Gardening in North Otago February 23rd 2021

How good has this growing season been and now colours are changing as they should be after such a warm summer. Our garden was really tired and dry before that last rain but has now perked up and with the cutting back smartening things up things up and plants and shrubs pushing new growth and colour out before the first frosts. Petunias, begonias and roses get knocked back after rain but if you have the time to deadhead and cut back to new growth they will recover in the warm early autumn sun. While cutting back seeds can be collected and left to dry in paper bags and seedlings that have popped up among plants can be removed and potted if in the wrong place. .Stock, statice, snapdragon, wall flower, and Iceland poppies are good fillers and if planted now would flower through a mild winter. Roses: Keep the rose dead heading up to encourage the last blooms of summer, it is 6 weeks from a prune to another bud which will take us into April, after that flowering it is best to not deadhead, leave blooms to make seed which will help to harden wood for the winter ahead. Pruning and feeding then will encourage new soft growth so no feeding from now on either. Compost: I got a bit desperate for potting mix while potting up so have been adding compost to the peat mix, my ready heap needs to be emptied to make room for all the leaves to come. The other heaps are breaking down well with the heat and rain, I need to add manure and a little lime now while they are cooking. March is definitely a great planting month with the soil warm and the nights and mornings cooler, newly planted trees and shrubs settle in well. There are a lot of well grown trees, shrubs and plants on offer right now in Garden centers ready and waiting to be planted. Gardner's further inland will need to read the labels to establish frost ratings before buying, if in doubt wait until spring.  Spring bulbs are on offer now in garden outlets. Break up really large clumps already in your garden as they tend to double in size without you noticing and in no time a garden bed can become choked, looking attractive only in spring and dull for the rest of the year. I have often been asked the reason for spring bulbs not flowering after the first couple of years from planting, the most common problem is bulbs may not have not been planted deep enough. Spring bulbs need to be planted 4 to 6 inches deep, that is 4 to 6 inches on top of the bulb, if not planted deeply eventually when they do come into leaf and experience a dry patch during this time they won't take up enough moisture to come into bud.Rake mulch off bearded iris rhizomes they need to exposed to the sun for a baking now.Lawns.  After those baking hot days and a lot of mowing lawn growth starts to slow down from now, catchers will still be filling for a while yet but don't feel you need to cut lower than usual because growth has slowed, a scalped lawn dries out faster and encourages weeds. Going into autumn is the best time to sow new lawns while weed growth is slowing. The flat weeds I do come across now I pop out with the blade of secateurs before they seed and spread.  Fruit: Late peaches, nectorenes, apricots, quince and apples will be in abundance and birds will be feasting so pick and get the jam, pickle  and freezing done before they get the lot. Vegetable  Gardens will be overflowing with produce and corn and pumpkins ripening, leaf veg should not bolt so readily now and will not mind the days getting shorter and cooling. and root veg seeds will germinate well in the warm ground. Second sowings of peas will be up in no time, onions can be lifted once leaves have bent over, don't bend or damage leaves before they are ready to bend naturally if you want them to store and keep well.  Once dug lay them out in a warm place to fully ripen then store in a cool place. Cheers Linda

