Gardening in Waitaki 1st July 2021

We did well dodging the worst of the cold snap that came through this week, thank goodness for the Kakanui range. I am sure that cold wind chill will have kept most gardeners inside. I am fortunate enough to have an indoor area for potting up and seed sowing.   Don't let another lot of rain fall before spreading compost / manure on soil that worked hard all of last growing season. Pig manure is easy to spread because it is mixed with sawdust from the birthing sheds, as is calf manure mixed with straw. Spreading is all that is needed as the worms will do the rest and take it down into the soil. The Waitaki resource recovery park has pig manure bagged and at this time of the year Lions clubs are filling stands with sawdust and sheep manure. Volunteers clean out under shearing sheds to keep stands topped up for keen gardeners. I use the sawdust on pathways and the sheep manure on the compost heaps. Sawdust can be used thickly on wet gardens as a weed suppressant as it helps to absorb excess moisture, but never on dry gardens.  As you work around the garden you will see the plants that are making a move, most spring bulbs have pushed through some even flowering along fence lines,  pretty violets, pollyanthas and hellebore's are braving the cold along with early camellias and Christmas cheer Rhododendron are flowering. After a few hard frosts in a row then a couple of milder frost free days plants get the urge to push buds open however it is the shortened hours of light that dictates the starting of a new growing season.  As Gardeners we need to be on interment terms with the weather and bend to it, learn how it affects our own gardens through all seasons, where wind chill comes in, the driest or bad draining areas and plant accordingly because weather makes no exceptions and plants can be lost if planted in the wrong conditions. We can create shelter and drainage where needed but Nature is still in charge. If we do nothing at all nature will plant the right plant in the right place every time, probably a weed. One consolation is the more different weeds that come up in your garden means you have good growing conditions. Everything above the ground in your entire garden is determined by what happens below ground level. Planting: Any deciduous tree or shrub whether bagged or bare rooted is best planted in winter when dormant and this is also when you get the best choices in Garden centers. Give the tree /shrub a good soak in a bucket overnight before planting. Plant all trees, shrubs and hedging plants quite shallow, a shovel deep but make the radius of the hole at least twice as wide as deep.  Loosen the soil with a fork below and to the sides of the hole and spread roots out over mounded soil at the bottom of the hole, the quicker roots leave the planting hole, spread and take hold the better. If a hole is dug too deep with a lot of organic matter added, roots tend to stay put content to make feeder roots in one spot rather than search for what they need. A good stake put in deep while planting is essential especially with tall grafted trees, this  helps to keep roots from moving while becoming established. Leaf mulch: The rain was welcome on my large leaf piles, moisture needs to get beyond the top of the pile which acts as a shield so I get the fork in and mix things up to let rain in and if not enough moisture after a few showers the hose will go on then a cover to keep wind out and get moist fungus working to turn leaves into mulch to add wonderful humus to soil later in the year. Birds look for  food  and water during winter, if you supply both  your garden will be visited but for birds to be relaxed they need food trays placed high close to a bush or a tree they can dart to if startled. Where I am now apples are still hanging on trees even after picking and picking and giving away, the birds are loving them. Fat and seed hangings are perfect for hungry birds as well, I melt a block of dripping in a pot and while still soft before hardening it is easy to mix bird seed in then fill a string bag like what kiwi fruit and mandarins come in, birds will flock to it. Sugar water is always found by tui's but if you start it is only fair to birds that you continue. Gladioli corms and asiatic lily bulbs will be on offer this month, Gadioli can be planted from now until December. Plant 8-10cm deep and 15cm apart in a sheltered position with full sun and good drainage. Gladioli will flower approximately 100 days after planting so can be stagger-planted for a continuous display. Aciatic Lilies can be held over in moist sawdust, (they must never dry out) to be planted out in early spring.  Remember to continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with frost cloth as a cover above them, not touching. If they frost on the top just leave the frosted tops to protect the new growth beneath. This would not work further inland, it would be best to start nursing cuttings to be planted out when the frosts are over. Moss on driveways: I was given this tip a few years ago,  spread some inexpensive laundry powder on the thick moss growing along the shaded side of paths and driveways and hey presto! it will turn brown and die, leave it in the hope it will discourage more moss growing during winter and rake away in spring. Vegetables:  On the coast start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in a warm spot, under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going mouldy. Further inland where winters are harsher and longer germination will only happen on a heated seed raising pad so best to wait. If seeds are raised inside they will get leggy before it is time to plant out. Next week pruning advice. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening Waitaki June 23rd 2021

