Gardening in North Otago November 1st 2020

Gardens will be revived a little after the much needed rain, however so much more is needed during Spring to set growth up for summer,  with soil now warm, moist and ready for planting small weeds are popping up ready for hoeing and easy pulling, all is pretty straight forward now for those who have time to enjoy the rhythm of spring. Birds feeding young will be making a mess in gardens and on paths searching for worms, so annoying to have newly planted annuals scratched out daily. This will not be happening with gardens sporting low front  hedging  or a continuous perennial boarder. I have found strips of shade cloth weighed down with stones covering a front planting will keep the birds off until new plants have settled in and filled out to cover exposed worm filled soil. Rhododendrons, deciduous azaleas and peony roses are now displaying a dazzling range of colours and our Botanical Gardens are bursting with the delight of these spring treasures. Early flowering rhododendrons can now have spent blooms removed before seeds sets, especially those newly planted, energy is needed for growth not making seeds. There is a point on the spent bloom where it snaps off without disturbing the new leaf growth, once you find this point snapping off past blooms becomes easy. Roses are budding up, but I see on some of mine green fly has arrived and a few new leaves have had to be removed where I spotted rust which was expected with soil being so dry and because we mulch thickly in our garden old leaves with rust and black spot spores would have escaped the clean up in early winter.  Keeping a balanced food up to roses is the best form of protection against pests and fungus  as Nature has it's own plan for keeping harmony in a garden. Continual spraying will mean continual spraying which I feel really does upset the balance for plants and insects. I stopped spraying a number of years ago, things got worse before it got better, it took about 3 growing seasons to get a balance back between healthy growth and insect and fungus attack. i now deal to greenfly early as they congregate on new leaf tip growth with a finger and thumb, and remove any leaves showing signs of rust or black spot, feed roots well plus folia feed with a fish based plant food to deter aphids and keep water up. Wisterias are at putting on a display as well now, once flowering is over energy will go into putting out many long leaders, if your wisteria has reached the distance and spread required all of these leaders need to be removed, flower spurs develop on old wood year after year, if new leaders are left they will strive to be aged wood and become heavy un-needed branches. Weeds on pathways and in gravel can be dealt to while small with a hoe or a homemade weed spray of 1 gallon white vinegar (16 cups,) 2 cups Epsom salt or table salt, 1/4 cup dish washing liquid. Pour the vinegar, dish liquid and salt into a spray bottle. shake until combined, let settle for 2 minutes then soak weeds entirely with formula. Let sit for a day  with no rain to get result. Lawns have had a dry start here in North Otago but grass is tough and will soon bounce back with the right conditions, long may moisture and sun continue. Non-sprayed grass clippings can be spread as mulch on gardens to keep weeds down and add humus to soil, only add thick enough to keep out light. Spread around trees and shrubs right out to the drip line to retain moisture but spread it around rather than leaving in heaps. If spraying lawn weeds try spot spraying rather than a full cover as grass is in need of worm action to aerate soil. Fruit: trees and fruit bushes should be well on the way to making fruit, keeping moisture up when the season heats up is the next job, putting a mulch around the drip line all will help retain moisture already in the ground. Vegetables: Now is the perfect time for growing veg, once planted it's all about keeping the weeds down  and birds off to give them room to grow. Pumpkin plants I put in last week are romping away as are the corn seedlings. Planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassels and add support during strong winds. Potatoes loved  the last rain and are pushing on now the treat of frost is over. Tomatoes will be soon needing to be staked, if you have no glass or tunnel house plant a couple of cherry tomato plants in pots and place in a sheltered, well lit spot, they will produce all season. Russian red bush tomato's also grow well out side in a warm spot.  Cheers, Linda.