Gardening in North Otago December 12th 2018

philadelphus (mock orange), mingonette and Lupins

Super plant comfrey   

Still overcast, damp days as I write this so like me most will have been busy with end of year work, School and after School actvivies to be part of rather than  plodding around dripping plants, mud and wet feet and with the Christmas lead up I am sure gardening will be on the back burner for most, including me. However if it does brighten up there will be the last minute clean up to take care of. Trimming with secateurs is not practical for me with such a large garden so the hedge trimmer will be out again when dry, the grow back rate is pretty quick in early summer so dont be afraid to take hedges well back if needed. Newly trimmed box hedges will suffer from sun scorch as days become warmer, but they soon grow through it and harden off to a lush green again.
If your catmint has been flowering for a while and it is looking a bit tired, trim well back and in no time at all it will re-grow into a neater clump and continue to flower, this applies to all spring flowering ground covers.
By now we will be able to see winter damage and dead branches needing removed on trees, and where low branches are keeping light from gardens. Maples, pin oaks, ashes and the native hoheria (lace bark)  put out so much growth here every spring needing many lower branches cut back or removed altogether to allow in light needed by plants and shrubs growing below to bud and flower.
Lilies: Large clumps of lilies can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering, plant into good compost, keep an eye on them through the dryer months they will not tolerate being dry long. It takes ages for lilies to grow from seed and little pup bulbs so they are worth looking after, I have had clumps of Christmas lilies completely disappear through soil dryness.
Comfrey liquid fertiliser: I must again sing the praises of comfrey, with its deep taproot, and large root system, comfrey pulls up nutrients from way down in the subsoil, where most other plants can't reach. Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big 3, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. In fact, it becomes a good source of nitrogen containing more potassium than composted manure.
Comfrey leaves can be cut and spread around plants or decomposed down to a black liquid, for this cut leaves off at ground level, break up and place in the bottom of a large plastic container, cover with water and weigh down with a rock. Within 6 to 8 weeks the leaves will have decomposed into a thick  black smelly liquid. Strain and Dilute, 1 part comfrey liquid to 15 parts water, dilute more when using on seedlings. You will not need to spend money on plant food again, ( let me know if you would like a comfrey section to start a patch)
Garden Mulch: I noticed a good amount of well cooked clean, black garden mulch being offered at our Recourse recovery park, this is just right for keeping weeds down and retaining moisture around trees and shrubs. A scoop = 1/3 cubic metre $7.50 and a full bag $4.00 as well as trailer loads. The Recourse Recovery park will be closed only the following days during the festive season, Christmas day, Boxing day and New years day.
Lawns: If you don't like using sprays and have a few flat weeds in the lawn try spot spraying them with vinegar, it also works great on pathways and drives leaving no dangerous residue to leach into nearby plants . For best results apply in the heat of the day. Lawn spray is needed for clover, vinegar browns the leaf off and knocks it a bit but it soon recovers.
Vegetables: Sow late crops of cucumbers, courgettes, beans, basil, peas, rocket and corriander. Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn also as they have a shallow rooting system, mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds, planting corn in groups rather than a row also helps with wind support.
Fruit is late to ripen with the lack of sun filled days and damp dull days lead to fungus and rot for strawberries, removing effected strawberries will stop the spread. 
Grapes: Shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some. Nitrate fertiliser will only produce more leaves and leaders, like most fruiting plants a little pot ash to encourage fruiting is beneficial in spring, ( A note for next year) Nature will have its way if we take a much deserved break, weed seeds pop, fruit over ripens and the veg bolts but we can shift all pots and hanging baskets to a shady south facing wall to protect from sun until you return. 
"Christmas cheer" Gardeners will enjoy and share the produce bounty from the busy year past and I will take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you A very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2018.

Gardening in North Otago December 4th 2018

Here we are almost at the end of another year and the humid, before Christmas, cloudy weather is persisting and so much growth, does the cutting back NEVER end!. It's getting rid of it all that creates a problem for most people, however at this time of the year the cut back growth is soft and with the help of daily heat will break down in heaps or on the compost so pile it up until it all reduces then cart it off. Gaps left can be built up with fresh compost and planted out in summer annuals.  