A damp dull week just passed and with Monday being the shortest day how short the days have been, extremely hard to gauge the time of day.I thought I would touch on the pruning of rose types this week. Rose types. Floribunda bush roses, which display clusters of blooms like iceberg need a few older branches taken right back each year to encourage new strong branching and newer branches taken back by two thirds. Hybrid tea bush roses: These are the roses that can grow exhibition blooms, they can be pruned back quite hard at outward facing buds. Standard bush roses: Roses grafted onto a tall standard trunk, prune the same as bush roses. Climbing roses: These roses flower at their best when the branches are trained horizontally along a fence or wall, they develop small branches along the length of the trained branch and give a brilliant show. After a number of years these long horizontal branches will need to be removed and replaced by a softer new branch. Be careful not to damage this soft wood, train gently out to take the place of the removed old wood. The new branch will bud up quickly sending out small outward growing branches to harden off in a couple of years. Next year prune these new outward growing branches back to the second outward facing bud from the bottom. Pillar roses; The best type to climb up and be trained over an arch or pergola. I cut the old growth back off these roses with a hedge trimmer. Fairy rose and flower carpet roses: If big and bushy I also cut back with a hedge trimmer but open them up by removing branches from the middle with secateurs. Rambling roses: Most ramblers flower in Late summer and should be cut back right after flowering, if pruned now formed buds will be removed. The bulk of new season's bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now. If you have room for only one or two trees in a new garden consider planting a fruit tree, getting not only the beautiful blossom display in spring but the bonus of fresh fruit. An apricot tree grows into a lovely specimen where space is available, 2m high by 4m wide needing a sunny spot to ripen fruit. Malus ( crab apple) would be a beautiful addition to a garden, most are a nice shape that blossom profusely in Spring and do not grow as large as flowering cherries. I have seen stunning examples around town this winter flaunting bright red fruit on bare branches. Nectarine and peach trees are a manageable size for a garden, very beautiful when in blossom but on the down side susceptible to leaf curl. However the wonderful leaf curl resistant peach Sweet Perfection raised by Duntroon couple, the late Dr Helen Brooks and Terry Fowler is a winner as is nectarine Mabel named for a Waikato gardener who discovered this natural hybrid of a blackboy peach in her garden. The fruit I am told is delicious and quite dramatic looking, purple skin with a pale yellow flesh and new leaf growth being purple makes this tree an interesting contrast to other trees. (nectarines are self-fertile). I am on the look out for one of these! With so many deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs on offer right now, make sure to read the labels to know how high and wide a shrub or tree will grow. Some, especially natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade if planted along side the house, it pays to ask advice. Next week I will cover pruning. Compost heaps have cooled now but worms will still be working as long as there is adequate moisture. Heaps can be kept warmer by being covered. A good cover is straw which lets in rain and can be included in the compost once broken down. Veg: Now is the time to plant garlic, make sure the garlic you plant has been NZ grown not the imported type. Break large bulbs apart and plant the cloves, pointed end down. Don't mulch once planted because this tends to keep the soil too moist and garlic cloves may rot. Keep planting leaf veg here on the coast, I leave frost cloth cover over new plantings now as protection from frost and birds. Fruit: There are some really well grown citrus shrubs on offer in garden centres right now and I couldn't resist buying a Mayer lemon, it has the look of being taken straight from a tunnel house so I will need to protect it with frost cloth until winter is over. Current bushes : red currants produce most fruit on two and three year old wood, so prune out branches older than this and all weak and thin branches growing close to the ground. Black currents bear a small amount of fruit on one year old wood but two year old wood will become covered with fruit. New fresh branch growth has a shine to it that older wood does not and very old wood is very easy to identify by it's extreme dullness.

