Gardening in Waitaki December 7th 2021

As I write rain is falling again, helping nature with the rapid growth here in North Otago, I spent last week out of town and on my return I could not believe the growth! In a week broad bean pods had filled ready for picking, strawberries ripened and potatoes and tomatoes foliage had doubled in size and trays of seedlings were ready for pricking out. I know you will be finding there is so much to be now cut back in the garden, plants like tree peony which doubles in size each growing season. Don't let tree peony swamp your garden and smother other plants. When finished flowering the older woody canes can be cut down to the second bud from the bottom leaving the new green stalks to be next year's flower branches. By doing this once flowering has finished seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants needing cut back will be bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, and false Valerian. These will all grow back soon and look a lot nicer, some will flower again. Keep deadheading roses spoiled by rain, they will only rot on the bush if left which will encourage fungus. Cut back to an outward facing bud on a strong lower section of the branch. Peony roses what a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they are fantastic this year and I am seeing more in peoples gardens? The brilliant shades and very large blooms fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting effort into making seed. Begonias are really pushing through now but the cold snap this week will hold them back until they get the sun heat again. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around their roots. Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now, they are thriving in the moist soil. Heavy rain may have washed needed nutrients away, blood and bone, aged manure or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. However if soil is Alkaline blue hydrangea flowers will always colour back towards pink. Alkaline soil is referred to by some gardeners as “sweet soil.” The pH level of alkaline soil is above 7, and it usually contains a great deal of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Since alkaline soil is less soluble than acidic or neutral soil, availability of nutrients is often limited. If your soil proves to be alkaline and it is blue hydrangea flowers you want, plant them in large pots filled with an acid mix, this way they will remain blue but new acid mix will need to be added annually. Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later than the ones you have cut back but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot. Because they put on a lot of growth in one season they soon become bushy and fill a pot. 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 white and strong yellow, orange, burgundy and a red. I once planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass like lomandra lime tuff as an underplanting and it worked well. . The weight of rain makes it easy to see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. It's the lower branches that can be removed without making the tree look as though it has been cut. The upper branches will hide the cuts, so any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether. Lawns The rain keeps lawns soft and lush giving them a good start before the intense heat of summer and during rain is a good time to get dry lawn fertiliser on them. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, I have in the past suggested gypsum be 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. This sounds like work, I know but done over time your lawn will soon be softer and springy to walk on. Keeping the catcher higher also helps grass sown in clay hard soil, scalping lawns allows gaps to introduce weeds. Vegetables Perfect weather for vegetables and fruit this year, keep the hoe going because weeds are doing well also. The days are moist, warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is still not a problem in my veg garden! Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants, more nutrients going to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible to insects for pollination. Try it and see if you get a better crop. Cooler nights and wet foliage going into the night tends to upset tomato plants, leaves become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight and fungus. Cheers, Linda.

Abutilon (Chinese lantern)