Gardening in North Otago 16th July 2013

TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 Gardening in North Otago 16th July 2013 Another good weather week for North Otago and a good productive week again in the garden for me. We are getting the good hard frosts we need now so I covered plants like bougainvillea, hibiscus, pelargonium and young daisy bushes. The first hard frost took the front of my large bougainvillea but hopefully it is still protected further in by the damaged outer growth and I don't lose it all together. Established Margarette daisy bushes will take a knock from the frosts but just leave them here on the coast if they have frosted on outside growth, this will protect the new growth beneath. In land towards Kurow gardeners will need to take cuttings of daisy bushes, geranium and pelargonium and protect them until spring because the frosts are too harsh for that soft growth. I have decided to leave most of my hydrangeas until buds show signs of shooting, as I mentioned last week I did prune some very protected hydrangea bushes but need to stop myself from being tempted to start on any others until nearer spring. But you can give pink hydrangeas a dressing of lime now to keep them pink and blue hydrangeas a dressing of sulphate of allium or the specially prepared blue hydrangea mix that can be bought from the garden centres. This week I attacked a group of large leggy rhododendrons that had leaves, buds and blooms only on the top of long woody branches taller than myself. I was only going to cut the woody non productive wood off because the bushes were beginning to flower, however once I started I ended up cutting them all right back to a healthy bulging nodule and then they got compost and straw, they should push out new bushy growth in the spring. More rose pruning this week as well, I had to invest in some new secateurs as the pair I have been using were not cutting clean and rips on a rose prune will not allow the cut to seal this which will result in die back and can sometimes claim a whole branch. Because roses should ideally be planted during dormancy, new varieties will be available from garden centres this month. If winter has left your garden looking a little too bleak, the local garden centres will also have nice potted colour to brighten things up. I have noticed pansy's, wall flower, polyanthus and primula malacoides which look fresh and bright planted in groups or as a border. Vegetables This week I planted some more garlic cloves, the list of facts, benefits and legends surrounding Garlic are so many and so varied, garlic has been a staple in both the pantry and the medicine cupboard for century's. The shortest day is traditionally garlic planting time but it is still ok to plant it now. Plants can be grown from the small, separate cloves which need to be planted pointed end up, five to seven cm below the soil surface and about 10 to 15 cm apart in a sunny, well drained location and well prepared soil with plenty of organic matter worked through. Garlic will also grow well in containers or pots. Plants grow to about 60-90cm tall during winter and spring, and flower before the top growth dies off over summer. Water regularly during summer when bulbs are forming and add liquid fertiliser to encourage bulb growth. Before planting source bulbs from a garden centre as garlic bought form a supermarket may have been sprayed to inhibit sprouting. Time to start preparing the soil for spring planting. Cultivate vacant spaces, digging in green crops sown earlier. Add compost, and lime if you feel the garden needs humus and sweetening. Fruit Winter is the time you will find the best selection of fruit trees in garden centres. It may be cold and miserable outside but it's the best time to buy your trees for planning. They are usually grafted and tall growing so plant up to where they were planted in the bag and stake well to protect against the wind. A tip I read the other day that could work to eradicate codling moth attacking apple trees. quarter fill a tin or plastic milk container with treacle and hang in the tree it is said to attract male grubs because the treacle is said to smell like the female codling moths pheromone attracting the male grub into the container to reach a sticky end. A double bonus is that the treacle will attract grub eating birds. Cheers, Linda