The shortest day has been and gone and still there is growth happening here on the coast in North Otago, although I have noticed this week that grass is looking duller, and reacting as it should at this time of the year to the colder days and nights.
The lime sulphur went on the roses in the weekend which will defoliate them but I feel still too early to prune roses yet, I will leave until well into July.
I am sure further inland it is winter as it should be and rose pruning will have started.
Hellebore's (Winter roses) are starting to send up flowers, I removed all the old leaves from mine which really shows the pretty flowers off. There are a lot of hellebore seedlings growing around the main plants, I leave the very small first year ones but dig out and transplant seedlings from year before. These second year seedlings will take another few years to flower and will look best in mass plantings. Hellebore's like to be planted in damp soil and semi shade, they do wonderfully well planted around rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.
Almost at the end of my mulch / compost now, leaving the empty spaces to fill with layers of leaves, manure, ready compost and soil. The garden is looking tidier with its cover of pea straw spread over a layer of compost. I had the hose out first soaking dry areas before it was all applied. We seem to be missing out on the rain that threatens on those short dull days and I notice a few plants showing signs of being too dry. Keep an eye on shallow rooted shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias, Azaleas and Maples they are budding up now so their roots need to be moist and well mulched to stop buds and leaves browning off.
Lawns:
The lawn mowers should be resting in sheds now but with the warm temperatures grass is still growing sporadically and leaves are still being picked up, a bonus for layering over leaves on the compost. Keeping off frosty lawns is best during the cold, frost and freezing months of winter grass goes into a dormant stage. It stops growing and relies on the starch stored in its root system to survive. While the grass may appear dead and need little attention it also is the time when your lawn is the most vulnerable to damage.
How To Prune Apple (pip)Trees
First, fruit is produced from shoots which are in their second (or later) year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance (roughly half and half) between side shoots produced this year and side shoots produced last year, this will provide a crop of apples in the current year and sufficient shoots for next year's crop.
Secondly, when you prune during winter while the tree is dormant, this will invigorate the tree, causing it to grow more during the following season. If you prune during summer this will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season. Spring pruning has an effect somewhere between winter and summer pruning.
The first pruning should occur immediately after planting (normally June / July) - make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. The examples below show pruning starting at a one year old tree.
PRUNE A ONE YEAR OLD TREE
A one year old tree should be pruned immediately after planting - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp pair of secateurs.
Before cutting, make sure that the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher, above the fourth bud.
PRUNE A TWO YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. The light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third - see the thick black lines.
When pruning, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in the spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree.
PRUNE A THREE YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. Pruning is similar to the two-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
PRUNE A FOUR YEAR OLD TREE Prune from June until August Pruning is the similar to the three-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned unless it is diseased. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
A five year old tree can be considered mature and the basic shape will have been established. Pruning should consist of keeping the centre of the tree relatively clear of growth, removing all weak or diseased growth and keeping the tree within the space available. Remember that apples will grow on wood produced the previous year, so always leave a good proportion (say 50%) of the previous year's growth.
Stone fruit trees should only ever be pruned in the summer months. This will help prevent disease and avoid fruit wastage.
I hope this is straight forward and helpful.
Cheers, Linda
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