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.