Gardening in Waitaki October 12th 2021

As I write this it is the second week of School holidays and a wet start, not so good for Parents and Children but wonderful for the garden, gentle warm spring drizzle is what we had last week but this week it is a cold snap, hard on us as well as new growth. Spring bulbs are starting to finish, don't be tempted to cut leaves off just yet as the bulbs top up on food for next year from leaves as they die back. If you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space there will always be someone willing to bring a spade to halve big clumps and adopt bulbs. Put a sign at the gate saying Bulbs to give away, bring a spade! Sifted soil is what is needed for reseeding lawn bare patches and to add body to tired gardens, pots, baskets and seed trays. With peat based planting mediums used today soil becomes light and fluffy and will not hold moisture, soil is nature given for growing and sifted it is the perfect medium for new roots, spread it on top and it will wash in beneath the mulch with each watering to bulk up depleted soil. Lavenders: lavenders eventually reaches the end of their growing. After a trim back at the end of Winter you will soon know if they are only making a little bit of new growth here and there with most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. Cuttings can be taken now from stronger growing lavenders now that new growth is happening, Tip cuttings with stems that have firmed can be taken along with a little hard wood at the bottom, (too soft and it will not work) strip bottom leaves and dip into rooting hormone, then push into damp, sharp crusher dust and place in a warm place with good overhead light, (not full sun) The pot and cuttings can be wrapped in a plastic bag, tie off the top but no plastic can touch the cutting. When roots form remove the bag and nurse cuttings until they are ready to pot on into individual pots. Take tip cuttings from shrubs as well now once stems have firmed, dip them in hormone and push them into damp, sharp crusher dust, they will make roots over the Spring and summer ready to be potted and nursed for planting out at the end of next winter. Keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums they start making growth now, cut back the first new growth before they make hard wood. They do not flower until the Autumn so by removing the first new growth they should regrow shorter and be more manageable. Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so, they will make new fresh growth, because they flower on new seasons wood they can be taken well back. Ericas that flowered over winter can be trimmed now so new growth does not start above the spent flowers. Dahlias are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. they like a warm full sun free draining spot, tubas will rot if planted in ground that remains wet. Too early yet to trim box hedges, wait until the new growth firms up a little. The perfect time to trim box in spring is during overcast days, the hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days give them time to recover. Lawns: mowers are humming again on lush lawns, use the clippings around your garden as mulch, not great piles but evenly scattered around will keep the weeds down and help to retain moisture. Vegetables: Tomatoes: For those with glass houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost. This will need to have been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated. Summers here in North Otago can be cool so a glass or tunnel house is the a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly by plants, never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet. There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from. Beefsteak, the big tomato best for sandwiches & cooking, Early girl, stars producing early and keeps on until late in the season, Potentate, medium/small firm with moderate acidity and low in sugar, Money maker, medium size and good flavor , Doctor Walter is the very low acid tomato Cherry tomatoes, the plant you can grow in a pot inside or on a porch, great for Children's lunch boxes. Russian red a tomato to grow outside in a sunny spot protected from the wind. Heirloom tomatoes have become popular, they don't look great but they have the great taste of yesteryear. Most need staked and tied up in the glass house and ALL tomatoes like sun all day, 6 to 8 hours, it helps the fruit if there are fewer leaves on the plants. Tomato leaves create unneeded shade, compete for nutrients, and harbor disease. Keep planting vegetable seeds directly into the garden but don't sow too thickly mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning. Beans, pumpkins and corn can be planted as soon as the ground remains warm. Cheers, Linda.