Gardening in North Otago December 7th 2016

Right now I am sure people will have more to think about than gardening apart from hoping the potatoes and veg will be ready for Christmas dinner! we can stop keeping our eye on the ball but unfortunately weeds and lawns don't stop growing. Still not a lot of watering needed here as rain is persistant and mulch is holding moisture in the soil on those very hot days. I have had the hedge trimmer on the go again and yes the plants and shrubs do shudder when I come their way! If it needs it, it gets it! Trimming with secateurs is not practical with such a large garden and at this time of the year you can not do too much damage, the grow back rate is pretty quick. Overcast afternoons have been perfect for trimming buxus, it will still show signs of scorching after a day in the hot sun, but will soon grow through it. My buddleia's ( The butterfly mbush) got a good cut back, they are a great fill in bush. When newly planted I cut them back by half after flowering and the mature buddleias right to the ground. Buddleias push up new growth very quickly and look attractive with new blue green foliage. Shades of blue /purple, pink and white make this an ideal plant for a back border and can be grown from a cutting. Catmint can have it's first trim now, I know it is still showing heaps of colour but trim the long growth back by half and in no time at all it will re-grow into a neater clump and continue to flower. The same applies to aubrietia, it will stay in a neater clump after spent flowers have been cut back. Most gardeners pull out forget-me-not when it has finished flowering, I cut it right back to almost nothing and it returns in nice green clumps stronger than ever and becomes a perennial which will flower for years every spring. As a woodland plant you can't go past forget-me-not, a pretty sea of blue among the rhododendrons. Branches were lifted on large trees this week with a small chain saw on a long handle, just perfect for reaching up to remove long branches and thinning out to let light onto gardens below. . Anemones for winter flowering can be planted in the next two weeks, they will get lost planted in my gardens now and I would forget where I planted them so will pop some into pots to make roots then transplant later when summer gardens are cleared. Lilies are flowering now, large clumps can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering and planted into good compost but they must never dry out so keep an eye on them through the dryer months. I have had clumps of Christmas lilies completely disappear and have not noticed until I miss them flowering at this time of the year. It takes ages for lilies to grow from little pup bulbs and seed so they are worth looking after. Lawns: If you don't like using sprays and you have a few flat weeds in the lawn try spot spraying them with vinegar, I was told about this recently and it works! I used white vinegar, also great for pathways and drives leaving no dangerous residue to leach into nearby plants. Clover browns off a little, I am still watching to see how much it knocks it, Apply the vinegar in full sun. Vegetables Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn likes to be mounded up also when it gets to about knee high. They have a shallow rooting system and the mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds. All leaf and root veg will be thriving this month, I am filling gaps with new seedlings as I use. One thing is for sure you can put off doing what is needed but nature can not be put off when it comes to weeds and ripening of fruit and veg, if time is limited chopping the flowers off weeds before they run to seed will reduce the spread until you can tackle them. Fruit: It is time to shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, the growth is needed for the forming grapes. If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some. I was told years ago that offal or a dead animal is what a domestic grape vine likes to have buried down around it's roots, too much nitrate fertiliser will produce too many leaves and leaders. Most fruiting plants like a little pot ash to encourage fruiting during spring. Pip and stone fruit should grow in abundace this season, usually a tree will shead small forming fruits if too many to grow and ripen well, but I have found this reduction needs to be done by the gardener as well. Now is the time to check number of fruit to branch ratio. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago November December 1st 2016

Still cutting back spring flowering perennials and cleaning up after more hedge trimming here, things are looking a little too neat and tidy now but nature will do it's best to soften things up again in a couple of weeks. Roses: Most of my roses have started flowering after what seems like a long wait, thank goodness for all the rain to get them off to a good start. If you are at the stage of dead heading roses, don't just cut the flower off, cut at an outward facing bud on a lower section of the branch strong enough to support a new flower. Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few that I left in the ground from last year. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around roots. Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. It's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up. Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot, they will soon become bushy and to fill a pot. Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a nodule section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand.Tip cuttings from Hebe's will also root with no trouble in river sand . Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon they come in three strong colours, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. If trained against a wall leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers. Peony roses: What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they look fantastic this year and I am seeing more in peoples gardens. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting energy into making seed. Low hanging tree branches: With the weight of the rain I could see which branches needed lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. Any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether. Lawns: keep lawn food on hand for the next good rain, lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies, if your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil. Apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in, after a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay helping to break up a pan and improve drainage.. If lawn weeds are a problem spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the work going on in the soil by contaminating with chemicals. Vegetables: The rain this spring has been a treat to veg gardens as hosing dose not give the same results as a good rain, but of course with all lush growth weeds will take over if left unattended. Hoeing while small is still the best weeding methode I know. I am amazed that the white butterfly is STILL not a problem in our garden yet. My runner beans have been slow to start with being eaten, for this reason I opted to start them in pots to get them up off the ground and see they are away now. But, yes I know with the wet ground slugs & snails will still be a problem so why not make beer traps out of empty plastic fiz bottles by cutting the bottles with the lid in place through the middle, bury the lidded half in the ground then fill with beer, force the other half on top with a door cut out for snails & slugs to slide in. The bottom of the bottle will be the roof to keep the rain out. Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants by allowing more nutrients to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and flowers to become more visible for pollination, try it and see if you get a better crop. If you are noticing a lack of bee's to pollinate tomato flowers gardeners have been known to take an electric tooth brush into the glass house and gently waft it among flowers to spread pollen. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 15th 2016

