Gardening in North Otago February 27th 2019

Autumn begins: The wonderful warm ripening season, long shadows, low sun in cornflower blue sky's. ( At this mellow time of the year the poet in me emerges!!) I am still cutting back plants that looked stunning through summer but are now just tied and straggly like most cottage plants, bush lavatera, mignonette, lavender tops and geraniums, they will all leaf up again to go through the winter.

Seed collecting, there are so many ready now, dianthus, delphinium, annual lavatera, salvias, hollyhock, sweet peas plus many more. I plant a few now but save most to sow in early spring.

Its the perfect planting time for trees, shrubs, spring bulbs, perennials and annuals. As I have mentioned before buying  punnets of annual and perennial seedling now to pot on into individual pots and nurse over winter will give you a head start for early planting and flowering, some will bud up and flower others will grow strong roots through winter and flower when the ground warms in spring. Try this with pollyantha, Iceland poppy, lupin, primula, wall flower, stock, snapdragon and if sweet peas are planted in late Autumn they will pop up and sit through winter to flower in August.

This month is said to be the best time to plant conifers, there are such a lot of different types, I consider conifers contribute to the bones of a garden. Tall narrow conifers planted in groups give larger gardens a vertical push and formality. Labels need to be read carefully they give the height and width for the first ten years, after that they do keep growing and should be removed if they start to look untidy, most ornamental and ground cover conifers look wonderful for years and years. A web site with a comprehensive selection is ttp://www.conifers.co.nz , a good contact for those who like to bonsai.

It's difficult to think about Spring when Autumn has just begun but if you want that beautiful spring splendor in your garden after the chill of winter it is now that most spring bulbs are on offer, all that beauty sleeping in bags waiting to be planted.  Daffodils along a roadside fence line, grouped in a vacant paddock, under deciduous trees with bluebells best of all they can be forgotten about and happily multiply year after year. Tulips are planted last in the month of May.  

Compost:This is an excellent time to start building a new compost heap and get it heating up before winter. http://freshorganicgardening.com/learn-to-build-a-compost-pile/. The heating process stops during the coldest months so get one started now when leaves are falling and lawns still need mowing. Hen manure becomes too hot for heaps during other months but ok to add now. If you have no time or space for making compost ring Gregg, 0272293215 for a delivery of ready made from our local meat works which is wonderful for feeding plants and supressing weeds.

Lawns. Autumn is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn because perennial weed growth is slowing and the ground still warm with dew adding moisture, grass seed will be up in no time.  Water your new lawn early in the morning instead of during the day, between 6am and 10am, this will ensure that the moisture actually gets down into the soil and to grass roots before the suns evaporation. Mature lawns may need aeration with a fork or a push along spikier, or if a lawn is chocked with thatch then hiring a detaching machine will solve that problem.

Vegetables: That last rain did not make a difference to dry gardens so watering is important now for all new plantings. Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been and it is a good time to sow Root plants like  Beetroot , Carrots and Parsnips also Chives , Leeks ,Onions , Shallots , Spring Onions. and Asparagus. When potatoes are dug they need to be kept in the dark or they will go green, when storing there are products which will inhibit sprouting, but many gardeners avoid chemicals near food so I will once again mention a natural alternative with you. Layer the stored potatoes with sprigs of rosemary, sage and lavender, the essential oils given off by these herbs not only inhibit sprouting, they will also help to keep the tubers free from bacterial soft rots. 

Fruit: Apples, quince, plums, walnuts and late peaches so much at once! the birds must be overjoyed by their feasting and the rats / mice will be munching sunflower seeds and waiting patiently for walnuts to ripen, I am sure they are pleased with the work we have put in to feed them!

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 20th February 2019

Whew, what a hot spell this week,  plants hardening and making seed were tested and I was happy moving about with the hose deep watering around roots and enjoying the powerful flower fragrances wafting on the air. While writing this the promise of heavy rain is pending so I wait in anticipation.

I have divided clumps of violas now finished flowering, 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.

