This is a good time to give thought to improving the look of your garden while trees are bare and gardens are clear of full growth.
Don't cling to plants, shrubs or trees that are past their best. If they look like they are past it they probably are. Remove them and replace the spot with something fresh and worth looking at.
If you are worried about leaving a gap and lack of privacy you can always fill the gap with manuka screening until the replacement grows to the required size.
It is also time to look at the shape of trees now that the leaves are gone, remove lower branches if you think the tree would look better with more trunk showing and check young trees are not sporting double trunks. Cross over branches should be removed and if there are two branches doing the same job remove the lower branch of the two and any weak spindly growth. Some trees like silver pear and crab apples can get get a mass of branches in the center going in every direction, they look so good once they have been thinned out.
If you need to remove large branches it is important to cut at the right place and leave the basal collar in tact, ( a slanted cut leaving a short portion of the branch at the base of the trunk) as this contains cells which will seal the wound from disease.
Slim straight branches are perfect to feed through a wood mulcher , once turned into wood chip mulch they can be put back onto the garden.
If you are finding small native trees popping up around your garden which you know were not planted by you, you can be sure the birds have planted the seeds. I have them every where, now is a good time to shift these if you have room for them, or pot them up and give them to someone planting a native area.
With the mild days we are experiencing I am noticing a lot of soft new growth in our garden, all sorts of spring bulbs and annual self seeded plants are flowering out of season, it is a shame that they will suffer when frost's finally arrive, this I feel will be a year for the use of frost cloth. I will be protecting plants like forget me not, polyanthus, pansy, anemone's and ranunculus until they harden off and get used to severe frosts, once hardened off a little they will handle colder nights.
The mulch is still going on gardens here, this also helps to keep the ground warmer and moisture in as well as adding food and humus to the garden.
Leucodendrons are taking center stage now, they are wonderful for picking once fully hardened and will last for months picked and put in a vase, just the thing when there is not lot else to pick.
leucodendrons are easy to grow in the conditions they prefer, being full sun, good draining acid soil and staked and protected from strong winds until established. They will grow on dry banks and rough area's as long as they do not have to compete with grass and weeds. Leucodendrons resent any type of fertiliser and once planted and growing will die if shifted.
There are leucodendrons which grow very large, low spreaders which look great spilling over walls, low bushy types and they all add wonderful colour to a dull winter garden.
Vegetables & Fruit
Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans.
Winter is also the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns so prepare the ground with rich composted now, get them planted and established and in no time you can make rhubarb crumble and asparagus rolls.
Black current bushes should have as much of the old dark shoot removed leaving only the light coloured smooth vigorous young growth.
Red currents will not fruit on new wood so older wood should be kept for 3 years just cut out the odd old branch yearly to encourage a few new replacements.
Give all current bushes a good two hand fulls of bonemeal or blood and bone in spring to ensure a good crop of fruit.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
North Otago Gardening May 25th 2011
Hi Terry & Frances,
I am in Ch Ch on Saturday with our little boys, just ring my mobile 0274430256.
Such a lovely mellow time of the year, I have done a heap of work in the garden this week.
Last week we had a truck load of the mulch from pukeuri freezing works as we do each year, I use my compost first then the mulch on top, it's just right for our garden.
Once all the autumn leaves and annual weeds have been removed from gardens I shovel this compost on thickly over beds. I use on all gardens, it looks great and suppresses weeds.
When I locate some pea straw I will spread over the compost on all gardens other than the gardens I mass plant with annual flowers. I plant the annuals straight into this mulch and they do well.
Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs need to be exposed exposed to bake in the sun so keep compost and mulch off them.
I have been shifting bigger shrubs that I wrenched in March , our garden gets carried away from time to time and tries to out grow the size allotted to it!! some shrubs I planted and thought at the time, I could keep them shaped to fit the space, however after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size for the spot, I dig them up and give them a ride in the wheel barrow. I have made complete new garden rooms by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a garden up allowing room for pathways, seating or a statue or pot on a graveled or paved area.
