Gardening in North Otago June 30th 2015

A few milder days this week which makes the rose pruning a more comfortable experience. I thought I would touch on the pruning of rose types this week. Concentrate on clearing the center of the bush, remove all inward facing branches at an outward facing bud, prune height back by two thirds and remove any really old and damaged branches. Brush old gnarly rose centers with a wire brush to stimulate and encourage new budding. 

Rose types.

Floribunda bush roses these display clusters of blooms like iceberg need a few older branches taken right back each year to encourage new strong branching and newer branches taken back by two thirds.

Hybrid tea bush roses: These are the roses that can grow exhibition blooms, they can be pruned back quite hard to an outward facing bud. 

Standard bush roses: Roses grafted onto a tall standard trunk: prune same as bush roses. 

Climbing roses: These roses flower at their best when the branches are trained horizontally along a fence or wall, they develop small branches along the length of the trained branch and give a brilliant show. After a number of years these long horizontal branches will need to be removed and replace by a softer new branch, be careful not to damage this soft wood, train gently out to take the place of the removed old wood. The new branch will bud up quickly sending out small outward growing branches to harden off in a couple of years. Prune these outward growing branches back to the second outward facing bud from the bottom.

Pillar roses; The best type to climb up and be trained over an arch or pergola. I cut the old growth back off these with a hedge trimmer.

Fairy rose and flower carpet roses: If big and bushy I also cut back with a hedge trimmer but open them up by removing branches from the middle with secateurs, if still manageable secateurs do the job.

The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now, I have noticed a good selection of fruit trees ready for planting. If you have room for only one or two trees in a new garden consider planting a fruit tree getting not only the beautiful blossom display in spring but the bonus of fresh fruit. An apricot tree grows into a lovely specimen where space is available, 2m high by 4m wide needing a sunny spot to ripen fruit.

Malus ( crab apple) would be a beautiful addition to a garden, most are a nice shape that blossom profusely in Spring and do not grow as large as flowering cherries. I have seen stunning examples around town this winter flaunting bright red fruit on bare branches. 

Nectarine and peach trees are a manageable size for a garden, very beautiful when in blossom but on the down side susceptible to leaf curl. However the wonderful leaf curl resistant peach Sweet Perfection raised by Duntroon couple Helen Brooks & Terry Fowler is a winner as is nectarine Mabel named for a Waikato gardener who discovered this natural hybrid of a blackboy peach in her garden. The fruit I am told is delicious and quite dramatic looking, purple skin with a pale yellow flesh and new leaf growth being purple makes this tree an interesting contrast to other trees. (nectarines are self-fertile). I am on the look out for one of these!

With so many decidous and evergreen trees and shrubs on offer right now, make sure to read the labels and know how high and wide a shrub or tree will grow. Some, especially natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade if planted along side the house, it pays to ask advice.

Compost heaps are working slowly now but worms will still be working as long as there is adequate moisture. Heaps can be kept warmer by being covered, I use straw which lets the rain in. 

Boost bedding plants with fish based fertiliser or a little dried blood and bone to encourage buds during sunny winter days. 

Veg: Keep planting on mild days but be ready to cover when temperatures drop as they have, and will again before this winter is over.  

Fruit: There are some really well grown citrus shrubs are on offer in garden centres right now and couldn't resist buying a Mayer lemon, it has the look of being taken straight from a tunnel house so will need to protect it with frost cloth until winter is over,

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago June 24th 2015

Brrrrrrr, gardening will be the last thing on peoples minds on bleak cold days but sunny days following a hard frost will allow at least half a day to garden with cold, rose pricked fingers and cold feet. No such luck further inland though with frozen ground, maybe the perfect garden planning time beside the fire to be a step ahead before spring.

If you have a sheltered glass house getting sun for most of the day or a well lit garden shed, try raising some early bedding plants from seed. The problem for seedlings in winter is the shortness of daylight so by raising seeds in a place where artificial light can be given for a few hours once daylight has gone will encourage germination and seedlings to grow. Some seeds you can get away to an early start are sweet- pea, lupin, pansy, viola, poppy, hollyhock, primula and vegetable seeds for spring planting.