I guess it is time to concentrate on the final stage of spring now, roses, peony roses, delphiniums, begonias and lots of other beautiful happenings soon help us forget bulbs and blossom. With the massive amount of rain and warmth we have had I can all most see and hear plants growing, eventually resulting in more cutting back....here we go again! Forget-me-not and bluebells cover a lot of garden space here during spring creating a wonderful sea of blue spilling through rhododendrons and azaleas but now both want to go to seed so must be cut back. Forget-me-not will transfer all seed heads onto clothing making cutting back a messy job but one worth doing, Once cut back they quickly produce new fresh green leaves as a ground cover until flowering again next spring. Roses: Time to start spraying roses for green fly and disease if you have not already started. A product like Shield takes care of both if you follow the instructions and spray at the suggested intervals. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water. I have learned over the years that it is a waste of time and money nursing plants that need warmer conditions and more rain than North Otago offers. Plants such as hibiscus, gardenia, banana palm, any plant that requires tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle if not in a hot house with the right humidity. After writing all that Bougainvillea is growing here on the coast and I have managed to keep mine going out here at Weston for many years. After some harsh winters it has looked very sad but I have it under an eve against a sunny Oamaru stone wall and most years it becomes a mass of vibrant magenta in summer through to Autumn. If you have a bougainvillea right now is the time to really get the water into it along with some all purpose fertiliser (not slow release) to simulate a rainy season. Once this has been done and your plant is established like mine do not water or feed it again, they do the best flowering when they are stressed. A newly planted bougainvillea will need watered now and then to get it established but NO food, if fed often they put out leaf not flowers. Read labels when buying to make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year. Keep the water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and the ground they are in must never dry out, stake them now before they become too heavy. After all the rain weeds are still easy to pull before they run to seed, but if spraying is required there are a number of organic weed sprays available now, these need to be spayed on the weeds when they are small and really hot and thirsty. As I have mentioned before the most economical control for annual weeds is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions. If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died. Perennial weeds will probably need further salt treatment. Lawns Lawn mowers will be mowing flat out everywhere with all this lush growth, now that my compost bins have been treated to many full catchers I will spay out the lawn weeds now which means the clippings will need to be spread in areas where plants will not be affected by the contamination. On lawns where there are just a few flat weeds I will spot spray. Double check the spay used is foe lawn weeds, I have seen disastrous results where normal weed spray has been used to spot spray lawns which has leached from the weed into the grass leaving bald patches everywhere. Vegetables: Keep mounding potatoes to keep them producing, all the rain we have received this month will have benifitted potatoes and all root vegetables so we should look forward to some good crops. Leafy veg tends to run to seed during hot days so no extra feeding to help them do this. Plant as many as you think you would use when ready to pick and hold back other small seedling plants from the same batch to plant at two week intervals. The small plants will hold if moisture is kept up but watered only when too dry (don't over water seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot, keeping them in a semi shaded place will hold them back until required for planting. Mulch pumpkin and squash plants, roots are fragile until the large leaves grow and create the root shade needed. All newly planted seedlings can be over watered to a point where roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential . Glass house:With damp humid weather over watering in a glass or tunnel house may encourage Fungus Gnats, attracted to light and associated with microscopic fungi means they thrive in a damp environment. Females deposit eggs on the moist soil or decaying matter, these eggs hatch into larvae in about 3 days feeding on decaying organic matter and becoming fully developed larvae in 10 days. They then undergo a pupae stage which spans 3 days and around 4 days later adult fungus gnats emerge. Multiplying this quickly a glass house can become full of them, eventually effecting plant roots. Fungus Gnats are not a biting insect. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago November 15th 2016

I guess it is time to concentrate on the final stage of spring now, roses, peony roses, delphiniums, begonias and lots of other beautiful happenings soon help us forget bulbs and blossom. With the massive amount of rain and warmth we have had I can all most see and hear plants growing, eventually resulting in more cutting back....here we go again! Forget-me-not and bluebells cover a lot of garden space here during spring creating a wonderful sea of blue spilling through rhododendrons and azaleas but now both want to go to seed so must be cut back. Forget-me-not will transfer all seed heads onto clothing making cutting back a messy job but one worth doing, Once cut back they quickly produce new fresh green leaves as a ground cover until flowering again next spring. Roses: Time to start spraying roses for green fly and disease if you have not already started. A product like Shield takes care of both if you follow the instructions and spray at the suggested intervals. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water. I have learned over the years that it is a waste of time and money nursing plants that need warmer conditions and more rain than North Otago offers. Plants such as hibiscus, gardenia, banana palm, any plant that requires tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle if not in a hot house with the right humidity. After writing all that Bougainvillea is growing here on the coast and I have managed to keep mine going out here at Weston for many years. After some harsh winters it has looked very sad but I have it under an eve against a sunny Oamaru stone wall and most years it becomes a mass of vibrant magenta in summer through to Autumn. If you have a bougainvillea right now is the time to really get the water into it along with some all purpose fertiliser (not slow release) to simulate a rainy season. Once this has been done and your plant is established like mine do not water or feed it again, they do the best flowering when they are stressed. A newly planted bougainvillea will need watered now and then to get it established but NO food, if fed often they put out leaf not flowers. Read labels when buying to make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year. Keep the water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and the ground they are in must never dry out, stake them now before they become too heavy. After all the rain weeds are still easy to pull before they run to seed, but if spraying is required there are a number of organic weed sprays available now, these need to be spayed on the weeds when they are small and really hot and thirsty. As I have mentioned before the most economical control for annual weeds is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, and then spray it on the foliage of the weeds, again in sunny dry conditions. If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be, little residual damage done to the soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died. Perennial weeds will probably need further salt treatment. Lawns Lawn mowers will be mowing flat out everywhere with all this lush growth, now that my compost bins have been treated to many full catchers I will spay out the lawn weeds now which means the clippings will need to be spread in areas where plants will not be affected by the contamination. On lawns where there are just a few flat weeds I will spot spray. Double check the spay used is foe lawn weeds, I have seen disastrous results where normal weed spray has been used to spot spray lawns which has leached from the weed into the grass leaving bald patches everywhere. Vegetables: Keep mounding potatoes to keep them producing, all the rain we have received this month will have benifitted potatoes and all root vegetables so we should look forward to some good crops. Leafy veg tends to run to seed during hot days so no extra feeding to help them do this. Plant as many as you think you would use when ready to pick and hold back other small seedling plants from the same batch to plant at two week intervals. The small plants will hold if moisture is kept up but watered only when too dry (don't over water seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot, keeping them in a semi shaded place will hold them back until required for planting. Mulch pumpkin and squash plants, roots are fragile until the large leaves grow and create the root shade needed. All newly planted seedlings can be over watered to a point where roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential . Glass house:With damp humid weather over watering in a glass or tunnel house may encourage Fungus Gnats, attracted to light and associated with microscopic fungi means they thrive in a damp environment. Females deposit eggs on the moist soil or decaying matter, these eggs hatch into larvae in about 3 days feeding on decaying organic matter and becoming fully developed larvae in 10 days. They then undergo a pupae stage which spans 3 days and around 4 days later adult fungus gnats emerge. Multiplying this quickly a glass house can become full of them, eventually effecting plant roots. Fungus Gnats are not a biting insect. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 9th November 2016

