Gardening in Waitaki April 27th 2022

May has sneaked up on us as it does after Easter and ANZC weekend and we were blessed with lovely Autumn days over that period and odd shower to keep growth strong here on the coast. No frost yet as I write this but with mornings and nights becoming chilly they will not be far off. This is the best time to prepare for colder months while there is still warmth in the soil. Cut back summer, spent growth, weed in gaps and then mulch using compost, straw or Arborist mulch, even grass clippings while mowers are still on the go. Anything to keep soil warm and stop germination by blocking out light. Autumn compost/leaf much making : Gathered leaves layered with garden green waste, leftover compost, stable or chook manure and plenty of water between layers will start to break down now then stop during the coldest months but continue working in Spring. Cover moistened piles with old carpet, straw slices or what you have on hand to retain the moisture, dry piles take much longer to break down. Mulch applied to gardens after rain in Autumn will help keep moisture in the soil and add to trees what has been raked away by gathering leaves. After rain snails and slugs arrive into gardens, they will find a dark sheltered spot among pots or behind plants growing up against a wall, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring fast multiplying snails ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because they have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to THEIR garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it tight and put it in the freezer. This way they will go to sleep and not wake up, yes I know "what is she on about"? Working with Nature is what gardening is all about and snails belong in gardens until you remove them. Conifers have been out of favor for a number of years but I consider conifers along with tree's the bones of any garden and now that leaves are disappearing from deciduous trees I appreciate the wonderful conifers I planted many years ago. To find the right conifer for a particular spot needs a little homework because size and preference to shade and texture need to be considered. A conifer can be used as a focal point, to add interest at the end of a vista in an otherwise bleak winter garden. Find an image of the right conifer for your garden and get the information required then order because Garden centers do not carry many varieties these days. Conifers planted alongside erica's and callua's are the perfect combination for a low maintenance planting to make a winter garden interesting. Pots that have been full of summer colour will now be looking very tired, replace the growing medium as all nutrients will be exhausted. If very large pots, half fill with soil / compost then top up with a heavy potting mix and fill with winter flowering annuals like pansies, polyanthus, primulas, dwarf wall flowers, all of these have shallow roots. Some I have filled with succulents because I noticed that a lot of my succulents have flowered and become stalky which means that it is time to forgo the Mother plant and plant out her babies. Each rosette can be broken off with a little part of the stem pushed into river sand to quickly develop roots to become a Mother plant. These Baby succulents look great in pots over the Winter months, You can fill all of the vacant space or push in around the edges and plant Hyacinths or any dwarf Spring bulbs in the center. The succulents give your pots some interest before the bulbs come up. There are so many different succulents, in shades of red, orange, silver and fresh green. Lawns should be slowing growth down now but not this Autumn they are still growing like fresh Spring lawns! There is still time to sow grass seed which should germinate quickly, once up new grass will cope with first frosts. Our new lawn was sown on the 31st March and is almost ready for the first cut. Sown grass seed on the bare patches (only in sunny warm areas) Don't waste lawn fertiliser on grass now, save it for spring but a dressing of dolomite lime now will have worked down by spring to sweeten grass roots. Vegetables: Plant broad beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast, further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from already planted veg already maturing to take you into winter and maybe a green crop to be dug in and left to break down over winter. Cheer Linda

Gardening in Waitaki April 21st 2022

Lake Aviemore Waitaki Valley. Autumn splendor everywhere here in North Otago with leaves falling thickly now as we gradually move towards the colder months. As I have mentioned before most leaves compost well layered with soft green waste, manure and completed compost, adding water as you build. When layering is finished, cover heaps with old carpet, polythene or anything you have on hand that would serve as a cover to keep heat in as it builds. Nature's plan for trees is for the leaf drop to mulch and nourish the tree. We tend to ignore that as we rake leaves up, however by mulching we can give back to trees. Don't be too worried about taking every leaf from the garden they will soon break down, however too many leaves left piled on gardens will be creating homes for garden pests to winter over. Snails and slugs will be searching for damp hidden places for winter protection from birds, they are usually found under hellebores, heuchera and hostas. Roses: It is important not to deadhead roses even though they look untidy. When a spent bloom sets seed sap continues to be drawn up to feed these seeds and keep them developing, when this is happening the bud shoots on the steam are not activated because the sap is bypassing them to get to the seed. If we cut the seed head off the sap will go into making new growth too soft to go into winter. Right now remove and dispose of all the diseased leaves from rose bushes and the ground around them to prevent the overwintering of rust, black spot and mildew. A spray of lime sulphur next month will defoliate them and kill off the remainder of summer disease.

