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
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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
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