Don't be worried by reducing the height and width of trees and shrubs it is essential if garden space is limited, If only to let more light on to lower growing plants which will stop leggy growth and encourage optimum flowering.
This is a great time to make new perennial beds or reorganise existing beds.Every year perennial clumps increase in size, lift overgrown or stagnant clumps and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants are best reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction in size, lift the cut portion out without disturbing the plant remaining.
I have been doing this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm and rockery plants.
Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged cover the bed and around plants with compost which will encourage new root growth and help keep the perennial bed warmer through the colder months to come.
Some plants, peonie roses for instance, definitely resent any disturbance and a few others, such as gerberas, should only be moved in spring. hellebores are another group to leave alone now, as they are winter flowering. I have been cutting back the old leaves from my hellebores and will liquid feed fortnightly until buds begin to colour. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to the clumps.
Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old over grown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old steams away from the bulb as it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, just cut old stems short and never allow Lilly bulbs to dry out while out of the ground . I plant lilies on a little river sand and cover with compost which has had blood and bone added.
Vegetables & fruit
Apples are dripping from trees, it has been a good ripening season, it is best to pick apples for storing when not too ripe.
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.
Garlic again, such a used clove in today's cooking, I go through so much of it. Any time from late May until August plant garlic cloves in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Select large single cloves and plant 5cm deep and 20cm apart.
Start pruning pip fruit trees any time after the leaves have fallen, remove dead or damaged wood, crossing or inward turning branches, excess leaders or sucker growth developing on the main trunks. Shorten back vigorous leaders by about a 1/3 to promote branching. Prune over long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.
Cheers, Linda
I am in Ch Ch on Saturday with our little boys, just ring my mobile 0274430256.
Such a lovely mellow time of the year, I have done a heap of work in the garden this week.
Last week we had a truck load of the mulch from pukeuri freezing works as we do each year, I use my compost first then the mulch on top, it's just right for our garden.
Once all the autumn leaves and annual weeds have been removed from gardens I shovel this compost on thickly over beds. I use on all gardens, it looks great and suppresses weeds.
When I locate some pea straw I will spread over the compost on all gardens other than the gardens I mass plant with annual flowers. I plant the annuals straight into this mulch and they do well.
Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs need to be exposed exposed to bake in the sun so keep compost and mulch off them.
I have been shifting bigger shrubs that I wrenched in March , our garden gets carried away from time to time and tries to out grow the size allotted to it!! some shrubs I planted and thought at the time, I could keep them shaped to fit the space, however after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size for the spot, I dig them up and give them a ride in the wheel barrow. I have made complete new garden rooms by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a garden up allowing room for pathways, seating or a statue or pot on a graveled or paved area.
Don't be worried by reducing the height and width of trees and shrubs it is essential if garden space is limited, If only to let more light on to lower growing plants which will stop leggy growth and encourage optimum flowering.
This is a great time to make new perennial beds or reorganise existing beds.Every year perennial clumps increase in size, lift overgrown or stagnant clumps and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants are best reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction in size, lift the cut portion out without disturbing the plant remaining.
I have been doing this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm and rockery plants.
Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged cover the bed and around plants with compost which will encourage new root growth and help keep the perennial bed warmer through the colder months to come.
Some plants, peonie roses for instance, definitely resent any disturbance and a few others, such as gerberas, should only be moved in spring. hellebores are another group to leave alone now, as they are winter flowering. I have been cutting back the old leaves from my hellebores and will liquid feed fortnightly until buds begin to colour. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to the clumps.
Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old over grown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old steams away from the bulb as it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, just cut old stems short and never allow Lilly bulbs to dry out while out of the ground . I plant lilies on a little river sand and cover with compost which has had blood and bone added.
Vegetables & fruit
Apples are dripping from trees, it has been a good ripening season, it is best to pick apples for storing when not too ripe.
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.
Garlic again, such a used clove in today's cooking, I go through so much of it. Any time from late May until August plant garlic cloves in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Select large single cloves and plant 5cm deep and 20cm apart.
