Gardening in North Otago August 13th 2019

Magnolia buds just opening

What a good rain this week to set us up for spring growth. "Blossom by blossom the spring begins.”  Algernon Charles Swinburne  

Feeding plants:  Folia feeding is beneficial now as as the ground warms and plants are looking for nutrients. Worm tea, watered down horse or cow manure is a useful and inexpensive folia / root food especially around the roots of roses while they are pushing out new buds. Rose buds are swelling so if you still have them to prune get it done now.

At this time of the year I notice yellowing of some plants, the ground gets depleted of nitrogen during winter especially when plants are shallow rooted like camellias, azaleas and rhododendron, give them a feed with an acid fertiliser especially formulated for them( If powder water in)

Potted plants that make a lot of roots and have out grow their containers will soon show poor growth but these plants can be revived by either re-potting them into a larger pot or reducing the root mass by half then re-potting back into the same pot. I remove excess roots by removing the root bound plant from the pot, lay it on the ground then I use a sharp spade to chop the root ball in half. Once potted up again I apply slow release fertilizer the mix,  with all the slow release fertilisers on offer now it's makes it easy to choose the right one for all plants. rain will add more nutrients. 

Keep planting roses, peony roses and gladioli from now until September if dividing or planting lilies get them planted straight away, they never stop making roots and should never dry out.  

Cut back leggy,bush lavatera and they will bush up again in no time.

 Ornamental grass's  If you have not trimmed back ornamental grass's yet do it now, cut the old seeded ends well back and clean out the dead thatch around the base, its amazing how much you will need to cart away after this hair cut but they will grow back to their soft wafting shape in no time. Use what you have cut off as mulch around the garden, a cover for the compost or in the chook or calf pen  

Weeds: I imagine the weeds have started at your place as they have at ours and with the ground being so soft hand, and hoe weeding is really easy, get them out before they take off and seed everywhere, or dig them in before they seed. With temperatures  warming spraying weeds can soon begin.  

Lawns: Moss can be delt to in lawns, pathways and garden structures. There are a lot of products out there to deal with moss but killing the moss in lawns is simply a short term measure, it does not address the basic problem. If you really want to eradicate moss from your lawn, then you have to find the problem causing it. The reasons are varied, but not too difficult to isolate.

Things that would be causing moss in your lawn could be:

Water logging 

Poor feeding regime - usually shown by light green grass.

Soil too acid - carry out a test, lime may be needed.

Shaded Lawns - overhanging trees or large shrubs.

Mowing lawns too close is a very common cause, for it weakens the grass allowing moss to take hold.

Sandy - free-draining soils. This can weaken the grass and allow moss to take over. Some mosses are quite happy in these conditions. Add humus (compost or sieved soil) to add more body and rake in, this will encourage worms as well. 

Compaction - continued use by children and pets with no remedial attention by way of aeration in the Autumn.

Treating small areas of moss in lawns can be carried out with sulphate of iron watered on at the strength displayed on the pack per sq meter, moss will turn black and after a couple of weeks you can rake out the dead moss and re-seed. Generally, lawns that are well maintained which includes being well fed, cut properly, aerated and de-thatched  moss will have a problem competing with strong growing grass in lawns.  The first spring feeding can be done when the next rain is about to happen.

Vegetables: Pick winter crops while still at their best - Fold cauliflower leaves over and tie to protect from frost and keep florets tight.  Here on the coast get spring sowings off to an early start now. 

Asparagus is a vegetable that repays planting over many years. To prepare beds cultivate deeply and add generous amounts of compost. Existing asparagus beds should be cultivated carefully to avoid damaging the crowns that lie just below the surface, add a new layer of mulch. 

Sprouted Potatoes can go into the ground now for  an early crop, people have been telling me of the benefits gained from planting potatoes on a bed of pine needles, I lay them on comfrey leaves, they decompose fast in the soil making plant food quickly available.

Further inland soil will take a bit of thawing out before any planting but the garden can be prepare by digging in compost / humus.  

Fruit: My peach tree is just at bud burst right now so will spray with a copper spray for leaf curl, once in blossom it is too late to spray. If you have not already pruned your peach or nectarine tree I will run through how to go about it, recovery will be quicker now the sap has risen.

1. For the glass shape pick four main scaffold branches and simplify, cut larger branches needing removed close to the trunk, leave a collar, it will encourage tree borer.

2. Remove small weak upright branches on trunk or main branches.

3. Leave 50 to 75% pencil thick shooting wood per tree.

Both peach and nectarine fruit on wood developed last summer. Inspect the buds on newer wood, single buds are leaf buds, double buds are immature fruit buds and triple buds are mature fruit buds. Cut to an outward facing double bud, leave triples.

Cheers, Linda  

Potatoes on comfrey leaves