Gardening in North Otago May 27th 2020

Sasanqua Camellia flowering now.

Here we are now almost June and frost are here with lovely bright sun filled days to follow  putting a glow on the end of Autumn. 

The mild days  have encouraged another batch of weeds, hoeing while small will deal to them until heavy frosts arrive and stop growth.

We have some lovely autumn flowering sasanqua camellias putting on a show, it almost seems wrong with every plant near by shutting down for winter. You will probably see these lovely flowering camellias on offer in Garden centres, the perfect shrub to add interest to a garden in late autumn early winter.

Roses: I picked the last bunch of summer roses this week, we need some hard frosts now to harden stems and take care of fungus and bugs.  Later in the month I will spray Lime Sulphur first which defoliates bushes then after pruning in July will spray Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil.  New seasons, bare rooted roses arrive early in Garden centers these days, if planting prepare the ground by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove most of the soil and replace with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another.  

Peony rose tubers need to be planted now before the coldest months, if you must shift or divide established peonies, this is the time. Peonies do not respond well to transplanting but if planted well will require little maintenance. Choose the location wisely, full sun, shelter from strong winds, away from trees or shrubs competing for food and moisture. Plant with eyes up (new shoot) in deep, fertile, humus-rich moist soil that drains well spaced 3 to 4 feet apart about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide.

New season bare rooted trees will be arriving in Garden centers soon, I will list a few worth selecting below with sizing.

For large gardens:
Fraxinus (ash) deciduous fast growing attractive shade trees 5m high in 5 years,( est )height 30 m. Golden ash / Claret ash and pendulous weeping ash.

Fagus (English beech): beautiful deciduous shade trees or hedging, 4m in 5 years (est) 30m, fagus sylvatica purpurea attractive wine leaves, Fagus sylvatica, fresh green.

Crataegus (hawthorne) Paul's scarlet, deciduous 3m in 5 years,est 6m very hardy displaying full clusters of dark pink flowers in November.

Ginkgo biloba: Deciduous, colourful, unique foliage foliage, Pest and drought resistant mature height 13-20 m / mature width 12m, one for a shelter belt.

Magnolia starwars, very fast growing NZ bred deciduous magnolia with large leaves and huge waxy pink flowers height 5 x 4 width in 10 years.

Magnolia grandiflora  A very handsome evergreen tree with dark green glossy leaves with a brown under-felt. Height 8m /4m width in 7/10 years.

Smaller gardens: 

Gingo jade butterflies: unusual deciduous, dwarf slow growing vase shaped tree, jade leaves. 3m high 2m wide.

Gleditsia emerald cascade: A very attractive weeping form, smaller growing making an ideal garden focal point. 2m high by 3m wide.

Michelia starbright: Very pretty, fragrant, evergreen large shrub with creamy-white blooms.Can be used for hedging or screening. Height 4m width 2m in 7/10 years.

Robinia lace lady: A deciduous, very daintily branched small leafed tree which will not not grow heavy hard wood branches or roots and can be kept to the size required.

Vegetable garden:

Keep planting shallots, butter crunch lettuce, beetroot and broad beans keeping water up until settled. Cover with frost cloth to protect from frost and birds when small.

Fruit: 

Tamarillos, if lucky enough to have these in your garden they will be hanging like jewels from almost bare branches, such a treat at this time of the year. Because the plants do not make hard wood they are frost tender but here on the coast in a sunny location they ripen and are ready to pick now. Tamarillos will grow from tip cuttings, a bush will last for a decade if protected during winter and prefer to be outside not in a glass house.

Feijoas are a treat right now as well, they do not ripen all at once, dropping from the bush when ripe.

Lemon “Meyer” are cold hardy and will fruit all year. If planting a new bush remove all flowers and small fruit for the first 3 years to get branch work established then it will produce for years. Plant where they get afternoon sun, feed with citrus food in early spring and early autumn.

NZ Cranberry(Myrtus ugni) ready now have a taste combination of strawberry, pineapple and apple my Grandchildren pick and enjoy them when ever here. A small evergreen bush very fragrant when fruiting, can be hedged.

Cheers, Linda.

Ripe Tamarillos

Gardening in North Otago May 20th 2020

Time to get the frost cloth ready

Getting colder for Gardens and Gardeners now but still looking like Autumn here in North Otago even though frosts have started which means  frost tender potted plants can be shifted to a place  with overhead protection and garden plants and shrubs needing to be protected have frost cloth at the ready. I have had my potted cuttings and seedlings in shady positions during the hot months but have now shifted them all into the sun with trays lifted from the cold ground by being placed on polystyrene and sections of pea straw  and a covering of frost cloth during frosty nights, once we move into very cold winter months frost cloth will remain on day and night.

