Gardening in Waitaki September 14th 2022

Trimming lavender in spring.

Another unsettled week here in North Otago but I guess that is expected from spring weather, I am so looking forward to warm sun filled days with the hum of bees, then it is a joy to be in the garden again. Seedlings need to be protected during Spring cold snaps so if buying punnets of annuals get them accustomed to changeable weather and cold nights before planting them out and possibly losing them. Still too early for lobelia, begonias, petunias and marigold but not too early to sow seed of these under protection. This is the perfect time to plant seed for late spring and early summer, wildflower seeds, cosmos, cornflower, lavatera, nigella, poppys, statice, to name but a few. A patch of wildflowers look wonderful if you have room in your garden, or a neglected area nearby that could do with brightening up. Now is a good time for clearing weeds to create a wild garden, weeds are small and the ground is soft, completely remove any perennial weeds like couch grass, dock and convolvulus then loosen soil enough to sow seeds. Potted shrubs need to be inspected for root crowding, it takes only a year for some to exhaust the mix they are planted in. Remove from the pot if not too big and trim roots back by half with a sharp spade and replant into a fresh, heavy potting mix, then completely soak to the bottom of the pot to help the shrub settle back in with no air pockets. With Larger unmanageable pots and barrels I top up with mix after pushing a sharp object down through the roots to create large holes for potting mix to be washed down in around established roots. However if after a number of years a shub stops thriving it will be time to start again with something fresh. Lavenders:Will be showing new growth now so if yours need a trim do it now. Because they are so popular I thought I would go into detail. English lavenders eventually get leggy and past it, don't nurse them thinking they will come back because they will probably not, dig them out and replace with new plants. Munstead lavender is the small edging variety which will not spill over a path as other English lavenders. The bumble bee type, lavender major, are more manageable in boarders and the French lavender dentata is a tall hedging lavender with serrated leaves that flowers all year round.There are so many different varieties on the market now and none of them are very long lived if they do not like where they are growing. Full sun, with a dressing of lime from time to time, lavenders like it dry but need to get roots down deep to tap into lower soil moisture. Rose leaves are firming up now and buds are forming so they are looking for food to help with the long growing season ahead, getting moisture down and mulching to keep it there is really beneficial to keep them healthy and from dehydrating as we head into hot weather. Healthy happy roses do not attract pests which means very little spaying, if any. Lawns: The mowers are out again! keep catchers up while grass is lush and they will not dry out as they do when cut low. I managed to make use of the last rain shower by fertilising our lawn which should give it a boost to start the new mowing season off. Vegetables: Sow veg seeds into trays and protected from cold, cover seedling plants already planted from cold and birds. My board beans and peas are up and doing well and the seed potatoes I have ready to plant have sprouted well, I am sure there will be clever Gardeners out there who have potatoes growing in a sheltered spot almost ready for the pot but I wait until I see a rogue potato left behind from last year's digging to send up leaves to let me know the ground is ready. Fruit: All berry fruits are on the move so food, water and mulching are needed for a good production, the earlier this is done the better the crops. Cheers, Linda.