Delphiniums growing tall will be needing supports to keep them in place, its hard to stand them up again with out stems breaking if they collapse. If this has happened cut them back to the broken point to continue to put out new but smaller flower heads. 

Catmint edging can be cut right back now, it will grow back and flower again and lavender needs to be trimmed when it has finished flowering. 

English lavender is worth cutting, bunching and hanging once stems have firmed and continue to give off that lovely fresh lavender fragrance right through until it flowers again next summer if kept inside. 

Rhododendrons finished flowering need spent flowers removed before they make seed, imposable to do on very large bushes but beneficial to smaller bushes as you want them to put growth into the bush not seeds. There is a point on a spent flower that when bent will break cleanly without damaging new growth. 

Roses: Remove rain damaged buds and blooms, if left they will encourage fungus during humid weather. Roses need dry sunny days to flower at their best however they will be enjoying the moist soil and should respond really well when sunny days do arrive.

Lillies will also be enjoying moist ground conditions but will probably stay in bud until those continuous sunny days arrive. Lillies do like their roots moist but like most plants will rot if water logged.

Hedge trimming is on going here and ivy that has romped away can be trimmed right back before it sets flowers.

Herbs are running to seed before I can cut and hang them as they must be completely dry when cut and bundled to prevent mold. If we do get a chance to cut hang, rub and store it is well worth the effort. I usually produce enough dried herbs to last the following year as well as gift to others. 

Herbs should be harvested when flavor and aroma oils are at their peak, before they flower. Harvest early in the morning after the dew dries and before the heat of the day. Herb flowers harvested to dry for craft should be picked just before flowers are fully open.

Culinary herbs to dry: rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, basil, chives, parsley, oregano, tarragon, nasturtium (leaves and flowers)

Fruit: black currents, raspberries and gooseberries are all wanting continuous sunny days and strawberries being low to the ground are rotting with such damp conditions, I have removed any rot and large top leaves to let more air and light in but they need to have a net cover if exposed to birds.

Vegetable garden: Weeds as well as veg are romping away but easy to pull while the soil is damp, again get rid of any veg rotting and when time and weather allows work wet ground with a hoe to get air in. Keep potatoes mounded, not long now to dig for Christmas dinner along with peas, board beans, carrots, beetroot and lettuce, produce so good from your own garden to the table.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 27th 2018

December already, damp November almost gone, what a long time suffering damp, cloud covered days which has restricted flowering and fruit ripening. It's sun and warmth we and gardens need in spring.

Hedge trimming will be under way about North Otago now that new growth has been pushing out for a while. I can't wait until hedges soften a little after a severe trimming, which usually only takes a couple of weeks.

Roses will be well into flowering and the thing to look out for after all the dampness is powdery mildew, a fungus that affects plant leaves, buds and stems, coating them with a white or grey powder like substance. A preventive spray applied at the very first hint of powdery mildew is as follows. 1 tablespoon of baking soada, 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 gallon of water mixed together. This is not a cure if the fungus has taken hold but worth spraying on all rose bushes to prevent it happening after such a long period of damp, dull weather.

Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few that I left in the ground from last year. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around roots. 

Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so they will have loved all the rain, it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. 

Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, they flower on new growth so appreciate a good cut back in early spring and then again when finished flowering.Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias when stems have firmed, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a nodule section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand.Tip cuttings from Hebe's will also root with no trouble in river sand .                                                                                                                                           Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon, they come in three strong colours, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, Being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. If trained against a wall leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers.                                                                                            Peony roses: What a pity damp weather has spoiled these wonderful plants this spring, they are the first to droop in wet conditions. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting energy into making seed.                                                                                                                                                     
Low hanging tree branches: The weight of the last rain will have shown which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. Lower branches can be removed and the upper branches will hide the cuts. Any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether.                                                                                                                                          Lawns will be lush but soddon and all that rain will have washed out nutrients so feeding would be a good idea during a shower once they firm up. Lawns get really stressed once the heat of the day intensifies, if your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil. Apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in, after a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil. If lawn weeds are a problem spot spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the balance and the work going on in the soil by drenching with chemicals.                                                                        Vegetables: Well the broad beans and peas collapsed in the heavy rain, leaf veg are gritty with soil splash, and the soil is too sticky to weed so not much happening there until the sun shines! Corn and all in the pumpkin family will not make a move which is a shame because they need to get off to an early start for a long ripening season.  Runner and french beans have been slow to start and with the wet snails and slugs will be out in force. May be best to  plant beans into trays to be transplanted when big enough to start climbing up the frame and deter the slugs and snails by making beer traps out of empty plastic fiz bottles. Cut the bottles with the lid in place through the middle, bury the lidded half in the ground then fill with beer, cut a door opening in the other half for snails and slugs to slide in, then force this half with door opening on top of the other beer filled half. The bottom of the bottle will be the roof to keep the rain out.                                      

Tomatoes will be getting taller but fruiting will be slow with lack of sun, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants by allowing more nutrients to the fruit along with letting  more sun in to encourage flowering and them more visible for pollination, try it and see if you get a better crop. If you are noticing a lack of bee's to pollinate tomato flowers gardeners have been known to take a hair dryer into the glass house, turn on half speed then gently waft it among flowers to spread pollen. 

Fruit: Not much happening there in the last two weeks, no sun, no growth. Everything made a good start from blossom and I have picked a couple of bowls of gooseberries but that's about it. Strawberries will start to rot with being damp too long, removing heavy leaf cover will let light and sun in to help them along, A few warm days will soon put things right.                                                                                                        

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 20th 2018

Wow what a wet cold snap last week, we were kept out of the garden with that lot!. 

Heavy rain in spring is a bonus to get moisture right down into the reserves for a hot summer, however nutrients are washed down as well so feeding now 

to help those active roots is recommended especially for annuals coming on for a summer show and flowering pots and hanging baskets will need food and 

maybe a top up of potting mix.

I have divided clumps of violas now finished flowering, I just dig up part of a large clump and basically pull it to bits planting  sections with roots into pots ,

by the start of next winter the small pots will be filled with roots, new leaves and buds ready to be planted out.

The same for pollyanthus  and  primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent roots.

There is still time to divide agapanthus, large and dwarf varieties due to flower in February. They can get a bit clump bound which reduces their flowering, 

dig out the whole clump (if it is still manageable enough to do this), then pull off smaller root balls and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get 

the roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants.

If you have, or can get hold of some aged compost that has finished working and is ready to put on the garden you will be able to make compost tea.

Compost Tea is a nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic plant food made by steeping aged compost in water. The water is then diluted and used 

as a root / or foliar feed. It is also noted for its ability to control various plant diseases (blights, molds, wilts, etc. when used as a foliar spray), to repel 

and control insect pests and their damage when used on a regular basis, and to encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria which results in healthier, 

more stress-tolerant plants. The basic recipe most often recommended is as follows:

1 large container with lid (plastic rubbish bin works well) enough aged, completed compost to fill an old pillow case 1/2-3/4 full. Fill the container with 

water, place the compost filled pillowcase (cheese cloth bag or pantyhose also work well), tie off the top and submerge in the container of water. 

Cover (to prevent odor and insect problems) and let steep for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. This steeping time is crucial to the formation of beneficial bacteria 

and the required fermentation process. When finished, dip out the tea and dilute it (3 parts water to 1 part tea) and use weekly as root food for all plants. 

The following factors will determine the quality of the finished tea: Use well-aged, finished compost - Fresh compost can burn the plants 

or contain harmful pathogens and compost past its best will be nutritionally deficient. If using purchased compost it should contain a portion of aged 

animal manure which apparently remains active longer than compost made up only of plant matter. Dilute it a little more when using on young seedlings.

