Gardening in North Otago November 12th 2013

What wonderful spring rain we are receiving here in North Otago, but the cold days that follow are a little hard on gardeners after the heat experienced some days. My late rhododendrons are so vibrant and holding well due to those cooler days I feel. I have been planting out this week, blue salvia annuals to cool a hot summer garden, sun flowers that always look majestic and cheerful, low growing white alyssum to set all the summer colours off, bedding begonias, petunias and lobelia for a mass summer show. After many years trying to grow plants regardless of conditions preferred, thinking as long as I kept the water up and protected them through the winter I could beat nature. I finally learned that it's a waste of time and money nursing plants that need a warmer climate and more rain than we have here. Plants like hibiscus, banana, gardenia, palms, anything that requires a tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle. Although bougainvillea is growing here on the coast, mine can be fine for a couple of years but other years the frost really knocks it back. Read plant labels and make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year, for example there are some lovely pelagoniums for sale now but I have yet to have one survive the winter in my garden, although I see them growing well on the south hill where the frosts are not so harsh so I guess it's a matter of looking at what is growing well in gardens close by to you and knowing that the same plants will do well in your garden. Roses: I have not needed to start spraying roses for green fly and disease yet, but it will not be long, bugs are making a move on every warm day we have. A systemic insect / fungus combined spray will take care of both green fly and fungus if you follow the instructions and spray every 10 days to get on top of infestation. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water. Spring bulbs have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of daffodils rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green into the bulb. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up, tops and all and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year, but keep covered because rats will sniff them out and feast on them over winter. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them multiply this way as well as bulbs increasing. Keep water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and they resent drying out, stake them now before they become too heavy. I will once again sing the praises of raised gardens, Some advantages of raised bed gardens include: Soil warms up faster in the spring, and doesn't cool as fast in the autumn. You don't have to bend far to work in the garden and access the plants. soil has better drainage, so there is less disease. Soil is not walked on, eliminating compaction, roots need air, and therefore compacted soil is very detrimental to plant growth. A raised garden can be a garden feature as it has a specified geometry and form. Studies have shown that a raised bed garden may be up to two times more productive per square foot compared to normal gardening techniques. While you may make the raised bed garden to any shape there are some guidelines to follow. The garden can be any length you want, but it shouldn't be more than 4ft wide so you can reach across comfortably from either side. It can be as high as you want it, but keep in mind that the higher you go, the more support you will need to build. Even a railway sleeper high will give benefits. If it's a raised vegetable garden then it must be built in a spot that gets all day sun. Raised beds for shade and moisture loving plants need to be closer to the damp ground, if they are raised too high the drainage is too great for these plants. Once you have constructed your raised bed fill with fresh soil, compost, and well aged manure If you choose to frame your raised garden with wood make sure not to use treated timber, this has been known to leach chemicals into the soil. While untreated wood will not last as long, it is a safer alternative. Rocks are an economical option but they tend to loose soil with rain and watering, we are fortunate here in Oamaru to have our own versatile Oamaru stone. I have seen ready made wooden raised garden surrounds on offer, these would do the trick if space was a problem. Vegetables: Keep mounding the potatoes to give depth for them to produce large shaws, consistent watering is important for potatoes, this goes for all root vegetables. Leafy veg don't need any extra feeding at this time of the year it will just encourage them to bolt once it warms up. Only plant as many plants as you think you would use when ready to pick, hold back the other small seedling plants from the same batch and keep in a semi shady place until required for planting. The small plants will hold if watered only when too dry (don't over water these seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot,. All seedling plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential . Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. Corn seeds sown last month are now ready to plant out, I have read that planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassels and add support during strong winds. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 5th 2013

