Gardening in Waitaki May 25th 2022

Autumn clean up time.

The end of mellow May lands us into a new month bringing different gardening challenges with the start of winter chills. I have had a busy Nana time this week but come the weekend I will be back into creating our new garden. Winds have tugged most autumn leaves from trees and dried out soil and frost will soon play a part in robbing soil of moisture so give rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas a good soak as they are the shrubs that suffer most during a dry spell. Also keep an eye on maples, if leaves shriveled too quickly during colour change it's an indication of root dryness. Rose flowering is coming to an end but don't cut spent flower heads off, leave all types of roses to make seed which will harden wood before the big prune next month. New seasons bare rooted roses should be arriving in Garden centers, if wanting to plant roses, prepare ground now by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix, bare rooted, winter planted roses are less likely to suffer from planting stress. If replacing a rose you will need to remove most of the old soil that rose was growing in and fill with soil from another part of the garden to avoid the new rose contracting any disease left in the ground. Re-pot container grown buxus  if they look pot bound, buxus  root growth is prolific and they don't seem to suffer from the removal of half a root ball, I replace the old growing medium with half potting mix and sifted soil. Winter colour in pots, plant polyanthus, pansies, primulas, snapdragons and wall flowers. I have just planted out a garden with wall flowers and forget- me- not, both will fill out from now on and should be in full bloom towards the end of winter. Lawns: The unusual autumn rain we have had has kept lawns green but growth should now be slowing down, however lawn mowers will still be on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. Next time it rains, sprinkle some lime over lawns for a boost before they stop growing. Gardeners in the past prefered to lime just before the first frost because the soil then has all winter to absorb the lime and lime was never spread on a dry wilted lawn or a soggy, wet lawn, nor did they lime during frosty weather. I like to follow the old, tried and tested ways that get results.Keep in mind for next growing season, lawn grass grows best on a nutrient ratio of 3 parts nitrogen, 1 part phosphorus, and 2 parts potassium. (12-4-8). While this is an ideal ratio you may not be able to find the exact ratio in a lawn fertilizer, a close match will do.  If ground pH is below 6 on the pH scale lime will make a marked improvement in growing conditions come spring.One sign of a low soil pH is the presence of excess moss and weeds in your garden or lawn. Moss and weeds are acid loving plants, though not a guaranteed indicator, an excess of moss and weeds is a good sign that you should raise soil pH. Another sign that you need to raise soil pH is when fertilizer doesn’t seem to be doing its job. Acidic soil prevents fertilizer from functioning properly. Vegetables:  On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing much can be planted without protection but covering bare soil with a thick layer of mulch will keep soil from remaining wet and frozen over the winter months. Fruit: Bare rooted fruit trees will be arriving in garden centers soon, ask now if they will be stocking required trees and have them put aside on arrival.Ground can be prepared now for planting fruit trees, choose an open, sunny position, sheltered from strong winds. Fruit trees will grow in a wide range of soil types as long as there is good drainage. Plums and pear rootstock tolerate heavier soils than most other fruit trees. Using good quality compost will improve water retention in lighter soils and improve drainage in heavier soils as well as improving fertility. Pruning of newly planted fruit trees will not take place until trees have branched. During early stages of tree development, the main goal is to develop the shape and framework which will support heavy crops of fruit.  Pruning: Apple: After initial shaping of apple trees, the only pruning necessary is the removal of excess twiggy growth. I have found doing this pruning during winter will only stimulate wood growth causing much unwanted growth the following season, but a summer pruning will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season.  Apple trees produce fruit on spurs, (short stubby growths attached to main branches). They continue producing on the same spurs for a number of years. Pears and cherry fruit also grow on spurs and require similar treatment. Apricot: Prune apricot trees in late winter or early spring as the new leaves and flowers begin to open. During this period of time the tree is actively growing and the pruning cuts heal quickly. Newly planted apricots can be pruned soon after planting. Remove all damaged or broken shoots and limbs and all branches with a narrow crotch (those that grow up more than out) and all branches that are within 18 inches of the ground, Shorten last year’s main branches to about 30 inches. Peach and nectarine: These trees flower on new wood made the previous summer,  prune hard to encourage new growth otherwise, fruit will be produced further and further out on the branches each year. Flower buds are plump while growth buds are flatter. Plum trees produce fruit on the same spurs for several years. Once shape has been established, they require little pruning because excessive pruning can over stimulate tree growth at the expense of fruit. Remove vertical branching and water sprouts regularly. Look at a tree and it is easy to distinguish the water sprouts from the regular growth they grow straight up from the canopy branches and trunk and are thin and scraggly in appearance. A heavy hand when pruning in winter will increase the number of water sprouts on the tree. When pruning plum trees in the winter only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year. Cheers, Linda.