Shifting shrubs, camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, and other small shrubs can be shifted now, roots are usually compromised in the shifting so a third of the top growth should be removed, if you don't do this nature will do it for you. Larger shrubs can be trenched now and shifted in late winter. Lawns: De- thatching can be done now if required, lawns can become thick with dead thatch under good grass, a de-thatcher will pull all that build up out to give grass a chance to grow healthily. A De-thatcher is easy to use and can be hired locally. March / April are the best months to sow a new lawn and resow thin patches. Even though nights start cooling after the clocks go back the ground stays warm for a few more weeks to let grass seed germinate. If your lawns have not done well during spring and summer a dressing of sifted compost, about 1/2 a bucket to the sqm working it down to the roots with the back of a rake will improve both very light and very compact soils.

Fruit: Clean up sprays can be applied to all fruit trees and fruiting shrubs that have shown leaf and mildew spots. On a fine day super copper or Nature's way fungus spray can be used. Feijoas, The aroma and flavour of feijoas are a treat at the end of the fruiting season, ripening and picking will go on into winter. (Quote), feijoas are said to be an excellent source of hydration for the body and provide soluble fibre to combat a build up of toxins in the digestive system.

Vegetables: Still time to sow a green crop when space becomes available in the vegetable garden, dig in old veg and annual weeds before they go to seed, it's all good humus for soil.Keep planting winter veg and pick and store pumpkins growing on the cost before frost. Give plants more light In glass houses now, remove any shading and give plants less water. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki April 14th 2022

Rockvale Garden on the hill as I remember it.

Lovely autumn days over the last week, with leaf colours becoming more stunning by the day and a very noticeable drop in temperature morning and night with a nice drop of rain to encourage our newly sown grass to grow. The Easter break is usually a nice, settled time to have a clean up in the garden. If shrubs and climbers need to be cut back it should be done now while there is still time for things to recover, harden off and bud up again before June. Peony roses: If you are planning to move a peony the best time is now in autumn when the peonies are nearing or in dormancy. Peonies start to become dormant when the foliage is rapidly losing colour. Cool soil temperatures allow peonies to start growing a new root system quickly before the ground freezes. The site to plant should be sunny and well drained, deep fertile soil is best but they can still do ok in quite poor soils as long as they never become waterlogged (especially over winter). Planting depth is important, too deep means they will spend time pushing up to the right depth, find the uppermost bud on the crown and plant so that the base of the bud is 5 cm (2") from the soil surface. Don't expect much growth in the first year. Leaf die back adds strength to the tuba so foliage needs to be left on then cut down to ground level in autumn and disposed of which may help prevent carry-over of fungal infections. Tree peonies stems above the ground remain alive, only remove diseased leaves and wait until spring to prune dead wood stems out. Hellebores will benefit from fortnightly feeding now to encourage better blooms. Remove old foliage, but in colder areas it is best to leave some top growth on to protect the new growth, flowers will soon shoot up past the old leaves. Destroy all removed old leaves and destroy because greenfly winter over on the underside of hellebore leaves. Only feed bulbs and plants that are due to flower now, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to sleep through the winter. Plants like camellia, azaleas and rhododendrons that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months should be moved into a sunny spot now. Shrubs in pots get root bound and hungry, If you fed them when flowering finished they should be fine. If not then give them a little fertiliser and water well to give them a boost. Seedlings and rooted cuttings need as much sun as they can get over the colder months, they may not look as though they are growing as they will not put out any new growth on top but with the warmth of the sun on pots they will be making lots of feeder roots. Keep layering leaves on the compost along with animal manure, soft garden green waste, hedge trimmings and un-sprayed grass clippings. Add some leftover compost from your last lot to the layers. Give heaps and bins a good watering from time to time to get things started. With the very warm days we have had compost heaps should be building up heat now which will remain working well into the coldest months then they will sit until the days get longer and the ground warms again. There is still time on the coast to divide border plants, perennials and rock plants, they will make new roots before growth stops. In very cold districts leave the dead top growth on, safer to remove in spring but If you are mulching with straw this will do the same job. This is the best time to shift small evergreen shrubs and conifers, as long as the root ball is not too well spread they should transplant well. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas can be shifted now as well. Lawns have really picked up since the nights have cooled and dew is back. Spot spraying clover and flat weeds works best in the heat of the day when plants are thirsty, I only spot spray where needed because I would hate to kill hard working worms. Grass grub damaged areas can be raked out and resown now, thankfully germination of grass seed is very fast during autumn while the ground is still warm. Next time we get rain gypsum and fine compost can be spread over compacted lawns to soften and add humus. Vegetables I planted broad beans and carrots this week and have had to have the hose out to give the veg garden a good soak. Remove shading from glass and tunnel houses now and reduce watering. Leeks should be available now for planting, they are planted laying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, they will soon sit up and grow fast. Fruit If you have apple trees laden, pick most of them unripe and store them in a cool dry place for late, but leave as many as you intend to eat on the tree to ripen naturally, nothing nicer than ripe fruit straight from the tree. Some will still be picking those delicious late peaches. It's grape picking time again while it is still dry but not for me anymore, I used to pick from my small vineyard to make into a few special bottles of wine....... or vinegar !!! which could be turned into Homemade Weed Killer, 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, dish detergent (any brand), Empty spray bottle. Put salt in the empty spray bottle and fill it the rest of the way up with white vinegar. Add a squirt of dish detergent. This solution works best if you use it on a hot day. ( not on lawns). Spray it on the weeds in the morning, as the day heats up it will do its work. (However bad the wine turned out there was no waste.) Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki April 6th 2022