It is important to note that COMPOST TEA AND MANURE TEA ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Manure tea can be made in the same way 

but is not generally recommended as foliar spray and is not as nutritionally well-balanced but great for roses when applied around roots to keep them healthy. 

Weeds maturing to seede stage, get them out before they do while the ground is soft and wet. I am still battling with convolvulus,so have resorted to pulling 

it off plants then searching for ground level regrowth in plant clear areas to appear for me zap with round up which should travel right back along the root runners 

and kill them. I find it too risky spraying around the plants so resot to just pulling away from plants.

Vegetables:

Keep mounding the potatoes to keep them producing more and more new potatoes for Christmas, crops will have enjoyed the resent down pour. 

Leafy veg don't need any extra feeding at this time of the year it will just encourage them to bolt. Plant only as many seedling plants you think 

you would use when ready and hold back and keep in the shade other small seedling plants from the same batch for a staggered planting.

New small plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's

and good drainage is essential .

Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, their roots are fragile until large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. 

Cheers, Linda 

Gardening in North Otago 13th November 2018

North Otago was very fortunate to get such a good rain last week  so no dragging hoses about with scruff our dog pulling on the end.  Nothing worse in a spring garden to see droopy leaves when all plants are pushing out new growth, a soak is more effective than a sprinkle.

The weight of rain on deciduous tree branches makes it easy to see those needing to be lifted, if left they cast shade over surrounding plants. Any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether.   

A couple of grueling days bent over trimming box hedge left me like a half shut pocket knife last week. My box are all established to the height and width required so I take them back to the last growth. Newly planted box will probably need only the tops straightened leaving the sides to thicken, a boost with slow release fertiliser will feed and keep them green. Other hedges will be ready for trimming now and soft trimmings can be spread about gardens as mulch.

I am still cutting back spring flowering perennials and filling gaps with the following annuals, lobelia, alyssum, antirrhinum, petunias, salvia and sun flowers have been planted in bare areas where they can grow in groups to great heights.

Roses: Fat rose buds are opening now all healthy and beautiful before succumbing to the stress of hot drying days, aphid, black spot and rust, if water, feeding and mulch is kept up these can be avoided and healthy roses can be enjoyed though to early winter. 

Dahlias are pushing through now as spring bulbs finish, I discovered some dahlias in shade as tree branches spread wider so have shifted clumps while still low into a sunnier position. Supports can be put in place now for large spreading dahlias before they put on heavy growth.

Hydrangeas are starting to produce flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. It's a dressing of lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue.

Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots or a shady spot, they are making a lot of growth now so if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will soon catch up.

Peony roses: What wonderful additions to the flower garden peony roses are, beautiful fillers in a sunny spot and for filling vases. Supports are needed for most peony roses to hold up full flower heads, I have been banging in bamboo around bushes to hold firm garden string support.

Vegetables: Keep mounding potatoes to give depth for them to produce, consistent watering is important for potatoes, this goes for all root vegetables. Leafy veg don't need any extra feeding at this time of the year it will just encourage them to bolt. Only plant as many plants as you think you would use when ready to pick, hold back the other small seedling plants from the same batch and keep in a semi shady place until required for planting. Small plants will hold if watered only when too dry, over watering will encourage rot . Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. Corn seeds sown last month are now ready to plant out, planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassel's and add support during strong winds.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 6th November 2018

Some settled spring days this week, warm sun and still a night chill to keep the garden fresh, even after the odd  nor-west wind sapping moisture and stripping trees of blossom and leaves.  

Rhododendrons, azalea's, and peony roses are still putting on their show along with lilac and iris's and something new happening every day in the garden. 

My roses are full of fat buds waiting to burst open, the odd one has been found by green fly so has had a strong hose drowning as I do not fancy getting the spray out just yet.  Roses will have used up most food in reserve to have reached this lush stage so will need feeding often to keep them in this peek condition, there are many rose foods for sale and Folia feeding with fish emulsion will help keep green fly away while being absorbed through leaves. 

Trim spent flowers from perennials and daisy bushes as they finish the first flush of flowering to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody. 

