Gardening in Waitaki 1st November

Abutilon mixed shades.

November brings the start of a new busy growing season . Spring is moving on with new growth still too tender to need our attention. We can look, touch and smell nature's gifts while weeds beckon us. Roses: Buds are forming, thank goodness for the rain we have had to get them off to a good start. Aphids can be dealt to with finger and thumb on the new growth before they settle down around bushes. Deciduous azaleas Are taking center stage flaunting wonderful colour's, the display in our Botanical Gardens is breathtaking right now. Peony roses are budding well ready to delight us when they explode into flower, some early peonies are already bursting into flower so if you haven't already done so get some frames around them to keep them from flopping under the weight of flowers. Dahlias are pushing through now, if you discover some in shade with tree branches having spread wider they can be shifted while leaves are still low, take a good amount of soil around the roots and plant in a sunny position. Hydrangeas have leafed up and are starting to produce flower heads so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. It's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Strong winds can be detrimental to new hydrangea leaves, if they do get damaged they will soon recover. Hydrangeas are the perfect shrub for a semi shaded area. Fuchsias all prefer semi shade and are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back, do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up. Fuchsias are on sale right now. Fuchsia tip cuttings can be taken now, if you spot some you like in a friend's garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a nodule section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand. Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon. They come in strong colours of yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container under planted with a lime green sedum. Being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. Lawns: Still getting heavy dews on lawns which helps to keep them lush, but hot days will soon put grass under stress, have lawn food on hand for the next good rain. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on soil with high clay content. A soil test is the best way to determine what's best for a healthy growing lawn and garden. To test your soil pH level, a simple and effective way is to use a home testing kit. A good tip when taking soil samples from your soil is to get a sample from just below the surface for an accurate reading. Generally when soil calcium is low, the pH is also low. In this instance, lime calcium carbonate can be added to the soil to raise calcium level and raise the pH to a more desirable level. If the soil is also low in magnesium, you should use dolomitic lime. I have always suggested gypsum is used to break down clay soil but since giving time to study results I now know that gypsum works well on coastal soil with clay and sodium content but not on heavy clay soil inland. To rectify heavy, non draining soil add organic matter, composted, finely ground pine bark is ideal along with at least 6 inches of river sand to the top 6 inches of soil worked in. Vegetables: The rain, even though we have had good rain already this spring which has been a treat to veg gardens as hosing does not give the same results as a good rain, but of course with all lush growth weeds will take over if left unattended. Hoeing while small is still the best weeding method I know. Any veg planted or sown now will pop up and thrive when the sun shines. Tomatoes; will be getting taller and flowering now however the consistent cold snaps and overcast days will be holding them back ,making leaves curl and take on a blueish look, this will stop once we get a continuous warm spell. On dull cold days watering will chill them further so water and folia feed on the warm days early in the day to allow time for soil to warm again before the evening. Cheers, Linda.