Gardening in North Otago December 10th 2014

With the Christmas lead up gardening will be on the back burner for most I am sure, including me,Ya! 

Heaps of watering had to be done this week even though we had a shower or two.

I had a couple of days in Darfield this week having Nana time with youngest Grandchild sweet Tahlia, to let her know I don't live in the computer!Then back to the garden again on Thursday with the hope of rain in my absence, Trimming with secateurs is not practical for me with such a large garden so the hedge trimmer has been out again, the grow back rate is pretty quick in summer. The newly trimmed box hedges are suffering from sun scorch, scorching of newly cut box in early summer sun is unavoidable but they soon grow through it and harden off.

If your catmint has been flowering for a while and it is looking a bit tired, trim the long growth back by half and in no time at all it will re-grow into a neater clump and continue to flower,the same applies to aubrietia.

Many winter damaged and dead branches need removed on trees here, I hire chain saw which is small on the end of a very long handle, just perfect for reaching up and removing dead branches and thinning out to let light onto gardens below. 

Anemones for winter flowering will be in shops now, Pop some in pots to have ready to put on show when all the summer & autumn pots finish flowering.

Large clumps of lilies can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering and planted into good compost but they must never dry out so keep an eye on them through the dryer months. I have had clumps of Christmas lilies completely disappear. It takes ages for lilies to grow from seed and little pup bulbs so they are worth looking after. 

Another recipe!! 

Comfrey liquid fertiliser. 

With its deep taproot, and large root system, comfrey pulls its nutrients from way down in the subsoil, where most other plants can't reach. Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big 3, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. In fact, it becomes a good source of nitrogen. And it has more potassium than composted manure.

Comfrey leaves decompose down to a black liquid over a 6 week period. Pick and break up as many leaves as you can harvest, place in the bottom of a large container, weigh down with a rock and within 6 weeks the leaves will have decomposed into a thick  black liquid. Dilute to 1 part comfrey liquid to 15 parts water, dilute more when using on seedlings. ( let me know if you would like comfrey to start a patch)

 Lawns: If you don't like using sprays and have a few flat weeds in the lawn try spot spraying them with vinegar,

I use white vinegar and it works! great on pathways and drives and leaves no dangerous residue to leach into nearby plants . For best results apply in the heat of the day, however clover is a toughie, vinegar browns the leaf off and knocks it a bit but it soon recovers.

Another recipe!! 

Comfrey liquid fertiliser. 

With its deep taproot, and large root system, comfrey pulls its nutrients from way down in the subsoil, where most other plants can't reach. Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big 3, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. In fact, it becomes a good source of nitrogen. And it has more potassium than composted manure.

Comfrey leaves decompose down to a black liquid over a 6 week period. Pick and break up as many leaves as you can harvest, place in the bottom of a large container, weigh down with a rock and within 6 weeks the leaves will have decomposed into a thick  black liquid. Dilute to 1 partcomfrey liquid to 15 parts water, dilute more when using on seedlings. 

Vegetables:

Sow late crops of cucumbers, courgettes, beans and basil, peas, rocket and corriander,

Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn also, having a shallow rooting system mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds, planting in groups rather than a row also helps with wind support.

Nature will have its way if we turn a blind eye, weed seeds pop, fruit over ripens and the veg bolts. 

Fruit: Shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some when shortening back leaders. Nitrate fertiliser will produce more leaves and leaders, like most fruiting plants a little pot ash to encourage fruiting is beneficial in spring.

Harvest garlic and onions, if ready. 

All of the above can wait until the New year, Christmas is time for thinking of others and for Gardeners to enjoy the produce bounty from a busy year past.

For you all I wish a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a safe and prosperous 2015,  from Linda, family & Scruff.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago December 2nd 2014

Still cleaning up after more hedge trimming here, things are looking a little too neat and tidy now but nature will do it's best to soften things up again in a couple of weeks.

Most of my roses have started flowering after what seems like a long wait so have been keeping the water up to them because it is still so dry. If you are at the stage of dead heading roses, don't just cut the flower off, cut at an outward facing bud on a lower section of the branch strong enough to support a new flower.

Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few that I left in the ground from last year. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around roots. 

Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up. Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot, they will soon become bushy and to fill a pot. Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a nodule section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand.Tip cuttings from Hebe's will also root with no trouble in river sand . Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon (Chinese lantern, they come in three strong colours, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, abutilon being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. If trained against a wall leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers. Peony roses: What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they look fantastic this year and I am seeing more in peoples gardens. Peony rose's come in brilliant shades and the very large blooms will fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting energy into making seed. 

Low hanging tree branches: With the weight of the last rain I could see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. Lower branches can be removed and the upper branches will hide the cuts. Any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether. 