Gardening in North Otago February 18th 2020

The first sign of a chill in the air last week which means Autumn is just around the corner. I am still cutting back plants that looked stunning through summer but are now just tied and straggly like most cottage plants, bush lavatera, mignonette, lavender tops and geraniums, they will all leaf up again to go through winter. Seed collecting, there are so many ready now, dianthus, delphinium, annual lavatera, salvias, hollyhock, sweet peas plus many more. I plant a few now but save most to sow in early spring. This is the perfect planting time for trees, shrubs, spring bulbs, perennials and annuals. As I have mentioned before buying punnets of annual and perennial seedling now to pot on into individual pots and nurse over winter will give you a head start for early planting and flowering, some will bud up and flower others will grow strong roots through winter and flower when the ground warms in spring. Try this with pollyanthas, Iceland poppy, lupin, primula, wall flower, stock, snapdragon and if sweet peas are planted in late Autumn they will pop up and sit through winter to flower in August. This month is also the best time to plant conifers, there are such a lot of different types, I consider conifers to be a component in creating the bones of a garden. Tall narrow conifers planted in groups give larger gardens a vertical push and formality. Conifer labels need to be read carefully they give the height and width for the first ten years, after that they do keep growing and should be removed if they start to look untidy. Most ornamental and ground cover conifers look wonderful for years and years. A web site with a comprehensive selection is ttp://www.conifers.co.nz , a good contact for those who like to bonsai. Bulbs:It's difficult to think about Spring when Autumn has just begun but if you want that beautiful spring splendor in your garden after the chill of winter it is now that spring bulbs are on offer, all that beauty dormant in bags waiting to be planted. Daffodils along a roadside fence line, grouped in a vacant paddock, under deciduous trees with bluebells, best of all they can be forgotten about and happily multiply year after year. Tulips are planted last in the month of May. Compost:This is an excellent time to start building a new compost heap and get it heating up before winter. The heating process stops during the coldest months so get one started when leaves fall and lawns still need mowing. Hen manure becomes too hot for heaps during other months but it is ok to add now. If you have no time or space for making compost ring Gregg, 0272293215 for a delivery of ready made from our local meat works which is wonderful for feeding plants and suppressing weeds. Not recommended for the sowing of seeds. Lawns. Autumn is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn because perennial weed growth is slowing and the ground is warm with dew adding moisture, grass seed will be up in no time. Water your new lawn early in the morning instead of during the day, between 6am and 10am, this will ensure that the moisture actually gets down into the soil and to grass roots before the suns evaporation. Mature lawns may need aeration with a fork or a push along spikier, or if a lawn is chocked with thatch then hiring a detaching machine will solve that problem. Vegetables: That last rain was a benefit to dry gardens but evaporation is great right now so watering is important for all new plantings. Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been, it is a good time to sow Root plants like Beetroot , Carrots and Parsnips also Chives, Leeks ,Onions , Shallots , Spring Onions. and Asparagus. When potatoes are dug they need to be kept in the dark or they will go green, when storing there are products which will inhibit sprouting, but many gardeners avoid chemicals near food so I will once again mention a natural alternative with you. Layer the stored potatoes with sprigs of rosemary, sage and lavender, the essential oils given off by these herbs not only inhibit sprouting, they will also help to keep the tubers free from bacterial soft rots. Fruit: Apples, quince, plums, walnuts and late peaches so much at once! the birds must be overjoyed by their feasting and the rats / mice will be munching sunflower seeds and waiting patiently for walnuts to ripen, I am sure they are pleased with the work we have put in to feed them! Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago February 9th 2021

Dry again in North Otago as we go into the ripening season,and then it rained to relieve parched ground.. The hedge trimmer has been on the go again here Trimming with secateurs is not practical for us with such a large garden and at this time of the year you can not do too much damage so if hedges need height and width taken well back the regrowth time is pretty quick. Buddleia's have been flowering for a while now attracting butterflies, when flowers die off they need to be cut well back to encourage new fresh growth to take through autumn and winter. Buddleia's are a great fill in bush and look attractive with their blue green foliage even without the blue, pink or white flowers, plant at the back of a border and you will not be sorry. Begonias, petunias and Lilly's are taking center stage now begonias are tropical perennials and like partial shade. Strong sunlight will burn leaves and blooms, if growing in dense shade they will grow more leaves than flowers, wind protection is needed because stems are damaged by strong wind. Let the top inch of soil dry out before watering. Petunias need dead heading often, cutting back and feeding petunias will keep them flowering for ages. Lillies: should be in good draining soil but never be allowed to dry out, mulching helps with this. Lilies do not re bloom, remove faded flowers so plants don't waste energy making seeds. Leave foliage until it turns brown storing energy for next years flower, cut dead stalks in late autumn. large lily clumps can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering.Dividing bulbs: Time is limited now for lifting and dividing congested bulb clumps while they are still dormant. Anemones and ranunculus: will be in Garden centers now I pop them in the fridge for a month in paper bags (not plastic) then soak them overnight in tepid water before planting (stratification), this simulates the winter chill then they are stimulated into growth with the water warmth before planting. Staggering the planting over several weeks will extend the flowering. Lawns continue to stay green with the odd rain shower and warmth which means no slowing down in growth. I spot sprayed lawn weeds again this week, clover really takes off if left and daisies like the continual rain watering, then there is that creeping the tiny leafed weed with yellow flowers that forms a mat in lawns. Every little plant off this needs to be zapped because it flowers and seeds very quickly and spreads from lawn to lawn when mowing. Fruit: It is time to shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, the growth is needed for the grapes that have started to form. If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some while shortening back. Veg Garden: Get seeds in the garden now for autumn veg, lettuce, carrots, beetroot, dwarf beans, parsley, parsnip, silver beet. Keep mounding up late potato rows to encourage bigger shores, keep water up to corn, which is growing well with warm days,  Corn have a shallow rooting system, mulching helps to keep them upright in strong winds and adds needed nitrogen. Pea straw is being baled again, order bales now then pick up from the paddock Ph: Sue 03 4326844. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago February 2nd 2021