Seedlings raised from seed need to be pricked out now into punnets and small pots before the real freeze, then protected as above,  growing will continue until the temperature drops below 10 degrees.

Sweet peas can be planted  now,  Autumn sown sweet peas  produce stronger plants with more vibrant blooms than those sown in spring. Here on the coast winters are mild enough to sow straight into well drained soil where you want them to flower.

Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs should be exposed to bake in the sun, compost and mulch need to be raked from them if possible.

Spring Bulbs are well up now, look around your garden to make sure they are getting enough light,  trees and shrubs will have put on growth during the growing season keeping much needed light from spring bulbs for maximum flowering. Tulips should be in now to get a spring show.  

Shifting shrubs: Our garden gets carried away and tries to out grow the size allotted to it!! shrubs I planted and thought at the time I could keep shaped to fit a space but after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size so if possible they are dug up and given a ride in the wheel barrow. If shrubs have been planted for a number of years they will need to be wrenched by digging down around one side, cutting roots then packing in soil / compost for new feeder roots to grow into. This will eliminate transplant shock when the whole shrub is dug out and transplanted in spring.
Roses: Stop dead heading now to allow rose wood to harden for the big prune in July /August, this allows sap to go into making rose seed preventing new growth .

Vegetables and fruit .
Garlic, time to get cloves ready for planting, growers save garlic cloves from year to year but if planting for the first time get what is offered in Garden centers rather than what is offered for eating at a supermarket.
There are many veg seedlings on offer for planting now before it gets too cold, broad beans can go in and onion seeds can be sown, too cold now to sow carrots and parsnips
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.

Start pruning pip fruit trees any time after the leaves have fallen, using clean tools from tree to tree, remove dead or damaged wood, crossing or inward turning branches, excess leaders or sucker growth developing on the main trunks. Shorten back vigorous leaders by about a 1/3 to promote branching. Prune long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.

Cheers, Linda.

 

Gardening in North Otago 12th May 2020

Autumn splendor at Rockvale Gardens

What a difference a rain makes during Autumn, however I have still needed  to give some areas a good soak, it is the shallow rooted tree's and shrubs that need help before winter. I have lost aged maples because of dry Autumn conditions  so I now always give every one a good soak  before winter. Other shallow rooted shrubs that may be looking for a good soaking are rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, daphne, hydrangeas, lilacs, cornus (dogwood), buxus  and viburnums. 

A heap of work was done here in the garden this week, my ready compost is going down fast as autumn leaves, annual weeds and lawn clippings refill the bins for my next autumn compost.

I have been potting up well grown seedlings before the nights get colder, because they are straight from seed trays frost cloth has gone on at night. I remove it on sunny days but once we start getting frosts it will remain on until spring.

Remove water trays from pots now, soil will stay damp from now on and should never be waterlogged through out winter as this will lead to plant roots freezing and rotting.

This is a great time to make new perennial beds or re-organise existing beds, with perennial clumps increasing in size annually they soon over fill a space. Lift overgrown clumps, break up and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants can be reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction then lift the cut portion out without disturbing the remaining plant. I have been doing this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm. Rockery plants can be divided now as well. Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged cover the bed and around plants with compost to encourage new root growth and help to keep perennial beds warmer through the colder months.

All old leaves from my hellebores  (winter roses) have now been removed, they are budding up for a winter display so a fortnightly liquid feed can be given now if you feel they need boosting. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to soft new growth, once hardened remove all leaves to display flowers.

Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old over grown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old steams away from the bulb as it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, just cut old stems short and bend. Never allow Lilly bulbs to dry out while out of the ground, I plant lilies on a little river sand and cover with compost which has had blood and bone added. 

May is the planting month for tulips  bulbs should be in retail outlets when they open, plant them at least 8 inches (20cm) deep in a  well drained sunny spot .

Vegetables and fruit .
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.
Garlic planting time, It is said to plant garlic on the shortest day but any time from late May until August is ok. Select large single cloves (plant point up) 5cm deep and 20cm apart in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. 

Feijoas are plumping up and our NZ cranberries (myrtus ugni) are ripe for eating , also figs  should be ready  along with walnuts and hazelnuts  so still a lot of gathering happening.

Cheers, Linda

Feijoa 

myrtus ugni NZ cranberries

Gardening in North Otago May 7th 2020

Autumn Rockvale Gardens

Here we are into another week of uncertainty with people and business's in limbo, thank goodness for our gardens and we are still in a mild season to enjoy being outside doing what needs to be done.

Trees & shrubs, we play the waiting game now, best to leave all major pruning well into winter when sap is right down, if pruned now new growth is likely to occur then winter damage will encourage disease, best to just stick to cutting back tired summer growth and raking up the ever increasing leaf drop. 