Lawns: keep lawn food on hand for the next good rain, lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies, if your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil. Apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in, after a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil. 

If lawn weeds are a problem spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the balance and the work going on in the soil by contaminating with chemicals. 

Vegetables: Dry weather puts a lot of stress on not only plants but also the soil, stressed plants attract pests so I have been keeping the water up but hosing will not give the same results as a good rain. I am amazed that the white butterfly is STILL not a problem in our garden yet, due I am sure to the very cold snaps we have been experiencing, long may it last. 

My runner beans have been slow to start but are away now and snails and slugs not a problem here this year because of drying winds. If you do have a problem with snails & slugs when beans first pop through the ground plant beans into trays to be transplanted when big enough to start climbing up the frame. But, yes I know with the water being kept up slugs & snails will be waiting so why not  make beer traps out of empty plastic fiz bottles by cutting the bottles with the lid in place through the middle, bury the lidded half in the ground then fill with beer, cut a door opening in the other half for snails & slugs to slide in, then force this half with door opening on top of the other beer filled half. The bottom of the bottle will be the roof to keep the rain out. 

Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants by allowing more nutrients to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible for pollination, try it and see if you get a better crop. If you are noticing a lack of bee's to pollinate tomato flowers gardeners have been known to take a hair dryer into the glass house, turn on half speed then gently waft it among flowers to spread pollen.

The cooler nights tend to upset tomato plants, leaves become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight. One method of keeping them in good health I have been reading up on is the use of copper wire. 

Basic premise: The presence of copper (wire) would help the tomato plants be more resistant to "blight" related diseases during the course of the growing season. Material: 12" length of 18 gage (wall picture hanging wire). the main vine should be at least 1/4" in diameter and transplant shock over. Insert or force one end of the wire through the center of the main vine about 1" above ground level. Kink the protruding wire end so that it doesn't slip out of the vine. Force the remainder of the wire (9-10") into the root zone in the ground. That's all there is to it. The person who wrote the above also wrote that he used this method on half his crop and controlled the other half with sprays. Result, the copper prevention was as successful as his spraying programme. Any new idea is worth trying to avoid spraying what we eat!

 Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 26th 2014

Last Thursday & Friday I just had to tackle the box hedges before the very full on weekend, hence my walking about like a half shut pocket knife for days after!! box is sooooo low to the ground and mine need to have all the new spring growth removed to keep them the size required. However the box hedging up our long walk had snuck up higher than required over the years so I needed to cut the height down by a third. This left an obvious scaring on the top with sun burning the tender exposed new growth, in a couple of weeks new leaves will remedy this and the hedge will look as if it has always been the height it is now. 

Last Sunday our garden was one of six local gardens full of garden enthusiasts enjoying the " Inspirational garden tour" to raise funds for cancer here in North Otago, the day was beautiful and the fundraiser a great success, a real credit to the many busy people who put their time in to make it happen.

I have divided clumps of violas because they have finished flowering now; I just dig up part of a large clump and basically pull it to bits planting into pots sections with roots, by the start of next winter the small pots will be filled with roots, new leaves and buds ready to be planted out.

The same for pollyanthus  & primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent roots.

There is still time to divide agapanthus, large and dwarf varieties. they can get a bit clump bound which reduces their flowering.

Dig out the whole clump (if it is still manageable enough to do this), then pull off smaller root balls and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get the roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants.

If you have, or can get hold of some aged compost that has finished working and is ready to put on the garden you will be able to make compost tea.

Compost Tea is a nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic plant food made by steeping aged compost in water. The water is then diluted and used as a root / or foliar feed. It is also noted for its ability to control various plant diseases (blights, molds, wilts, etc. when used as a foliar spray), to repel and control insect pests and their damage when used on a regular basis, and to encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria which results in healthier, more stress-tolerant plants. The basic recipe most often recommended is as follows:

1 large container with lid (plastic rubbish bin works well) enough aged, completed compost to fill an old pillow case 1/2-3/4 full. Fill the container with water, place the compost filled pillowcase (cheese cloth bag or pantyhose also work well), tie off the top and submerge in the container of water. Cover (to prevent odor and insect problems) and let steep for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. This steeping time is crucial to the formation of beneficial bacteria and the required fermentation process. When finished, dip out the tea and dilute it (3 parts water to 1 part tea) and use weekly as root food for all plants. 

The following factors will determine the quality of the finished tea: Use well-aged, finished compost - Fresh compost can burn the plants or contain harmful pathogens and compost past its best will be nutritionally deficient. If using purchased compost it should contain a portion of aged animal manure which apparently remains active longer than compost made up only of plant matter. Dilute it a little more when using on young seedlings. The remaining tea can continue to steep until needed.

