Gardening in North Otago December 21st 2020

This column will be short because Christmas is but a couple of days away and I am sure gardening will only come into play when it is time to dig the potatoes and carrots and pick the peas for Christmas dinner. What a treat to harvest your own produce, so worth all the work that goes into growing veg. In the flower gardens: Watering to keep gardens going will be needed over the festive season, a good deep soak will be kept longer in the soil if mulch is layered on top of bare damp soil. Mulch on hand could be compost mixed with grass clippings or Arborist mulched green waste, sometimes referred to as forest floor, even hedge trimmings or foliage cut back from plants or shrubs layered among plants will keep moister there longer and the hot sun from baking soil. This would be especially handy if going away for a break. Fruit trees are needing moisture to plump up fruit so a good soaking now and then and mulch if possible will ensure good crops. In the veg Garden: It is a shame that this very hot time of the year is when most head off for a break needing to leave produce at it's best behind in the veg garden. I grow a lot of stock plants in pot's and trays which I need to hold from drying out if I head off for a few days. I have found soaking them and then shading with shade cloth keeps them from drying out too soon. This could also work with veg plots, a good deep soak then shade created to stop that baking sun. Pumpkin plants are well on now so water needs kept up to them until enough large tough leaves have grown to shade roots. Corn should be putting on good growth as well, mulching around corn roots after a good soak will encourage good strong growth. Tomato plants will need supported, leaves removed to let light into over crowded plants and tunnel and glass house doors remain open to let insects in to fertilise flowers. Garlic will be ready to harvest if it was planted on the shortest day you will know garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom two leaves have died and a third is also showing signs of browning off, some green leaves will remain so once pulled from the ground leave the top green growth attached, tie into bunches and hang until all green tops have dried into the cloves. I wish you all a joy filled Christmas and a happy and safe 2021. Cheers, Linda.