Gardening in Waitaki 15th February 2022

Summer dead heading roses

The recent rain will have rejuvenated gardens and lawns but I am sure the drop in temperature had an adverse effect on Gardeners, thank goodness the balmy days have returned as we come to the end of this month. Parts of gardens will be getting tired now particularly in hot sunny areas, rain spoiled rose and dahlia blooms need to be removed to get a late show. Cut a rose bloom back to a firm part of the stem at an out facing bud and cut dahlia flower right down off a branch. To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums they will be putting on a show soon,deadheading all plants will encourage flowering rather than seed producing. With rain and the now heavy dew's gardens should carry on producing new growth until the first frosts but as days shorten colouring and leaf fall will begin then the raking up season will begin! Those lucky enough to pile garden trimmings in a stock paddock for burning, be mindful of what is being left for stock to eat. There are a number of common plants that can poison animals and Children : Arum lilies, Calico bush ( Kalmia latifolia ), Daphne, English yew, foxglove, Hemlock, Holly berries, Iris, Ivy, Kowhai (especially seeds) Laburnum, Lily of the valley, Ngaio, Deadly nightshade, Privit, Rhododendron, Rhubarb (leaves) Spindle berry, Potato ( green berries and green tubers) Wrenching: I would dearly love to shift shrubs but I know they would suffer being shifted at this time of the year even if water was kept up to them, best to wait until winter when the sap is down, so wrench now shift later. To wrench is to dig down on one side of the tree or shrub cutting roots as you go, once all feeder roots have been severed pack compost or peat potting mix around them for new roots to grow into over autumn. Untouched roots on the other side will continue to feed the tree or shrub until lifting in winter when plants are dormant. However if you have no option and have to shift trees or shrubs a root ball would need to be as wide as the plant, retaining as much of the tap root as possible, the planting hole should be twice as big as the root ball, compost or peat added then filled with water before planting and firming in with a secure stake to protect the transplant from wind movement. Remove a third off the top and side growth then leave a hose dripping down into roots until you feel things have settled. Monarch butterflies are still busy laying eggs on leaves of swan plants, my advice is to squash eggs because there is no time now for caterpillars to develop in cocoons before temperatures drop at night and their food supply is coming to an end. Once eggs have been removed, cover bushes with frost cloth to keep butterflies off and protection for cocoons developing. Lawn weeds sprayed here last week are wilting away, even the Hydrocotyle which I thought was not going to succumb to the spray. I see where grass grubs are eating away at the roots of grass, mostly in the ground at the foot of trees night beetles strip leaves from, (Grass grubs turn into these beetles), granules can be applied from now until May during the next significant rainfall. Veg: New root veg can go in now, board beans, french beans, carrots, parsnips and beetroot, if planting out leaf veg it would pay to cover from white butterfly and birds that seem to go for the small newly planted. So much home grown produce will be picked and frozen or store for winter this month, it is reassuring for gardeners to know their fresh veg is fresh and safe from chemicals. Tomatoes: Gardeners will be having the same trouble as me, waiting for tomatoes to ripen. There was informative information written by James Wong in the ODT last week which I can endorse. Remove the top tall growth on tomatoe plants once it has produced 4 bunches of fruit. The season is becoming too short now to ripen tomatoes from flowers now and plants will put energy into ripening already developed fruit. Also gradually reduce the amount of water given now. If you are able plants can be stressed into ripening by root trimming, 50cm out from the main stem with a spade work your way around until you have a ring around each plant. If plants are too close together you will be unable to do this. Fruit: Dig out old spent strawberry plants and discard, plants being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant strong runners closest to the parent plant and keep water up to them until they make roots. Apples, late peaches, nectarines, quince and grapes are the next picking crops then walnuts will be falling, SUCH ABUNDANCE. Cheers, Linda.