Gardening in North Otago April 10th 2013

How lucky we have been with the weather this summer & Autumn here in North Otago, warm sun filled days and rain from time to time just when needed. There is a lot to do in the garden this month as I go from one job to another putting the garden to bed for the winter. Such as like leaf raking, cutting back, bulb planting, mulching with compost & pea-straw and shifting shrubs that have become over crowded. Most leaves turn into good compost but it takes longer for oak leaves to break down, I have a lot of these so I make sure I keep enough compost back to layer with the oak leaves along with grass clippings and soft hedge trimmings. There are always more oak or walnut leaves than needed for compost so I burn what is left then add the ash to the compost. Because the ground is dry right now hydrangeas are hardening off, either going brown or changing into new stunning shades, I keep the water up to mine while they are looking so pretty and leave the flowers on for ages yet before pruning them back. Further inland it is wise to leave the old flower heads on over the winter months to protect the new growth below. Camellias are budding up now and some of mine need opening up to let in light needed for buds to develop well so I have been removing inward facing and cross over branches. I will feed camellias and rhododendrons with acid fertiliser, water in well and mulch with pea straw and pine needles, then forget about them until they reward me in spring. Azaleas need food, as soon as they have finished flowering but if you did not feed them then feed them along with Rhododendrons and camellias. Prune back perennial wall flowers now to encourage new growth for a good winter flowering.( On the coast only), do the same to Marguerite daisies. Further inland take hard wood cuttings, pot up and protect over winter as a lot of Marguerite daisy bushes are lost due to continuous frost. Break up clumps of viola like Maggie Mott and the clumping primula vulgaris, plant sections with root attached into pots or trays, they will grow and clump up from now on ready to be planted out in spring. Both of these make lovely edging plants. I planted out different shades of ranuncula this week, They are so worth while and a good investment because they multiply well and give vibrant or soft mid height colour to an early spring garden. Ranucula corms look very dried up and brittle in the packet when bought, soak them over night and they will become nice and plump before planting. Plant at least five together in groups to get the best effect. With lilies becoming available in shops this month established clumps may be lifted if necessary, but do not disturb them unless they are very crowded or unsuitably sited. Instead top dress them with a mixture of compost and blood and bone. (A cup full of blood and bone to each bucket of compost. be sure to keep lily bulbs moist while they are out of the ground, roots must never dry out. Almost all lilies need to be planted as deep as three times the height of the bulb.The only exception to this deep planting is the Madonna lily which is planted just below the surface and prefers to be shifted in mid summer straight after flowering. This is also one of the few lilies which also prefers limy soil. I have really enjoyed the drifts of blue from the Agapanthas in our garden this year which have just finished flowering so I have started breaking up clumps of both large and dwarf varieties to fill gaps, once shifted they need a lot of water to get them started in a new spot. Keep planting well grown evergreen shrubs, still time to get them settled in before winter. Give evergreen hedges a last light trim during this month. Vegetable garden I have mentioned growing a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden, oats is probably the best one to plant in the autumn, it will grow in no time, dig in while still soft and green. First timers might like to follow the green manure suggestion of using blue lupin as a nitrogen additive . other wise, use mustard as a good soil conditioner in spring and summer, changing back to oats in the autumn. Green vegetable seedlings will be targeted by birds right now so best to cover them with strawberry net or open weave frost cloth raised above the plants while small, birds will not be so interested when the plants plump out a bit. Broad beans can be planted now, try a little potash in the soil just below the bean when planted, it is said to help prevent rust. Fruit Walnuts are falling along with the leaves, most of the nuts on our tree fall in their green casing and if I don't pick them up they attract rats who nibble through the casing and the soft shell to get to the nut. Because of the fleshy casing they need to be spread out separated from each other in a dry place to allow the green casing to dry and shrivel away from the nut. If all lumped together in a box they will soon go mouldy Late ripening peaches should be picked now before the birds take them all, I have one here heavy with fruit waiting to be made into jam & relish....when??? I have been told the new peach raised in North Otago and on offer for the first time last year did well and will be on offer again in shops again soon. PEACH SWEET PERFECTION- a chance seedling from an orchard on the banks of the Waitaki River - strong resistance to leaf curl - bountiful and regular crops of excellent quality fruit Gardening by the moon New moon April 10th /18th 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. I now have another contact for small bales of pea straw to be delivered around North Otago on request, just give me a ring for the contact at 03 4349786 Cheers Linda. http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.co.nz/