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.