Gardening in North Otago January 27th 2020

English lavender

What great holiday weather North Otago has been experiencing during the end of January, a summer to remember for holiday makers. As a Gardener I have been loving the warmth and keeping the fitness up by dragging hoses around to keep plants and grass alive. This week I have been keeping on top of the weeds with the hoe and spray. Gravel walkways and drives are germinating areas for weed seeds.  Round up is used on the established weeds and organic weed spray works well on weeds at the early stage of growth.

Hedges can have a light trim to tidy them up, overcast days are the best time to do this so that the growth beneath is not too stressed by the hot sun. My Bob has spent many hours lately trimming box hedges until they look sharp and neat.

All plants can do with a good feeding now because they have flowered well since the beginning of Summer, foliage feeding is great but if feeding with dry fertiliser around roots it should be watered in well, if left to sit on top it will burn exposed roots. A layer of compost around roots will help retain moisture and add nitrogen to retain vigor in plants, trees and shrubs through to the end of the growing season.

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Keep dead heading roses and remove all old leaves with black spot and rust and destroy, don't leave them lying on the ground around roses. Deep soak around roots often and if needed spray fortnightly with a fungus and pesticide mix as well as liquid fertiliser, (all together is fine) There are some organic options available, continuous hot dry weather really stresses roses. All Hebe's will be running to seed now and really benefit from a good cut back at this stage to keep them from becoming leggy.  Dead head all flowering plants and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering and prevent seed being set. 

 Lavender: English lavenders ( The tall straight single flower head type) are are in full flower now, bunching for drying can be done once stems have firmed and lavender heads have been pollinated towards seed stage, picked earlier stems will be too soft. If you have very woody lavenders,  cut them back by two thirds after picking, they will regrow fresh and bushy and make hard wood again before winter. If too old and woody they will probably not put out new growth so take cuttings from what you cut back and grow a few new plants by pushing into wet river sand.

Lawns: Do not take long to bake hard during a hot dry summer, don't cut too low. I have found if they are encouraged to make top growth grass will develop deeper stronger roots. A sprinkle of water now and then on dry grass will produce weak growth, a good soak and feeding during natural rain is what is needed. 

Vegetables: gardens will be stressed during this dry spell needing moisture kept up if sowing seeds and seedlings, shade could be erected along rows to protect produce from all day heat, plants will continue good growth as long as they get full overhead light.  Tomatoes are enjoying the hot spell and should be ripening well, they are heavy feeders needing added nutrients through the season to grow fast and ripen within the warmest months.  

Fruit:

My apple, late ripening peach, apricot, quince and walnut trees are laden and I see local cherries still on sale, what a difference continuous sunny days make to fruit ripening compared to those overcast summer days in past years.

Nip back the growth on grapes to let sun in and stunt leaf growth, the fruit needs all the vine can give now to ripen. 

Cheers, Linda.

Hedge trimming time

Gardening in North Otago January 21st 2020

More lovely summer days last week, there are parts in our garden that are really tired now particularly the long boarders. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering then top dress with compost and some blood & bone to give all a boost. To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums they will be putting on a show soon. 

Wrenching shrubs: I would dearly love to shift a couple of shrubs but I know they would suffer 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 declining. However if you have no option and have to shift trees and shrubs it would not be so traumatic if they were first wrenched to cushion from the shock. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under and around cut roots for new feeder roots to grow into. It is important to keep the water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. A tree or shrub 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 in readiness for a shift later. Wrenched trees and shrubs have a much higher transplant success rate than trees and shrubs that are lifted in one go and transplanted. Wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant. 

Seed gathering:   Hot days are ripening seeds on foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon & hollyhock. Two young Gandies and I collected and planted poppy, hollyhock, lupin and marigold into trays and stored the rest in paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them). They will be  sown at the end of winter. 