(It is important to note that COMPOST TEA AND MANURE TEA ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Manure tea can be made in the same way but is not generally recommended as foliar spray and is not as nutritionally well-balanced, I find roses do well when applied around roots.

Time to start spraying roses for green fly and disease if you have not already started. Shield takes care of both if you follow the instructions and spray at the suggested intervals. 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.

 Weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, most are easy to pull when they have grown a bit. I am still battling with convolvulus,so have resorted to pulling it off plants then searching for ground level regrowth to appear for me zap with round up which should travel right back along the root runners and kill them. I find it too risky spraying around the plants it is clambering over and a ground level zap on new growth is a much shorter distance for the spray to be effective. 

 Vegetables:

Keep mounding the potatoes to keep them producing more and more new potatoes for Christmas, consistent watering is important for potatoes now, 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. Plant only as many seedling plants you think you would use when ready and hold back and keep in the shade other small seedling plants from the same batch until needed. 

Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, their roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. All new small 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 .

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago November 18th 2014

Stop wind! North Otago has had enough. I am so tied of dragging hoses about but water must be kept up because growth is still soft and in need of a lot of moisture to develop and harden off enough to cope with the elements. So on I go as I am sure all other Gardeners are, dragging hoses from garden to garden....but I may be the only one who has a small dog named Scruff attached to the end of each hose pulling the other way!

I have been weeding and cutting back heaps of stuff that has finished flowering, alyssum, ground cover phlox, aubrietia, aquilegias and forgetmenot. if you cut them back now they will green up again and look good over summer, same goes for Erica's, cut all the brown spent flower stems back and they will green up again in no time.
After spreading compost, I started filling every gap with flower seedlings like cosmos, petunias, static, blue salvia, natushims, lavatera and lobelia not leaving any room for weeds to grow, hence the need to water often.

All trees have leafed up now, don't be afraid to cut out over crowding branches to let light in to plantings underneath. If there are two branches filling the same spot take the lower one out. Maples and Oak trees tend to grow thick canopies so I have been thinning mine out. I remove heaps but when I stand back and look it is not noticeable and now there is dappled light coming through, however the winds have made this happen without help from me!

This year my dahlias are slower to leaf up than past years, once in bud they can be pinched out like chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness' but they will still get tall so put stakes in now before they get up too far and begin to bend and fall.

If your daffodils did not flower so well this spring, It's a good time to break up large clumps while you can still see where they have been, flowering can be restricted when the clumps get over crowded. Plant out in small groups in about 20cm of compost...plant, feed with blood and bone and mulch so they don't dry out over summer.

There are autumn flowering bulbs in now, like belladonnas, crocuses, nerines, plant in full sun where they will not be disturbed.

Water lilies can be added to ponds now that the water is warmer, if buying one it should be in leaf, as I mentioned not long ago plant into a plastic pot using thick news paper first then some manure and garden soil. Manure first with soil on top, plant the lily in soil then top with a thick layer of stones or gravel. It is important not to let any fertiliser or manure leach out into the pond water because it will encourage the water to go green with slime which is harmful to fish when caught in their gills.
If your pond is stagnating it means that it is not working ... try putting in some old unsprayed straw or hay, weigh it down with a rock so it does not float around on the surface of the water. At first the pond water will not look too healthy but soon you will be amazed at how fast it will clear and stay clear once things start working naturally. To work naturally the bottom of the pond can and should be a little muddy, but the top should be clear, you can easily tell when it is.
Put some oxygen weed in from a pond already filled with fish, fish blow their eggs into the weed so there is sure to be eggs now that water is warmer, these will hatch out in your pond with no big fish around to eat them.You will not have to feed fish in the warmer months, they will get plenty of bugs from now on.

Lawns:  mowers need to be lifted a notch now, try mowing without the catcher now and then, and rake the clippings out over the lawn to add humus to the lawn. Lawns need fed regularly through the growing and cutting seasons but never without moisture to follow to avoid grass burning. Have some fertiliser on hand for the next rain or feed each area when watering. I sprayed the daisies and weeds two weeks ago, and slowly the gaps where the weeds died are filling in with grass.
Being so dry makes it almost impossible for grass seed to germinate. Really good soakings will be needed but with the ground drying out as it is with wind it may be a wasted effort right now. However a patchy strike can be over sown in Autumn with new grass thick and well growing before winter.

Fruit: Check your fruit trees now for over crowded bunches, thin bunches out by snipping small fruits off with sharp scissors. Give each fruiting tree and bush a good root soak now and then in this dry weather.