Sun day after day, this real kiwi summer is such a treat and watering is once more a daily happening and with evaporation so great I spend time deep watering around plant roots rather than using sprinklers. Cutting back is full on now,  it all has to go if it has died back to encourage new fresh growth.February: is a good month for taking cuttings and propagating your own plants. Why? Because by late summer the soft new spring growth has hardened and the cutting is less likely to lose moisture from leaves. Plants like geraniums (Pelargoniums) or impatiens are easiest for beginners, but many common shrubs such as abelia, buxus, lavenders,camellias, azaleas, fuchsias and hebe's have a relatively high success rate. The trick when growing plants from cuttings lies in keeping the cut pieces alive while they develop their own new roots. Professional nurserymen do this by growing cuttings in glasshouses where they’re regularly misted with fine sprays of water. But there are lots of techniques that can help a home gardener to achieve success. Try the following: Take cuttings early in the morning, while it’s still cool. Choose tip pieces that are about 100- 150 mm long then drop into a bucket with enough water for cuttings to stand up in, cuttings can remain there for a couple of days if you are short of time. Work in the shade. Fill a deepish container with river sand or crusher dust  and water well and allow to drain. Trim the base of the cuttings below a leaf node (which is where the leaf is, or has been, attached to the stem). Remove bottom leaves, leaving a few at the top. Large leaves can be cut in half (with scissors or sharp secateurs) to further reduce water loss. Dip the base of the cuttings into hormone Gel or powder. Use a pencil to poke holes in the top of the mix a 150 mm pot can hold about six cuttings. Insert the bottom of each cutting into a hole and gently move the mix back to hold it in place.When the pot is full of cuttings, water carefully and place the pot in a lightly shaded spot, out of direct sunlight, no plastic cover is required at this time of the year but check regularly to make sure the mix stays moist. After a couple of months, look to see if buds are swelling and gently gently move the stems to feel if they’re firm and roots have started. When roots are established the rooted cuttings can be moved into individual pots filled with good quality potting mix and fed with a weak liquid fertiliser. Plant these cuttings out in spring or pot on when roots fill the pot. Bulbs: I will mention planting bulbs again because they are coming into plant shops now wanting to be in the ground. A bulb comes ready-equipped with the promise of a flower and in its previous growing season bulbs do all the work of flowering then creating an embryo flower safely stored within the bulbs waiting for the right moisture and temperature to trigger growing. In all but the wettest areas, bulbs can be left in the ground from one year to the next but If soil stays wet for long periods (especially during cold weather) your bulbs will rot, feeding once they make an appearance is the secret to ongoing success. Lawns are showing heat stress now, keeping lawn mower blades higher will help with shade and moisture retention for lawn roots. Fruit: Such a busy fruit picking time now, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines all ripening. It is recommended to prune stone fruit trees in late summer after fruiting has finished, however it can be done in early-mid autumn if time is against you. if you do wait and prune in autumn protect cut wounds with a water based paint or pruning paint to seal the wound and prevent disease entering. Feed citrus trees with citrus food and spray any scale you notice with winter oil.  If your lemon bush has become crowded with branches and leaves, remove a few branches to let light and bees in. Vegetables: Keep sowing veg seeds, carrot, beetroot, parsnip, spring onion, and lettuce because there is plenty of growing time left for seeds to germinate and grow.  I planted another couple of rows of peas, in a different place to where I pulled the last crop out. Veg  seedlings being planted now will need bird protection while small.