I have started the winter rose prune here in my garden, the time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time of bud burst so we have a good two months to get rose  pruning out of the way here on the coast and a little longer further inland. There are new seasons roses on offer now and this is the time to get them planted and settled in for summer flowering. If planting new standard roses they will need staked to keep them secure until enough roots have taken.  Newly bought roses also need pruned, growers just lop them back before sending them off to Garden centers so cross over branches need cut out and all others cut back to an outward facing bud. 

While roses are completely bare, spray all over with Lime sulphur, this will kill off over-wintering rose scale, some fungal spores and lichen. Rose scale clings tightly to the main stems and will gradually build up until it covers the framework of the bush. You can remove by scrubbing with an old toothbrush immediately after the lime sulphur application. Lichens are close relations of moss and algae and are spread by airborne spores. In general the cleaner the air, the more likely it is that lichens of all kinds will become established on stone, roof slates and tiles, wooden garden structures and slow-growing living woody plants. This includes the bright orange dusty-looking lichen as well as various yellow and greyish crusty and mossy-looking growths.

The lichen on mature trees and shrubs is not weakening them or even inhibiting new growth, but its presence is an indication that they are growing very slowly or simply down to their age. For nature to take care of removing it clear away any invasive undergrowth around the base of each plant, give each a couple of hand fulls of a balanced general fertiliser (blood, fish and bone) in spring, mulch them and prune annually at the appropriate time. Or do what I do and get going with a wire brush after lime sulpher has been applied.

The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now and the ground is perfect for planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet, no roots like sitting in water especially new young roots which have not yet made a root ball of feeder roots. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim any damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.

Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start. I am still enjoying digging out shrubs and plants that have not worked where they have been planted and filling the gaps with a new look. Erica's I planted 30 + years ago are still looking wonderful, I managed to get hold of a number of small grade erica's that will in time give drifts of bright clear colour through future winter months. Erica's are low maintenance plants, most are winter flowering, they look great planted around and among conifers. 

Fruit and Veg.

Keep planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears. Frosty sites are ok for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.

Continue to shelter young citrus in frosty gardens, mature citrus should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now.

In cold wet areas start garlic and shallots off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago June 17th 2015

I am back into gardening mode again after a short break away, Hawks Bay temperatures were chilly with people there really feeling it is winter and Wellington was cold and dismal on the day we flew out .....why didn't we go to Rarotonga? you may ask, had Bob's meeting and the Field Days been there it WOULD have been a warm break away! However it did the rejuvenating trick and Scruff had a great social time in kennels annoying all the other boarders I am sure!

Frosts are here to stay for a while now with the shortest day upon us, Plants can be acclimatised to the cold by gradual exposure to outside and overnight temperatures, and many plants may be frost tender when young but will be quite tolerant when mature. Meyer lemon trees are a good example. There are plenty of things you can do to minimise frost damage:

Keep an eye on the weather forecast and if the overnight low is predicted to be 4 degrees Celcius or below with little wind, tender growth will need a cover. Cover plants with frost cloth, newspaper or any light material that will drape over, although woven fabrics are better insulators than plastics or paper. The covers can be laid right over plants, or can be supported on stakes.

Plants under evergreen trees are protected from frost so this might be an option for where to place potted tender plants.

Water before the frost –it has been proved that a moist soil can hold four times more heat than a dry soil. It will also conduct heat to the soil surface faster than a dry soil, aiding in frost prevention. These days sprinklers are sometimes used on commercial plantings to keep the plants “warm” on a frosty night, the science being that as water freezes, it releases heat, go figour?

Most perennial plants will recover in the spring from frost damage even if they have gone black or mushy with frost, don't remove the effected growth, just leave to protect the new growth which will appear when the ground warms up again.

I favor of frost, it is very effective in reducing the populations of over-wintering pests, it will will also help break down clay soil if clods are left exposed over winter, come spring it will fork over easily prior to planting. 

Digging up and shifting things around like rhododendrons, azalea's and magnolias can be done now, anything you think has been struggling in the spot it has been planted in. This is also the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty, you can change the whole look of a tired garden by replacing these plants with a younger version of the original or something different. 

