with grass clippings and horse manure, keeping the moisture up as the piles grows.
Bulbs: are available now and there are so many on offer to brighten up gardens after a dull cold winter. Bulbs are a good investment for a garden because they are not just a oncer, they flower and multiply each year and when you have too many in one spot you can lift a few and start them somewhere else.
Plant where there are gaps around shrubberies or maybe where a shrub or tree has been removed, why not fill the gap with bulbs until the new shrub matures. Along a fence line is a good place for tall bulbs like daffodils and jonquils because they die right down over the summer competing grass and weeds can be sprayed out while they are still down in the ground leaving the ground free for the bulbs to pop up in autumn.
Large gardens can accommodate clumps of bluebells which naturalise well in woodland areas, smaller gardens could control them by planting in a bucket buried in the ground with the bottom cut out, they seed well so heads would need to cut off after they flowered. Lachenalia look wonderful in large clumps as well, they look like small hyacinths and flower for long periods. Bulbs, as with all plants must be suitably located if they are to thrive. Although their requirements vary most prefer a sunny situation which is free draining - however many tolerate partial shade. most bulbs today are sold with a picture and planting instruction on the packet so you cannot go wrong.Tulip bulbs will be in soon to be
planted in May.
I have been planting out seed collected last month, marigold,hollyhock, foxglove, sweet peas, poppy's, sweet William and primula Have a look at what is seeding around your garden and either plantthem now if your garden is in a sheltered area or store in brown paper bags and plant out in the spring.
Keep dead heading dahlias, they will keep flowering until the frost cuts them down.
Take mulch away from iris rhizomes and let them bake in the sun for a while.
Don't be to worried about dead heading roses from now on if you live in a very cold area, the more you take off them now the more new growth you will encourage which may not harden up in time for winter. In warmer coastal gardens roses will keep budding up for a little longer yet.
Good old fashioned geraniums never let you down and always give a wonderful display over summer and autumn. Cuttings can be taken now that the wood has hardened, cut at a nice leafy section along a branch, remove buds and push into fine soil or river sand and leave in a warm spot. once they have sent out root spot them up and nurse them along over winter if you are in a very cold area and you will have nice new bushes for next summer. On the coast they can be planted out in areas protected from frosts.
*Veg & fruit*
My late peach tree is abundant this year and the peaches are sweet and juicy they do not all become ready at once which is helpful but when they are ready they drop to the ground and spoil so need to be picked
daily.
My pumpkins are doing their thing and seem to be growing before my eyes, I will leave them a little longer yet as they were planted late this year, I always wait to plant these when there is no hint of a frost to set them back .When they have grown and are not quite ready to pick when the first frosts come I cover them at night with frost cloth. If the pumpkin sounds hollow when you knock on it and it's stem connection is drying out then it is ready to pick. I sit them in a sunny frost free place for a time before I store them in a cool dry place.
Plant carrots, onions, broad beans, cabbage and spinach (cover cabbage with frost cloth to keep the white butterfly off, remove when it becomes too cold for butterfly.
Cheers, Linda.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 19th March 2011
More rain this week to make this the greenest Autumn ever.
The ground is so easy to weed and seeds are germinating fast.
This week I have had the hedge trimmer out because some shrubs in my garden have grown and grown with the warmth and rain. I thought it might be a good time to mention the pruning and shaping of shrubs.
Shrubs that have flowered on previous years growth like buddleias, rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, ceonothus, forsythia, coleonema (breath of heaven) only if they need to be trimmed and shaped to reduce their height and width. they should always have this done while there is still enough growing season left for them to make new growth and harden off before the frosts.In colder areas like Kurow this trimming should be done as soon as flowering has ended, with the exception of hydrangeas you can leave the old growth on through the winter to protect the new shoots and cut them back in spring in colder areas.
I have also thinned out crowded camellia bushes, there should be enough open spaces for a bird to fly through to let enough light in to encourage the best buds for next spring.