Blossom almost over for another year and on trees longer than usual with the absence of October winds. "But oh", the Rhododendrons and deciduous azalea's how lovely they are right now, in my view equal to any beautiful tropical flowers. One or two my roses started to flower this week, a little later than usual because I pruned late, the new growth is healthy and with the on and off again rain and continuing evening chill they should stay that way. I mentioned noticing aphids last week, yes they are colonizing on new buds but using the index finger and thumb removal method I am managing to keep it under control without resorting to spray just yet. Aphids winter over on the underside of last year's hellebore leaves, if you have not done so already remove them because fresh new leaves are popping up now. If you do not want hellebore seedlings germinating all through the garden cut out spent flowers now before seed is dropped. Peony roses are starting to flower, supports under them help to hold up the heavy flower heads. I have tall wire supports shaped like a u at the top that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place. They need lots of water and benefit from liquid fertiliser. If you planted new crowns for this season it would pay to let only one flower develop on these to allow growth to go into the crowns, then cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. Clump form much faster if no blooms are produced for the first two years, Peony roses need full sun and do not like to be smothered by other plants. Lavenders are budding up with the absence,( so far) of spittle bugs, if these bugs do become a problem for you spraying will not work, the spittle surrounding them is a barrier to pesticide. A forceful hosing will dislodge them and hopefully drown a few. Some hybrid clematis are looking beautiful right now, Hybrid's are those especially large flowered varieties, not the invasive pink and white montana type. You have to be quick in training hybrids where you want them to go while the trailers are still soft, they too like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights. Manure, deep down with a little lime added when planting is beneficial. Don't worry if you have one with no buds just yet they all have different flowering times, If you planted one this year let it flower then cut it to the ground, this will make it send up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber. Hybrids can also wilt and die for no reason if this happens cut it to the ground but don't be dig it out because I have known some to shoot away again the following year with no sign of wilt. I have been filling the gaps in the flower garden with old fashioned cottage flowers like cosmos, love in the mist, salvia blue bedder, Clary sage, and lavatera. These are all taller flowering annuals planted close together so they hold each other up. The more plants put in the less room for weeds to grow is the plan. All the plants mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for ages after if dead headed regularly. Vegetables Still perfect Spring weather for growing all veg now the ground is so warm and moist. Board beans are doing well with no sign of rust, could it be the pinch of potash I put in when planting? Peas are romping up netting and beans are in ready to climb. Keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. No night beetles about yet, they should not be far away and ready to feast on new tree leaves, the damage they cause to established trees is not that noticeable but newly planted fruit and prunus trees can be striped of leaves. Leaves will re-grow and fruits will continue to make growth. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 2nd 2016

Gardens will be now at the soggy blossom stage after a relatively wind free blooming, pink Kanzan blossom for once was not blown off before it's time allowing trees to create a pink glow about North Otago. Such a treat not to be lugging hose's about yet, the ground is warm and moist and ready for planting, weeds are small for hoeing and easy pulling and weed spray is now working in the rough areas, so all is pretty straight forward for those who have the TIME to enjoy the rhythm of spring. Birds feeding young will be making a mess in gardens and on paths searching for worms, so annoying to have newly planted annuals scratched out daily. I have found strips of shade cloth weighed down with stones covering the front planting will keep the birds off until new plants have settled in and filled out to cover exposed worm filled soil. Rhododendrons, deciduous azaleas and peony roses have taken over from camellias now displaying a dazzling range of colours, those early flowering rhododendrons can now have spent blooms removed before seeds sets, especially those newly planted, energy is needed for growth not making seeds. There is a point on the spent bloom where it snaps off without disturbing the new leaf growth coming through, once you find this point snapping off past blooms becomes easy. My roses are budding up, but I see green fly has arrived and a few new leaves have had to be removed where I spotted rust....already??? because I mulch thickly in our garden old leaves with rust spores would have escaped the clean up in early winter, a fortnightly spray with pesticide/ fungicide combined will be the answer. It pays to spray on a dull day so the sun will not burn through droplets and damage new leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up to spray in the sun. Wisterias are at putting on a display as well now, once flowering is over energy will go into putting out many long leaders, if your wisteria has reached the distance and spread required all of these leaders need to be removed, flower spurs develop on old wood year after year, if new leaders are left they will strive to be aged wood and become heavy un-needed branches. Birds feeding young will be making a mess in gardens and on paths searching for worms, Lawns: Lush is the word for lawns and the whole country side, long may the moisture and sun continue. If un-sprayed soft, sweet grass clippings as mulch on gardens will keep the weeds down and add humus to soil if added only thick enough to keep out light. Get it around trees and shrubs to keep moisture in soil right out to the drip line, spread it around rather than leave it in heaps. Fruit: Trees and fruit bushes should be well on their way to making fruit, we have had an abundance of bumble bees as well as busy honey bees this spring. Keeping moisture up to them when the season heats up is the next job, putting a mulch around all will help retain moisture already in the ground. A edging to hold mulch when winds arrive will be needed for my fruit trees and a cover of gravel on top will mean I will not have to water often. Vegetables: What fantastic weather for growing veg, once planted it's all about keeping the weeds down to give them room to grow. Pumpkin plants I put in last week are romping away as are the corn seedlings. I plant corn in a square patch rather than a row for them to grow and hold each other up. Potatoes are loving this weather so are worth planting if you have not already done so, tomatoes also will be soon needing staked, if you have no green / tunnel house plant a couple of cherry tomato plants in pots and place in a sheltered, well lit spot, they will produce all season. Russian red bush tomato's also grow well out side in a warm spot.  

Gardening in North Otago October 28th 2016

And now it is November and this spring is proving to be as spring should be, warmth with moisture and much growth. Still lovely blossom dripping from trees here with prunus kanzan and shimidsu sakura taking center stage. My roses were pruned late so are only just budding, ready to take over from all the camellias, rhododendrons, viburnums, lilacs and so much more. Iris's are pushing through fat buds, I have needed to remove mulch from iris rhizomes, they push themselves out of the ground now to be exposed to the sun. As the mass's of forget -me-not growing here start to make seed plants now need to be sorted from home grown stocks to fill gaps as they are cut back. Some gardeners pull forget-me-not out after flowering, I cut it back hard and it clumps up with fresh green leaf through summer to flower again next spring. In my stocks are cosmos, marigolds, , petunias, bedding dahlia's and blue salvia will go where the red tulips were for a summer show. Cat-mint edging is starting to show colour, while it is happening sections with roots can be pulled from the main clump and potted up to grow a root ball, then planted out as edging in another part of the garden, cat-mint is such a pretty edging which can be cut back after the first flowering to flower again. Trim spent blooms from flowering perennials and daisy bushes often to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody. Cut chrysanthemums and perennial asters back now so they will grow up a second time but hopefully not so tall and fall all over the place, their flowering time is not until the end of Summer. Chrysanthemum tips can be put into river sand to make roots for new plants. Planting on a slope: Spring is a good time to plant out a slope or bank, the ground is moist and plant roots are growing fast which means they will get a good hold before the dreaded winds arrive. Spray out all weeds, they will compete with moisture that your plants will need. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around the roots. If this cannot be done try not to disturbed soil/clay in areas that are not being planted. If the soil is disturbed and broken up it will wash away with rain and watering. Planting; Dig a hole that is deep into the bank and shallow at the front, (an angle hole) this will create a hollow reserve for water. Make sure it dips down at the back for water to pool. Use stones around each plant, this will help in preventing wind blowing soil away from the roots. Choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; grevillea, leucadendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant what survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. The plants they can leave for a while and they still look good when dried out. I have massed lupins to fill the gaps on my bank until all the other plants get bigger. Soft growth off some of my hedges can be trimmed this month, if a hedge has reached the height required best to take the soft growth off before the foliage beneath gets too much protection from top growth, Winter hardened the under growth and it should still be strong enough not to get sunburned when exposed to sun. Leave box hedging until the end of the month, if trimmed too soon new growth keeps pushing out, all soft trimmings can go in the compost or on the garden as mulch. Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If like us you have not had to spray lawn weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden as humus but not in thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth as you throw at it now the warmth is here. Resown patches left from grass grub and moss removal damage will repair fast now if water is kept up and birds kept off, try covering with shade cloth until seed has germinated, works for me. Veg Garden Growth is amazing this spring with the warmth and moisture we are receiving, potatoes are up for mounding, root veg ready for thinning, leaf veg is heartening up and no white butterflies here to annoy them yet, I am picking young broad beans that keep producing heaps of flowers, no rust nor an aphid to be seen! runner beans have popped through so the ground is warm enough for all beans now and corn plus all from the pumpkin family. Fruit Fruit bushes and trees are responding to spring as they should, the bees have done a wonderful pollinating job and we should all get bumper crops with the right amount of sun and moisture. Mulch around the drip line of all fruiting trees and shrubs to keep moisture from evaporating while fruit is forming.....it's all on now for growing our own food. Cheers Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 18th 2016