Drifts of blue and white agapanthus are putting on a great show around town, once finished flowering clumps can be dug up  (if is manageable enough to do this) then pull off small rooted sections and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants.

Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering, to get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias and delphiniums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemum, they will be flowering soon.

The ground is getting hungry here now so I plan to give areas opened up after a cutting back a good soak then a top up with compost to encourage spreading plants to make new roots. 

Resist the urge shift shrubs, they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if the water was kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when sap is down. If large shrubs are needing to be shifted wrench them now in readiness to lift them at the right time. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added. Keep water up once roots have been cut or disturbed and the wrenched shrub / tree will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots while at the same time the other half is making new roots into the compost.

Seeds: with all this hot weather there are plenty of ripe seeds to be had from foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon, even rhododendron and azalea. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them) plant into seed raising mix at the end of next winter. 

Mulching of the soil is beneficial right now but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then you can forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping moisture in the ground. Un-sprayed grass clippings mixed with compost as a mulch around plant roots works well.

Lawns:  

If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground soon by spraying out perennial weeds then rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Firm and create an even service by raking and more raking to create a fine top layer to sow seed. Warm ground and gentle watering will have the seed struck in no time. Leave fertilising until the lawn is really established, new grass will burn easily. 

Veg and Fruit 

Vegetable gardens will be well picked over by now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant strong runners for new croppers and keep the water up until they make roots. 

Apple trees are producing well this year and the birds are having a ball, I have been picking and stewing those I see the birds have been at. Store apples in a cool dark place, check them often and remove any that show signs of rot. If you have too many apples to deal with I am sure there will be plenty of takers or maybe try your hand at making cider.

Time to cover grapes, the birds are waiting to feast. 

Cheers, Linda 

Gardening in North Otago February 13th 2019

Sun day after day, this real kiwi summer is such a treat and watering is once more a daily happening and with evaporation so great I spend time deep watering around plant roots rather than using sprinklers.

I have been cutting back so much I am afraid of getting rsi in my wrists!! but it all has to go if it has died back to encourage new fresh growth.

February: is a good month for taking cuttings and propagating your own plants. Why? Because by late summer the soft new spring growth has hardened and the cutting is less likely to lose water from the leaves.
Semi-succulent plants like geraniums (Pelargoniums) or impatiens are easiest for beginners, but many common shrubs such as abelia, buxus, lavenders,camellias, azaleas, fuchsias and hebe's have a relatively high success rate. The trick when growing plants from cuttings lies in keeping the cut pieces alive while they develop their own new roots. Professional nurserymen do this by growing cuttings in glasshouses where they’re regularly misted with fine sprays of water. But there are lots of techniques that can help a home gardener to achieve success. Try the following:
Take cuttings early in the morning, while it’s still cool. Choose tip pieces that are about 100- 150 mm long then drop into a bucket with enough water for cuttings to stand up in, cuttings can remain there for a couple of days if you are short of time. Work in the shade. Fill a

deepish container with river sand or crusher dust  and water well and allow to drain. Trim the base of the cuttings below a leaf node (which is where the leaf is, or has been, attached to the stem). Remove bottom leaves, leaving a few at the top. Large leaves can be cut in half (with scissors or sharp secateurs) to further reduce water loss. Dip the base of the cuttings into hormone Gel or powder. Use a pencil to poke holes in the top of the mix a 150 mm pot can hold about six cuttings. Insert the bottom of each cutting into a hole and gently move the mix back to hold it in place.
When the pot is full of cuttings, water carefully and place the pot in a lightly shaded spot, out of direct sunlight, no plastic cover is required at this time of the year but check regularly to make sure the mix stays moist. After a couple of months, gently move the stems to feel if they’re firm. This will mean roots have started. When roots are established the rooted cuttings can be moved into individual pots filled with good quality potting mix and fed with a gentle liquid fertiliser such as Fish Emulsion. Plant these cuttings out in spring.
I will mention planting bulbs again because they are coming into plant shops now wanting to be in the ground. A bulb comes ready-equipped with the promise of a flower and in its previous growing season bulbs do all the work of flowering then creating an embryo flower safely stored within the bulbs waiting for the right moisture and temperature to trigger growing. In all but the wettest areas, bulbs can be left in the ground from one year to the next, If soil stays wet for long periods (especially during cold weather) your bulbs will simply rot away, feeding once they make an appearance is the secret to ongoing success.
Lawns are showing heat stress now, keeping lawn mower blades higher will help with shade and moisture retention.

