Gardening in Waitaki January 25th 2022

We have had a reprieve from the heat this week, a shock to our systems and the garden I am sure. I have divided clumps of violas now finished flowering, dig up part of a large clump and basically pull it to bits planting  sections with roots into pots ,by the start of next winter the small pots will be filled with roots, new leaves and buds ready to be planted out.The same for pollyanthus  and  primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent roots.Drifts of blue and white agapanthus are putting on a great show around town, once finished flowering clumps can be dug up  (if clumps are manageable enough to do this) then pull off small rooted sections and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering, to get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias and delphiniums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemum, they will be flowering soon.The ground will be getting hungry now so give areas opened up after a cutting back a good soak then top up with compost to encourage spreading plants to make new roots.  Resist the urge shift shrubs, they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year if water was not kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when sap is down. If large shrubs are needing to be shifted, wrench them now in readiness to lift them at the right time. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added. Keep water up once roots have been cut or disturbed and the wrenched shrub / tree will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots while at the same time the other half is making new roots into the compost. Seeds: with all the hot weather there are plenty of ripe seeds to be had from foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon, even rhododendron and azalea. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them) and plant into seed raising mix at the end of next winter. Mulching of the soil is beneficial right now but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then you can forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping moisture in the ground. Un-sprayed grass clippings mixed with compost as a mulch around plant roots works well. Lawns:  If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground soon by spraying out perennial weeds then rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Firm and create an even service by raking and more raking to create a fine top layer to sow seed when dews start again. Warm ground and gentle watering will have the seed struck in no time. Leave fertilising until the lawn is really established, new grass will burn easily.  Veg and Fruit Vegetable gardens will be well picked over by now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant the runners closest to the mother plant and keep the water up until they make roots. Apple trees are producing well this year and the birds will have a ball as they ripen. If there are too many apples in clusters remove some that can be reached, wind will take care of the weak and small.  Plumbs are ripening well and late peaches are coming on. Time to cover grapes, the birds are waiting to feast.  Cheers, Linda 

Gardening in Waitaki January 19th 2022

Seed collecting:

I would imagine many people are still in holiday mode and long may it last......it would be great if the lawns and garden followed suit, however it is so good to get the rain this week to keep gardens fresh. Weeds are loving the perfect growing conditions also, if you need to spray, wait until the end of a hot day when weeds are thirsty and bee's are fewer. The summer cut back, with the continual growth and with garden maintenance being all about keeping plants and shrubs under control, cutting back will still be in full swing in gardens and once a plant has finished flowering there should be seed heads to save. Seed collecting starts now, I select beautiful annuals and perennials and let a part of them go to seed for collecting when fully ripe, then store seed pods to pop out into brown paper bags. So far I have aquilegia, poppies, dianthus, pansy, viola, and polyanthus still waiting on delphiniums, peonies, iris, and many more treasures to fully ripen. Seeds can be planted during Autumn then the germinated seedlings will need to be nursed through winter. Agapanthus, hydrangeas and roses are all giving good displays around waitaki with the heat and moisture, as are, rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas, these along with hydrangeas all do best in semi shade and moist soil so summer rains have been perfect for them. They would all benefit from a dressing of blood and bone watered in when a good soak is needed. Lawns will be enjoying the heat and moisture as well which means catcher after catcher full. Grass cuttings are good humus to soil so cover bare ground as a mulch to conserve moisture and to block out the light needed for weeds to grow. Fruit: So many fruits are ripening now, black currants and raspberries to freeze, strawberries have been disappointing but apricots and plums are ripening well. Apple and pear trees are layden to the point where thinning out of bunches will be necessary if the wind does not take care of it. Vegetable gardens should still be producing well, I have a slug problem because I kept the garden too moist so will leave it up to the rain from now on. Beans are plentiful and Corn and pumpkins are putting on good growth which is important because they both need a long ripening season. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki January 2nd 2022

A happy gardening New Year to all.  Experiencing some long sunny days with rain from time to time, perfect holiday weather. Roses: Moisture and humidity may be proving a problem this summer, rose buds browning before blooming but roses are enjoying the deep moisture from the summer rain. Cut all affected buds and leaves off and destroy them while dead heading,  All roses should have a summer pruning after their first flowering, cut a spent flower stem down to an out facing bud on a thick part of stem. It takes no time at all for new leaves and buds to grow back. Cut back summer flowering perennials and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering, daisy bushes, delphiniums, lavaterias, dianthus, lupins and herbs before they all go to seed then feed with slow release or a liquid fertiliser, they will all come back fresh and most will flower again. Cut chrysanthemums back if getting tall and lanky, they should then flower in the autumn on shorter steams. Push a few of the tip growth into river sand and they should root to be planted once clumped up. Foliar feeding is very important to encourage fresh new growth after cutting back anything at this dry time of the year. Fill gaps in the flower garden with annuals.  Front planting full sun: impatiens, small type petunias, begonia, small marigolds, lobelia, alyssum. Mid plantings: nicotina, coriopsis, tall petunias, tall marigolds, bedding dahlia, salvia, nemesia. Tall plantings: cosmos, lavatera, sun flowers, Canterbury bells, love in the mist. Semi shade ( with good light )plantings: impatiens, bedding begonias, lobelia, Japanese anemone (perennial), foxglove. Lawns: When the next heavy rain arrives, feed the lawns and they will bounce back like fresh spring lawns.  Ponds must be topped up regularly at this time of the year because of evaporation on hot days. Ponds tend to green up a bit as the water warms. The addition of barley straw to one end of a pond is so beneficial in helping pond water clear naturally. Weigh straw down with a large rock and with the topping up and straw doing it's job the water stays clear for fish and lilies.  Herbs: Culinary herbs are putting out heaps of growth now, harvesting, tieing and drying can be done. Hang in a cool darkish place until crisp to touch then rub onto newspaper and store in sealed glass jars. Mint, bay leaves, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme work well together as mixed herbs. Fruit and veg will be maturing fast then probably bolting to seed if not picked when ready,  birds can be a problem as well, use strawberry net when needed. Gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries and  currents will be doing well now we are getting sunny days. Black currants, cut all the fruiting branches off ( they fruit on the previous year's growth) then strip berries off in a nice shady spot. This way the fruit is picked and the bush is pruned at the same time. Reduce the length of fruiting runners on grapes and remove all unproductive growth. Tomatoes need water kept up and some leaves removed to let in light, too many leaves take up nitrogen that should be used by the fruit.  Corn and pumpkins are growing well and the potatoes I thought were all top and no potatoes proved me wrong by being just the opposite, I gave them a tickle up on Christmas day and was amazed at the number and the size. Keep planting all veg , we have the best growing and ripening time ahead.   Cheers, Linda