Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 20th July 2011
I notice the days are drawing out a little since the shortest day, yes, true not wishful thinking.
Being out there freezing at one with nature I notice the daily pattern!! weeell some day's I can say this is the case.
This week I have spent another good percentage of my time raking up old leaves, will autumn ever be a distant memory? it is important to get leaves out of every nook and cranny during winter because bugs are looking for places like this to winter over. Once leaves have been removed from the base of roses, hydrangea's and other deciduous plants I am applying manure enriched compost, (not covering the base of the plant) to be there in readiness for spring feeding.
I continue to re-sawdust rough pathways which is freshening these areas up and allowing me to find a lot of self sown plants in the old saw dust topping which I delight in potting up or transplanting.
This week I thought I would write about the benefits of raised gardens as there is not a lot happening except pruning an
Limited time to spend gardening is a sad fact for young families today but I am sure most would love to grow their own fresh produce.
Raised gardens are the saviors of gardeners with limited time or poor soil. The basic idea of a raised garden is instead of battling against poor soil conditions, why not build above ground where you have complete control.
Advantages of a Raised Bed Garden
Aside from the issue of gardening in poor soil, raised bed gardens offer several advantages:
Raised beds warm more quickly in spring, allowing you to work the soil and plant earlier.
Raised beds drain better.
The soil in raised beds doesn't get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.
It's easy to tailor the soil for your raised bed to the plants you plant.
Contained raised beds are not difficult to construct using wood or (here in North Otago) Oamaru stone seconds as a surround. If you need time to think about a permanent position for a raised beds you could make some using straw bales as surrounds for a year. Once in place to the size required fill them with soil and compost and plant out.
A sunny location is a must for growing vegetables and herbs, and access around all sides with a wheel barrow is recommended for ease of maintenance, keep the garden around four feet wide, this way you can access the middle.
Access to water is essential,with drainage being greater raised gardens need good soakings.
A raised bed of six inches above the soil is enough to grow leaf vegetables and herbs and at least ten inches for root veg but I don't see the sense in not raising it to a height that will benefit the amount of digging and bending you do.
keep an eye on what is on offer for planting now, this is the very best time for choice when buying deciduous tree's and shrubs.
Cheers, Linda.
Being out there freezing at one with nature I notice the daily pattern!! weeell some day's I can say this is the case.
This week I have spent another good percentage of my time raking up old leaves, will autumn ever be a distant memory? it is important to get leaves out of every nook and cranny during winter because bugs are looking for places like this to winter over. Once leaves have been removed from the base of roses, hydrangea's and other deciduous plants I am applying manure enriched compost, (not covering the base of the plant) to be there in readiness for spring feeding.
I continue to re-sawdust rough pathways which is freshening these areas up and allowing me to find a lot of self sown plants in the old saw dust topping which I delight in potting up or transplanting.
This week I thought I would write about the benefits of raised gardens as there is not a lot happening except pruning an
Limited time to spend gardening is a sad fact for young families today but I am sure most would love to grow their own fresh produce.
Raised gardens are the saviors of gardeners with limited time or poor soil. The basic idea of a raised garden is instead of battling against poor soil conditions, why not build above ground where you have complete control.
Advantages of a Raised Bed Garden
Aside from the issue of gardening in poor soil, raised bed gardens offer several advantages:
Raised beds warm more quickly in spring, allowing you to work the soil and plant earlier.
Raised beds drain better.
The soil in raised beds doesn't get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.
It's easy to tailor the soil for your raised bed to the plants you plant.
Contained raised beds are not difficult to construct using wood or (here in North Otago) Oamaru stone seconds as a surround. If you need time to think about a permanent position for a raised beds you could make some using straw bales as surrounds for a year. Once in place to the size required fill them with soil and compost and plant out.
A sunny location is a must for growing vegetables and herbs, and access around all sides with a wheel barrow is recommended for ease of maintenance, keep the garden around four feet wide, this way you can access the middle.