Start pruning pip fruit trees any time after the leaves have fallen, remove dead or damaged wood, crossing or inward turning branches, excess leaders or sucker growth developing on the main trunks. Shorten back vigorous leaders by about a 1/3 to promote branching. Prune over long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.
Cheers, Linda
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 18th May 2011
Not a bad week, once again North Otago missed all the bad weather predictions. Just enough wind to help dry the ground out a little and help finish off the leaf drop. I have too many leaves now and have been piling them in heaps in areas where they are out of sight and away from where the wind can lift them and spread them about. I will let them decompose in their own time and revisit them in a couple of years when I can then add as leaf mould to the compost heaps.
I guess because we are smack bang in the middle of compost making time that is what takes up most of my gardening time just now so I thought I would go on about compost, yet again!
Compost is humus made from organic matter, decomposed plants, manure, old stack bottom straw, anything non toxic that will break down.
Start a compost heap up against a wall or inside straw bale walls on bare ground, so moisture can be drawn up.
Start layering:
1. Animal manure, (worms are sure to work their way up if a fresh layer of manure has been spread on bare ground)
2. Grass clippings
3. Leaves
4. sawdust or straw (if you have on hand)
5. A sprinkle of lime between the layers.
6. Most important, water as you layer.
Repeat until heap is the size required.
The best time to do this is while there is still heat in the sun to enable the heap to heat up and start working. Winter is the only time to use hen manure which will assist in the heating.
Heaps of autumn leaves will not make compost without the addition of nitrogen in the form of green waste, the manure will bring needed worms and help create the heat needed.
If you have no room for a compost heap you an put leaves into large plastic bags, add a little fertiliser then leave them in a warm place. By spring you will have great leaf mould. Leaf mould is especially good for adding to the soil when planting vegetables and annual flowers.
My lawns have slowed down at last, I will leave the bare patches now and resow with grass seed in spring.
Lime and gypsum can be spread on lawns now, lime to sweeten and gypsum to soften hard compacted ground which has a lot of clay content. No more cracks in the lawn if gypsum is applied and watered in at this time of the year, for two or three years in a row.
Vegetables
Growing carrots is not always easy, the ground needs to still hold a little heat for them to germinate and continue to grow, if they stop and then start growing again the regrowth ends up as a hard core and the carrot stops growing down into the soil.
Carrot fly is also a problem which also attacks celery,dill,fennel,parsley and parsnip.
The pest overwinters as pupae in the soil or in old host plant roots. The adult flies are long and black with yellow legs and irridescent wings.
Females plants by smell, normally in the evening, laying eggs in cracks in soil adjacent to plants. Avoid thinning early evening as the female is attracted by damaged plants and plant carrots in a different spot each year.
Companion plants for carrots are lettuce, onions and tomatoes. never plant dill or parsnips beside carrots.
May 19th to 22nd is the time by the moon to plant garlic, board beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast.
Further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from planting a green crop to be dug in and left to break down over winter.
Cheers, Linda.
I guess because we are smack bang in the middle of compost making time that is what takes up most of my gardening time just now so I thought I would go on about compost, yet again!
Compost is humus made from organic matter, decomposed plants, manure, old stack bottom straw, anything non toxic that will break down.
Start a compost heap up against a wall or inside straw bale walls on bare ground, so moisture can be drawn up.
Start layering:
1. Animal manure, (worms are sure to work their way up if a fresh layer of manure has been spread on bare ground)
2. Grass clippings
3. Leaves
4. sawdust or straw (if you have on hand)
5. A sprinkle of lime between the layers.
6. Most important, water as you layer.
Repeat until heap is the size required.
The best time to do this is while there is still heat in the sun to enable the heap to heat up and start working. Winter is the only time to use hen manure which will assist in the heating.
Heaps of autumn leaves will not make compost without the addition of nitrogen in the form of green waste, the manure will bring needed worms and help create the heat needed.