Gardening in Waitaki June 15th 2021

A damp dull week so far which I am sure does not inspire anyone to work outside, cloud cover means no frost for a bit allowing plants to hydrate before the next big freeze. At long last we have come to the end of leaves on trees and letting trees rest for a couple of months while there is plenty going on beneath them. Bulbs are pushing through with early snowdrops almost in flower, shrubs are budding up along with hellebores, ericas, wallflowers and all the polyanthus and primulas planted last month, it's time once again to notice all the special little things happening from now on in our gardens. Tidying up and dividing perennials is what can be done along with pruning the large climbing old fashioned roses and ramblers that have become entangled and may need a hedge trimmer to reduce the height and width. Early planting: Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering and sweet-pea planted now will flower in early spring. Roses: Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease that intensifies during damp weather. A lime sulphur spray can be done now being a few weeks before pruning then after pruning a spray of Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss. There is a good selection of bare rooted roses on sale now and this is the best time to plant them. wisterias have lost all their leaves now, prune off all long and unruly canes, if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and some keep growing thicker each year. New seasons trees will be available locally now: Prunus, Flowering cherries and Malus, crab apple trees are ballerinas in the garden but when choosing trees the important factors are Height and width when fully grown. Some grow vase shaped which will allow light to gardens beneath. The spreading /weeping varieties branch wide spilling to the ground from the top. All are grafted onto standard 1.2m/ 1.5m/ 1.8m root stock which allows height when first planted, each label will tell you the expected height and width. Very few are suitable for small gardens. Some very pretty varieties to consider: Yedoensis -med/large,spreading mass of mid season single white or pale pink blossom, Shirotae (Mount Fuji) large spreading, early season double white blossom. Shimidsu sakura late season, low spreading double pale pink blossom. Pink perfection med/large, upright spreading, mid season double pink blossom. Autumnalis rosea: smaller branched pale pink small blossom 3 times a year, flowering now. Weeping type: falling snow, white blossom pendula rosa pink blossom and Kiku shidare double pink blossom. They all start at a manageable size but within 5 years they become a sizable tree. Veg: On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing other than garlic can be planted this month but tunnel and glass houses can be cleared, sterilized and re-soiled if needed ready for protected veg planting in late winter. Fruit: This week I will go through the pruning required for pear trees, it is not recommended to heavily prune pear trees but if this is required the best time to do major pruning is during winter. If only a light trim is required this can be done in late summer, .the more you prune Fire blight the greater the chance fire blight will develop. Fire blight is obvious on leaves and branches when they appear as if they have been burned by fire, this disease delays fruit production. There are many new varieties of both pear and apple trees that have been cultivated to be very resistant to fire blight, this is one disease that can severely damage or kill fruit tree's. Leaves and twigs of the trees get the disease from insects who enter the flowers during spring, insects get it by gathering pollen from nearby cedar trees. Choose a resistant variety and keep trees moist, especially when in blossom and when fruit is ripening. If your tree has already been hit by fire blight, you will need to prune out the affected shoots at least several inches below the damaged area. Be sure to sterilize your clippers between cuts and burn cuttings. . Pear trees bloom and bear fruit on the sharp, short spurs that grow between its branches, older spurs should be removed occasionally to be replaced by more vigorous young ones. Too many spurs will result in small fruit, thinning will let the remaining fruit grow larger. Think about how you want your pear trees to look and set a three-year plan to get them into that shape and size. First year: remove damaged, crossing or crowded limbs, suckers need to be removed as soon as you notice them. Second year: Thin out the tree some more and bring down some of the height. Third year: thin out branches some more and cut down to the desired height. (Burn all trimmings)

-- Fire blight on apples and pear trees

Gardening in Waitaki June 9th 2021

Short days and Frost is as it should be to do what nature intends for growing and freezing Gardeners hands and feet along the way, but once the sun is up Waitaki is usually bathed in warm winter sun. Deciduous fruit trees benefit from winter chilling, and cold snaps turn starches into sugar in crops such as parsnips, improving their flavour. Frosts can also disrupt pest and disease cycles, and improve soil structure. If you have vulnerable plants in your garden cover with frost cloth that allows sunshine through to recharge the heat source for the next night.  keep an eye on tender plants like fuchsia, daphne, borgenvillia and young seedlings. Now that deciduous trees and shrubs are bare, inspection is a must to spot any sprouting of new growth beneath the graft on a grafted tree, it makes all the difference to the look and health of a tree if it is kept to grow as it was intended. For many years now formal, deciduous trees are grafted onto stronger and more manageable root stock than their own. Trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes and oaks. Any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted and sometimes the root stock will push growth out and up to compete with the grafted section. This root stock growth must be cut out before it becomes established. I have seen a few mature flowering cherry trees left unattended and the result is not good, a display of  beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other spoils the originally chosen tree. I have also noticed young weeping specimen  trees with root stock growing straight up through the middle of weeping branches. Cull out all of these rogue branches now while trees are dormant along with all branches crossing over, don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out, cutting on a slant leaving a short collar against the trunk. Prunus, (flowering cherry) crab apple and silver pear trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together encouraging disease if not removed. To avoid spreading silver leaf in prunus trees, do this pruning on a fine sunny day, keep equipment clean from tree to tree, wipe with methylated spirits as you move from tree to tree.  With the help of an arborist, if needed tidying up established trees like rowan, hoheria, silver birch, ash and oak. A tree that really needs attention each year is standard kilmarnotck willow, these small ornamental willows are a ground cover willow species grafted onto a standard becoming a Man designed upright small weeping tree that nature had no plan for. Growing along the ground as it should the dead undergrowth would rot and break down but in the upright form each seasons growth dies and builds up under new growth. Past growth is brittle and easily removed by working under the new growth canopy. Attending to this annually is best, unwanted build will make the tree top heavy, two of mine fell over in overly wet ground. Robinia mop tops need the same annual cut back, they have also been grafted onto a standard but these trees put out fresh new growth each spring so all past growth needs to be cut right back to retain the round growth habit. Weeping silver pear is another ornamental needing annual attention, don't let it get over crowded in the center and remove branches intent on growing straight up. Vegetables Frost on veg gardens will be breaking down clods and zapping pests left from summer, frost also draws up moisture so keep moisture (early in the day)  up to winter veg if looking dry, moist soil stays warmer. Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans, garlic and here on the coast rhubarb and asparagus crowns. 

Remove all growth below a tree graft.