Vegetables:
The winds ruined my broad beans so I picked and froze the beans then pulled plants out and threw them to the sheep. I now have a space against a wall to plant peas once the ground has been built up again with compost and had a good soaking.
Keep planting all vegetables but not too many of the same at one time.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 4th 2014

November already, Spring almost over and weather still unsettled with those amazing stormy sky's 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 happening every day in the garden. My roses are late this year because I pruned them hard in late August instead July, they still have no green fly or black spot attacking them so hoping  if I  keep the water and food up to them things will stay that way. Once the leaves harden up I will spray with fish emulsion and a fungicide/pesticide combined spray only if needed. Always best to spray on a dull day when there are less bees around and never spray or wet leaves at dusk, rose leaves 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 hellebore seedlings. ( Winter rose) last years hellebore seedlings should be nice strong, small plants now, I have been potting some up in root trainer pots, then once the little pots are full of roots I will plant out seedlings 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, this will keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody. 

Daffodils and tulips have finished and look messy at this stage but don't be tempted to cut them back because the bulbs need green tops to die back naturally. twist them and push them out off site under shrubbery if you can until they have lost vigor before pulling them from the bulb.

Box hedge: I am waiting for the new growth to firm up a little before trimming the buxus hedging, If trimmed too soon it will be a wasted effort because while foliage is very soft they are still putting out growth. When you feel spring new growth is done choose an overcast day to trim, this allowing the under growth a little time to recover before being subjected to our harsh sun, however sunburn on new buxus growth is unavoidable and thankfully hedges will soon grow through the burning. However this week I have had the hedge trimmer on the go! some hedges like viburnum and lonicera have almost finished putting out spring growth so if a hedge has reached the height and width required trim back to the last cut, all soft trimmings can go on the garden or into the compost.

Planting on a slope: Spring is probably the best 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 heat of summer and while small the dreaded winds should not get a hold of them and whip them out of the ground. Prepare the bank  first by spraying out all weeds and grass compeating for moisture. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around plant 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. 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  Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant which plants survive 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 and have the added advantage of fixing nitrogen into the soil.

Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If you have not sprayed 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. Now the ground is warm your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it. Leave the catcher off from time to time and rake cuttings evenly over the lawn. I am waiting for results from all the grass seed sown in bare patches left after moss removal to germinate. Moss grows  because off pour drainage or mowing grass too short either results in soil compacting. Keeping the ground firm (don't dig) just rough the top soil up before raking the seed in, covering well so the birds don't notice then keep the moisture up until seed germinates.

Vegetables/fruit

My no dig veg garden was turned into a strawberry patch last spring and this year the year old strawberry plants are doing well having been feed with pig manure and blood n bone then mulched with fresh grass clippings to keep the weeds out until I find the time to gather pine needles. All berry fruit need consistent watering to produce plump fruit.
A little potash around the drip line watered in will help with fruiting, with grapes advice given in the past was to bury road kill under a grapevine, I have made my grapes a burial ground for any of my bantams that come to a sad end. 

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. Soak the ground before you start to get dampness deep 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, old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (wet down.) add a layer of soil, clay soil is fine, 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) then top more soil, (wet down), 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.

Gardening in North Otago October 28th 2014

I had last week away which is not the norm for me at this very busy time of the year in the garden but had in place a reliable person to water so all was good when I got home. Wind seems to be the norm around Labour weekend, this Labour weekend was a good one weather wise with a lot getting done by Gardeners I am sure. We still need heavy spring rain here in North Otago but the rain clouds seem to float above us then disappear! If you are wanting to transplant Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas, do it immediately after flowering before they put on too much new season growth, invest in a bag of peat to get roots going after transplanting. If your spring flowering shrubs are in need of a trim prune them back once they have finished flowering.
Geraniums and pelargoniums are available now and should be planted in a sunny position. Fuchsias are also on offer, they benefit from afternoon shade. 

If you are concerned about a hot dry Summer having a disastrous effect on your garden? Plenty of Mulch breaking down on your soil will help retain moisture as well as improve the structure of your soil and suppress weed growth. Mulch like straw, grass clippings and weed free compost and a dressing of gypsum is also excellent for breaking down clay or poor draining soil. 

Newly planted roses are making lots of new growth so this is the month to feed them with slow release Fertiliser which will add nutrients to roots when ever water is applied. Potted plants also need slow release fertiliser and re-pot any plants that have been in the same container for more than three or four years. If they are too root-bound remove one third from the root ball then replant into the same container with fresh potting mix.

Cymbidium orchids can be divided and re-potted now if crowded. 

