Gardening in North Otago 17. 2. 2016

Warm days and nights, what a wonderful warm summer we are enjoying now which means the hoses are out again to revive plants while they cope with some very intense heat. Early morning is a good time to get moisture down around roots, for those who would not have time to water before work, set the hose up ready to turn on first thing in the most needed areas to give a good soak before you leave. Evaporation from leaves is a problem especially in shallow rooted rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and tall plants where moisture needs to reach a distance.  
My wheelbarrow has been busy this week, with so much growth the cutting back seems endless, any plant or bush that has finished flowering needs cut back to where the new growth is starting to appear, hebe's finish flowering and make seed very quickly, cut all those seed heads and stems off, the bush will look bare but will soon push out new growth and stay the size you require it to be.  Photinia bushes and hedges trimmed now will reward you with new bright red foliage in April / May and into the winter.
Keep the water up to roses, if roots dry out between watering's they will respond with yellowing leaves, rust and black spot, don't be alarmed these are usually old leaves,  remove them before they fall and spread disease into the ground even if it means removing most of the bush, new leaves will soon take their place.
If you have buddleias, ( the butterfly bush) tall thin arching branches with grey/blue leaves and lavender, purple or pink long narrow flower heads, cut them back almost to the ground when they have finished flowering then again at the end of winter. They grow back very quickly and are best grown at the back of a border.
Garden centers are full of lovely bedding plants and shrubs right now, read labels regarding where to plant, sun/shade, with shrubs frost tolerance is important, I have noticed tender shrubs not suitable for hard frost areas on offer, they look nice but have probably been grown under cover and would not cope with frosts if planted out in the open, in pots under cover they should be ok.
Lawns: I spot sprayed flat weeds and clover in the lawns this week, with worms in mind I never cover a whole lawn in spray.
The evidence of grass grub is noticeable in tree shaded areas now, the adult brown beetles tend to lay eggs under the trees they feed on. There was an absence of product for a couple of years but I see there are choices back on the market. Eggs of the NZ grass grub are laid in the soil during summer; normally hatching after about 2 weeks. The small larvae feed on the grass roots until spring, infested grass dies off leaving a dead mat. The grubs are usually found about 15 cm below the soil surface and control of the grub requires getting insecticide to this level in the soil. Treatment is most effective from February to March.

Fruit: 

With the sunny days fruit has been ripening, I have never seen our apricot tree so laden and have been picking bucket fulls for jam, sauce, freezing and giving away. Late peaches, apples and grapes need water kept up to them.

Vegetables:

Keep planting all vegetable plants in rotation...if you now have a space where root veg were growing fill it with leafy veg and visa versa. Any spaces you have vacant fill with a green crop, wheat, barley, oats, blue lupin or mustard seed. Dig into the soil before it flowers. The humus created from a green crop is about the very best thing you can do for tied soil.

Cheers, Linda.

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Linda Wilson

Rockvale Gardens

37 Airedale Road

Weston

North Otago 9401

Ph: 03 434 9786

Mbl: 027 4430256