Box hedge:  I will make a start on my buxus hedges as soon as stalks and leaves are firmer, while soft they are still putting out growth. On other hedges if you can snap a stem clean off then they are ready for a spring trim. 

Lawns: There should have been excellent results from grass seed sown, striking quickly with the warmth and moisture we have had which encourages me to rake out every bare patches, add sifted soil and plant grass seed while the going is good. 

Veg: A good no fuss way to grow veg is in a no dig garden. 

Making a no dig garden: 

Find a sunny spot on bare ground,( not concrete) surround with sleepers, logs, Oamaru stone or boards high enough to hold layers of manure, soil, compost and straw. Flood the dirt before you start to get dampness deep down but If you plan to create a no dig garden on top of grass or space that has been growing then you will need to cover the the ground with layers of saturated news paper or cardboard, overlapping once ground has been soaked along with the newspaper covering to stop strong weeds pushing through. 

First layer manure, (soak) this will bring the worms up, then spread a thick layer of compost, old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (soak.) Next add a layer of soil, (clay soil is fine in this layer), water well after each layer leaving no dry spots. Next add a layer of straw, (soak) then add more layers of compost and old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (soak) and top that with more soil, (soak). River sand, a little lime and an all purpose fertiliser can be added as you build the layers. Lastly add a top layer of straw to suppresses weeds, also a great deterrent to slugs. When you think the garden is high enough start planting and you should be eating your own produce with in six weeks at this time of the year.

Fruit: With the warmth experienced this spring and bee's doing their job berry fruits are romping along. Water is important while fruit is forming especially after the wind, a good soak from time to time if rain is scarce will ensure full juicy fruit. I have been thinning the apple clusters because there were too many to grow and ripen in each cluster, doing this will ensure good size ripened fruit.  

I have come across another method of dealing with coddling moth which is said to have worked well for some. Use a plastic milk container, and place in it 1 banana peel, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup sugar. Fill the container almost full of water, replace the cap and shake it well to mix and dissolve the contents. Remove the cap and firmly secure one container into each apple tree. The moths are attracted to the scent of the concoction, becoming trapped and drowned when they investigate. Refill with water as needed throughout the summer.  

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 1st 2018

Gardens will be now at the soggy blossom stage after a relatively wind free blooming, pink Kanzan blossom for once was not blown off before it's time allowing trees to create a pink glow about North Otago, and with the bonus of rain last it is such a treat not to be lugging hose's about yet. Soil is warm and moist and ready for planting, weeds are small for hoeing and easy pulling and weed spray is now working in the rough areas, so all is pretty straight forward for those who have time to enjoy the rhythm of spring.

Birds feeding young will be making a mess in gardens and on paths searching for worms, so annoying to have newly planted annuals scratched out daily. I have found strips of shade cloth weighed down with stones covering the front planting will keep the birds off until new plants have settled in and filled out to cover exposed worm filled soil.
Rhododendrons, deciduous azaleas and peony roses have taken over from camellias now displaying a dazzling range of colours, those early flowering rhododendrons can now have spent blooms removed before seeds sets, especially those newly planted, energy is needed for growth not making seeds. There is a point on the spent bloom where it snaps off without disturbing the new leaf growth coming through, once you find this point snapping off past blooms becomes easy.
Roses are budding up, but I see on some of mine green fly has arrived and a few new leaves have had to be removed where I spotted rust....already??? because I mulch thickly in our garden old leaves with rust and black spot spores would have escaped the clean up in early winter, most labels recommend a fortnightly spray with pesticide/ fungicide combined however I follow a once a month routine. It pays to spray on a dull day right now to prevent sun burning through droplets damaging new leaves.
Wisterias are at putting on a display as well now, once flowering is over energy will go into putting out many long leaders, if your wisteria has reached the distance and spread required all of these leaders need to be removed, flower spurs develop on old wood year after year, if new leaders are left they will strive to be aged wood and become heavy un-needed branches.
Lawns: Lush is the word for lawns and the whole country side, long may the moisture and sun continue. Un-sprayed grass clippings can be spread as mulch on gardens to keep weeds down and add humus to soil, only add thick enough to keep out light. Spread around trees and shrubs right out to the drip line to keep moisture in soil but spread it around rather than leaving in heaps.
Fruit: trees and fruit bushes should be well on their way to making fruit with busy honey bees about on fine days. Keeping moisture up when the season heats up is the next job, putting a mulch around all will help retain moisture already in the ground.
Vegetables: what fantastic weather for growing veg, once planted it's all about keeping the weeds down to give them room to grow. Pumpkin plants I put in last week are romping away as are the corn seedlings, planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassels and add support during strong winds. Potatoes are loving this weather so are worth planting if you have not already done so, tomatoes also will be soon needing staked, if you have no glass or tunnel house plant a couple of cherry tomato plants in pots and place in a sheltered, well lit spot, they will produce all season. Russian red bush tomato's also grow well out side in a warm spot. 