If you have no room for a compost heap you an put leaves into large plastic bags, add a little fertiliser then leave them in a warm place. By spring you will have great leaf mould. Leaf mould is especially good for adding to the soil when planting vegetables and annual flowers.
My lawns have slowed down at last, I will leave the bare patches now and resow with grass seed in spring.
Lime and gypsum can be spread on lawns now, lime to sweeten and gypsum to soften hard compacted ground which has a lot of clay content. No more cracks in the lawn if gypsum is applied and watered in at this time of the year, for two or three years in a row.
Vegetables
Growing carrots is not always easy, the ground needs to still hold a little heat for them to germinate and continue to grow, if they stop and then start growing again the regrowth ends up as a hard core and the carrot stops growing down into the soil.
Carrot fly is also a problem which also attacks celery,dill,fennel,parsley and parsnip.
The pest overwinters as pupae in the soil or in old host plant roots. The adult flies are long and black with yellow legs and irridescent wings.
Females plants by smell, normally in the evening, laying eggs in cracks in soil adjacent to plants. Avoid thinning early evening as the female is attracted by damaged plants and plant carrots in a different spot each year.
Companion plants for carrots are lettuce, onions and tomatoes. never plant dill or parsnips beside carrots.
May 19th to 22nd is the time by the moon to plant garlic, board beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast.
Further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from planting a green crop to be dug in and left to break down over winter.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Gardening in North Otago May 4th 2011
What a wet few days looking back through my notes this seems to be a happening thing now in North Otago in autumn. Sodden leaves, sodden ground, wet chooks, (in my garden anyway) and black Dahlia and pumpkin leaves after the last frost, it's all down hill from here for the garden looking good. How ever there is the thought that once we compost and mulch gardens the moisture will stay there and be a huge benefit for spring growth.
But! it is the on set of Winter we need to deal to right now and that means getting as much in order with your garden now before the chilblain weather!!
Cut back damaged dahlia's and cover tubers with straw or compost if you do not intend to lift.
If you are not ready yet to mulch the garden just cut the tops of them and bend strong stems over to stop the rain running down them and sitting there, this will encourage rot.
Lift special tubers if you think they may sit under water, we never know how wet the winter will be, best to be safe than sorry. I am sure gardeners further inland lift them each year and store them somewhere dry over winter.
The autumn rose blooms have been delightful, clear true shades produced when the nights get a little colder. Most of the bushes they are adorning are winding down and looking tired now. The rain this week finished off most of my rose blooms, they became wet and bedraggled so I have been pulling them off but leaving the seed head to help harden the rose wood in readiness for the July prune. In a few weeks they will get a winter spray of lime sulphur an oldie but goody, which will defoliate the bushes but help control over-wintering fungal diseases such as leaf curl, rust, black spot and powdery mildew and it deals to scale insects. I will remind you about this spray at the beginning of June.
Don't feed roses now because new growth is not required, just a little lime to sweeten and condition the soil is ok if you have not added lime in your winter compost / mulch.
I have been tidying up and re potting pots that have been full of colour through the summer but are now looking very tired.
I noticed that a lot of my succulents have become stalky which means that it is time to forgo the Mother plant and plant out her babies. Each one will develop roots and become a mother plant. The baby succulents look great in pots over the winter months, you can fill a pot or plant around the edges of hyacinths or dwarf spring bulbs. The succulents give the pot interest before the bulbs come up. There are so many different succulents in shades of red, orange, silver & fresh green If like me you have exhausted clumps in the garden, break them up, toss out the dodgy ones and replant the fresher.
Tulips can go in this month, they are so worth growing tulips seem to take ages to show when planted but then they look amazing when most other spring bulbs are almost at the end of their flowering. I love to plant my red tulips in a sea of blue for-get-me-not and need to get the for get -me-not seeds on the go now. I always cut my for-get-me-nots back instead of pulling them out and from that they almost turn into a perennial, but those ones always flower before the tulips so I plant new seed just for the red tulip display each year.
