Gardening in North Otago 29th January 2013

Great sunshine again this week and such heat, things have dried out in a matter of days even with the water well down underneath after those rain storms. If you think your rhododendrons are suffering, buy a large bale of peat to spread around the roots and water in, peat is wonderful for soaking up and swelling with moisture. A good long soak is best for a dry Rhododendron and then a shift to another location in the garden if the area in which it is growing is too dry. If you have another spot to transplant it to, dig a hole twice as large as needed and half fill with peat, soak the peat and push around the Rhodo's roots, cover with soil and mulch with wet straw. The recovered rhododendron will probably show signs of stress next season by developing brown leaf tips. This is ok, the Rhododendron will take a season to settled in and some really large ones will take longer, just cut the brown tips off. It is not unusual for some young deciduous trees to loose all their summer leaves in dry conditions and then grow another lot when it is cooler. If there are still signs of green when you break a twig you will know that your bush or tree is still alive and will probably recover. If the twig is brittle and snaps off then you have lost it. Mulching is so important now to take the garden into what could be a long dry Autumn. All bulbs that have died down will need a good watering and mulched to hold the moisture in, from now on is when bulbs dry out and whole clumps can disappear if thy get too dry for too long. This dose not apply to iris rhizome's, they need a good baking in the sun from now on so don't cover them with mulch. I continue to dead head roses and feed for the next lot of blooms, it is also time to dead head dahlias to keep them blooming longer, cut off the spent bloom and stalk before they make a seed. Keep cutting back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they run to seed, cutting will promote a new lot of blooms, but remember to feed and water what you cut back to help them make the new growth required of them. Lawns: are starting to brown off in area's of my garden that bake all day in the sun, hosing will keep the grass alive but it's rain they need to keep them green. Keep eradicating flat weeds before they seed down into the grass. Herbs: All herbs should have flowered and run to seed at least once this season, keep cutting and using or drying them to keep them from doing this. I cut bunches then hang them in a dry place until all the moisture is gone and they are crisp to touch. Then a good rubbing will remove dried leaves from stalks and further rubbing will break up particles small enough to be put in dry jars ( (never store in plastic containers or plastic bags.) The slightest hint of moisture will encourage mould. My mixed herb combination is parsley, thyme, sage, basil, pineapple sage, marjoram, nasturtium leaves & flowers, and smaller amounts of rosemary and lemon balm because they can over power the others. In the vegetable: garden: the weeds have gone mad again after the few warm days, get them with a hoe while small. It is beneficial to plant a green crop to be dug in where ground is not being utilised, mustard seed, barley, oats or blue lupin seed will add hummus to the soil when dug in at the soft green new growth stage. Fruit: I have had drip water on my grapes this week, as they are putting growth into the fruit, I do not feed them because they will respond by pushing out heaps of leaders and leaf. I have shortened fruiting leaders back closer to the fruit being formed. Apples are doing well, I thinned mine out last month where I noticed over crowding, too many on one branch will stunt growth and become too heavy for the branch. Nature is pretty good at taking care of this so do not be surprised to find the ground beneath apple trees strewn with what has been rejected for the good of what is left growing. Gardening by the moon Date: 02 February 2013 Last quarter This is not a good time to be sowing anything in the garden. Instead use this time to weed and harvest from the garden. It is an excellent time to start building a new compost heap. Biodynamic: Moon in Virgo: This is a Earth sign. It is a good time to sow Root plants like Garlic, Jerusalem Artichokes, Onions, Shallots, Spring Onions, but it would not be a good time to sow Flower plants like Broccoli, Moon in Virgo: Dry and barren. Good time for garden maintenance. Cheers, Linda