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.
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