I mentioned last week that I put lime on the lawns, its now a good time to put lime around all plants that enjoy a sweet soil like all the herbs, carnations, dianthus, lavender, roses, clematis, sweet-peas and pink hydrangea. Sprinkle around and let the rain wash it in, plants will gradually absorb it and reap the benefit in early spring.
Two plants to dig a trench for and fill with manure are sweet-peas and clematis, to get to the height required they need a lot of rich food. Sweet peas will germinate now but only grow a little top growth but the roots will keep growing strong and push the top growth up as soon as the soil warms a little at the end of winter.Putting them in now I have had them flowering in August.
Vegetable garden:
Some say the first two weeks in May is board bean planting time, any time this month is ok the seeds germinate in cld ground, sow in double rows then they can support each other. If you think your ground is a little sour add some lime before you sow and a little pot ash is said to combat rust.
Cheers, Linda
But! it is the on set of Winter we need to deal to right now and that means getting as much in order with your garden now before the chilblain weather!!
Cut back damaged dahlia's and cover tubers with straw or compost if you do not intend to lift.
If you are not ready yet to mulch the garden just cut the tops of them and bend strong stems over to stop the rain running down them and sitting there, this will encourage rot.
Lift special tubers if you think they may sit under water, we never know how wet the winter will be, best to be safe than sorry. I am sure gardeners further inland lift them each year and store them somewhere dry over winter.
The autumn rose blooms have been delightful, clear true shades produced when the nights get a little colder. Most of the bushes they are adorning are winding down and looking tired now. The rain this week finished off most of my rose blooms, they became wet and bedraggled so I have been pulling them off but leaving the seed head to help harden the rose wood in readiness for the July prune. In a few weeks they will get a winter spray of lime sulphur an oldie but goody, which will defoliate the bushes but help control over-wintering fungal diseases such as leaf curl, rust, black spot and powdery mildew and it deals to scale insects. I will remind you about this spray at the beginning of June.
Don't feed roses now because new growth is not required, just a little lime to sweeten and condition the soil is ok if you have not added lime in your winter compost / mulch.
I have been tidying up and re potting pots that have been full of colour through the summer but are now looking very tired.
I noticed that a lot of my succulents have become stalky which means that it is time to forgo the Mother plant and plant out her babies. Each one will develop roots and become a mother plant. The baby succulents look great in pots over the winter months, you can fill a pot or plant around the edges of hyacinths or dwarf spring bulbs. The succulents give the pot interest before the bulbs come up. There are so many different succulents in shades of red, orange, silver & fresh green If like me you have exhausted clumps in the garden, break them up, toss out the dodgy ones and replant the fresher.
Tulips can go in this month, they are so worth growing tulips seem to take ages to show when planted but then they look amazing when most other spring bulbs are almost at the end of their flowering. I love to plant my red tulips in a sea of blue for-get-me-not and need to get the for get -me-not seeds on the go now. I always cut my for-get-me-nots back instead of pulling them out and from that they almost turn into a perennial, but those ones always flower before the tulips so I plant new seed just for the red tulip display each year.
I mentioned last week that I put lime on the lawns, its now a good time to put lime around all plants that enjoy a sweet soil like all the herbs, carnations, dianthus, lavender, roses, clematis, sweet-peas and pink hydrangea. Sprinkle around and let the rain wash it in, plants will gradually absorb it and reap the benefit in early spring.
Two plants to dig a trench for and fill with manure are sweet-peas and clematis, to get to the height required they need a lot of rich food. Sweet peas will germinate now but only grow a little top growth but the roots will keep growing strong and push the top growth up as soon as the soil warms a little at the end of winter.Putting them in now I have had them flowering in August.
Vegetable garden:
Some say the first two weeks in May is board bean planting time, any time this month is ok the seeds germinate in cld ground, sow in double rows then they can support each other. If you think your ground is a little sour add some lime before you sow and a little pot ash is said to combat rust.
Cheers, Linda
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