Warm spring days and yes....that October wind once again to spread blossom confetti around North Otago but Spring bulbs and blossom are still a joy to behold as I drive past town and country gardens, ending much too quickly as trees become draped in fresh new leaves. In the garden growth is rampant, Gardeners will have been tossing up between a getaway in the long weekend or getting stuck in! for us it was getting stuck in because of the beautiful wedding that took place in our garden on Labor Saturday. A tulip display in the main garden came to grief during the strong winds last week so I dug them up with green tops still attached, healed them in the ground until die back has finished then will store them in a dry place away from hungry rats. That garden got compost dug in and is now awaiting blue saliva to put on a little more growth before planting for the summer display. Many other bulbs are finishing now, I let only bluebells make seed and cut spent flowers stems out of all other bulbs but leaving leaves in tact to die back into the bulb. If spent daffodils become a nuisance or look untidy bundle them together in a knot to reduce the spread, bulbs need the nutrition from photosynthesis in the leaves to feed them for next years bloom and if you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space there will always be someone willing to bring a spade and take half, once died down, maybe put a sign at the gate saying "Bulbs to give away, bring a spade"! Lavenders, I have had to pull quite a few out this year because they have reached the end of growing nicely, after a trim back at the end of Winter they were not making a lot of new growth, Just a bit here and there with most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. Cut back fuchsias now to encourage fresh new growth, most of last years hard wood can be cut back hard. Fuchsia cuttings can be taken at any time of the year except winter but earlier in the year like right now will get best results while we are pinching out the growing tips to stimulate a bushy habit. These pinched out tips can become cuttings, pinch out below the tip and past the next set of leaves. Your cutting should have the tip leaves, stem, then two more leaves and another section of short stem. Remove the lower leaves, dip the cutting into rooting powder and plant into river sand right up over the nodule's remaining from where the two removed leaves were. Pop cuttings in sheltered shade and keep moist until they produce roots then pot up, protect through next winter and plant out this time next year. Keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums they start making growth now, I cut back the first new growth before they make hard wood. They do not flower until the Autumn so by removing the first new growth they should regrow shorter and be more manageable. Some hedges have been trimmed here, the soft trimmings can be spread around the garden along with fresh grass clippings, too early yet to trim box hedges, wait until the new growth firms up more. The perfect time to trim box in late spring is when there are a few overcast days in a row, hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days will allow time to recover. It's time to think about Dahlias in the garden for summer colour. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers they are so reliable and there are some beautiful shades and varieties on offer now, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. Dahlias like a warm, full sun, free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet. Vegetables: I touched on Tomatoes last week because they are in the shops now. For those with glass houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost. This will need to have been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated. Because our summers here in North Otago can be cool a glass or tunnel house is the a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly by plants, never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet. There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from. Beefsteak, the big tomato best for sandwiches & cooking, Early girl, stars producing early and keeps on until late in the season, Potentate, medium/small firm with moderate acidity and low in sugar, Money maker, medium size and good flavor , Doctor Walter is the very low acid tomato Cherry tomato's, the plant you can grow in a pot inside or on a porch, great for Children's lunch boxes. Russian red a tomato to grow outside in a sunny spot protected from the wind. Heirloom tomatoes have become popular, they don't look great but they have the great taste of yesteryear. There are others that I have not mentioned, nearly all need staked and tied up in the glass house and ALL tomato's like sun all day, 6 to 8 hours and it helps the fruit if there are fewer leaves on the plants. Tomato leaves compete for nutrients, create unwanted shade and harbor disease. Keep planting vegetable seeds directly into the garden but not too thickly mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 11th 2016

Such beauty all around, there are new bantam hatchlings here to add to the Spring happenings, the poor little chickens are traumatized daily by Scruff the dog letting them know a thing or two outside the cage!! Still busy weeding to keep our garden right for the spring tours, the ground is just right for planting with moisture holding below the surface and the suns warmth on the ground. Remember to keep dead heading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep flowering until it gets warmer, If you feel they have done all they are going to do dig out, cut old leaves back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left until planting out next year. Coastal gardens will be quite away ahead of gardens inland where they will still be getting reasonable frosts from time to time. Late frosts on roses new growth can be a problem but don' t be too concerned if new growth has been frosted, rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. When the nights start warming up any dampness left by hosing on rose leaves will encourage mildew but keep food up to your roses while they are making buds, it's hungry roses that get diseased. For a quick result slow release fertiliser is good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs. I have been spot spraying convolvulus, couch and clover, fresh new weed growth is coming through the mulch now so its the right time to zap them on a non windy day. If roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die so don't risk spraying on a windy day. Camellias can be trimmed and shaped when finished flowering, take out branches from the middle, enough to let a bird fly through, this lets the light in to help form next years buds. I have noticed some of my front shrub plantings are too big now, hiding good planting areas behind, it takes only a few years for gardens to close in with out us really noticing and what a difference can be made by opening up and creating distance for a new and interesting planting. One area opened in our garden is deep enough to allow me to mass plant with blue bells and include a new maple tree and it was only two scrappy over grown shrubs removed which has made this difference. The sun flower seeds planted into trays a few weeks ago have now been planted out, because they are still small snails and slugs will be attracted to them so I have surrounded them with prickly berberis cuttings as a deterrent. Also up and almost ready to plant out are cosmos, larkspur, nasturtium and marigolds which will help fill deep boarders. If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established. Vegetables Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, frost cloth may still be needed depending on where you live. Seeds are popping up in no time now so get them in ready for salad time. Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now but if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. Glass houses will be ready for the many varieties of tomato plants on offer. If you have no glass or tunnel house tomatoes are happy growing in containers or planter bags on a sunny deck or patio, with staking and training as you would in a glass house. Smaller varieties are easiest to manage e.g. Red Robin, Russian red or Totem in containers and the cherry tomato tumbling Tom in large hanging baskets. Plant all in a tomato mix, water as needed and liquid feed fortnightly. Why not try basil plants growing among tomatoes to repel white fly, the general consensus is that basil - both plants and extracts made from the leaves can be an effective natural deterrent for white fly, mosquitoes, tomato horn-worm, aphids and house fly as well as being a wonderful culinary enhancement with tomatoes. Our graphic designer Daughter has produced a 2017 calendar related to our garden (Rockvale Garden) giving North Otago garden advice for each month of the year. On offer at Paper plus, could be a little something under the tree at Christmas for a Gardner. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago October 5th 2016

