Gardening in North Otago August 25th 2020

Spring has begun, new magnolia blooms in Rockvale Garden.

SEPTEMBER, the month of new beginnings and this past week has convinced me that spring has arrived in North Otago after that lovely light rain to give gardens respite from the very dry winter we experienced. However while soil surface has benefited deeper roots are still searching for moisture while surface weed seeds will be germinating so get them with a hoe or there are organic weed sprays on the market that work best when weeds are new and small so now is the time, get them before they flower and make seed. With my very wide perennial boarders insisting on growing couch grass, biddy- bid, and chick-weed, I try to get rid of them now while the flowering plants are still low and with top soil now soft weed pulling is easy. While doing this weeding I can see what needs attention like delphiniums needing stakes in to give support while growing, removing mulch from around iris rhizomes and peony rose crowns and removing self sown plants and natives before they settle in. Everyday something new is happening in our garden, sweet peas, ranunculus, anemones and tulips are well up and putting on good growth. I am now watching what is pushing through pea straw and clearing a space to let them through and  light in.All plants, shrubs and trees will respond to feeding now,  the sap is well up and buds are swelling and bursting open. We have a number of deciduous magnolias here taking center stage right now, their beautiful blooms pushing through huge furry buds, also camellia's and rhododendrons are bursting into colour. Liquid feed all perennials and bedding plants and use a good general fertiliser plus a dressing of compost for trees and shrubs to help them along now. Azaleas and tulips are the exception, azaleas like fed after flowering and tulips store enough food in the bulb for their requirements, if you load them up with more they will grow more leaf than needed. (No feeding for Australian or South African shrubs such as leucodendron, protea, waratah and grevillea.) 

Cut the old growth from the cat-mint, I leave old growth on over the cold months to protect new growth, once new leaves are seen to be making good growth the old can be removed. It is also time to dress your garden for late spring and summer, think colour and where you want it and what colour is needed where. At this time of the year concentrate on the sunny areas in the garden being the warmest to get bedding pants moving. 

Roses: there are still roses on offer, they do not always need to grow together in a rose bed, use them as gap fillers in boarders. To give those new to roses an idea of what to look for I will list the different types below. There is a rose for every sunny situation and a few that will tolerate light shade. 

PATIO ROSES: About knee high for front boarder planting, about  80 cm apart when grouping, these can also be grown in containers as long as the roots are kept cool. 

FLORIABUNDA: Flowers grow in clusters - bushes grow to about waist high on average, space these about 1mtr apart when grouping. Cut off spent flower clusters and they will reward you with masses of colour right through the growing season. 

HYBRID TEA: This is the rose to give you the large exhibition one steam bloom. They grow about chest high. These are the picking rose and need feeding right through the growing season to give the best results. 

Miniture: A dwarf growing bush rose with all parts scaled down, I find these not as long lived as the larger bush rose. If you have one that is not performing, dig it out, change the soil and plant another. The secret to keeping roses free from disease is to remove all last years' diseased wood and leaves from the ground around them and burn. Feed well,  starting now while they are beginning to leaf. Manure enriched compost will feed and protect the roots but keep it off where the rose has been grafted. Rose food, fertilisers have been designed to promote just the right amount of leaf and flower growth, but need the warmer soil to activate. Don't waste by using too soon. 

Lawns are returning to growth, I was out with the lawn food during that soft rain to give them a good start.

Vegatables: green crops need to be dug in now, before flowering. Keep planting seeds and seedlings in the absence of white butterfly! Fruit: Buds are swelling to blossom burst as sap rises, what's needed now are sunny days and bee's. I worked on my gooseberry bushes last year and again this week,Thinning branches before the leaves arrive, cutting up the bottom branches to get the bushes higher from the ground making it easier to pick the fruit from beneath.

 Cheers, Linda.

New rose growth needs feed.

Gardening in North Otago August 19th 2020

Early Spring at Rockvale Gardens 

 So far still no rain as I write this meaning we are going into spring very, very dry as all Farmers and Gardeners will know. In the garden hoses need to be on the go, a good soak around the roots of trees and shrubs is more beneficial than sprinklers on for short times. Mulching after soaking holds moisture there where needed. Everything is ready to push new growth out right now which uses a huge amount of new growing plant energy requiring feeding as well as moisture but compost/manure will not get to where it is needed without rain.

