February, Children back at School, ok, now we really are into this new working year!!!
So good to have the sun back after all those dull, damp days, however the dullness did not stop green growth it was the flowering and fruit ripening that suffered, mushy rose buds and blooms, mold on grapes and strawberries and green, tomatoes, apricots, peaces and nectarines......sound about right? remove any affected blooms and fruit because fungus will spread especially in a glass or tunnel house.
So good to have the sun back after all those dull, damp days, however the dullness did not stop green growth it was the flowering and fruit ripening that suffered, mushy rose buds and blooms, mold on grapes and strawberries and green, tomatoes, apricots, peaces and nectarines......sound about right? remove any affected blooms and fruit because fungus will spread especially in a glass or tunnel house.
It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering (hybrid) clematis to get roots established before winter.
Fungus spray on roots and growth at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from at planting time.When planting try not to disturb the roots and sprinkle a little lime around the drip line to sweeten the ground. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer, huge or delicate flowers, in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look climbing and spilling through gardens, I have a stunning claret red one flowering now and scrambling up over a structure. I forget about this one every year until it's blooms to surprise and please me.
Spring bulbs, strange I know to think about Spring but wanting a spring bulb display starts now. Clumps are much more effective than one planted here and there, so if you have two or three daffodils or tulips scattered about your garden now would be the time to dig up same bulbs and plant together for maximum effect.
Continue dead heading dahlias and petunias to keep them bushy and flowering longer, remove stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper.
Keep trimming hedges as they put on soft new growth and either compost the trimmings or scatter them around the garden, they are soft enough to break down at this time of the year.
Lawns
Mowing, mowing, mowing the lawns are so lush and green for this time of the year and clippings used as mulch have given our garden continuous humus as it is breaks down, I fertilised lawns during the rain which adds to the nutrients for gardens and compost.
I haven't seen many brown grass grub beetles as yet but they are more noticeable in new gardens with young trees. We was horrified when our garden was young and all the new trees were devoured by those night beetles but the leaves soon grew back again and the trees grew on to be the beautiful bones of the garden.
I haven't seen many brown grass grub beetles as yet but they are more noticeable in new gardens with young trees. We was horrified when our garden was young and all the new trees were devoured by those night beetles but the leaves soon grew back again and the trees grew on to be the beautiful bones of the garden.
Vegetables:
plant, pick and enjoy.
Linda Wilson
Rockvale Gardens
37 Airedale Road
Weston
North Otago 9401
Ph: 03 434 9786
Mbl: 027 4430256
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