Gardening in North Otago 22.07.2015

The cold drying winds this week and the chill they bought with them almost finished some plants off here, plants that normally stand up to what winter dishes out, I have the bougainvillea covered and young maples with such fine branches need a cover, jasmine is getting hit hard but mine are too big to cover. Over the last two weeks I have had to soak the ground around most of the exposed gardens, shallow rooted plants like rhododendron, azalea, camellias and hydrangea's are needing a good soak if we don't get rain.
It has been another week of pruning and composting here around this large, never ending garden! now all I need is the rain to take the compost down to roots.
It may look as if growth has stopped but here on the coast there is plenty of feeding going on. There are more bulbs and hellebore's coming up weekly, both would benefit now from a dressing of compost.
Pansy's, pollyanthas, and violas will be brightening up gardens, all these plants respond really well to dried blood sprinkled around them.
Dried blood is also a good tonic for yellowing camellias and rhododendrons, mix it with camellia and rhododendron fertiliser and apply if any sign of rain.
The garden shops are full of colourful sesanqua camellias in flower, different varieties of flowering hellebore's and cyclamen to brighten up porches, these plants will have been grown under protection to get them looking good so don't be too quick to plant out in the garden, let them harden off gradually first.
Take saucers out from under tubs and planters if likely to freeze again, frozen saucers will freeze the roots of plants. During the last hard frosts I had a statue burst because I had left it's bowl filled with water.
Roses:
Mulch, mulch and more mulch, applying a thick layer of mulch after a good water will protect the root zone and enable them to concentrate on root movement and budding up. Un-sprayed Pea or barley straw and well cooked compost are all ideal for mulching, I notice mulch cooking and steaming away at the resource recovery park. Old stable manure applied around the drip line before mulching will supply food until rose fertiliser is applied in the spring.
This fertiliser has an excellent level of potassium, which is the nutrient responsible for promoting large, vibrant, healthy blooms, for established roses apply 200 g (1 cup) per square metre and water in well. An application just before the end of winter is a good idea, if buds are swelling they are using food,apply again in mid December for an autumn flush of blooms. Still plenty of time to start pruning, this winter is hardening soft wood nicely and killing bugs.
Vegetable garden:
To have Christmas new potatoes you need to start thinking about sprouting them now as all varieties are available in shops. There are early and late varieties so ask about the variety you choose, a potato is not just a potato any more! Lay your seed potatoes out on a tray in a dark dry place and get them sprouting and ready to plant out when the frosts have past.
Keep sowing vegetable seeds in trays for planting out later, plant Cauliflowers and Cabbage seedlings and sow early Peas. In warmer areas you can also plant Lettuce(under cover), Silver beet and Broccoli seedlings and Onions
Asparagus crowns are now available and can be planted out in a well composted and fertilised bed. (no animal manure)

Fruit:
There will never be a better time to choose and plant ornamental and fruiting trees than right now! Each tree will have an informative label to tell you exactly what you will be buying with instructions on how and where to plant. All fruit trees need to grow in an open sunny position.

Cheers, Linda.