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 24th 2018

The wonderful Labour weekend weather bought garden growth on beautifully with the last of the blossom trees in full bloom, prunus shimidsu sakura a lovely low, spreading prunus with large double very pale pink / white ballerina blossom and the up right prunus kanzan with bright pink blossom gracing many gardens in North Otago. 
Weed spraying, lawn seed sowing and mowing will be keeping Gardeners pretty busy and the ground is very warm now for weeds to grow before our eyes, still time to pull out or hoe and spray before they make seed and spread every where. 
Roses are doing well now that the nights have warmed up, keep the food and deep root watering up to them as they bud up, foliar feeding on fresh new leaves works well now along with slow release fertilizers which ensures they are feed each time they are watered. Green fly on bud tips can be washed off with a strong hose which will hopefully drown them.
Cut back Erica's and callunas that have finished flowering, this stops them from going woody, and taking all the spent flowers off will encourage them to produce fresh new green growth for summer. If you don't cut the old flowering growth off they will make their new growth out from the old flowering growth which means they become woody at the bottom.
Cut back aubrietia rockery plant to get another flowering and cut spent flowers off hellebore's so you get the full effect of their wonderful leaves
Ployathus: They have been wonderful over the Winter but now it's time to cut them back and shift to a shady spot. They can be planted out in a sunny spot again in late Winter.
Lawns: Keep feeding lawns when rain is about, powdered fertilizer's need to be  washed well in to stop burning lawns during hot sunny days.

There will never be a better time in nature to PLANT, PLANT, PLANT all Flower plants & seeds.
Vegetables: plant out pumpkin, squash and corn plants. Pumpkins need a large prepared area to ramble with lots of compost and old stable manure dug in. Leaves will always let you know when they need water.
If you have a glass or tunnel house why not plant some peppers, they can grow high so staking will be needed. Tomato plants will be romping away, those planted early will have been affected by the last cold snap, bottom leaves can curl and take on a blueish look but they should grow through that and grow normally. It helps to plant bee attracting flowers as tomato flowers develop

Raspberry Kane's and strawberries are doing a lot of growing now as well, They both flower and fruit up really quickly as long as they get all day sun they will ripen fast. These berries and new seasons peas are perfect for encouraging Children into the garden they all learn the results are well worth the wait.

Rhubarb: Keep manure enriched compost up to Rhubarb, if the soil gets hard and dry around rhubarb it will grow stringy dry uneatable steams.

Keep picking herbs to stop them going to seed, dry what you don't use and store away until the months when they are not available. 
Drying herbs :Pick in the full heat of the day, lay out on news paper in a dry airy place until crisp, (all moisture must be gone). Then rub together into sprinkle sized bits and store in brown paper bags or glass jars.
Elder flowers are blooming now so elderflower cordial will be happening again https://thisnzlife.co.nz/recipe-elderflower-cordial/

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 16th 2018

Wind and cold rain last week to dampen gardens after being blown to bits! but that is October and expected, so far growing conditions are ok but more rain needed to keep it that way.

