Gardening in North Otago March 19th

More rain this week to make this a very green Autumn, looking back over my notes for this time it was about the same in 2011. The ground is so easy to weed and seeds are germinating fast with the warmth and moisture. The silver birches are always the first to drop a carpet of leaves on our drive so the leaf blower and rake are on the go again to fill the first of many wool packs. Still cutting back and tiding plants up before the compost and pea straw is applied, the rain spoiled most of my rose blooms but there are still buds to come to make a last showing before winter. Don't feed roses now, new soft growth needs to harden off from now on to take them through to the big winter prune. March is defiantly the best planting month, I have divided and potted up viola Maggie mott and small edging primulas, took cuttings of purple sage, geraniums, buxus (box hedge) and lavenders. Sowed the seeds of lupin, mignonette, sweet peas, pansy and winter marigolds. The seeds sown last week are already through and putting on fast growth! Prepare ground for as many spring bulbs as you have room for because this is bulb shifting and planting time! Break up really large clumps of daffodils, blue bells, snow drops and freesias and plant in pots or along fence lines and parts of the garden that need brightening up in spring....or pass them on to someone who is establishing a garden, bulbs are not often be turned down! Rake mulch off bearded iris rhizomes they need to be exposed to the sun for a baking now. Layer carnation stems (ie) pin the center of the stem down under the soil while still attached to the mother plant with the flower end still exposed ) roots should form along the buried stem. Once rooted cut from the mother plant and pot up to grow on before planting out. Carnations like a sweeter soil, sprinkle a little lime around clumps. Lawns. This is such a good year to sow autumn lawns and fill in gaps in lawns, the gaps in our BBQ area lawn have been created by new pup Scruff!! I fill them, he digs them.... I have been spraying the flat weeds in lawns and applying grass grub granules to be washed in by the rain. This month is the very best time to patch up lawns and sow new lawns. Vegetable Gardens will be producing in abundance now, so much will be ready to use in North Otago gardens, parsnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, and a new crop of peas filling out along with corn and pumpkins scrambling everywhere. I have the ground ready now for planting broad beans, onions, carrots and parsnip. With the white butterfly still about I will plant out a few leaf veg and cover with wind break to keep them off. Contact for this years pea straw in small bales off the paddock, phone 4326844 Cheers Linda