Access to water is essential,with drainage being greater raised gardens need good soakings.
A raised bed of six inches above the soil is enough to grow leaf vegetables and herbs and at least ten inches for root veg but I don't see the sense in not raising it to a height that will benefit the amount of digging and bending you do.
keep an eye on what is on offer for planting now, this is the very best time for choice when buying deciduous tree's and shrubs.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 12th July 2011
Brrrrrrr there was no doubting this week that winter has arrived in North Otago to kill the bugs around the garden that thought they could just cruise into spring. With the mild weather we had been getting there are definite signs of spring around coastal gardens once plants have moved into the first stages of budding they should continue to bud up during the sunny winter days, camellias and rhododendrons have had a head start and spring bulbs are well on which may mean we are in for an early spring
Daphne’s are in flower now along with hellebore's, primroses and
polyanthus. Primroses are so pretty and clump up well and in time can be broken up spread around to add colour to a winter garden.If you are at the stage to break up clumps remove quite a few leaves on transplanting, they will soon grow more along with new roots to support them. Polyanthus and primulas will benefit from an application of Dried Blood to increase plant vigour and flowering
Under glass sow seeds of antirrhinum, carnation, calendula, sweet peas, verbena and viola for planting out in Spring.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are also coming in this month and can be planted from now in good draining soil, if you think there is a chance they would sit in wet soggy soil over winter they may rot, planting can continue until September
.If young trees or shrubs need transplanting now is a good time to do it whilst they are at their most dormant stage.
Remember to continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with Frost Cloth.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed
Rose pruning is still going on here in my garden, just in case you need reminding on how to tackle pruning.... make a slanted cut just above a strong outward facing bud.
Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes. Secateurs must be sharp to avoid damage by ripping branches which leads to die back.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed.
At this time of the year I make a few trips to the Waireaka sale yards to the Waireaka Valley Lions Club sawdust and sheep manure stand, volunteers clean out calving sheds and under shearing sheds to keep the stand topped up for keen gardeners. I use the calving shed sawdust on garden pathways and the sheep manure on the compost heaps, on the vegetable garden and around the roses when horse manure is not at hand. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens as a weed suppressant and it helps to absorb excess moisture, but on dry gardens it will dry out soil already not retaining moisture.
Vegetables
In land start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in glass houses or under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going mouldy.
On the coast plant seedling plants that are now on offer along with garlic cloves.
Comfrey
I have long known the advantages of growing comfrey but have lately been reading up on it again, it is such a useful plant and if you can get your hands on some I suggest you plant some root sections in an area of your garden where it can spread. Comfrey needs to be planted where it can send it's roots very deep down into the soil so it can tap into much needed nutrients. It is fast growing, high in potassium and can be cut back again and again. I have listed below some uses for comfrey around the garden.
Compost activator, add to your compost bin to heat up the decomposing materials and enriches the compost.
Put a handful of comfrey leaves into a bucket of rainwater and let them rot down for around 6 weeks to give you a rich liquid fertilizer for plants. Lay comfrey leaves in a potato trench and leave for 3 days prior to planting the tubers to give them a potassium rich boost of fertiliser.
Use as a Comfrey leaf mulch around plants, by layering leaves around the stems of plants. Potassium will slowly be released to the plants as the leaves break down – Great for tomatoes, beans and fruit bushes.
Use wilted leaves as a nutrient rich Chicken feed
Cheers, Linda
Daphne’s are in flower now along with hellebore's, primroses and
polyanthus. Primroses are so pretty and clump up well and in time can be broken up spread around to add colour to a winter garden.If you are at the stage to break up clumps remove quite a few leaves on transplanting, they will soon grow more along with new roots to support them. Polyanthus and primulas will benefit from an application of Dried Blood to increase plant vigour and flowering
Under glass sow seeds of antirrhinum, carnation, calendula, sweet peas, verbena and viola for planting out in Spring.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are also coming in this month and can be planted from now in good draining soil, if you think there is a chance they would sit in wet soggy soil over winter they may rot, planting can continue until September
.If young trees or shrubs need transplanting now is a good time to do it whilst they are at their most dormant stage.
