Gardening in North Otago 9th January 2013

Happy New Gardening year to all. What a changeable January we are having so far, but thankfully we are experiencing some long sunny days and with the heavy rain from time to time I have not had to drag the hoses around often whtcih is a bonus for any gardener. Roses, last year dull days and mildew were a problem for roses but this year it is rust that attacked a few of my roses after the first flowering. I pull all the affected leaves of and destroy them as I dead headed, this left bushes quite bare but it takes no time at all for new leaves and buds to grow back after a spray with fungicide to keep the rust at bay, then deep watering around the roots is the thing for roses during these hot months. All roses should have had a summer pruning after their first flowering, cut a spent flower stem down to an out facing bud on a thick part of stem. If it is just the flower removed the remaining stem will die back to only the first bud, that part of the stem will be too weak to support new blooms. Cut back summer flowering perennials and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering, I have just cut back my daisy bushes, delphiniums, lavaterias, dianthus, lupins and most of the herbs because they were all going to seed. Feed with slow release or a liquid fertiliser, they will all come back fresh and most will flower again. I have cut some chrysanthemums back for the second time, they flower in the autumn on shorter steams by doing this. Plant some tip growth from chrysanthemums into river sand and they should root, plant out and next year they will be a clump like the Mother plant. Put stakes in now to support all Chrysanthemums. Foliar feeding is very important to encourage fresh new growth after cutting back anything at this dry time of the year. Fill gaps in the flower garden with annuals. Front planting full sun: impatiens, small type petunias, begonia, small marigolds, lobelia, alyssum Mid plantings: nicotina, coriopsis, tall petunias, tall marigolds, bedding dahlia, salvia, nemesia. Tall plantings: cosmos, lavatera, sun flowers, Canterbury bells, love in the mist. Semi shade ( with good light )plantings: impatiens, bedding begonias, lobelia, Japanese anemone (perennial), foxglove. When the next heavy rain arrives feed the lawns and they will bounce back like fresh spring lawns. I am still lifting lower new branches on the large spreading trees to let more light in for plants growing under them. Oaks, flowering cherries, ash, Alms and maples put on a lot of new growth each year and most want to grow to the ground to shade their roots if left. Remove cross over branches and any branches you feel are not required, dappled light is much nicer than dense shade. My ponds get topped up regulary at this time of the year, there is a lot of evaporation on the hot days and still ponds tend to green up a bit as the water warms. I added half a bale of straw to one end of mine to keep slime from growing. I put it in and weigh it down with a large rock and with the topping up and the straw doing it,s job the water stays clear for the fish and the lillies. Fruit and veg The gooseberries, strawberries, raspberry's and currents have done well with the nice warm weather but they are ripening quickly so it is a rush to get them picked before they drop from the bushes. I have just picked all my black currents ready for jam and pies. I cut all the fruiting branches off ( they fruit on the previous years growth) then strip them of berries in a nice shady spot. This way the fruit is picked and the bush is pruned at the same time. I have reduced the length of fruiting runners on my grapes and removed all unproductive growth. Tomatoes need water kept up and some leaves removed to let more light in too many leaves take up nitrogen that should be used by the fruit. Water needs to be kept up and plants are maturing fast then bolting to seed if not picked when ready. The birds can be a problem for me so I use strawberry net when needed. Corn and pumpkins are making good growth and the potatoes I thought were all top and no potatoes proved me wrong by being just the opposite, I gave them a tickle up on Christmas day and was amazed at the number and the size of them! Keep planting all veg , we have the best growing and ripening time ahead. Planting by the moon NEW MOON Saturday, 12 January 2013 Garden: Orchard: Bird Protection on trees with ripe fruit Summer prune all stone fruit and young fruit trees after picking their fruit Watch moisture levels in the soil carefully, especially under young fruit trees and citrus, feijoas and kiwifruit, which all have very shallow feeder roots. Water stress now could mean pear slug damage. Cheers, Linda