November, with more settled spring days, warm sun and still a night chill to keep the garden fresh. I am so enjoying the rhododendrons, azalea's, and peony roses putting on their show and the expectation of something new happened every day in the garden. My roses are full of fat buds waiting to burst open, they still have no green fly or black spot attacking them , no doubt both will arrive eventually. I have just sprayed with Winter oil and fish emulsion combined to discourage them, the leaves are so soft and new it pays to do your spraying on a dull day so the sun will not burn through droplets and damage the leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up but I would still spray on a dull day when there are less bees around to be caught in the spray. Never spray or water the leaves at dusk, they should be dry going into warm nights to prevent mildew growing. Spring is the best time for transplanting seedlings that have popped up from existing plants in the garden, like last years hellebore seedlings. ( Winter rose) they should be nice strong small plants now, I have been planting them out in groups under deciduous trees, and around rhododendrons, camellias, hydrangeas and fuchsias, they all like the same shady conditions. Trim spent flowers from perennials and daisy bushes as they finish the first flush of flowering to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody. Box hedge: I have made a start on the spring trim of my buxus here, an overcast morning on Wednesday was just right for this cut giving the under growth a little time to recover before becoming sunburned. Planting on a slope: Spring is also the time to plant out a slope or bank, the ground is moist and plant roots are growing fast which means they will get a good hold before the dreaded winds and the heat of summer. Spray out all weeds, and grass, they will compete with moisture that your plants need. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around the roots. If this cannot be done try not to disturbed soil / clay in areas that are not being planted. If the soil is disturbed and broken up it will wash away with rain and watering. Planting: Dig a hole that is deep into the bank and shallow at the front, (an angle hole) this will create a hollow reserve for water. Make sure it dips down at the back for water to pool. Use stones around each plant, this will help to prevent wind blowing soil away from the roots. Choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant what survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. The plants they can leave for a while and they still look good when dried out. I mass plant lupines to fill the gaps on a bank until all the other plants get bigger, they give a spectacular show in the second year of planting. This week I have had the hedge trimmer on the go! the hedges have almost finished putting out spring growth so if a hedge has reached the height you require of it take the soft growth off now before the foliage beneath gets too much protection from the new growth. The Winter hardened the under growth up and it should still be strong enough not to get sunburned. My box hedges all reached the required height some years ago so all new growth must be taken back. Choosing an overcast day to do this is best for the box which will allow them to recover with out the added stress of the hot sun. If a hedge is not yet as tall and thick as required leave the new growth to harden off, but if you have to trim just do enough to tidy it up. All my soft trimmings on the garden or compost as mulch. Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If you have not had to spray the lawn weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus, but don't leave thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it now the warmth is here to break it down. I have had excellent results from all the grass seed sown,it struck in places only a week from planting which has encouraged me to rake out every bare patch, add the wonderful sifted soil I have been hooked on lately, and plant grass seed like there is no tomorrow! Fruit: My grapes got frosted last week, thankfully they were not in flower, I give only the vines I think could do with a boost fertiliser in early spring. Feeding established vines that are doing ok will only encourage more leaves and leaders. A little potash from time to time will help with fruiting. The old way was to bury road kill under a grape, I have made the grapes a burial ground for any of my bantams that come to a sad end. I have come across another method of dealing with coddling moth which is said to have worked well for some. Use a plastic milk container, and place in it 1 banana peel, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup sugar. Fill the container almost full of water, replace the cap and shake it well to mix and dissolve the contents. Remove the cap and firmly secure one container into each apple tree. The moths are attracted to the scent of the concoction, becoming trapped and drowned when they investigate. Refill with water as needed throughout the summer. My no dig veg garden has been turned into a strawberry bed, but if I find time I plan to make another. It is a is a good no fuss way to grow veg. Making a no dig garden: Find a sunny spot on bare ground,( not concrete) surround with sleepers, logs, Oamaru stone or boards high enough to hold layers of manure,soil, compost and straw. Flood the dirt before you start to get dampness deep down but If you plan to create a no dig garden on top of grass or space that has been growing then you will need to cover the the ground with layers of saturated news paper or cardboard, overlapping to stop strong weeds pushing through. First layer manure, (wet down.) If working on bare dirt spread a layer of manure straight on the damp ground, (this will bring the worms up). Then spread a thick layer of compost and old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (wet down.) Then add a layer of soil, (clay soil is fine in this layer), water well after each layer leaving no dry spots. Next add a layer of straw, (wet down) then add more layers of compost and old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (wet down) and top that with more soil, (wet down). River sand, a little lime and an all purpose fertiliser can be added as you build the layers. Lastly add a top layer of straw which suppresses the weeds and is a great deterrent to slugs. When you think the garden is high enough start planting and you should be eating your own produce with in six weeks at this time of the year. Cheers, Linda.