Remember to continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with Frost Cloth.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed
Rose pruning is still going on here in my garden, just in case you need reminding on how to tackle pruning.... make a slanted cut just above a strong outward facing bud.
Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes. Secateurs must be sharp to avoid damage by ripping branches which leads to die back.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed.
At this time of the year I make a few trips to the Waireaka sale yards to the Waireaka Valley Lions Club sawdust and sheep manure stand, volunteers clean out calving sheds and under shearing sheds to keep the stand topped up for keen gardeners. I use the calving shed sawdust on garden pathways and the sheep manure on the compost heaps, on the vegetable garden and around the roses when horse manure is not at hand. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens as a weed suppressant and it helps to absorb excess moisture, but on dry gardens it will dry out soil already not retaining moisture.
Vegetables
In land start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in glass houses or under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going mouldy.
On the coast plant seedling plants that are now on offer along with garlic cloves.
Comfrey
I have long known the advantages of growing comfrey but have lately been reading up on it again, it is such a useful plant and if you can get your hands on some I suggest you plant some root sections in an area of your garden where it can spread. Comfrey needs to be planted where it can send it's roots very deep down into the soil so it can tap into much needed nutrients. It is fast growing, high in potassium and can be cut back again and again. I have listed below some uses for comfrey around the garden.
Compost activator, add to your compost bin to heat up the decomposing materials and enriches the compost.
Put a handful of comfrey leaves into a bucket of rainwater and let them rot down for around 6 weeks to give you a rich liquid fertilizer for plants. Lay comfrey leaves in a potato trench and leave for 3 days prior to planting the tubers to give them a potassium rich boost of fertiliser.
Use as a Comfrey leaf mulch around plants, by layering leaves around the stems of plants. Potassium will slowly be released to the plants as the leaves break down – Great for tomatoes, beans and fruit bushes.
Use wilted leaves as a nutrient rich Chicken feed
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 4 July 2011
Wow, how about these hard frosts we are now getting. The brilliant days that follow give us here on the coast at least half a day to work in the garden after the thaw. No such luck further inland with frozen ground, the perfect garden planning time to be a step ahead before spring.
Rose pruning continues here in my garden, still time to get this task done. The time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time buds break.
The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now, continue planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.
Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start.
Make sure to read the labels to know how high and wide a shrub and tree will grow, some, like natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade. When planting along side the house ask advice.
Compost heaps work much more slowly than in the summer but there is still some decomposing going on if there is adequate moisture and covered to keep warmer than cold winter nights. Old carpet underlay or straw are good for this
Boost bedding plants with fish based fertiliser or a little dried blood.to encourage buds during these sunny winter days.
Fruit & Veg.
Finish planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears.
Frosty sites are no disadvantage for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.
Continue to shelter citrus in frosty gardens, they should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now ( marmalade sounds good )
In cold areas start garlic off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.
Cheers, Linda
Rose pruning continues here in my garden, still time to get this task done. The time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time buds break.
The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now, continue planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.
Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start.
Make sure to read the labels to know how high and wide a shrub and tree will grow, some, like natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade. When planting along side the house ask advice.
Compost heaps work much more slowly than in the summer but there is still some decomposing going on if there is adequate moisture and covered to keep warmer than cold winter nights. Old carpet underlay or straw are good for this
Boost bedding plants with fish based fertiliser or a little dried blood.to encourage buds during these sunny winter days.
Fruit & Veg.
Finish planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears.
Frosty sites are no disadvantage for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.
Continue to shelter citrus in frosty gardens, they should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now ( marmalade sounds good )
In cold areas start garlic off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.
Cheers, Linda
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