Gardening in North Otago 14th May 2014

Here we are well into May and the rain keeps arriving just when we think it could be all over. The continual overcast weather is not only keeping the sun from us it is also keeping the frosts away which have usually started to slow growth at this time of the year, heaps of new small weeds are popping up everywhere and here was me thinking that last lot of spraying I did would be the it until spring! We are still wading through wet leaves out here which seem to be breaking down before they even reach the compost heaps, with the mild temperatures and all the rain it is making for a bumper compost making time! This week I cut back dahlias that had collapsed with the couple of frosts we had last week, dug out, divided and labeled some while I could still see what shades they were. If the soil continues to remain so wet dahlia tubers will rot. The first of mine have been put in cardboard boxes and placed in a dry shed. I usually leave them in the dry autumn ground and they go through winter fine but I don't think the ground will dry out now before winter. There are a few continuing to flower which I will leave to die back a little into the tubers before cutting back and lifting. After the compost and pea straw has been spread the gaps where dahilas have been will be filled with winter flowering annual wall flowers, poppy's and calendula ( winter marigold) A few years ago I planted small clumps of the variegated iris, this iris is not grown for its insignificant blue flower but for it's interesting green and white striped leaves. I mass planted them under standard iceberg roses and they make a wonderful show. The clumps became large quickly but were struggling with Japaneses anemone growing through them, the only way I could remove the anemone's was to dig the iris clumps out, break them up and replant them minus the anemones. I am so pleased I went to the trouble of doing this because they are now taking center stage under the now finished roses. Last month I took cuttings of cineraria silverdust, (Silver ragwort) and every cutting took. Take a fresh tip cutting and firm it into sifted soil or river sand and they will have roots in no time. Cineraria silverdust is a good front gap filler in dull areas, I never let it flower and trim it often to keep it compact. Erica's,I know I mentioned these last week but they are very worth mentioning again for winter flowering. Erica's are in Garden centers now, budded,and ready to burst into winter colour, the low growing variety are wonderful ground covers for low maintenance gardens and the mid height erica's like melanthra improved never let me down here in this garden. Trim the spent flowers off erica's that flowered through the summer months to keep them compact and they will put out fresh new green growth through the winter. All erica's like dry acid soil and full sun, no lime, I shifted all trays of plant cuttings I have growing into a light warm spot for them to continue growing well over winter. Check trays & pots are draining well, some of mine were holding too much water and needed drainage holes unblocked. Inside pot plants will need less watering from now on and moved away from cold glass as night temperatures drop. As I mentioned last week this wet ground is perfect for shifting plants so keep wrenching any tree's or large shrubs needing shifted. Wrench by digging a trench around half the root mass out from the trunk with a sharp spade, fill the trench with peat /compost or sifted soil to enable new feeder roots to grow while the undisturbed roots on the other side keep growing. If you want to shift a very big plant and it has only big roots and not many fine roots at the edge of its root-ball, it would be better to wait a full year after wrenching before attempting to shift it. Lawns: It's time to keep the mower blades just high enough to pick up leaves. Remove fallen leaves from lawn areas because they restrict the light grass is needing now. Lawns are so soggy out here I am keeping off them as much as i can to avoid compaction. Vegetables: Clear out finished summer veg or dig in any leafy veg ( not root veg ). Work in manure enriched compost with a little lime if soil has been extensively cropped over summer. When, (if) things dry out work up heavy / clay content soil add some gypsum and leave open for the winter frosts to work on before spring planting. Scruff the pup has not put a paw wrong so far this week. Because I have become a little paranoid about him being an accident waiting to happen I have had him following my every move on a lead which, consequently wraps it's self around anything it comes in contact with, like legs!!! Cheers, Linda