Water lilies are available this month and need to be planted in a basket lined with sphagnum moss or old carpet underlay, add garden soil, slow release fertiliser tabs or manure then the water lily and lastly a thick layer of shingle placed on top to help weigh the basket down in the water and stop the fertiliser / manure from leaching out which will create green slime growth in the pond as the water warms up. Also as I mentioned not long ago fish start breeding now as water warms, they will blow eggs into oxygen weed. Fish chase each other around at breeding time, If big fish are shifted to another pond after you have seen this activity eggs will be able to escape being eaten and hatch into tiny grey fish eventually becoming gold fish. The big fish can be returned to the pond when new fish have grown past a meal size. 

Fruit and veg: 

Watch your fruit trees and Grapes for fungal diseases, spray with a fungicide if needed. The cold snaps have been good for keeping the white butterfly's and Aphids away but aphids will no doubt soon start to become a problem so keep an eye out for infestation and if necessary wash off with a forceful hose or spray with an organic pesticide if they persist. 

Last chance to get coddling moth traps in place, I have mentioned in past notes the method below and have been told is successful. 

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.

Now I need a concoction for Scruff the dog, he bolted twice last week and had us searching! got him back each time, now can't give him even a glimpse of a jogger or walker past our gate!! 

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago October 21st 2014

As predicted lawns and driveways are pink with blossom blown off trees, very pretty but a shame it dose not last longer. My main tulip display was disappointing this spring so I plan to dig them up with tops still attached and will leave them die back before storing them in a dry place to be planted out again next May. Blue saliva will be planted in their place for a summer show because a mass of blue seems to visually cool a hot summer garden.
I am in Nelson for the week I am writing this after having run around like a headless chook watering and getting things done before I left and hoping we could get some rain while I was away!! 
When I return I will set to changing beds from spring to a summer show with annuals, a good weeding, compost added, a thick layer not dig it in, I leave it on top to suppress any weed seeds wanting to germinate. Then I will plant out all the seedlings I have been nursing for the past couple of months.
Dead head and feed flowering pansies and polyanthus because as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep on flowering until it gets too warm for them. If you feel they are past it dig them out, cut them back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left until you can plant them out again at the end of next winter.
Begonias should be showing small leaves now, I start now feeding them with fish based fertiliser. Flamboyant begonias make a wonderful show as a boarder or in pots and hanging baskets and they flower on and on through the summer.
Coastal gardens will be ahead of gardens further inland, these gardens will still be getting reasonable frosts and late frosts on the new growth of roses can be a problem but don' t be too concerned because rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. If watering don't let rose foliage go into the night wet, the rain of course can not be helped. When the nights start warming up any dampness on rose leaves will encourage mildew, water and spray them early in the day. Also keep the food up to your roses, they are making their buds and it's hungry roses that get diseased. Slow release fertilisers are good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs to keep the food supply up.
Spot spray convolvulus, couch and clover while fresh new growth, its the right time to zap them on a non windy day, if roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die so don't risk spraying on a windy day.
I have noticed some of my front shrub plantings are too big now, hiding good planting areas behind each over grown shrub. It takes only a few years for gardens to close in with out us really noticing and what a difference can be made by opening up and creating distance for a new and interesting planting. One area opened in my garden is deep enough to allow me to mass plant with blue bells and include a new maple tree and it was only two scrappy over grown shrubs removed which has made this difference. I planted a lot of sun flower seeds into trays a few weeks ago which are now large enough to plant out, and soon those huge sunny flower heads will be following the sun around the garden.
If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established.
Vegetables
Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, mound the soil up around them and frost cloth may be needed at night just to be sure if your garden is low lying. Seeds are popping up in no time now so get them in ready for salad time. Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now, if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. Sprinkle a little lime on compost heaps now, I do this in spring and Autumn. But if you have done a test and you need to raise the PH Sprinkle the lime over the soil surface and rake it into the top couple of inches, letting it naturally work down to the root zone. Do not dig it deeply into the soil, it will leach down soon enough. Dolomite lime is less likely to drastically change the PH but if your soil is in need of sweetening our local lime (calcium carbonate) will do the trick. Usually application rates are 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area, every second year to raise the pH from 5.5 to 6.5. There are some veg that like a more acid soil so don't go adding lime unless your soil needs sweetening. Brasica plants,cabbage, brussel sprouts and the like enjoy a sweet soil so you would be safe adding lime every second year where you plan to plant them.
Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago October 14th 2014

winds and bone chilling cold resulting in my tomato plants turning blue and potato leaves and young seedlings wanting to retreat back under the soil and all of us I am sure getting the winter gardening gear out again, Grrrrrrr.

