Gardening in North Otago December 1st 2020

December and it's dead heading roses time again, I have been laying the rose petals out on a trestle table to dry for potpourri. The fragrance  as they dry is wonderful, It is 6 weeks from cutting from the bush to new bud at this time of the year.I have found old hellebore leaves that had not been removed loaded in green fly!! I will cut every last one out and dispose of so the green fly does not fly off onto my waiting roses. It is so important right now to keep the water up to the roses, constant feeding and deep soaking at the roots will keep them healthy and not in need of spraying. A rose that is struggling will be susceptible to everything bad. Night beetles are on the wing again, newly planted young trees are the worst targeted... these beetles can strip leaves right off, If this happens don't be alarmed because another lot of leaves will soon grow.  Night beetles usually sleep through the day under a tree they are feeding on. Get rid of weeds like biddy bid, while seeds are still green, wherever you see it pull it out, don't let the seeds ripen and drop.  Convolvulus is a battle here for me, popping up through plants everywhere, every winter I make an effort to get to the roots while the garden is resting but it still pops up. Some gardeners have had success with soaking long convolvulus runners in weed spray solution which should kill well down through that network of roots. Fat-hen is another weed that spreads quickly, it will be ripe now needing to be pulled before seeds drop. Flag iris have flowered now so large clumps can be broken up and transplanted in a sunny spot. Prepare the bed by digging in fresh compost and some lime then plant, leaving half the rhizome (root) exposed to bake in the sun over summer. Long leaves can be cut half way back to reduce transpiration while reestablishing.　 Bulbs: While you can still see where spring bulbs have been cover them with mulch to stop them drying out over summer, Weed free compost is fine then you can plant annuals on top to fill gaps. If large clumps of bulbs flowered poorly this is a good time to break them up and plant out into smaller groups using fresh compost to give them a good start. Montana clematis have finished flowering but wait a little longer before trimming back because they have not finished their new growth spurt, if you trim now you will have to do it all over again in a couple of weeks. However wisterias can be dealt with now, if your wisteria has nice strong flowering hardwood branches that flower well then no prunning will be required, remove all the new long trailers, some of these, if left will in time grow into hard wood branches. A wisteria is like a climbing tree and will take over and out grow its place in no time and become very heavy if you let too many leaders grow. Lawns: are suffering with new growth being starved of moisture then scorched in heat. Keep the mower blade up a little higher and mow in the cooler part of the day to help with recovery. Mow without the catcher sometimes and give deep watering's rather than a light sprinkle. If spraying lawn weeds add liquid fertiliser and feed the grass at the same time, don't use sprayed grass clippings around the garden or in compost, spray containers have printed information on how long the with- holding time is.  Herbs: Culinary herbs are the original cut-and-come-again crop, if you grow them get snipping and picking. The plants really will benefit from it, and you'll have wonderful flavours to add to dishes fresh or dried. Most herbs and leafy plants naturally want to create seeds, and once they get to that stage, it means the end of herbs like parsley, chives or basil. So pick leaves early and often to encourage the plant to put out more foliage and prevent it from running to seed. It may be cheating Nature but it extends the life of your plants. I pick and dry, laying fresh herbs on newspaper in a warm, dry place until dry and crisp. Rubbing is next, remove stems, bottle and store.  Vegetables: Don't feed leaf veg now or have the soil too rich, they will put out too much soft growth and bolt, all that is needed is moisture when dry.  Organic insect spray: I am experimenting with some  plant concoctions to keep the white butterfly and aphids away. Organic bug spray1/2 cup hot peppers, diced, 6 cloves garlic, peeled, 2 cups water, Blast in a food processor,strain, add 2 teaspoons liquid soap (without bleach) Fill a plastic spray bottle and mist spray affected plants. Cheers, Linda.