Gardening in North Otago November 5th 2019

Loving this Spring, rain, warm days then rain again. Last weekend and Monday were too hot for me to work in the garden, except in the early morning while the dew was still on grass.

Such an abundance of flowering right now, rhododendrons, azaleas, peony roses, iris, and fresh green on hedging and trees everywhere we look. This is the time for planting but never in the heat of the day, wait until the end of the day or better still wait and plant on a dull day if possible. I am busy most days weeding and pricking out flower and veg seedling into punnets, I like to keep every space in the garden filled to not only look amazing but also to leave no room for weeds to take hold. Those that do persist need to grow fast to the light which makes them easy to pull. A full garden also keeps plant roots shaded and less evaporation after watering.

Sow summer flowering seeds now and leave to germinate in a well lit semi shaded area, too sunny and the mix dries out too quickly, too shady and seedlings grow too fast looking for light. Once seedlings come through leave until a set of two leaves fully form then prick out carefully into punnets and water often while tiny with a soft spray until firm enough to cope with a stronger hosing. Once plants have filled punnets with roots they can be planted out into the garden and should thrive. 

This is the perfect time to get Children involved in gardening by planting sun flower seeds so they can watch the plants grow fast and taller than them, runner beans are great for growing over bamboo or wooden lengths shaped into a teepee tent shape for the bean runners to grow over to form a green living tent for them to play in and produce fresh beans. Children love peas, carrots and radish and all berries straight from the garden. Also by planting swan plants monarch butterflies will visit, lay eggs to hatch for Children to watch grow into fat caterpillars before creating a chrysalis to grow a beautiful butterfly, nature at it's best that is touch, smell, taste and happening in real time.

Peony roses are stunning right now in bud and flower, it pays to put supports under them to hold up the heavy flowers and because they are growing so fast, I have tall wire supports shaped like a u that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place. They need the water kept up. I have some crowns that were planted last season so have let only one flower develop to see what it is like and removed any others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. A clump will form much faster if you do not let it flower for the first two years.

 

Hybrid clematis:  ( those large flowered clematis) are shooting sky ward now, you have to be quick to train them onto supports or they will just find their own way over plants. Direct them while trailers are still soft, they like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights, manure is great. Don't worry if you have one with no buds just yet they all have different flowering times, If you have just put one in this year, let it flower then cut it to the ground this will make it put up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber and if you have one that looks dead with the ends wilting I am afraid it has the wilt and should be cut off at the ground. Don't remove it because I have known some to shoot away again the following year, climatic also like lime.

Ponds: Will have heated during all that hot weather which will have encouraged slime, this needs to be removed before getting into fish gills. Barley straw works for reducing slime forming. Wrap in netting and weigh down with a rock. Shallow ponds need shade, plants or shade created during a hot day plus cold water going into a warm pond will help fish over heating. Fish should be breading now and will need a plant like oxygen weed for female fish to blow eggs into so they are not eaten by the male fish.

Lawns: Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If like me you have not had to spray the weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus. Don't leave thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it now the warmth is here to break it down. Sow new lawns and fill bare patches with the right lawn seed for the lawn you require.

Fruit: Blossoms have moved on to forming fruit, gooseberries,  currents,  strawberries, pip and stone fruit seem to be all cropping well. Remember to keep water up when needed while fruit is plumping.

Veg: Keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. If you put too many in at one time they will all bolt at this time off the year. The ground is warm enough for corn and beans pumpkins and courgettes to be planted.

Cheers, Linda.