Hosing is still top of my list, it takes ages to get around this garden and it doesn't help having Scruff the dog hanging on with clenched jaw to the end  of the hose as I pull it from place to place!!

Once again I will go on about the weeds really going for it now! I can not believe how many have been pulled from our garden, mostly biddy bid, chick weed and convolvulous. Weeds need to be removed before they make seed or, you will be chasing them forever.

Potting up seedlings is a weekly task here in Spring, this week it was lupins, sun flowers, delphiniums, godetia, cosmos and marigolds  It is best not to plant very small seedlings into the garden, they will probably be eaten or just die off with not having enough roots to support them. It really is worth the effort to pot them on into individual pots or punnets to establish a good root mass.

Strong growing plants like sun flowers and delphinium seeds can be planted straight into peat pots and once the pot is filled with new roots plant pot and all into the ground, the strong roots will grow out through the pot as it breaks down.

I talked about slugs and hosta's last week but forgot to mention I have 6 little Peking bantams who take care of most snails and slugs here, (another reason I don't put down slug bait). Because these little bantams have very short legs scratching is minimal compared to long legged hens.

Companion planting:

With all the planting that is going on right now it is time to think about companion planting again.

Gardeners from the past have documented successful companion planting knowledge down through the years for us to follow. Some plants give off an aroma that is disliked by unwanted insects and others are thought to enhance the growth of certain plants if planted along side them.

Nasturtiums attract caterpillars, so planting it alongside or around vegetables such as lettuces, broccoli and cabbages should mean the nasturtium will get attacked rather than your edible crop.

Fox Gloves have stimulating effects on all plants in the garden, a welcome addition to the flower and veggie garden.

Marigolds have a scent that repels aphids and attracts hoverflies, which are predator insects

Tagetes, the lovely tiny marigolds, or French marigold, are invaluable to companion planting.

Cabbage white butterfly are attracted to their host plant by smell, planting rows of Mexican tagete is effective in masking the smell and reducing cabbage moth damage. A secretion from the roots of the Mexican tagetes deter eelworms so your potatoes and tomatoes are left alone. Tagetes and calendulamarigolds planted near tomatoes and roses will reduce aphid attack as the marigolds will attract the hover-flies that are voracious eaters of these pests. Garlic, chives and parsley can be beneficial planted with Roses as aphid deterrents.

Vegetables:

Basil and tomatoes are a well-known combinations

Dill is popular with bees and attracts them into the garden. Dill planted with corn will ensure a bumper crop, as more bees will be around to pollinate the corn strings.

Sage planted around the celery crop, helps to keep the aphids away.

Hyssop is said to repel white butterfly from cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli and other brassica crops.

Carrots and leeks work well planted together, they both have strong aromas, which repel the other’s pests.

My potatoes are well up so I have been adding more soil / compost, molding them up as they grow more leaves.

The corn is up, I planted corn in punnets this year, last year most were eaten off at ground level while small, I will plant them out when stronger in roots and leaves, then plant dill along side to attract the bees.

The dreaded carrot fly is about in October when carrots are being thinned, don't leave any thinnings near the planted rows for the carrot fly to smell. Tip, plant seed sparingly to avoid thinning. I have heard scattering freshly cut, un-sprayed  grass clippings along rows disguises the carrot aroma. 

With all the fruit trees in blossom we need sunny days to keep the bees busy at work pollinating. Keep the water up to them and mulch with unsprayedgrass clippings right out to their drip line to keep the moisture there, they have a lot of work ahead of them producing fruit.

Lawns,

The lawns are growing well after being fed, and the first spring shower. I let them get a bit of length on then spot sprayed the clover and weeds.

Our garden is looking very pretty right now for viewing should people be interested in taking a drive out to Weston, plenty of seating so bring a picnic.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago October 7th 2014

Another week, so far without rain even though the sky's continue to show it is up there wanting to spill!

The later flowering cherries are taking center stage now, prunus Kanzan and prunus shimidsu sakura but unfortunately here in North Otago, at this time of the year strong winds can soon strip blossom.

Now that it's planting out time and there is a lot on offer it's probably a good time to talk about plants for the right place. starting with dry areas of the garden, under hungry trees or areas that drain too readily. You will be wasting your time and money planting shallow rooted plants like rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas or hellebore's in these areas. It's best to group plant with plants that will work their roots down to look for moisture like: 

Euphorbias in all their varieties, colours and sizes 

Agapanthus: large and small varieties they are great on a slope.

Buddleias: To fill gaps at the back of a border, lovely sliver blue foliage and blue to cerise/ purple flowers, must be cut back well after flowering to keep bushy and at the height you require them to be. 

Grass's always look good grouped together as they are in nature, they do well in the dry and add movement to the garden wafting in the wind. 