Another mild April week just past, this is such a lovely settled time of year to enjoy before we get reminded that winter is approaching. Leaf raking will have cranked up a gear now as trees shed more and more leaves and there is still lots of cutting back, bulb planting and shifting shrubs that have become overcrowded. Shrubs and hedges growth will be starting to harden to cope with the coming cold so get any hedge trimming done but don't be too hard on them, spring is the time to take them back hard. Roses I know how tempting it can be to want to keep deadheading roses when blooms have finished, but resist because you will only be encouraging new soft growth which will result in die back during the first harsh frosts. Leaving the spent flowers to run to seed helps harden rose wood ready for the big winter prune in July/August. Hydrangea stems will be hardening as well and flower heads are either going brown or changing into new stunning autumn shades, keep water up while they are looking so pretty and leave the flowers on for ages yet. Further inland they can be left all winter to protect new growth. Resist taking old flower heads off just yet, wait until stems are harder here on the coast. Leucodendrons develop rich colour as days and nights become colder, picked bracts will last in a vase for weeks, even months. Picking the bracts is a must to keep both leucadendrons and proteas from becoming top heavy and blowing over. They resent any form of phosphates. potassium and nitrates fertiliser, a little blood and bone in spring will keep them looking good. Camellias are budding up now and some will need opening up to let in light needed for buds to develop well, remove inward facing and cross over branches. Feed camellias and rhododendrons with acid fertiliser watered in well and mulch, then forget about them until they reward you in spring. Azaleas are different. They need food, as soon as they have finished flowering but if you did not feed them then feed them along with Rhododendrons and camellias. On the coast prune back perennial wallflowers now to encourage new growth for a good winter flowering, do the same to Marguerite daisies. Further inland take hardwood cuttings of both and protect over winter. Break up clumps of viola like Maggie Mott and the clumping primula vulgaris, plant sections with roots attached into pots or trays, they will grow and clump up ready to be planted out in spring, both of these make lovely edging plants. Keep planting all the bulbs on offer, ranuncula an anemones also to add a vibrant or soft mid height colour to an early spring garden. I really enjoyed the drifts of blue from Agapanthas around town during the last couple months. Now finished spent flower stalks need to be cut off and clumps can be broken up, both large and dwarf varieties to fill gaps. Once shifted they need a lot of water to get them started in a new spot. Keep planting well grown evergreen shrubs and perennials as there is still time to get them settled in the ground before winter. Vegetable garden: I have mentioned growing a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden, oats is probably the best one to plant in autumn, it will germinate and grow in no time, dig in while still soft and green. First timers might like to follow the green manure suggestion of using blue lupin as a nitrogen additive, mustard as a good soil conditioner in spring and summer, changing back to oats in the autumn. Vegetable seedlings will be targeted by birds and white butterflies right now so best to cover them with open weave frost cloth while small. Birds will not be so interested when the plants plump out a bit. Broad beans can be planted now, try a little potash in the soil just below the bean when planted, it is said to help prevent rust. Bring pumpkins in and store in a dry aired place, protect the last tomatoes and peppers from frost, the sun is still warm enough to ripen them a little longer. When nights become really cold vines can be dug up and hung in good light on a warm porch or well lit shed to finish ripening on the vine. Fruit: Walnuts are falling along with the leaves, late ripening peaches should be picked now before the birds take them all. Feijoas seem to be plentiful right now as well, Feijoa, vanilla and fresh ginger jam on a warm scone is an autumn treat. We are settling into our new home, the back lawn seed has been sprayed on, gardens are going in and Scruff the dog is being trained to be a town dog after spending his eight years roaming a large vegetated property. The way he is carrying on I feel he thinks he has to not only defend our new home but the whole subdivision as well!! Cheers, Linda.

Making a start on my new gravel garden.