Everyday something new and beautiful greats me in our garden, this week fragrant lilac, iris, clematis, peony roses plumping, English abutilon and Kōwhai to please the birds and so enjoying the beauty of rhododendrons and azaleas. If you need to shift rhododendrons, azalea's or camellia's do it immediately after flowering, before they put on new season growth, and if your spring flowering shrubs are in need of a trim prune them back once they have finished flowering. If large they will need a third of the top removed.

Geraniums and pelargoniums are available now and should be planted a sunny position. 

Fuchsias:  are also on offer, they benefit from afternoon shade to thrive.

Mulch: If concerned about the predicted hot dry Summer having a disastrous effect on your garden. plenty of mulch breaking down into your soil will help retain moisture as well as improve the soil structure while suppressing weed growth. Straw, grass clippings, soft hedge clippings or weed free compost are excellent cover to keep exposed soil from baking while plants are establishing. Continual mulching plus gypsum breaking down clay in poor draining soil will eventually convert  sad soil into good growing soil.

Roses: here are budding well, liquid fertilizer now on new growth will keep them in top condition along with slow release fertiliser which will add nutrients to roots each time water is applied.

Potted shrubs and plants also need slow release fertiliser, re-pot any plants that have been in the same container for more than three or four years. As long as they are not too root-bound they can go back into the same pot, once most of the old potting mix is removed and half the feeding roots have been removed, fresh mix and water crystals are then packed around the roots. I have just done this to ornamental potted buxus, buxus make more roots than they need, they soon start taking up water and food again then send out healthy new growth.

cymbidium orchids can be divided and re-potted now if crowded.

Water lilies are available this month and can be planted in a basket lined with sphagnum moss or a double layer of chux dish cloths will do it, then add garden soil, slow release fertiliser or manure right in the middle pf the container then lily and more soil to cover, and lastly a thick layer of shingle placed on top to help weigh the basket down in the water and stop the fertiliser / manure leaching out which will create green slime growth in the pond..

Fruit and veg:

Full on veg growth now and no white butterfly about as yet!  mounding potatoes, planting beans, peas, beetroot, salad greens, tomatoes and corn and pumpkin seeds. I am determined to keep the water up to ensure that time planting was not wasted, I have been known to plant then get busy and return to a limp display past restoring then have to start all over again NOT THIS YEAR I plan to harvest green, crunchy and plentiful. 

Fruit: 

Rhubarb is romping away, so good when picked before stalks become become stringy, I pick, cook and freeze for breakfast fruit on cereal, pies, pickle, jam and deserts.

Fruit trees and Grapes: watch for fungal diseases, if affected spray with an organic fungicide while growth is new. If you have had trouble in the past with codling moth on apples, pears, walnuts, quinces, crab apples and stone fruit such as plums and peaches. Get traps in place now before fruit forms. The females lay their eggs on the foliage near young fruit and when the grub hatches it crawls to the fruit and eats its way inside. Eradication of codling moth, quarter fill a tin or plastic milk container with treacle and hang in the tree to attract male grubs, the treacle is said to smell like the female codling moths pheromone which will attract the male grub into the container to reach a sticky end. A double bonus is that the treacle will attract grub eating birds. A female moth can lay up to 300 eggs during her short life. Some trees never attract the moth, but if one does you can be sure others will be chosen close by.

Concept Garden design: I have been designing gardens for many years and have just caught up on my design concept plans, if you have an area you need help with I would be happy to help. Rockvale gardens (facebook)

Pop out to Weston

 and walk about our pretty spring garden on Airedale road "Rockvale Gardens"Bring a picnic seating is plenty, toilet available / donation entry.

Cheers, Linda.   

Gardening in North Otago 10th October 2018

How pretty Oamaru is looking even after the strong wind on Tuesday night and growth is staying fresh with heavy dews. Rhododendrons and Tulips are taking center stage now along with the beautiful bright pink blossom of prunus Kanzan. Tulips are best left after flowering until all green has been absorbed by the bulb, if like me you have a main display of them and need to get other plants in once flowered, dig them up with all still attached to the bulb and bed them, bundled into a spot in the garden where not noticed until the die back is finished. Then store them away where rats can not get at them. Dead head all spring bulbs as they finish flowering, leaving them to make seed will weaken bulbs but leaves are left on to die back into bulbs.