Continuous dull days and rain here on the coast for the second week of School holidays is uninspiring for gardeners but gentle on new spring growth.

Tulips: are taking center stage, dull days will allow them to bloom longer. Tulips are best left after flowering until all green has been absorbed by the bulb, if like me you have a main display of them and need to get other plants in, dig them up with green still attached to the bulb, bed them (bundled) into a spot in the garden where not noticed until die back is finished, then store in a box where rats can not get at them. Dead head all spring bulbs as they finish flowering, leaving them to make seed will weaken bulbs but leaves are left on to feed back into bulbs, with the exception of blue bells, they spread faster if allowed to drop seed.

Roses: are well in leaf now, sun is needed to get them budding and keep them disease free, to avoid mildew problems don't let rose foliage go into the night wet on dry mild nights. Well fed roses are less likely to become diseased, fortnightly folia feeding and slow release fertiliser around the drip line will do the trick. 

I need to spot spray convolvulous and couch grass because they are growing so fast, but if roses get even a sniff of hormone spray foliage will become deformed growing wispy yellow leaves and the rose bush will eventually die, so don't risk spraying on a windy day.  

Our Grandies are enjoying the "My little garden" Super market promotion seed pots, when I was little a seed growing into a plant was true magic to me and this is the reaction I am seeing from these little ones, let the magic continue to become food. After planting sun flower seeds into trays only a week ago they are now up and will be soon large enough to plant out, they do best planted straight into the ground but I have little bantams who scratch out, and the seed hence pre-growing them. Sun flowers are a quick result for small Children to plant then watch grow taller than themselves.

Compost: is heating up and working well with the addition of new grass clippings, mine are open heaps layered with soft grass and hedge clippings, manure, soil, and seedless weeds, The warm rain will have been good working right through the middle to create the heat needed and a sprinkle of lime to sweeten it all up.

Vegetables: Potatoes are loving the warm ground, mine are up and ready for mounding.....hopefully this weekend! Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now, if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. If your vegetable garden has been disappointing in the past with plants not growing as well as you would like you could do a Ph test and if the PH of your soil needs to be raised you can add lime. I sprinkle lime on my compost heaps in spring and Autumn which then goes on the garden with the added bonus of lime loving worms. Dolomite lime is less likely to drastically change the PH, usually application rates are 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area, every second year to raise the pH from 5.5 to 6.5.  Some veg that like a more acid soil so don't go adding lime unless your soil needs sweetening.

DIY ph test can be done using vinegar: Collect 1 cup of soil from different parts of your garden and put 2 spoonfuls into separate containers, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the soil if it fizzes you have alkaline soil, with a pH between 7 and 8. If it doesn’t fizz after doing the vinegar test, add distilled water to the other container until 2 teaspoons of soil are muddy. Add 1/2 cup baking soda, if it fizzes you have acidic soil, most likely with a pH between 5 and 6. If soil doesn’t react at all it is neutral with a pH of 7 you are very lucky!

Distilling water can be done by 3/4 fill a large jam pot, set on med/ high to create a slow boil, place a glass bowl (receiver flask) into your pot, making sure it floats well enough to allow for some water to be poured into it without sinking. Place a con-caved lid on the pot upside down. Fill the top of the lid with ice cubes, condensation will enable the bowl to fill with distilled water.

Acid Soil Crops: The following crops prefer a pH of 4. to 5.5 Blackberry,Blueberry,Cranberry,Parsley,Potato,Raspberry.

Somewhat Acid Soil Crops: These can tolerate a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 Apple,Basil,Carrot,Cauliflower,Chervil,Corn,Cucumber,Dill,Garlic,Parsley,Pepper,Pumpkin Radish, Rhubarb, Tomato,Turnip. 

Moderately Alkaline Soil Plants: The following crops will tolerate a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 or greater: Artichoke, Asparagus Bean, pole, Bean, lima, Beet, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese cabbage, Celeriac Celery Chinese cabbage, Chive, Cress, Endive/escarole, Fennel, Gourd, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Marjoram, Mustard, Okra, Onion, Oregano, Pak choi, Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Rhubarb, Sage, Spinach, Squash, summer, Sunflower, Tarragon, Tomatillo.

Very Acid to Alkaline Soil Tolerant Plants: The following crops have the greatest tolerance for a wide range of soil acidity or alkalinity, from about 5.0 to 7.0: Alpine strawberry, Carrot, Cauliflower, Corn, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Parsley, Parsnip, Pepper,Tomato.Turnip. Phew! a pretty long winded list but can be kept for future reference.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago September 27th 2016

It is all on now with weeds after the few days of drizzle last week, and why, oh why in the School holidays??. however from an early Spring point of view it couldn't be better. 

While weeds are small my most used tool is a hoe to keep weeds from taking hold, especially chick weed and biddy-bid which is worked on here to eradicate every Spring so have no idea why as many seed from both still germinate everywhere! 

A hoe will not work with couch grass and convolvulus this needs to be dug out while ground is soft and runners can be taken right back under the ground to where they begin, it is very satisfying to know they will not grow back. I spot spray in badly affected areas if no other plants close by can be affected ( Never where food is grown) 

Keeping the light off bare soil with mulch will stop annual weed seeds germinating, compost, un-sprayed grass clippings, (only thick enough to block light) pea straw, that great mulch, which looks like soil fromPukeuri meat works,(around established plants) and the well cooked mulch from the Waitaki resource recovery park will all do the trick in blocking light. Mulching is also the answer to holding moisture in the ground. 

Garden edging with perennials is another way of covering the soil and a way to stop birds scratching soil out over paths, If you are looking for a pretty mat forming garden edge and have a clump of cat mint beginning to make new growth, dig the clump up and break into many new pieces with roots and pot them up. When roots fill pots they are ready to be planted as a front edge.