If we do get our share of rain in early spring the benefits from good deep moisture will be obvious from now through to early summer.  This week I have been doing the final winter clean up around the gardens I don't mulch with pea straw.,these gardens get a covering of the lovely black compost we get each year from the Pukeuri freezing works, which allows the spring bulbs to push through and take center stage for the next couple of months. I do have pea straw in other areas where bulbs are growing and now that I can see where they are popping up I push the straw away from them to give them light. It is 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 camellia and rhododendrons, and potted plants with roots out grown containers. With applications of complete plant food and compost this condition will be rectified. Plant specific slow release fertilisers on offer make it easy to choose the right one and each time it rains or you water the garden food is released to plants. If you have not trimmed back ornamental grass's yet do it now, rake out the old seeded ends and clean out the dead thatch around the base, it's amazing how much you will need to cart away after this but they will look wonderful and will grow back to their soft wafting shape in no time.  I'll bet the weeds are growing well at your place as they are at mine! sprayers will be out again on patio areas and driveways. 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. 

Lawns After frosts moss will be thriving in lawns, pathways and garden structures. I have been working my way around the garden seating and ornamental pots and statues with soapy water and a firm brush. Moss in lawns as I wrote last week is taken care of with sulphate of iron watered on then raked off when black. Moss on path and driveways can be killed by using inexpensive laundry powder sprinkled on and wet with a light hosing to get it working.

Grass is showing growth now so the first feed can be given and watered in.

Vegetables:  Here on the coast get spring sewing's off to an early start now, use a row of cloches if you have them or drape frost cloth which will be in place for late frosts and also keep the birds off.

Fruit: with fruit trees being well budded up and starting to blossom a soak and mulch will help them with the growing they have ahead of them. 

Fruit trees: Do not like to compete with grass and weeds growing hard up against trunks, clear and mulch and your fruit trees will reward you. Some sunny days are needed now for bees to come out to pollinate. If you spray choose a dull day when bees are not about. Lemon bushes have been producing wonderfully through the dry winter so a good soak and a feeding of citrus food will be in order going into spring.

Cheers, Linda  

Gardening in North Otago August 12th 2020

Early spring pussy willow

Early spring is peeping out from winter here at Rockvale Gardens, snow drops are always first to push up through the frost then winter roses, early camellias, daffodils and now plum blossom. I know with the mild days we have been experiencing Gardeners get the itch to plant and sow. Sown seeds will need protection to bring soil up to a temperature to germinate. In the open garden the time is right for sowing when frosts are coming to an end and bees are in full buzz mode. , Plants that are budding to flower can have a liquid feed now as they will be looking for nutrients to keep strong root growth up. Diluted worm or comfrey tea if available are gentle for soft new growth or any liquid food you have on hand, at a diluted rate. Liquid manure diluted to the colour of weak black tea around rose roots will give a boost as they push out new buds. All rose pruning should be finished by the end of this month.

Comfrey has very deep roots, which means it extracts large quantities of nutrients from far below the soil’s surface, inaccessible to other plants. These nutrients are stored in its leaves. By harvesting the leaves and letting them break down, you’ll have a rich, dark, nutrient-rich plant food to use around the garden. It’s especially rich in potassium, making it the ideal feed to promote flowers and fruits in a range of plants, including tomatoes. Comfrey tea: Pick a good amount of comfrey, remove flowers and tough stems, then chop up leaves and pack them tightly into a water-tight container. Choose a container with a lid, as the solution can smell as leaves break down. Use a brick or stone to weigh down the leaves. Check on the progress every few weeks as leaves will break down gradually, releasing a smelly brown liquid. Collect any liquid into plastic bottles and store in a cool, dark place. Top up with fresh leaves. A comfrey root should be planted where it can spread as it can soon get out of control in a veg or flower garden.

Hydrangeas are showing new green growth at the bottom which means pruning can begin, prune all woody stems that flowered last summer down to the second bud from the bottom leaving all other stems because they will carry the new flowers. Pink hydrangea flowers grow in an alkaline soil with high pH (> 8.5) and blue flowers like an acid soil. The only successful way to keep good blue flowers if hydrangeas in your garden are pink is to plant in an acid potting mix in a large pot.

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 buddlea's, they will bush up again in no time.

Weeds: I imagine the weeds have started at your place as they have at ours and with the ground being 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. Getting rid of the unwanted plants that have invaded your gardens like ivy, aluminium plant (lamium), couch grass, Convolvulus and that pesky biddy bid . Get them out now before spring gardens explode into fullness. I have been scratching in gardens like a hen for weeks now with a determination to get them all gone......I know they will still be popping up here and there, if I spot them they will be gone!

Lawns: Moss can be dealt to in lawns, pathways and garden structures. There are a lot of products for 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. 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. 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.  Asparagus is a vegetable that repays planting over many years. To prepare beds, cultivate deeply and add a generous amount of compost, plant asparagus on a mound to ensure good drainage. Existing asparagus beds should be cultivated carefully to avoid damaging the crowns that lie just below the surface, 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 before any planting but the garden can be prepare by digging in compost / humus.  