Dressing the garden: At this time of year that I am busy getting my garden presentable for Spring tours which started last week, the ground is damp and warm and just right for planting the abundance of plants on offer plus planting seeds to be ready for summer flowering and eating. The seeds I planted in late winter are ready to be planted out or potted on, I see them out the corner of my eye beginning to climb out off trays as I rush past, I have even been known comment SOON to them while keeping the water up when I really should be potting up!! 

Compost will start heating up and working well with the addition of new grass clippings, mine are open heaps layered with soft hedge clippings, grass clippings, manure, soil,and seedless weeds. The sprinkler is needed on them from time to time to get warm moisture working right through the middle to create the heat needed.

Pansies and polyanthus will keep flowering if dead headed, pansies and violas can be cut right back and fed with liquid fertiliser to come into bud again and flower on, flowering will not be as strong as it has been but as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep on flowering until it gets too warm for them. Polyanthus soon let you know when it is too hot for them, if you feel they have done all they are going to do dig them out, cut back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left and planted out again next year.

Coastal gardens will be ahead of gardens further inland, late frosts on new rose growth can be a problem but don' t be too concerned because rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. To avoid mildew problems don't let rose foliage go into the night wet in mild weather, also keep the food up to your roses while they are making their buds, it's hungry roses that get diseased. Fortnightly folia feeding and slow release fertiliser is good right now on any flowering plants and shrubs. 

I notice  that dreaded convolvulus, couch and clover thriving once again as it pops through the ground, spot spraying where it will not affect other plants is the only way I can get on top of it, but if roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage into wispy yellow leaves and the rose bush will eventually die so don't risk spraying on a windy day. 

Front shrub plantings in gardens can become too big, when planted small we tend to forget about them until they completely hide the space behind which could be come an interesting corner. What a difference can be made by opening up and creating distance for a new and interesting planting. One area opened in my garden was deep enough to allow me to mass plant with blue bells and include a new maple tree, it was two scrappy over grown shrubs blocking the planting space behind. 

Sun flower seeds can go in now, they do best being planted straight into the ground but I have little bantams who scratch out the seed and eat hence pregrowing them in trays. Sun flowers are a quick result for Children to plant and watch grow taller than themselves. If you have room plant cosmos, larkspur, nasturtium and marigolds, delphiniums, and alyssum. I would love to attract monarch butterflies to the garden but can never get the swan plants to stay alive through the winter, planting them now will allow them to get bushy in the hope of attracting or introducing them into the garden.

Vegetables

Potatoes are loving the warm ground, mine are up and ready for mounding.....hopefully this weekend! 

Seeds are popping up in no time as well, Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now, if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. If your vegetable garden has been disappointing in the past with plants not growing as well as you would like you could do a Ph test and if the PH of your soil needs to be raised you can then add lime. I sprinkle lime on my compost heaps in spring and Autumn which then goes on the garden with the added bonus of lime loving worms. If you have done a test and you need to raise the PH sprinkle lime over the soil surface and rake it into the top couple of inches, letting it naturally work down to the root zone. Do not dig it deeply into the soil, it will leach down soon enough. Dolomite lime is less likely to drastically change the PH but if your soil is in need of sweetening our local lime (calcium carbonate) will do the trick. Usually application rates are 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area, every second year to raise the pH from 5.5 to 6.5. There are some veg that like a more acid soil so don't go adding lime unless your soil needs sweetening.

Fruit: Apple and crab apple blossom is bursting and with the sunny days bringing the bees out we should get good crops, black currents, strawberries and raspberries are looking to crop well also. Keep the water up to all until we get some decent rain.

Rockvale Garden here at Weston is full of spring splendor right now and is open daily for visitors. (bring a picnic)

Cheers, Linda

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