If you have not feed plants, roses or shrubs do it now, slow release granules, powdered plant food (watered in), if you have home compost ready add to some blood and bone and sulphate of pot ash this will give food and a flowering and fruiting component to plants and trees. I often mention using old stable manure around roses to keep them going over their long flowering period, don't dig the manure in as this can cause root damage, watering will take it to the roots as required. Extend food just beyond the drip line where the most active feeding roots are.

Having  saved a lot of sun flower seed from last years flowering, they were planted two weeks ago and are now up and doing well, I just love seeing those big happy flower faces on mass following the sun. They will be planted out in groups to stand high behind existing shrubs and any sunny bare areas that need brightening up.

I have been noticing a few cherry blossom trees with root stock branches being left to grow. By this I mean any branches that develop below the graft (where the branches begin at the top of the trunk); these should be cut off while still small. If allowed to develop into branches they will take over the whole tree. All flowering cherry trees are grafted onto a strong root stock of a very ordinary white blossom tree so if you have a tree with lovely pink or white blossom and you notice some blossom looks different then most likely it will be a branch growing from below the graft, cut it right out

Lawns 

The buzz of lawn mowers is in the air again, cutting too low will let light in for weeds to grow let them thicken up before those drying winds arrive. Grass seed I planted a couple of weeks back has struck, letting me know the ground is warm enough for resowing more bare patches.

Vegetable garden

Lots to do in the veg garden right now, I have been madly sowing seeds over the last few weeks and now there is time consuming pricking out to be done, just as well the day's are longer now!

All the salad veg can go in along with tomatoes, potatoes, peas, I think the ground is even be warm enough for runner and dwarf beans. My board beans came through the winter well and have started to bean, It is wonderful have an abundance of choice again and to be picking our own fresh produce. 

Fruit: It's all up to the bee's now.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago September 20th 2016

Well into Spring now with buds bursting into beauty daily, we had the first wedding in our Garden last Saturday, no going back now!!
Because rain is limited watering is needed to help spring gardens along, moisture is not far down but top soil holding new plantings will dry daily. Plant cells that are plump with water will be stronger against cold night damage in early Spring so early watering is best allowing time for plants to absorb moisture. However, slight drying out before watering promotes root growth of plants so water is not needed everyday.

Spring is the time to choose the type of blossom tree you want, take a photo along to a garden center to be identified. Blossom is only on the tree for a short time so it should not be the only reason for choice. Height and spread should be thought about as some prunus grow very large and spread wide and low. Fortunately today we have choice, thanks to the grafting done by growers we can purchase trees on a short, or a taller graft to suit a situation. A 1.8 mtr trunk before branching will allow clearance along a drive or walk way right from planting. Large spreading trees have large spreading roots! keep this in mind when planting near concrete and the house. Also the leaf and blossom drop should be taken into consideration, thick blossom on paved walking areas is a slippery problem, it sticks to feet and is tracked inside. Leaf drop near pathways and roof guttering is a pain as well, but a spreading tree over grass is lovely and everything dropped can be taken up with the lawn mower. Ask the right people about the right trees because there is a tree for every spot, to create the over grown look without the problems.

I have been busy with the hoe moving the small weeds around before they get a hold, you will only have to blink from now on and they will be up around the ankles! pull them now before they make seed.  Plant pretty annuals in exposed soil now to beat the weeds,
Seeds: sow directly into the ground or into trays, they will be up in no time to prick out and plant on into punnets to form strong roots. Be sure to leave punnets of newly bought bedding plants outside for a few nights in a sheltered place to harden off before planting out. I use my own mix with a layer of seed raising mix on top which makes the seed raising mix go a lot further.

Lavenders are starting to make new growth, they like a dressing of lime and some liquid or slow release fertiliser to help them along. If they look a bit scruffy you can trim them now and they will soon grow back and bud up. If a lavender is looking really woody with new growth yellowing dig it out and put in another one, they do not go on for ever.

We are lucky enough to have a mature bourgainville growing, it was effected badly last year and this winter with frost even though it has been covered with frost cloth. New growth is happening now below the damage so I trimmed the dead wood off and will flood it at the beginning of next month to simulate the rainy season of it's origins. Then leave it alone from then on. If feed and water through summer they will produce more leaf than flowers, Bourgainvillea needs to be stressed to flower their best.

Put in stakes for delphiniums, peony roses, asters and tall phlox now before they shoot up anymore.

Vegetable garden:
Keep planting your veg before the end of September, they should then be ready for Christmas. Corn and the pumpkin varieties need a long growing season, I planted both into punnets this week, protection will be needed when germinated until days are warmer.
Fruit: If you have not pruned your currant bushes yet do it asap because they are coming into leaf.
blackcurrants. Fruit forms on young wood, remove older wood, leaving the young shoots,remove weak, wispy shoots, retaining a basic structure of 6 to 10 healthy shoots.
Red and white currants bear their fruit on old wood. prune bushes by removing diseased or very old branches, then prune new growth back to two buds in early summer to keep plants compact.
Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 15th September 2016

A lovely weekend just past as I write this and with the warmth it's all happening in gardens, a warm wind was experienced so the hoses are out once again to keep moisture up to all the new annual plantings going in. 
Hydrangeas are budding to leaf, the perfect time to feed and give a good soak, a dressing of lime for pink and alum sulphate for blue, coffee grinds and pine needles will also acidify soil.

Roses are top priority right now,Things to watch out for are die back after frost damage, not all branches make the grade, if they have been affected cut them right back to new growth, also watch for growth below the graft, it comes up from the root stock, is usually a different colour and leaf to the grafted branches, cut right out. All roses are grafted onto a strong root stock. 

If you were given a cyclamen in flower back in May it is time to plant it outside in a cool shady spot to finish the growing year. Pot up again just before Winter for indoor flowering.

Perennials are pushing up through the pea straw now, hosta's are making a move but there is still time to put the spade through clumps big enough to divide, slice cleanly through and transplant where needed.

Peony roses are pushing up fast, carefully clear around them to let sun in.

Lawns: are looking for food, have a bag ready for the next rain. Sulphate of iron is great for getting rid of moss in lawns, buy from a garden centre, quantities for a watering can will be on the bag, once watered on effected areas leave until moss turns black then rake out.

