Gardening in North Otago 1st November

Prunus prunus shimidsu sakura in Rockvale Gardens November

November brings the start of a new busy growing season .
Spring is moving on with new growth still too tender to need our attention we can look, touch and smell natures gifts while weeds beckon us.

Roses: No flowers on my roses as yet but buds are forming, thank goodness for all the rain to get them off to a good start. Peony roses are budding well  ready to delight us when they explode into flower.

Dahlias are pushing through now, I discovered some in shade as tree branches have spread wider. Dahlias can be shifted while leaves are still low , take a good amount of soil that roots are growing into. and plant in a sunny position. 

Hydrangeas have leafed up and are starting to produce flower heads 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 lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Strong winds can be detrimental to new hydrangea leaves, if they do get damaged they will soon recover.

Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up. Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in a shady spot and potted.
Fuchsia tip cuttings can be taken now, 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. 

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 strong colours of, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container under planted with a lime green grass. Being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. 

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. 

Lawns: Still getting heavy dews on lawns which helps to keep them lush, but hot days will soon put grass under stress, have lawn food on hand for the next good rain. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on soil with high clay content. Apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in, after a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring in them as gypsum works it's way through to break up clay pans. 

Vegetables: The rain, even though we think there has been enough of it this spring has been a treat to veg gardens as hosing does not give the same results as a good rain, but of course with all lush growth weeds will take over if left unattended. Hoeing while small is still the best weeding method I know. Any veg planted or sown now will pop up and thrive when the sun shines.

Tomatoes; will be getting taller and flowering now however the consistent cold snaps and overcast days will be holding them back ,making leaves curl and take on a blueish look. this will stop once we get a continuous warm spell. On dull cold days watering will chill them further so water and folia feed on the warm days early in the day to allow time for soil to warm again before the evening.  

Rockvale Garden is bursting with new growth and wonderful fragrances, come wander and enjoy, open daily.

Cheers, Linda.