Gardening in North Otago March 11th 2014

What a strange beginning to Autumn!! drizzle and overcast sky's but leaves are beginning to turn, and the drizzle has given plants and grass a reprieve from the usual autumn baking sun. With nights cooling off and days shortening it will not be long before the major leaf drop and days filled with raking them up, so I can't really start getting the gardens ready for winter with compost then pea straw until all that is over. However, I can lift branches on large tree's and trim back climbers like wisteria, jasmine and honey suckle and keep trimming hedges / shrubs, then tidy up the mushy rose blooms left after all the drizzle. This rose dead heading will be my last for this growing season, roses will soon need to stop putting out new soft growth. Rose wood needs time to harden off before the big winter prune, which means leaving spent flower blooms on to allow seeds to grow. Keep dead heading dahlia's and geraniums to keep them flowering through until the first frost and continue to remove spent summer annuals so ground can be worked ready for winter flowering annuals like primulas, wall flowers, pollyantha;s, pansies & viola's. Fork in some compost and wet well before replanting beds. Be on the look out for useful self sown seedlings like fox glove, lupin, cineraria, hollyhock and primula melacoides, I am finding quite a few of them, they can be transplanted now to settle in before winter. Peony roses are on offer now, they are really worth planting with their big showy blooms taking over from the spring rhododendron displays, be careful when planting not to disturb the new shoots (eyes) forming. A peony root to be planted should contain at least 3 eyes that will eventually become stems. A root with only 1 or 2 eyes will still grow, but it will take longer to flower. Plant with the eyes facing upwards and the roots spread out. Soil: Peonies are very adaptable, but they do prefer a sunny, well-drained, slightly acidic soil and benefit from compost added when planting. Peonies can remain in the same spot for upwards of 70 years, taking the time to prepare the soil before planting is time well spent, they also like a good winter chill in order to set their flower buds. Peony roots should be planted relatively close to the soil surface; only about 2-3 inches deep. It may seem odd to leave roots so exposed, but they need this chilling to attain dormancy and set bud. Be sure you don’t accidentally bury your peonies deeper when you add mulch, keep mulch away from the base of peony plants. Lift gladioli now and store in a dry place, if left in the ground they may be attacked by pests. I have to empty my compost area in readiness for all the in coming leaves so have started using the compost which includes some of last autumns leaves, spring soft hedge cuttings and summer lawn clippings, a sprinkle of lime through the layers and a good amount of animal manure. With the heat and rains we have had it is fantastic, rich black and full of worms, what a treat my gardens are in for. Trees, shrubs,plants and bulbs take so much from the soil during each growing season, sooner than later gardens need more than Man the made fertilisers which work by feeding the plants and promoting growth and in doing so deplete the soil of humus. Compost / humus is a soil enhancer which the worms take down to where it's needed to get the best results from both ornamental and vegetable gardens. Lawns: Get new lawns sown now, the cooler nights and mornings are allowing the moisture to remain longer after watering and a strike will happen pretty fast as the ground is still nice and warm. Vegetables Good growth is still happening as long as the water is kept up, pumpkins and corn should be ready to harvest, dry off pumpkin and squash skins before storing them in a cool dry place. This is a good time for planting above ground annual crops that produce their seeds outside like lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and grain green crops for digging in. Cheers, Linda http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.co.nz/