Every garden I cut back and tidy up here is getting a topping off compost and leaf mould mixed as bins need to be emptied for all the leaves, and there are wool packs filled weekly. Leaves, grass clippings, soft hedge trimmings and soft garden waste, ready compost and manure (for those on a farm ) layered will break down over time to lovely humus to be returned to the garden this time next year. With a commercial compost bin, the right conditions, moisture it will take a shorter time but I have large open bays and find it is ready for use during the following autumn. 

Here on the coast we can plant for winter colour, look about your garden for pollyanthas and pansy's left in from last winter also self sown seedlings under plants like lavender, calendula, Poppy's, sweet peas, lupins, hollyhock, viola and primulas. If they flowered well and made seed they will be there for the gathering. Pot up in punnets and nurse along until ready to re-pot or plant pot.
 I have sent off for flower and veg seeds on line and received them this week, there is time still to raise seeds before winter if you get onto it now. I raise mine outside but raise the containers up from the cold ground by placing them on polystyrene or straw bales in a warm sunny spot. Keep the planting mix on the dry side, always water only when needed early in a day as evaporation is not great now and very small seedling do not have the root capacity to take up excess moisture.

Seeds collecting: I am still collecting seeds from dry pods and saving them in paper bags and envelopes, adding a sprinkle of rice will absorb any remaining moisture and help to keep seed dry and in good condition until a spring planting. I have been looking out for self sown seedlings under plants like lavender, calendula, Poppy's, sweet peas, lupins, hollyhock, viola and primulas. If they flowered well and made seed they will be there for the gathering. Pot up in punnets and nurse along until ready to re-pot or plant pot.

Wisterias will need a cut back now, ours was growing along the upstairs balcony threatening to push through sliding doors and take over a bedroom and because it was getting very heavy it was cut right back to the trunk wood. It pushed out new growth really fast and I will now train only one leader left and right. For wisterias that are not causing a problem use a hedge trimmer to get rid of all the leafy, wispy growth, cutting too hard back into thick wood will remove new flower buds. Each long winding growth could eventually grow into a thick branch so if training a young plant let only one length go either way along a structure.

Lawns: Grass grub has been bad in areas of our lawn leaving dead patches after they have eaten all the roots, rake the dead patch away and rough the soil up a little then sow grass seed and rake in to the firm patch. If you do not get a strike during autumn you can resow in spring. Grass grub are feeding from February until May so by now they will be well down in the ground hibernating until they reappeared as the brown night beetle around November.

 

Fruit: Tamarillos, these delicious, tangy fruits ripen during autumn and winter and can go from pale green to rich ripe red in about a week. They are ripe when either a deep, dark red or golden orange / yellow depending on variety. Pick fruit individually by cutting stems, once picked they keep well and will become sweeter. Feajoa's will also be fattening up for those lucky enough to be growing them. 

Citrus bushes would benefit from a rich layer of compost, well-rotted manure, seaweed, straw – whatever you have to spread as a mulching layer around roots.

Vegetables:

Save seed from beans, peas, pumpkin family and also a few of your herb and companion flower plant seeds for next spring as we are still not sure what will be available in retail outlets as we go forward. Mound up around the base of leeks to keep them pale and sweet, but keep soil beneath the bottom leaf to stop it getting inside making washing them difficult. 

An application of lime now if you have some is a real benefit to many of the leaf crops – cabbage, spinach, kale, broccoli and silverbeet.

Potatoes need to be dug and stored now, if they still have more growing to do keep water off them, they last better if tops have yellowed and died down. 
Once dug let dirt dry on them, brush off and store in a cool dry place away from any other veg or fruit, any moisture will encourage sprouts. Non sprouting powder can be purchased but I use the layering of dried herbs method, cut Rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon balm, mint any of the herbs before they die back, let moisture dry out of them then layer among stored clean dry potatoes, (a herb filled muslin bag works to)  When all potatoes have been used crush the mixed herbs and store in a glass jar for use. 
Curing Pumpkins: Bring Pumpkins in for curing and storing before hard frosts, pumpkins are ready when the stem is dry and hard to the touch, cut from the runner leaving 10 cm stem attached to the pumpkin and cure by sitting in a warm spot, raised allowing air to circulate around the whole pumpkin for about two weeks then turn upside down and leave for another two weeks, this will harden up skin and intensify the flavor. Storing pumpkins: Rub all over with olive oil to seal in moisture, store in a dry place, off the ground is best on layers of newspaper.

Thinking ahead to spring planting already? Spring planting can be delayed for ages because of wet cold ground so in very cold areas place an insulating layer on soil you plan to plant out in early spring, this will prevent soil from becoming water-logged, use polythene, fertilizers bags or old carpet. 

Cheers, Linda.