Potato info (Tui)

Rocket* Round White White Waxy Fastest producing of early varieties and provides a good yield. Good boiling potato with waxy texture.Very early variety, approx 90 days.
Swift* Oval Smooth & White Creamy yellow Waxy Fast growing with exceptional taste. Great for growing in containers.Will not discolour or disintegrate on steaming.Very early variety, approx 90 days
Cliff Kidney* Kidney Slight pink tinge White Firm, waxy Performs best in soils that contain peat. An excellent, firm boiling potato for early cropping. Best for boiling. Early variety, approx 100 days
Jersey Benne* Oval White White Waxy A medium cropper that can be grown in most soils. Great for growing in containers. One of the most popular varieties for mashing or boiling. Early variety, approx 100 days
Moemoe Maori Potato Round-Oval Purple with deep eyes Creamy white
Waxy Plant from September – November. Will grow in all soil conditions. Reasonable
drought and wind tolerance. Best eaten shortly after harvest. Good for boiling and steaming. Good tasting. Early-main variety, approx 100 days
Maris Anchorr* Oval White White Waxy Yields well in most soil types but likes shelter. Keeps well with excellent cooking qualities. General cooking. Early-main variety, approx 110days
Agria* Long oval Cream Yellow All Purpose High yielder. Stores well. Very versatile cooking qualities. Great for French fries. Best for boiling. Main variety, approx 130 days
Heather Long oval Smooth & Purple White All Purpose Reliable, steady cropper. Good for all general cooking, boils, mashes and roast (no discolouration or disintegration). Main variety, approx 130 days
Ilam Hardy* Oval to round White White Waxy. All Purpose When mature. Very adaptable and will give a good yield over a wide variety of conditions. Light blight resistance. Excellent for boiling for frying. Good all round cooker. Early-main variety, approx 130 days.

Fruit:

Apricot is in blossom looking for bee's and raspberries / gooseberries are showing leaf, still time to thin out a gooseberry bush for easier picking.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 6th September 2016

Some beautiful early spring days experienced here in North Otago over the last week after the gentle rain, encouraging buds to swell and burst, birds get busy buildings nests and new born lambs enjoy a warm welcome.

Now growth is moving I have been re potting cuttings that have been making roots during winter, fresh potting mix to sustain the explosion of new leaf growth and flowers will ensure good results. Liquid fertilizer once a week can start now as well, I use a watering can, when leaves are dry of dew. Pansies, primulas, pollyanthus, sweet peas, lupins, all new seasons bedding plants respond daily to being feed now.

I am sure every gardener enjoys trying new plants and colour combinations, now is the perfect time to sow seeds for summer flowering, I have sown some under glass and some just under frost cloth, better still if you have a glass or tunnel house. Germination is fast when days are bright, warm and lengthening so we are off to a good start this spring. 

Baskets and pots will need freshening up as well with new potting mix, slow release fertilizer and water crystals,  use only shallow rooted plants for baskets, pansy, lobelia, small type petunias, nemesia, and trailers like Virginia stock and dwarf sweet pea. To get best results the roots of what you want to plant will determine the size and depth of a pot or basket, they have a long growing season so need depth for roots.

Old woolen blankets cut to size and slit where plants are to be poked in are an economical alternative to bought basket liners, 

The width of a flower garden can be cut down by planting a front boarder to spread together, a front boarder of the same plant will also formalise a busy mixed garden and cut down on weeding. Some boarder... plants, lambs ear, purple sage, aubretia, dwarf agapantha, catmint, 

ground cover erica's will cover a meter in time and add colour during winter.

I looked around the garden for plants to make an edge to take place of where a row of lavender had been, I have new lavender plants now in the spot but they are as yet tiny so felt they needed something in front, I found just the thing, a large clump of lambs ear growing in my rockery which had doubled in size so dug half of it out and broke it up into single plants. Silver is a perfect shade to use as a break between strong and soft shades and will grow in sun or semi shade, lambs ear also has the added bonus of being an interesting texture.

Roses are pushing out new shoots here, if you haven't pruned yet do it now before they leaf up and give them a dressing of rose food or compost if you have some, they are gearing up for a come back!

Dahlias, too early for planting tubers yet but the addition of dolomite lime where they are to be planted will sweeten the ground ready for planting next month.

Lawns:

Prepare ground for sowing new lawns, here on the coast ground will soon be warm enough to get a strike, sow seed thickly in spring to beat the annual weeds. Once spring mowing starts keep the mower blades up to allow grass to thicken. Feed lawns just before or during rain and they will stay lush.

Vegetables:

Here on the coast sow lettuce seed and plant lettuce plants at two week intervals, my board beans are flowering, I was once told to plant each bean with a little pot ash to help with rust problems, they still get a little rust but I think that's probably due to them getting too dry between watering's. I will need to secure them with wire stakes before the strong winds arrive.

New potatoes: Prepare ground for planting sprouted seed potatoes.

Strawberries: still haven't  prepared the strawberry bed yet, maybe this weekend.!

Fruit: Almost peach / nectarine bud burst, if you need to deal to leaf curl. 

Leaf curl is a fungal disease which over winters in tree bark and around buds, leaves become curled and deformed with warty growths. Just before bud burst spray with Champion copper or liquid copper and once again after petal fall. 

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago August 25th 2016

September: Spring is here after a start stop winter.

So far magnolias, camellias, daffodil and jonquil bulbs confirm the above and after those lovely spring days last week blossom will be not far behind along with weeds! Now it begins, address those weeds with a hoe while small and the spray unit can stay in the shed for a while yet. For paved areas and drive ways that have been cleaned of small weeds there is a product call Ronstar that can be used to stop new seeds germinating, it comes in a granulated form and you sprinkle it on like salt, it will have no effect growing leaves (hence applying weed free ground) it makes the ground sterile stopping seed germination.

Roses are budding and leafing now, wait until leaves are fully out and not too soft before starting folia feeding and a fortnightly spray program. The most important component for roses right now is food, rose fertiliser, old manure or manure enriched compost 

around the drip line and watered in will get you wonderful results further into the growing season. 

Hydrangeas here are all pruned and fed now with buds swelling, they have come through the winter well.

Enjoy the spring blooms but start thinking summer colour now... this is where you can paint your own garden canvas, hot colours to zaz up an area or whites silvers and greens to tone down harsh background colours and blues to pull them all together.

Where there is dirt filling with flowers will leave no room for weeds, for low maintenance gardens with trees, shrubs and mulch cover you can create pockets of colour with annuals between the shrubs, If you have weed mat to deal with just scrape away the mulch and with a craft knife cut a section of weed mat on 3 sides, fold it under at the point edge and fill the dirt gap with annuals then replace the mulch around them. Once they have finished flowering for the year just remove before they seed and pull the folded flap of weed mat back over the area and re-mulch, a splash of colour among green shrubberies makes all the difference to a summer garden.

Vegetables:

Veg plots need attention now, weeds gone and compost dug in ready for seeds and seedlings, best not to sow or plant straight into mulch containing animal offal, this proves to be too strong but fine to spread around when new plantings have developed strong roots. Soil containing organic matter is best for new plantings and seed raising mix along rows when sowing seeds will gain good results.

I have sown corn and pumpkin seeds early and will nurse with cover for as long as it takes to give them a long growing season.

I also have sprouted potatoes going in early and these will need protecting from late frosts as well, covered at night once through the ground.  