Shrubs that flower on current years growth like lavenders, daisy bushes, hebes, rosemary, fuchsia are best left with top growth on them now until the end of winter.They will make rapid new growth when the days begin to get warmer, you will only risk loosing them if you cut them back hard now.
This month is the latest I feel to cut back natives like pittosporums and hebe's they need to have the new growth harden off before winter, if you intend to shape them be quick or leave them until after winter.
The rule of thumb is hedging plants such as photinia, box hedge, viburnum and tecrium can be cut any time during the growing season but I apply that only to here on the coast in the late autumn. Late spring and summer is a safer time in colder areas.
you can always tell when it is time to trim hebe's, if they are covered in flower heads gone to seed they need the spent flower heads trimmed off, if this is not done hebe's will get lanky, woody and look untidy. Once they have been trimmed plant a few tip cuttings, remove the bottom leaves and cut the top leaves back by half then plant into the ground or trays, keep them moist and in no time at all they will develop roots. Once growing pinch the cuttings back at least twice to get nice bushy plants.
Lawns.
This is such a good year to sow autumn lawns and fill in gaps in lawns. I have been spraying the flat weeds in lawns and applying grass grub granules to be washed in by the rain.
Vegetables
Gardens will be producing in abundance now, I have so much ready to use, parsnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, and a new crop of peas filling out along with corn that may be too late to ripen now and pumpkins scrambling everywhere. I mention all this because you may remember the first full veg garden I grew for the sheep!! they cleaned it right out even ate the potato tops.
Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been, the warm soil will keep germinating and producing until the first frost.
Cheers Linda
The ground is so easy to weed and seeds are germinating fast.
This week I have had the hedge trimmer out because some shrubs in my garden have grown and grown with the warmth and rain. I thought it might be a good time to mention the pruning and shaping of shrubs.
Shrubs that have flowered on previous years growth like buddleias, rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, ceonothus, forsythia, coleonema (breath of heaven) only if they need to be trimmed and shaped to reduce their height and width. they should always have this done while there is still enough growing season left for them to make new growth and harden off before the frosts.In colder areas like Kurow this trimming should be done as soon as flowering has ended, with the exception of hydrangeas you can leave the old growth on through the winter to protect the new shoots and cut them back in spring in colder areas.
I have also thinned out crowded camellia bushes, there should be enough open spaces for a bird to fly through to let enough light in to encourage the best buds for next spring.
Shrubs that flower on current years growth like lavenders, daisy bushes, hebes, rosemary, fuchsia are best left with top growth on them now until the end of winter.They will make rapid new growth when the days begin to get warmer, you will only risk loosing them if you cut them back hard now.
This month is the latest I feel to cut back natives like pittosporums and hebe's they need to have the new growth harden off before winter, if you intend to shape them be quick or leave them until after winter.
The rule of thumb is hedging plants such as photinia, box hedge, viburnum and tecrium can be cut any time during the growing season but I apply that only to here on the coast in the late autumn. Late spring and summer is a safer time in colder areas.
you can always tell when it is time to trim hebe's, if they are covered in flower heads gone to seed they need the spent flower heads trimmed off, if this is not done hebe's will get lanky, woody and look untidy. Once they have been trimmed plant a few tip cuttings, remove the bottom leaves and cut the top leaves back by half then plant into the ground or trays, keep them moist and in no time at all they will develop roots. Once growing pinch the cuttings back at least twice to get nice bushy plants.
Lawns.
This is such a good year to sow autumn lawns and fill in gaps in lawns. I have been spraying the flat weeds in lawns and applying grass grub granules to be washed in by the rain.
Vegetables
Gardens will be producing in abundance now, I have so much ready to use, parsnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, and a new crop of peas filling out along with corn that may be too late to ripen now and pumpkins scrambling everywhere. I mention all this because you may remember the first full veg garden I grew for the sheep!! they cleaned it right out even ate the potato tops.
Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been, the warm soil will keep germinating and producing until the first frost.
Cheers Linda
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 12th March 2011
Still moisture in the ground from the last rain shrubs and conifers an be planted now to get their roots started. there is time for them to harden off in readiness to take them through the winter without too much damage.
