October
This month is where chasing weeds becomes a full time job - Hoeing and hand pulling weeds is still the best option in planted areas.
If you are clearing a garden to plant out for a summer show I suggest clear all annual weeds, pull out, or dig well under. Couch grass and Convolvulus need to be taken right out, get each long runner under the ground and any little pieces that may have been chopped with the spade, they grow and spread very fast if left, I spot spray them with round up while they are just coming through the ground in badly effected areas. Once all obvious weeds are gone cover the area with weed free compost, thick enough to keep the light from allowing any weed seeds left behind to germinate. If you do not have your own compost try the compost produced at Pukeuri meat works, mulch from the Recourse recovery park or mushroom compost, any medium that has been heated to the point of destroying any seeds that it once contained. NOW plant,plant, plant! as many annuals and perennials as you can into the prepared area. They will grow really fast from now on and beat any weed seeds blown in or dropped by birds.
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A healthy garden starts with feeding plants now at the beginning of the new growing season is the answer. Powered plant food should always be watered in, if you have home made compost ready add to it eight parts (by weight) blood and bone and one part sulphate of pot ash this will to add food and a flowering and fruiting component. I often mention using old stable manure around roses which will keep them going over their long flowering period but don't dig the manure in as this can cause root damage, watering will take it to the roots as required. Also keep it away from the trunks and steams, extend out just beyond the drip line enabling the food to be on the outer third of of this circle where the most active feeding roots are.
If like me you have areas in your garden that you have trouble establishing lawn or an area that has been garden but is now vacant from the felling of trees and you need time to decide how to plant it out, why not turn it into a wild flower garden for this growing season? The beginning of spring is the perfect time to prepare and plant a wild flower garden. I have an area at the top of my hill garden that is exposed to wind and has become to dry and firm for growing grass, I plan to soak the ground then break it up enough to work in some compost and keep soaking until moisture is well down, then sow the area in wild flowers and hopefully in the autumn the ground will be improved enough to achieve an autumn grass sowing. Wild flower meadows require maximum light, full sun however I came across a seed merchant that offers a wild flower selection for the shade so will be trying that mix in shade areas as well.
Most gardeners save sun flower seed from year to year, I adore seeing theses big happy flower faces en masse following the sun, planted out in groups where they can stand high behind existing shrubs and any sunny bare areas that need brightening up.
This being a late spring most camellias are still flowering beautifully, once finished flowering they can be trimmed and shaped, remove branches from the middle if a bush is dense and bushy to let light in, there should be enough gaps for a bird to fly through to allow future bud forming,
Hosta's are starting to leaf now, give them a dressing of compost and blood and bone while leaves are still small. Slugs are sitting in wait to munch on those beautiful leaves and how disappointing it is to one day find leaves full of holes, for those who can't use slug bait try a collar of gorse prickles, pine needles, coffee grounds, or coarse grit.
If you have a blossom tree and notice some blossom looks different then most likely it will be a branch growing from below the graft, cut it right out because it will become stronger and in time will become the tree.
Lawns are really going for it now and need fed often during the growing season, have some lawn fertiliser on hand for the next decent rain, this is the very best time to apply lawn fertiliser to established lawns. If applied in dry sunny weather it is likely to burn grass off. I am busy raking out and resowing the damage caused by grass grubs, Grrrrrrrrr I get so sick of doing this each year.
Vegetable garden
The shops are full of veg, herb plants, seeds, tomatoes plants and seed potatoes, from now on it is so easy to grow your own food. All Tomato plants apart from Russian red and sweet 100's need to be growing in a warm glass or tunnel house to do well.
Once again I will encourage those who do not have an existing vegetable garden but do have a patch of vacant ground, to clear it and edge with what ever you have on hand, lime stone blocks, tree branches or sleepers and build up with top soil and compost. Spray the weeds around the outside of your edging so they will not encroach on your planting space then go for it, get planting at this time of the year everything will grow fast and grow well as long as you keep the water up and hoe the weeds away.
Corn and pumpkins need to be planted now to assure the long ripening season they need but protection for both at night may still be needed. I have made a mound of soil and horse manure in a sunny vacant area near my raised vegetable gardens for pumpkin plants to grow and spread down the mound and over the ground.
Herbs are growing fast, Pretty painted pots planted out in herbs now will be full and ready to give as Christmas gifts, everyone, I am sure would appreciate this useful living gift.
Cheers, Linda
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