I notice many native shrubs that have grown into ugly woody trees, like ake ake, hebe's, olearia traversiorum (Chatham island ake ake) and Hoheria (lace bark) which is a nice tree for a number of years but will then die back and eventually look half dead. Pittosporums will grow nicely for many years if trimmed but if left to grow into a tree will soon become unattractive. Olearia traversiorum responds well to being taken off at ground level and will regrow into a nice shrub as will hebe's and some pittosporums, depending on how tall they have been allowed to grow. Over grown hoherias need to be completely removed. 

Veg.

The shortest day is here already which should mean we are over the hump of winter and heading to warmer days down the other side, BUT as we all know there is a lot of winter yet to come here in the south. The shortest day means garlic planting and plenty more veg here on the coast if you provide a warmer microclimate to aid germination. A cold frame can be used for starting seeds, and cloches for protecting newly planted seedlings in frosty areas, or plant veg in pots or boxes and position them in a warm sheltered spot to make the most of our North Otago winter sun.  

Cheers, Linda

rockvalegardens@gmail.com

gardening in North Otago June 10th 2015

I am away from the garden this week, firstly doing Nana duties in Wanaka then up to the Hawks bay region for a few days with it being down time for the garden. I have noticed a lot of spring blossom, ( mostly pretty  prunus autumnalis which flowers four times a year) and jonquils blooming around the town and we have only just come into winter, I guess with the mild periods experienced tree's and bulbs feel it is already spring. Milder temperatures and the odd shower is allowing plants to make soft growth which will be knocked back with real winter conditions eventually so keep an eye on tender plants like fuchsia and daphne, protect if needed. The milder days are also allowing us to potter on with the winter clean up without frost bite which is ok by me. 

Really look at deciduous trees and shrubs now they are bare, inspection is a must to spot any sprouting of new growth beneath the graft on a grafted tree, I know I mentioned this already this month but it makes all the difference to the look and health of a tree if it is kept to grow as it was intended. for many years now formal deciduous trees have been taken from their own root stock and grafted onto stronger and more manageable root stock. Trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes, oaks any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted onto strong growing root stock and sometimes new root stock will push growth out and up to compete with the grafted section, this root stock growth must be cut out before it becomes established. I have seen a few mature flowering cherry trees left to grow this way and the result is not good, a display of  beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side spoils the originally chosen tree. I have noticed even young weeping specimen  trees with root stock growing straight up through the middle of weeping branches. Cull out all of these rogue branches now while trees are dormant along with all branches crossing over, don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out, cutting on a slant leaving a short collar against the trunk. Prunus  and crab apple trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together encouraging disease if not removed. Keep equipment clean from tree to tree especially prunus ( flowering cherry), they can become infected with silver leaf which will eventually kill even a large tree, methylated spirits is good for doing this as you move from tree to tree.

With the help of an arborist I have been tidying up established trees, Rowan, hoheria, silver birch, ash and oak. Tree's that really need attention each year are standard kilmarnock willows, these small ornamental willows are a ground cover willow species grafted onto a willow standard becoming a Man designed, upright small weeping tree that nature has no plan for. Growing along the ground as it should the dead undergrowth would rot and break down but in the upright form each seasons growth dies and builds up under new growth. The past growth is brittle and easily removed by working under the new growth canopy. Attending to this annually is best, unwanted build will make the tree top heavy, two of mine fell over in overly wet ground but have now been pulled back upright and given permanent stakes. Robinia mop tops need the same annual cut back, they have also been grafted onto a standard but these trees put out fresh new growth each spring so all past growth needs to be cut right back to retain the round growth habit.

Vegetables

Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans and garlic here on the coast along with planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns.