Geraniums also require little attention in a dry spot once established but do need water until established. 

Lupins: Are wonderful in big groups, they also need water until they become established, after the first flowering they will self seed to make their groups larger. 

All these plants once established will cope with dry conditions. 

Damp, Shade loving plants to consider:

Hydrangea, such a lovely bush in so many modern shades now. 

Hostas with their interesting leaves 

Heuchera: Not all shade loving plants have to be green. Heuchera plants come in a delightful variety of colors. Plant these as borders around the base of trees or even along the edge of walkways!

Acanthus mollis: This is my favourite bold grouping plant, I have it planted in so many problem spots and area's where a statement plant is required.

Aluminum plant: (Ground cover) would be too invasive for a small area but in an area that drives you potty because what you have planted just sits long enough to be taken over by weeds this plant is fantastic with it's variegated leaves lighting up the darkest of area's, it covers the ground in no time. 

Hellobores: (Winter rose) A must for every shade garden. 

Bedding plants: All bedding plants, once planted need attention, water and folia feeding. I sifting soil for resowing patches in the lawn and decided to use the sifted soil as a top layer to soil before planting annuals and seeds. Sifted soil packs round new roots firmly so they don't dry enabling roots to grow quickly. Soil, is after all nature given for growing in and here long before we had so many other growing medium choices!

Hydrangea's are leafing up now and will need fed ready for their long flowering season, aged animal manure is a good food source for them, they are shallow rooted so need watered often. To keep pink use a little lime around the drip line and for blue you use alliumn sulphate or epsom salts, These must be watered in and not just left on top of the roots. 

Ponds: I know wrote about ponds not long ago but forgot to mention with the warmer weather quickening up pond growth it's time to watch for slime developing which is harmful to fish if caught in their gills. A good way of clearing a pond after Winter is to flood it and most of the rubbish will float off, don't stir up the bottom as long as the water is clear on top the pond is working. If a pond fills with green slime in the warmer weather it means that there is too much nitrogen in the water, maybe fertiliser drifted in when lawns or gardens were being feed. Or, if you feed the water lilies with Manure some may have leached out into the water. Depending on the size of the pond put in a few slabs of old straw in weighed down with rocks and leave it to rot down. This works wonders on murky pond water and will get the pond working and clear in no time. I will tackle the oxygen weed next, this is very good as a mulch on the garden, removed half of it before the fish start to breed and blow their eggs into it. When I first added fish to my ponds I just put in some oxygen weed from a pond full of fish and the baby fish eggs all hatched, and with no other older fish in the pond to eat the eggs or hatching's they had no predators so all survived.  

Vegetable garden: Keep molding up potatoes as they show leaf, this keeps them cooler allowing more time for them to grow a bigger crop. 

I have sown mixed lettuce seeds in a tray and plan to transplant them into the garden as I need them, lettuce seedlings will hold in a tray for a long time in a shady spot and only really start growing when they are planted in a sunny spot and fed and watered. The broad beans took a hammering in the winds this week and needed a couple of good soakings, flowers are turning into small pods so the bees eventually found and pollinated them. Perfect veg growing conditions now, every seed planted is up and doing well here.

 

Cheers Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 2014

October already and North Otago gardens are blooming beautifully!

This month is where chasing weeds becomes a full time job - Hoeing and hand pulling weeds is still the best option while weeds are new and small in planted areas especially if you are clearing a garden to plant out for a summer show.  Couch grass and convolvulus need to be taken right out if you can, get each long runner under the ground and any little pieces that may have been chopped with the spade, they will grow and spread very fast if left. I spot spray Couch and convolvulus with round up in badly effected areas, trying hard not to bring the spray in contact with plants. Once all obvious weeds are gone cover the area with compost, thick enough to keep the light from allowing any weed seeds left behind to germinate. Compost if cooked well will have been heated to the point of destroying weed seeds. NOW plant,plant, plant! as many annuals and perennials as you can into the prepared area, they will grow really fast from now on and beat the weeds. If you have not feed plants, roses or shrubs do it now, powered plant food should always be watered in, if you have home made compost ready to use add blood & bone; and some sulphate of pot ash this will to add food and a flowering / fruiting component. Watering and liquid feeding for new plantings is the key to success as they settle in and make new feeding roots, first thing in the morning is the best time to water giving plants and dirt time to dry off before night. Fungus thrives in damp ground on mild nights. 

Mulch really comes into play now, the areas mulched here in my garden with pea straw are holding the moisture around trees and shrubs. Pea straw looks ok in shrubberies but I don't use it in ornamental gardens where I plant annuals.

