Gardening in North Otago April 24th 2019

A good example of compost bins, wooden pallets could be used.

Easter over it is now time to do some SERIOUS GARDENING! before winter sets in.

Light hedge trimming and a massive amount of cutting back needs to be addressed, for me it takes only a couple of hours to create havoc and the whole of the next day to clean up. 

Leaves are falling thickly now and as I have mentioned before most leaves compost well layered with green waste, ready compost and some manure. However oak and some magnolia leaves do not break down readily, these I burn and add the ash to compost heaps. Get moisture through the layers to start bins working, adding nitrogen rich ingredients like coffee grinds, chopped up nettle and comfrey leaves or a proprietary compost activator will provide protein for the bacterial communities to help activate a speedier decomposition process. 

Don't waste fertiliser on plants that will not be using it, feed only bulbs and plants that are due to flower soon, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to rest through winter. 

Move all spring flowering potted plants that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months into a sunny spot, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons in pots will need feeding if they were not fed with acid fertiliser when they finished flowering, shrubs get very hungry in pots. 

I have shifted all my seedling trays to a sunny spot, they may not look as though they are growing new top growth during colder months but with of the sun on pots and trays during the day and frost cloth cover at night seedlings will continue making feeder roots. 

Bearded iris rhizomes now need to be exposed to the sun for a baking so rake any mulch off them, cut seed pod off and leaves back now to reduce the chances of overwintering pests and diseases.

Lawn growth is slowing with the ground being so dry, best to raise the catcher now to where your mower can pick up leaves but not scalp dry grass.

keep traffic off them and raise the blades on the lawn mower when next mowing. I spot sprayed daisies and flat weeds last week and got a good result. Grass seed sown now should strike without competing with weeds but once frosts start you will need to wait for a spring sowing. 

Fruit: If you have laden apple trees still to ripen, pick the largest of them and store in a cool dry place for later but leave as many as you intend to use on the tree to ripen naturally if birds are not a problem. Feijoas, the aroma and flavour of fresh feijoas are a treat when other fruit has finished, ripening and picking will go on into winter. Feijoas are said to be an excellent source of hydration for the body and provide soluble fibre to combat a build up of toxins in the digestive system.

Vegetables: prolonged dry spells soon finish established veg gardens off in autumn but warm soil is perfect for getting seeds and seedlings well on their way before the frosts cool things down. Tomatoes are getting time to ripen on vines, if pumpkins still need ripening keep an eye out for leaves blackening, this means frost, pick with stalk still attached and sit in a sunny dry spot to finish ripening then store inside. If a winter veg garden is not the plan, clear the ground and sow a green crop to add humus to tired soil and dig in while soft, before stalks and flowers. 

Cheers, Linda.