Those with glass or tunnel houses will be cleaning them out about now, removing all old summer produce, sterilising and building up again with fresh compost. An old trusted sterilizing method is using jayes fluid, I understand the basis of Jeyes fluid is derived from what is called, Tar acids or Tar oil. It's been refined from natural tar or oil from the ground. It's not pure organic gardening, but although it will kill overwintering slugs, pupae, bugs and many fungal spores, it's not considered a dangerous chemical, nor will it affect beneficial life in soil long term or pollute waterways, as long as weak solutions are used. Our great-great grandparents used it! Jeyes fluid is also used to get rid of any green algae growing on glasshouses and cold frames. Any slimy places or unwanted moss, tools and pots disinfecting will be sterilised and dried up with a solution of a good tablespoon of Jeyes to a watering can of water (roughly 2 gals). from now on I will carry a water can of this to sterilise pruning saws and secateurs.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago June 2nd 2015

A little moisture this week and even a couple of days with no frost and warm sun, while I enjoy the reprieve from the chill I must admit to negative thoughts of ....shortest day soon will it be a late lingering winter??

I have had a busy Nana time lately, in Wanaka, Christchurch and now here as our three Wanaka Grandies arrived on wednesday for a few days, gardening was replaced with playing so no complaints from me.

With rose flowering finished now don't cut spent flower heads off, leave all types of roses to make seed and harden wood before the big prune next month. Have some lime sulphur on hand for a clean up spray after pruning, use on all rose bushes and climbers as well as the ground around where they are growing to kill all fungus and disease remaining from the summer flowering. Lime sulphur smells like rotten eggs when first applied, is safe for bees and is also the spray to use for the removal of lichen and moss growing on branches of trees and shrubs.

New seasons bare rooted roses should be arriving in Garden centers soon so if you plan to plant a certain type of rose or shades ask a Garden center to hold them for you so you don't miss out. Prepare ground now by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove most of the soil the old rose was growing in and replace with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another. Bare rooted, winter planted roses are less likely to suffer from planting stress.

Keep the water up as the garden lets you know it needs it, soak rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas as they most certainly will be needing water during this dry spell,

Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. Buxus make a huge amount of root growth every year and do not seem to suffer from the removal half of these roots. 

Plant polyanthus, pansies, primulas and snapdragons for colour, a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway. 

Once wisterias have lost leaves water in some blood and bone and prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.

Lawns; Growth should have slowed right down now and lawns will be at the tuffty stage but like here in this garden lawn mowers will still be on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. On the coast in early winter there will be still some growth so these lawns would benefit from one last feed. However with lawns being as dry as the garden right now any lawn food will need to be watered in. A few weeks after feeding sprinkle some garden lime over lawns. Most grasses prefer a sweet soil and the lime will counteract any acidity. If in doubt, take some soil to a garden centre and ask to have its pH checked, if found to be below 6 on the pH scale lime will make a marked improvement in growing conditions.

Vegetables:  On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing much can be planted without protection.

Fruit: Bare rooted fruit trees will be arriving in garden centers soon, ask if they will be stocking required trees and have them put aside on arrival.

Ground can be prepared now for planting, choose an open, sunny position, sheltered from strong winds. Fruit trees will grow in a wide range of soil types as long as there is good drainage.

Plums and pear root stock tolerate heavier soils than most other fruit trees. Using good quality compost will improve water retention in lighter soils and improve drainage in heavier soils as well as improving fertility. Pruning of newly planted fruit trees will not take place until trees have branched. During early stages of tree development, the main goal is to develop the shape and framework which will support the heavy crops of fruit. 

Pruning: 

Apple Trees After initial shaping of apple trees, the only pruning necessary is the removal of excess twiggy growth. Apple trees usually produce fruit on spurs, short stubby growths attached to main branches. They continue producing on the same spurs for a number of years. Pears and cherry fruit also grow on spurs and require similar treatment. 

Peach & Nectarine Trees: These trees flower on new wood made the previous summer,  prune hard to encourage new growth otherwise, fruit will be produced further and further out on the branches each year. Flower buds are plump while growth buds are flatter.

Plum Trees: Plum trees produce fruit on the same spurs for several years. Once shape has been established, they require little pruning because excessive pruning can over stimulate tree growth at the expense of fruit. Remove vertical branching and water sprouts’ regularly. Look at a tree and it is easy to distinguish the water sprouts from the regular growth they grow straight up from the canopy branches and trunk and are thin and scraggly in appearance. A heavy hand when pruning may increase the number of water sprouts on the tree. When pruning plum trees in the winter only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year.

Cheers, Linda