Gardening in North Otago 26th February 2013

Another lovely week but oh so dry, there are parts in our garden that are really tired now, particularly the long boarders which I plan to attack this weekend. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering then top dress with compost and some blood & bone. To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums. I would dearly love to shift shrubs but I know they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if the water was kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when the sap has gone down. However if you have no option and have to shift trees and shrubs it would not be as traumatic if they were first wrenched to cushion them from the shock of being moved at this time of the year. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under them for new feeder roots to grow into. It is important to keep the water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. A tree or shrub will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots while at the same time the other half is making new roots into the compost in readiness for a shift later on when the whole tree or shrub is lifted. Wrenched trees and shrubs have a much higher transplant success rate than trees and shrubs that are lifted in one go and transplanted. if not in a hurry to shift large trees & shrubs wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant. I am still gathering seeds for planting next spring, with all this hot weather there are plenty of ripe seeds to be had from foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon, even rhododendron and azalea. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them) to plant into seed raising mix at the end of winter. Watering plants is a priority now but it is best not to water in the heat of the day, wait until it cools down and your plants will absorb and retain the moisture. Mulching is also beneficial right now, but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping that moisture in the ground. I am sure many people will be on the look out for bales of new seasons pea straw! I look forward to passing on contacts should I be given any. Phone: Linda 034349786. Lawns: If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground soon by getting rid of perennial weeds, this is easily done by using a product such as round up then once weeds are well dead rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Then rake and rake to create a fine tilt on top. Test the PH ( I am sure soil testers can be hired ) if the soil is very acid adjust to about 6 with an application of fine lime. The lime will take a few months to be absorbed so leave applying fertiliser to your new lawn until Spring, then apply once or twice a year there after. Veg & Fruit Vegetable gardens should be abundant now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant strong runners and keep the water up to them until the make roots. Apple trees are really producing well this year, the birds are having a ball. I have been picking mine if I see the birds have been at some. Store apples in a cool dark place, check them often and remove any that show signs of rot.....it should be a great season for home cider making. Gardening by the moon Third quarter During the third quarter, from the full moon to half-full, plant biennials, perennials, bulb and root crops, any crops which are planted in one season to winter over and produce yields the following year, trees, and shrubs. Some third quarter plants include onions, potatoes, rhubarb, grapes, winter wheat, and berries. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 12th February 2013

Well we got some rain to freshen everything up after such hot weather leading up to it. Dahlia's are taking center stage now, and will carry us into autumn they are making it into our flower borders can look great mixed with late summer perennials, there's a dahlia style and colour for every situation - cacti, singles, pompom and more. A bright splash of candy pink, almost black, vivid red or sassy orange, dahlias bring vibrant colour into a summer garden and remain through until the frosts force them back into the ground. Dahlia tuba's are a good investment for the garden because they increase in size from year to year and in time can be broken up to plant as gap fillers. They can be left in well draining ground all year round but if left in ground that holds water they will rot. Perennial phlox is also putting on a fantastic show right now with it's tall frothy pinks and white. They are also a great investment for the garden because one plant will grow into large clump in no time and will need staking but so worth the trouble because not only do the look beautiful the perfume from a clump of tall phlox can be intoxicating wafting about the garden. Plant annual seeds now to give colour in the winter like Iceland poppy, primula malacoidies, Virginian stock (a great plant for winter hanging baskets) wall flower, and flowering kale. Have any of these at budding stage before the frosts arrive and they will push on and flower. This applies to coastal gardens only not further in land unless you have a frost free sheltered spot. Lawns Lawns have really benefited from that last lot of rain it is strange to see them so green at this time of the year but now is the time to deal to grass grub, they are most active from now until May. The birds have started scratching the grass out in different area's of our garden and I can see patches they will move onto where the grubs are busy eating the grass roots. Have some grass grubs granules ready to apply before the next lot of rain if you have the same problem in your lawns. Veg & fruit Many edibles are peaking in production to enjoy at the moment. Water in the morning or evening before or after the full heat of the sun, otherwise there’s too much evaporation for the plants to thrive. I swear my pumpkins grow every time I turn my back on them! we are all in for a bumper crop this summer. I have been free flow freezing veg when I have the time, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, courgette's beans, peas & corn all keep well after blanching and freezing in the free flow method. Gardening by the moon New moon 10th - 18th February At the new moon, the lunar gravity pulls water up, and causes the seeds to swell and burst. This factor, coupled with the increasing moonlight creates balanced root and leaf growth. This is the best time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside the fruit. Examples are lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and grain crops. Cucumbers like this phase also, even though they are an exception to that rule. Cheers, Linda