Fruit: Feed citrus trees with citrus food and spray any scale you notice with winter oil.  If your lemon bush has become crowded with branch and leaves remove a few branches to let light and bees in.

Vegetables:
Keep sowing veg seeds like carrot, beetroot, parsnip, spring onion, and lettuce because there is plenty of growing time left for seeds to germinate and grow. Seedlings being planted now will need bird protection while small.

Cheers, Linda  

Gardening in North Otago February 5th 2019

Gardens are heading into the dry ripening season with new wood and seeds hardening so it is important now to cut plants back that have finished flowering if you want the plants to grow back with new fresh leaves to fill the gaps. If you let things run to seed as they want to some perennials and annuals will give up because they have made seed for plants to take their place. However if it is seed collecting you want then leave some flower heads to make seed. I have started seed collecting to store in brown paper bags and leave in a dark dry place until required. Seeds collected can be planted now as nature intended or sowing can be done in the spring. Spring sowing works better some times as hot summer sowing will usually result in fewer seedlings surviving. 

Seeds to collect now, delphinium, dianthus, marigold, sweet pea, lilies, violas, pansy and primulas, all of these will do well planted into seed raising mix to be planted out when strong enough. However some seeds need a winter chilling, cold treatment for seeds is necessary for plants or trees that require time in the ground over winter in order to germinate such as aquilegia, lavender, sage, sedums, perennial sweet peas, fuchsia, catmint and Chinese lantern. 

Nuts also need the winter chill, collect fallen walnuts, remove husks then place in water, nuts that float are not viable the nuts to plant are those that sink to the bottom, cold moist requirements can be met by planting nuts in autumn at a depth of 1 to 2 inches deep or first storing in a fridge for 90 to 120 days to be properly stratified before planting. 

Native seedlings:There are an abundance of native seedlings growing all through gardens, this is the work of birds doing their bit to regenerate the forna, dig out the small ones and pot them up but leave the larger ones until winter, they will have a better survival rate. 

Lift summer flowering gladioli as leaves begin to dry off, and hang upside down inside to ripen before cleaning and storing. 

large flowering (hybrid) clematis can be planted now to get roots established before winter. A fungus spray at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some hybrid clematis suffer from at planting time, When planting try not to disturb roots too much and sprinkle a little lime to sweeten their ground. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer with huge or delicate flowers in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look as they climb and spill through gardens. 

Spring bulbs are on offer again so where you have picture a show of them in spring choose from now on and plant in clumps for a good effect rather than one planted here and there. 

Continue dead heading dahlias to keep them bushy and flowering longer, take stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper. 

Lawns: are showing signs of summer dryness now after retaining a spring growth look for so long, lift the blades a little on lawn mowers to retain moisture and prevent scalping. Preparations for new lawns to be sown in autumn need to be started now by spraying out all perennial weeds, then the area should be dug or rotary hoed and raked to ensure there is a fine tilt and no underlying hard pan. Test the ph and if soil is too acid bring it up to about 6 with lime, leave as long as possible for the lime to be absorbed before applying fertiliser once grass is up. To ensure a level, firm planting surface, gentle compaction after digging by raking by treading or rolling is beneficial. 

Veg & fruit: This is a major harvest month for vegetable and fruits, jam and preserving pans will be busy so keeping the water up to everything especially the late ripening fruit trees is a must to get the best crops. I am sure it must be the favourite time of the year for birds with so much on offer to them, pick and store before they take all. 

Cheers, Linda

Seed collecting

Hybrid clematis