Watering is a priority now but it is best not to water in the heat of the day, wait until the day cools and your plants will absorb and retain the moisture. Mulching is also beneficial right now, but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then forget about watering for a while because the mulch will keep that moisture in the ground. I am sure many people will be on the look out for bales of new seasons pea straw soon, I look forward to passing on contacts should I be given any. If piling garden waste in a stock field be mindful of what will be available to stock. There are a number of common plants that can poison animals and Children : Arum lilies, Calico bush, Daphne, English yew, foxglove, Hemlock, Holly berries, Iris, Ivy, Kowhai (especially seeds) Laburnum, Lily of the valley, Ngaio, Night shade, Privet, Rhododendron, Rhubarb (leaves) Spindle berry, Potato ( green berries & green tubers) 

Lawns:  Lawn weeds I sprayed last week are wilting, even the Hydrocotyle which I thought was not going to succumb to the spray. I am ready with grass grub granules to shake on during  next significant rain. I can see where the grubs are eating away at the roots of grass, mostly in the ground at the foot of trees the night beetles (Grass grub turn into these beetles) strip leaves from. 

Veg & Fruit 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 and keep the water up to them until they make roots. Grapes are filling out now and birds will be waiting but can be keep out with nets on early.

Cheers, Linda.

Wrenching a shrub

Gardening in North Otago January 13th 2020

This summer weather is still very changeable  as I write this, today closed in on me and felt like a cool dull spring afternoon while working around our never ending garden.

Cutting back is full on now as plants and shrubs rush to complete the cycle of flowering by making seed,  once this is done a plant will think it's job is done if the Gardener does not remove seed heads. A shrub like a hebe will immediately put growth into hardening and lengthening branches as seed heads ripen. This new hard growth comes from the bottom without producing leaves leaving the bush leggy with new growth only on the top. Cut well back after flowering and the new bottom growth will leaf up again to produce new flowers.

Keep dead heading dahlias and roses but, to those new gardeners ( repeating myself I know) dead heading roses means more than just removing the spent bloom, you must cut down to a new strong out facing bud, usually about 3 buds down from the spent bloom. Remove all old leaves with black spot and rust, don't leave them lying on the ground around the roses. Deep soak around roots often and spray fortnightly with a fungus and pesticide mix as well as liquid fertiliser, (all together is fine). I have just poured liquid horse manure around mine to give them a boost.  

All plants can do with a good feeding now because they have flowered well since the beginning of Summer, foliage feeding is great but if feeding with dry fertiliser around roots it should be watered in well, if left to sit on top it will burn exposed roots.   

Weeds: This week we have been keeping on top of the weeds with the hoe and spray. Gravel walkways and drives are great germinating areas for weed seeds. organic weed sprays work well on weeds at the early stage of growth but I have little success on bigger weeds so best to zap weeds when small.

Hedges can have a light trim to tidy them up, overcast days are the best time to do this so that the growth beneath is not scorched by hot sun. 

Bulbs: Large clumps of daffodils and bluebells can be broken up now and planted in areas where needed, it is safe to do this once the green has been used up by the bulbs, but a job made easier if the ground has been softened by rain!

Lawns:

Feed lawns during rain to help get them through to the end of summer, it does not take long for the ground to bake hard putting grass under stress as does cutting lawns too low, I have found if encouraged to make longer top growth grass will develop deeper stronger roots to sustain it. A little sprinkle of water now and then on dry grass will produce weak growth, a good soak and the natural rain will do the job but do not be tempted to scalp lawns once they green up, they still have a long hot Autumn to tolerate.

Vegetables:

Plenty to be had from vegetable gardens right now, new potatoes are still being dug, and later crops being planted, tomatoes should be ripening perfectly. I have just sown a third lot of peas because my Grandies are so put out when a crop is finished. Carrots and parsnip planted now will be up in no time. Keep moisture up to crops of corn and pumpkins as they still have a way to go. 

If spaces are left after veg has been dug sow a green crop, wheat or or mustard rather than letting weeds grow. Dig in while soft and green, this will add humus to soil and keep it covered until ready to plant an autumn crop of veg.