Take the trouble to find out each plants preference for soil and shelter. Remember some shrubs grow really fast, pick the right spot that will allow for shrubs to grow full size horizontally and vertically . While shrubs are small gaps can be filled with annuals or perennials like lupines, hellebore's or forget-me-not. which can be dug out as shrubs need more space.
The cold snap we had reminds me that the frosts will not be far off, although I feel our seasons are getting later so I am hoping autumn weather will go on for a lot longer yet, as long as the night temperature is not less than 10 degrees at night things will continue growing and germinating so keep planting seeds and get them well under way before the colder nights.
I have had the weed spray out again this week, I like to zap them when they are small and I have dealt to the couch grass which is showing its self through the pea straw cover I have had my eye on it and was waiting until it became long enough to spray. This grass cannot be ignored because it spreads really fast under mulch and weed mat and will pop up all over the garden.
Most gladioli have have finished flowering now and can be lifted, although I saw some still flowering this week .Remove leaves once they have dried off and store in paper bags (never plastic). in all but the coldest areas it is ok to leave them in the ground provided the site is well drained. if superior blooms are required for showing then it is best to lift them and dust them with protective powder. The blooms will always do better if lifted.
Keep collecting ripe seeds for sowing in spring, seeds like cosmos, sunflowers, lupins, marigold, poppies any flower you like which has gone to seed and pot up seedlings you find around your garden, I have an amazing amount of young seedlings of lavender, pansies, primula, hollyhock, foxglove popping up of
Stop dis budding chrysanthemums now, they will be doing their thing soon bringing wonderful colour to gardens.
Pick apples and pears now, pears especially need to be picked while still firm and as soon as they come away easily when pulled, they ripen well inside.
Keep feeding & watering cropping trees and citrus, blood & bone is fine for this and mulching will help keep moisture there.
Grapes need to reach their full sweetness while on the vine, but they will need protection from birds.
Winter veg in cooler areas should be encouraged to grow vigorously while the soil is still warm by mulching, generous watering and liquid feeding late beans con go on producing. Keep an eye on pumpkins which will need frost cloth at the first sign of frost if still not ready.
Cheers, Linda
Take the trouble to find out each plants preference for soil and shelter. Remember some shrubs grow really fast, pick the right spot that will allow for shrubs to grow full size horizontally and vertically . While shrubs are small gaps can be filled with annuals or perennials like lupines, hellebore's or forget-me-not. which can be dug out as shrubs need more space.
The cold snap we had reminds me that the frosts will not be far off, although I feel our seasons are getting later so I am hoping autumn weather will go on for a lot longer yet, as long as the night temperature is not less than 10 degrees at night things will continue growing and germinating so keep planting seeds and get them well under way before the colder nights.
I have had the weed spray out again this week, I like to zap them when they are small and I have dealt to the couch grass which is showing its self through the pea straw cover I have had my eye on it and was waiting until it became long enough to spray. This grass cannot be ignored because it spreads really fast under mulch and weed mat and will pop up all over the garden.
Most gladioli have have finished flowering now and can be lifted, although I saw some still flowering this week .Remove leaves once they have dried off and store in paper bags (never plastic). in all but the coldest areas it is ok to leave them in the ground provided the site is well drained. if superior blooms are required for showing then it is best to lift them and dust them with protective powder. The blooms will always do better if lifted.
Keep collecting ripe seeds for sowing in spring, seeds like cosmos, sunflowers, lupins, marigold, poppies any flower you like which has gone to seed and pot up seedlings you find around your garden, I have an amazing amount of young seedlings of lavender, pansies, primula, hollyhock, foxglove popping up of
Stop dis budding chrysanthemums now, they will be doing their thing soon bringing wonderful colour to gardens.
Pick apples and pears now, pears especially need to be picked while still firm and as soon as they come away easily when pulled, they ripen well inside.
Keep feeding & watering cropping trees and citrus, blood & bone is fine for this and mulching will help keep moisture there.