Fruit:

Berries are budding up to flower, they would appreciate organic mulch and a dressing of feriliser high in potash. Strawberry plants are beginning to move into budding as well, my plot needs a lot of attention and building up with manure enriched compost and I am hoping I can find some plants remaining after the winter under all the chic weed.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago August 16th 2016

With the days drawing out, birds building nests and fat furry magnolia buds opening we are moving out of winter and into spring!
English lavenders can be cut back now because I see them starting to put out new growth. Really old woody lavender bushes can be cut back hard to encourage new lower growth, time to replace them if they do not respond. Newly planted lavenders just need a hair cut. Feed them manure enriched compost and a little lime. Also catmint and purple sage has had all the winter protection cut off here.
Softer shrubs that are encroaching on drives and walkways can be trimmed back , they will soon recover with new spring growth. I have been reducing the height on some of my taller shrubs like phebaliums, pittosporums, psudopanax . You can do this if height is a problem without spoiling the shape.What I do is cut out the center branch down to where the other branches bush out, this removes the natural point at the top of the shrub and will sometimes reduce the height by 2 or more meters. Shrubs will soon send up a new leader. This sort of control at the start of the growing season works well because plants heal quickly, leave doing this for another month further inland.
A lot of climbers are in bud now ready to do their thing so when trimming watch you are not cutting off new buds. Hardenbergia ( happy wanderer) flowered in early winter so that is one that can be cut back, honey suckle can also be trimmed now, jasmines have been knocked by frosts in my garden, I will leave them a bit longer.

If you have still not pruned and feed your roses do it as soon as possible! they are moving fast now and need food kept up to them if you want them to stay healthy. The bags of pig manure I ordered last month arrived in the weekend, such a bonus for our garden.
If you have no time to do anything else in the garden now feeding plants is a must for health and vigour to take them right through to autumn, it is well worth the effort and will minimize disease. Slow release fertilisers are a safe bet for continual feeding over a long period. They are very clean and easy to apply, and now days formulated to feed specific plants.
Now would be a good time to mention plants that resent being fed. Many South African plants and Australian natives such as proteas, leucodendrons, banksias, and all grevillia's do not need feeding. I have lost some of these because they had absorbed fertiliser from neighbouring plants, also no food for tulips it will encourage more leaf than flower.

Keep an eye out for flowering camellias and rhododendrons now in the garden centers, most are showing buds and flowers, this is the time to choose the right shades for your garden, they thrive in semi shade or afternoon shaded areas of the garden.

It's the perfect time to sow seeds under cover as I mentioned last week, the seeds I planted two weeks ago are up already, Any seeds that say spring sowing on the back of the packet can be planted now, I use a tray of compost / soil with a layer of seed raising mix on the top.This way your seed raising mix goes further. Once planted cover the trays with plastic or glass, but use spacers to let air circulate between the plastic / glass and tray.

Fruit and Vegetables
This is also the time to give fruiting shrubs and trees a dressing of pot ash, to help with fruiting.
If you plan to grow vegetables this year get the garden ready now, dig in some weed free compost and let the soil settle again.
In area's not be planting out for a while why not sow a green crop to add humus to tired soils, mustard, blue lupine, barley or wheat, dig in when lush, soft and green.
Deciduous fruit trees should be planted in August at the latest along with all small fruits and now is a good time to shift citrus trees.

Cheers, Linda. 

Gardening in North Otago August 9th 2016

Snow, frozen ground and cold hands in the past week, proper winter weather at last.
Birds are hungry and beginning to nest, with the help of Poppy and Maggie (Grandies) I melted dripping and stirred in bird seed, while it was firming we pressed into three balls. The Girls climbed trees and pushed them into v branches for the birds to enjoy instead of stripping my veg.
Morning frozen ground makes it impossible to work in soil so Garden design is what I can concentrate on with never being short of clients. But usually with frosts come brilliant blue sky and sun, well worth cold fingers and here on the coast the afternoon thaw allows me to get out and do what needs to be done.
 I am full on thinking about spring and what I would like happening in our garden, now is the the time to hatch plans for planting, dividing and shifting. I planted a standard weeping mulberry two years ago which had an under planting of acanthus mollis (oyster plant) which had taken over. After many weeks of digging it out ( with help) I think we have finally got rid. I visualized a mass planting of Russell lupin in its place so set about digging up random lupin plants growing here and there and have now filled the space which should be very colourful come spring, and once finished flowering will cut back and plant cosmos amongst to take that garden right through until winter.
If something does well in a garden bed why not fill with the same plant to make a colourful impact, I have done this with hydrangeas, ranunculus, nandina, same shade roses, hellebore's and same shade dahlias. A planting as this fills a space and if mulched allows no room for weeds. Spring bulbs planted this way always give the best show rather than different varieties planted together.

A few more hydrangeas have been pruned as nice fat buds are swelling on the stems and cuttings taken and bedded in from the hardened stems that had flowered.  A shaded moist area is best for bedding these down and hopefully roots will grow to feed the buds. Some times I get good results by covering the cuttings with a box keeping the light out to hold the buds back to encourage roots.
Old wood can be cut out of  wigelias and spirea bushes, you can tell which branches they are because the wood looks old and spent compared to the new fresh wood.

Almost finished pruning roses here, only the flower carpet and fairy roses to go, both these varieties bush up with small non hard wood branching and if large, bushes can be trimmed with a hedge trimmer. If newly planted and small prune back to hard wood at an outward facing bud. Feeding and spraying my roses is next, copper oxychloride and winter oil, they can be mixed and applied together as the oil helps the copper to stick and copper helps protect new growth from frosts that occur in late spring. Best not to be applied to fresh new growth when burning may occur,
Vegetables and fruit
Fruit Trees are still available in Garden Centres. If you think your garden is too small for fruit trees, I mentioned dwarf peach and nectarine trees last week and will mention Ballerina apples this week. A very slim non branching variety of apple with Medium to large, red skin on areas exposed to the sun. Crisp and juicy, nice eating and cooking, similar in flavour to ‘Jonathan, growing to 3-4m tall by 30cm wide perfect for adding height to a small garden.
Still time to get grapes pruned before sap rises, to prune a fruiting leader remove all new long growth on the vine other than the fruiting leader, on the leaders prune each new growth back to the second bud. These fruiting buds should be around a hand space apart to ensure adequate sized fruit, this means removing some of the new bud growth along the top of the leader and all of the new bud growth growing underneath. Some of these new budding top growths will throw two lots of bud branch, remove the least stronger one leaving only one lot of double buds to produce fruit.
 Vegetable gardens are enjoying frosts breaking down the soil, I am still digging carrots, the parsnips are still growing regardless of such cold conditions. I have had to cover leaf veg from the birds with shade cloth. Time for sowing seeds to germinate in a warm place to be ready for planting out in a warm spring garden.
Cheers, Linda.