Fruit: Soak then mulch fruit trees and soft fruit bushes because they have a lot of growing work ahead of them.

Cheers, Linda.

Growing asparagus

Gardening in North Otago August 5th 2020

                                                     Bee's are out and about.

After a few mild days last week I got to thinking Spring is upon us early and quickened up the pruning along with feeding the garden with the lovely pig manure I have bagged on hand. Looking back through past notes it reminded the "gardening me" about the past August snow, harsh frosts and floods......But the birds are wooing and singing spring melodies, bee's are buzzing and buds are swelling.

Plants do not go by our calendar which means we need to read when it is becoming spring in our own gardens and it will differ all around the district. However dryness is affecting all gardens in North Otago with many hoses out as they are here. A good soaking around roots right now is far more beneficial than sprinklers. Plants that suffer most during a dry winter are Maples, rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas because all have roots close to the ground surface. 

Keep an eye out for flowering camellias and rhododendrons now in garden centers, most are showing buds and flowers, this is the time to choose the right shades for your garden, they thrive in semi shade or afternoon shaded areas of the garden.

Sowing seeds: It's the perfect time to sow seeds undercover, any seeds that say spring sowing on the back of the packet will pop up now under cover. I use a tray of compost / soil with a layer of seed raising mix on the top, this way your seed raising mix will go further. Once sown cover the trays with plastic or glass, but use spacers to let air circulate between the plastic / glass  and tray.

lavenders can have a cut back now, I see them starting to put out new growth and really old woody bushes can be cut back hard to encourage new lower growth. If older lavenders did not do well last year it is probably time to replace them. Newly planted lavenders just need a light clip. A dressing of compost and lime for lavenders but no manure as it is best to grow them hard.

Softer shrubs that are encroaching on drive and walkways can be trimmed back , they will soon recover with new spring growth, also reduce the height on some of taller shrubs like phebaliums, pittosporums, psudopanax and the like now if you need to. You can do this without spoiling the shape by cutting out the center branch down to where the other branches bush out, this removes the natural point at the top of the shrub and will sometimes reduce the height by 2 or more meters.  New leaders will be sent up over time  but more growth will be put into the side branching which can be trimmed into shape if a problem. This being just the start of a new growing season plants are intent on just growing. (Leave doing this for another month further inland.)
A lot of climbers are in bud now ready to do their thing in Spring so when trimming watch you are not cutting off new buds. Hardenbergia ( happy wanderer) flowered in early winter so that is one that can be cut back. Jasmines have been knocked by frosts in my garden, I will leave them a bit longer until I am sure the frosts are over before trimming them. 

Roses: If you have still not feed your roses do it as soon as possible, they are moving fast now and should have food given even before they need it if you want them to stay healthy.
If you have no time to do anything else in the garden feeding plants is a must for health and vigour to take them right through to next autumn, it is well worth the effort. 
Slow release fertilisers are a safe bet for continual feeding over a long period, they are very clean and easy to apply and now days formulated to feed specific plants. Now would be a good time to mention that resent being fed. Many South African plants and Australian natives such as proteas, leucodendrons, banksias, and all grevillia's do not need feeding. I have lost some of these because they had absorbed fertiliser from neighbouring plants.

There is still time to divide hostas, these dramatic shade loving perennials can really highlight a shaded spot with their fresh greens and variegated light shades. Simply lift established clumps at least 4 to 5 years old, use a sharp spade to slice them into a few good sizes pieces, then replant. They also look great in pots but get slug bate around them as soon as they start showing leaf or try some of the slug repellent methods that have been passed down by gardeners listed below. Coffee Grounds: Used coffee grounds spread around susceptible plants may work. Epsom Salts: Epsom salts sprinkled on the soil will supposedly deter slugs and also helps prevent Magnesium deficiency in your plants. Magnesium helps to deepen color, thickens petals and increases root structure. Or by planting a group of lettuce previously pot grown to a good size near by slugs will feast on them instead.

Fruit & Vegatables
Deciduous fruit trees and small fruiting bushes should be planted in August at the latest, this is also the time to give fruiting shrubs & trees a dressing of pot ash to help with fruiting. 

If you plan to grow vegetables this year get the garden ready now, dig in some weed free compost and let the soil settle again while worms get to work. In area's you will not be planting out for a while why not sow a green crop to add humus to tired soils, mustard, lupine, barley or wheat. These will germinate in no time here on the coast but only when the ground is warm enough up further inland. Green crops should be dug in when lush, soft and green. Don't let it get to the flowering stalky stage, it takes too long to break down and is not worth the effort of digging in. 

Cover leaf crops from birds or you will be left with stalks, strawberry net framed over veg will keep them out.

                                             

                                                   Still time to divide hosta's