Gardening in North Otago February 12th 2014

What glorious weather this week as we move through summer towards autumn the dry ripening season. It is so important now to cut plants back that have finished flowering if you want the plants to grow back with a new lot of fresh leaves to fill the gaps. If you let things run to seed as they want to now some perennials and annuals will give up because they have made seed for plants to take their place. However if it is seed collecting you want then leave some flower heads to make seed, I have started collecting always storeing seed in brown paper bags and leave in a dark dry place until required. Seeds collected now can be planted now as nature intended or sowing can be done in the spring. Spring sowing works better some times, hot summer sowing will usually result in fewer seedlings surviving. Seeds to collect now would be delphinium, aqualegia, dianthus, poppy, marigold, rhododendron,sweet pea, lilies, violas & Pansy's, all of these will do well planted into seed raising mix and planted out when strong enough. I am also finding an abundance of native seedlings growing all over the garden, this is the work of birds doing their bit to regenerate the forna. I dig out the small ones and pot them up at this time of the year but leave the larger ones until winter, they will have a better survival rate then when lifted. Lift summer flowering gladioli as leaves begin to dry off, and hang upside down inside to ripen before cleaning and storing. It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering (hybrid) clematis to get roots established before winter. A fungus spray at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from at planting time, when planting try not to disturb the root too much and sprinkle a little lime to sweeten their ground. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer with huge or delicate flowers in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look climbing and spilling through gardens. Keep planting spring bulbs where you picture a show of them in spring, Clumps are much more effective than one planted here and there. Continue dead heading dahlias to keep them bushy and flowering longer, take stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper. Lawns: Begin preparations for new lawns to be sown in autumn, start by spraying out all perennial weeds,then the area should be dug or rotary hoed then raked to ensure there is a fine tilt and no underlying hard pan. Test the ph and if soil is too acid bring it up to about 6 with lime, leave as long as possible for the lime to be absorbed before applying fertiliser once grass is up. To ensure a level, firm planting surface, the soil should be gently compacted again after digging by raking and treading or rolling. Veg & fruit: This is a major harvest month for vegetable and fruits, the jam and preserving pans will be busy and the gardens abundant with food. Keeping the water up to everything especially the late ripening fruit trees is a must to get the best crops. I am sure it must be the favourite time of the year for birds with so much on offer to them, pick and store before they take all. Cheers, Linda