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
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