I often mention using old stable manure along with compost around roses, spread around the drip line to keep them going over their long flowering period, watering / rain will take it to the roots as required. Once rose leaves have hardened off a little green fly can be dealt to.

Organic green fly spray on roses: I picked a bunch of new seasons rhubarb this week, cooked the sicks and from the leaves made an insect deterrent spray as follows.

3 or 4 rhubarb leaves roughly chopped, into 4 cups of boiling water, simmer for 20 mins then allow to cool. Strain, pressing rhubarb leaves in the strainer to get full leaf infusion. 

Spray: mix 1 teaspoon detergent or (baby shampoo if you have) to 2 1/2 cups of cold water, then blend this soapy water to the leaf infusion in a spray bottle. Spray onto roses and any other ornamental plants that succumb to green fly. Store left over leaf infusion by freezing, each application works best when fresh. Unfortunately it is not to be used on eatable plants, I use a garlic concoction on veg, which I will list next week.

Most lovely Camellias are still flowering but once finished they can be trimmed and shaped, take out branches from the middle if a bush is dense and bushy. This lets the light in to help form next years buds,there should be enough gaps for a bird to fly through. 

Hostas are starting to leaf now, so watch when working around them in the garden, it will not take much to knock the point off the new leaves, keep well watered and give them a dressing of compost and blood & bone, plus I will be trying different organic concoctions on hostas as well this year because Scruff the dog will soon sniff out, and down slug bait!! Slugs come in their droves if they get a sniff of hostas, they slide down into the center of clumps to lay eggs and the young then feast. Because the clumps are just beginning I will concentrate the concoction on where the eggs will be and will place sharp barriers around the outside edge of clumps that slimy slugs will need to cross and will try Diatomaceous earth,  known organic slug repellent.  

Slugs and other garden pests

Apply as a barrier around plants and garden beds. Reapply after rain. Any diatomaceous earth that washes into soil will continue to benefit your garden, since it acts like vermiculite in retaining water for future slow release. To insects DE is a lethal dust with microscopic razor sharp edges. These sharp edges cut through the insect's protective covering drying it out and killing them when they are either dusted with DE or if it applied as a wettable powder spray. If they ingest the DE it will shred their insides. Breathing in of Diatomaceous earth is not good for us so wear a mask, once settled on the plant or ground it is not harmful. ( While researching this I found that Talcom powder contains diatomaceous earth), could dust down in the center of hosta's with talc?? will let you know how my experiments pan out.

Lillies are pushing up, put in stakes to support them to before they get higher and never let them dry out, same for peony roses they do so much better growing up through holding stakes. 

I have been noticing a few ornamental cherry blossom trees with root stock branches being left to grow, all flowering cherry trees are grafted onto a strong root stock of a very ordinary white blossom tree. Cut rogue branches off while still small, If allowed to develop they will take over the whole tree. If you do have a tree with lovely pink or white blossom and you notice some blossom looks different then most likely it will be a branch growing from below the graft.

Lawns are really going for it now which means the ground has warmed enough to sow grass seed, sow thickly to beat weeds and birds, keep moist and you should have a strike in no time. Don't fertilise newly struck grass, all fertilisers will be too strong. I have roughed the ground up a little and sown seed in the bare patches left by moss removal and grass grubs then covered seed lightly with sifted soil.

Vegetables:

Plant shops are full of veg and herb plants, seeds, tomatoes plants and seed potatoes, from now on it is so easy to grow your own food. If you do not have an existing vegetable garden but you do have a patch of vacant ground, clear it, dig it or rotary hoe it, edge it with what ever you have on hand , lime stone blocks, tree branches or sleepers. Spray the weeds around the outside of your edging so they will not encroach on your planting space then go for it, get planting at this time of the year everything will grow fast and well as long as you keep the water up and hoe the weeds away. Compost will be needed only on ground that had large tree's or hedges growing near by. Once worked up, vacant soil should be rich enough to plant straight into. 

Corn and pumpkins need to be planted now to assure the long ripening season they need. Carrot seed planted now should mature before the carrot fly is on the wing again to lay the second generation of eggs. If carrot fly has been a real problem for you in the past I would cover rows with insect net once germinated from October until April which includes the three generational life cycle of the carrot fly. I have been told Resistafly F1 hybrid Egmont seeds are less likely to be infested. The fly is attracted to the carrot smell while flying low to lay her eggs so thinning out of carrots is almost like calling the flies.  Plant seed with a little river sand keep sowing's thin.

If it's a Herb garden you are keen to make and have chosen a sunny spot, dig in some old stable manure and lime before planting, all herbs like both. Why not plant up some mixed herb pots now and they will be ready to give as Christmas presents. 

Cheers, Linda