Grapes need to reach their full sweetness while on the vine, but they will need protection from birds.
Winter veg in cooler areas should be encouraged to grow vigorously while the soil is still warm by mulching, generous watering and liquid feeding late beans con go on producing. Keep an eye on pumpkins which will need frost cloth at the first sign of frost if still not ready.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 2nd March 2011
The drying winds have arrived which is in keeping with the beginning of Autumn.
Unfortunate for the poor people of Christchurch who must now deal with all the dust, luckily we have my Ch Ch family here with us because like so many their World has been turned upside down.
I have been watering gardens and using the compost made from last winter and spring to mulch them, I need the bins empty for all the leaves that will be falling from now on. The compost being made from the summer cut backs will need the sprinkler on now to add the moisture needed to start the compost cooking during the hot autumn days, once the heat has built up the compost will hold the heat and go on breaking down the compost over the cold winter months, but it must start to heating up now and have the moisture needed to do that.
A lot of gardens have cat mint, I always give mine a second summer cut back about now because there is still time for another flush of growth now before winter.
From now on is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn, a lot of the annual seeds will not germinate as fast as the grass seed now with the cooler nights giving the grass seed a chance to grow quickly and smother new weeds.
Prepare the ground by raking and firming, fill any hollows. If you can not get hold of a roller use a sheet of hard board and get everyone to run over it. Once the ground is firm lightly rake it over, sow grass seed and lightly rake it into the soil then a light watering.Don't allow the ground to be too damp going into the night, dews are enough for the tiny new grass roots and if kept on the dry side they should put roots down looking for moisture.
Choose the right type of grass for the area, there is seed for high traffic and shady and sunny areas & fine grass for show lawns It is best to get fresh seed coated with bird protection. Birds will still begin to feast on this so if you have sown only a small area cover it with frost cloth. This will keep the birds off and still let the light in to allow the grass seed to germinate.
If you have bunches of grapes the birds are waiting for cover them with old pantyhose until they are ripe enough to pick.
Passion fruit needs well watered and feed now as this helps improve the fruit.
Harvest herbs now for drying, they will soon put on another lot of fresh growth before the frosts make them dormant.
Cheers, Linda
Unfortunate for the poor people of Christchurch who must now deal with all the dust, luckily we have my Ch Ch family here with us because like so many their World has been turned upside down.
I have been watering gardens and using the compost made from last winter and spring to mulch them, I need the bins empty for all the leaves that will be falling from now on. The compost being made from the summer cut backs will need the sprinkler on now to add the moisture needed to start the compost cooking during the hot autumn days, once the heat has built up the compost will hold the heat and go on breaking down the compost over the cold winter months, but it must start to heating up now and have the moisture needed to do that.
A lot of gardens have cat mint, I always give mine a second summer cut back about now because there is still time for another flush of growth now before winter.
From now on is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn, a lot of the annual seeds will not germinate as fast as the grass seed now with the cooler nights giving the grass seed a chance to grow quickly and smother new weeds.
Prepare the ground by raking and firming, fill any hollows. If you can not get hold of a roller use a sheet of hard board and get everyone to run over it. Once the ground is firm lightly rake it over, sow grass seed and lightly rake it into the soil then a light watering.Don't allow the ground to be too damp going into the night, dews are enough for the tiny new grass roots and if kept on the dry side they should put roots down looking for moisture.
Choose the right type of grass for the area, there is seed for high traffic and shady and sunny areas & fine grass for show lawns It is best to get fresh seed coated with bird protection. Birds will still begin to feast on this so if you have sown only a small area cover it with frost cloth. This will keep the birds off and still let the light in to allow the grass seed to germinate.
If you have bunches of grapes the birds are waiting for cover them with old pantyhose until they are ripe enough to pick.
Passion fruit needs well watered and feed now as this helps improve the fruit.
Harvest herbs now for drying, they will soon put on another lot of fresh growth before the frosts make them dormant.
Cheers, Linda
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