Fruit:

My apple trees are laden, the late ripening peach tree is the same however my apricots are very late to ripen and I had a poor crop of black currants, gooseberries and raspberries probably due to so many November overcast days.

Nip back the growth on grapes to let the sun in and to stunt leaf growth, the fruit needs all the vine can give now to ripen. 

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago January 6th 2020

Happy New Gardening year to all. 

What a changeable January so far, but thankfully we are experiencing some sunny days along with heavy rain from time to time, I have not had to drag the hoses around, a bonus for any gardener. 

Roses, All roses should have had a summer pruning after the first flowering, cut a spent flower stem down to an out facing bud on a thick part of stem not just the flower. If just the flower is removed the remaining stem will die back to only the first bud, that part of the stem will be too weak to support new blooms. Dull days and mildew may become a problem for roses I have noticed mildew rust and the odd bush with black spot while cutting back. Pull all the affected leaves off and destroy, this can leave bushes quite bare but it takes no time at all for new leaves and buds to grow back. A spray with fungicide should limit problems.

Cut back summer flowering perennials and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering, I have just cut back daisy bushes, delphiniums, lavaterias, dianthus, lupins and most of the herbs because they were all going to seed. Feed with slow release or a liquid fertiliser, they will all come back fresh and most will flower again. Foliar feeding is very important to encourage fresh new growth after cutting back anything at this dry time of the year. Fill gaps in the flower garden with annuals. Front planting full sun: impatiens, small type petunias, begonia, small marigolds, lobelia, alyssum Mid plantings: nicotina, coriopsis, tall petunias, tall marigolds, bedding dahlia, salvia, nemesia. Tall back plantings: cosmos, lavatera, sun flowers, Canterbury bells, love in the mist. Semi shade ( with good light )plantings: impatiens, bedding begonias, lobelia, Japanese anemone (perennial), foxglove. 

Lawns: When the next rain arrives feed the lawns with lawn fertilizer and they will bounce back like fresh spring lawns. 

Hydrangea's are showing their first large blooms and because of the frequent rains colours are very intense. Hydrangeas enjoy semi shade so are perfect for planting alternatively with rhododendrons and camellias, pinks in a sweet soil and blues grow and flower blue in the opposite, lime for pink and acid fertilizer for blue shades also pine needles and coffee grounds will help keep soil acid.

Petunias are taking center stage now, they are great gap fillers for sunny gardens, but do not preform well in shade. A shady spot can be filled with impatiens which are also colourful when planted in bold groups. 

Seed collecting starts now, sweet peas, sweet William, poppies, iris, there is a lot of ripening going on and I have a lot of small paper bags stored away already.   

Lifting tree branches: After the heavy rain it was easy to see which branches on large spreading trees were too low restricting light from plantings below. Oaks, flowering cherries, ash, Alms and maples put on a lot of new growth each year and most want to grow to the ground to shade roots if left. Remove cross over branches and any branches you feel are not required, dappled light is much nicer than dense shade.  

Ponds: Keep an eye on pond water, evaporation from heat in summer means topping up regularly. Still water tends to green up as it warms, adding barley straw will keep slime from growing there is also a barley liquid available at pond retail outlets.

Fruit and veg: gooseberries, strawberries, raspberry's and currents ripen quickly so it is a rush to get them picked before they drop from the bushes. Cut all the fruiting branches from black currents then strip them of currents in a shady spot, this way the fruit is picked and the bush pruned at the same time. Grapes reduce the length of fruiting runners and remove all unproductive growth. Tomatoes need water kept up and some leaves removed to let more light in too many leaves take up nitrogen that should be used by the fruit. Water needs to be kept up and plants are maturing fast then bolting to seed if not picked when ready.  Corn and pumpkins are making good growth benefiting from the rain . Keep planting all veg, we have the best growing and ripening time ahead.

Cheers, Linda