Gardening in North Otago 22nd May 2018

The end of mellow May leads us into a new month bringing different gardening challenges with the start of winters chills.

Nature has a way of putting all right, after those strong drying winds last week, it rained and the ground should stay damp now which is perfect for applying compost / mulch and pea straw to bed gardens and keep soil warmer against freezing frosts and wind.

Roses: flowering is at the end, don't be tempted to cut spent flower heads off, leave all types of roses to make seed and harden wood before the big prune at the end of next month. A clean up spray with lime sulphur on all rose bushes and climbers as well as the ground where they are growing to kill all fungus and disease remaining from summer flowering. Lime sulphur smells like rotten eggs when first applied, is safe for bees and is also the spray to use for the removal of lichen and moss growing on branches of trees and shrubs.

New seasons bare rooted roses should be arriving in Garden centers soon so if you plan to plant a certain type of rose or shades ask a Garden center to hold them for you so you don't miss out. Prepare ground now by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove the soil and replace with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another. Bare rooted, winter planted roses are less likely to suffer from planting stress.

Dahlia's finish quickly after being frosted, let foliage die back foe a while before cutting back, as leaves gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next years blooming. Here on the coast tubers can be left in well drained gardens, if left in gardens that hold water and freeze they will rot. In very cold areas dig tubers about a week after they become frost effected, let tubers air dry for several days. Store in a cool location packed in slightly damp straw and replant in spring when danger of frost has past. 

Re-pot container grown buxus  if they look pot bound, buxus root growth is prolific and they don't seem to suffer from the removal of half the root ball, replace potting mix with new. 

Winter colour: plant  annuals on offer now to get them well on while there is still heat in the sun, I have stock, wall-flower, sweet peas, polyanthus, pansies, poppy and Primula malacoides almost at bud stage. If a mild winter they should keep growing to flower, if a hard winter they will sit until soil begins to warm in early spring.

Lawns; The recent rains perked dry lawns up but growth should be slowing right down now bringing  lawns to that tuffty stage, here in our garden lawn mowers will still be on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. Next time it rains have some lawn fertiliser on hand and a week after feeding sprinkle some garden lime over lawns for a boost before they stop growing. A hard cracking lawn is an indication of high clay content in soil which would benefit greatly from a dressing of Gypsum clay breaker, a soil conditioner improving soil structure, aeration and assists drainage and moisture retention. Applied annually hard lawns will soon get a spring in them.

Vegetables:  On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing much can be planted without protection.

Fruit:  Bare rooted fruit trees will be arriving in garden centers soon, so good to pick fruit from your own garden, order the trees you plan to grow now then prepare ground for them, choose an open, sunny position, sheltered from strong winds. Fruit trees grow in a wide range of soil types as long as there is good drainage.

Cheers, Linda.