Gardening in waitaki October 26th 2022

New peony growth.

November soon and hopefully more consistent warmth for growing.  As Spring moves on with new growth still too tender to need our attention.  Rose buds are forming, thank goodness for the rain we have had to get them off to a good start, aphids can be dealt to with a finger and thumb on the new growth tips before they settle in around bushes.  Deciduous azaleas Are taking center stage flaunting wonderful colors, the display in our Botanical Gardens is breathtaking right now.  Peony roses are budding well ready to delight us when they explode into flower, early peony buds are already opening so if you haven't already done so get some frames around them to keep them from flopping under the weight of flowers.  Dahlias are pushing through now, if you discover some in shade with tree branches having spread wider they can be shifted while leaves are still low, take a good amount of soil around the roots and plant in a sunny position.  Hydrangeas have leafed up and are starting to produce flower heads so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. It's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Strong winds can be detrimental to new hydrangea leaves, if they do get damaged they will soon recover. Hydrangeas are the perfect shrub for a semi shaded area. Fuchsias also prefer semi shade and are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back, do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up.   Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon. They come in strong colours of yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container under planted with a lime green sedum.  Abutilon being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush.  Lawns: We are still getting heavy dews on lawns which helps to keep them lush, but hot days will soon put grass under stress, have lawn food on hand for the next good rain. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on soil with high clay content. A soil test is the best way to determine what's best for a healthy growing lawn and garden. To test your soil pH level, a simple and effective way is to use a home testing kit. I have always suggested gypsum is used to break down clay soil but since giving time to study results I now know that gypsum works well on coastal soil with clay and sodium content but not on heavy clay soil inland. To rectify heavy, non draining soil add organic matter, along with at least 6 inches of river sand to the top 6 inches of soil worked in before sowing seed and just spread over an already existing lawn.  Vegetables: We have had some rain this spring but not enough to give veg gardens the start needed, hosing does not give the same results as a good rain, but of course with early new growth weeds will take over if left unattended. Hoeing while small is still the best weeding method I know. Any veg plant or seed now will pop up and thrive when the sun shines. Tomatoes; will be getting taller now however the consistent cold snaps and  will be holding them back ,making leaves curl and take on a blueish look, this will stop once we get a continuous warm spell. On dull cold days watering will chill them further so water and folia feed on the warm days early in the day to allow time for soil to warm again before the evening.  Cheers,Linda.

Young tomato plants.

Gardening in Waitaki October 19th 2022

Spring is such a beautiful time but as always so unpredictable, very difficult gardening weather with one day warm and the next really cold! It was getting dry and then rain on Monday evening and then a lovely soft shower or two again as I write this on Tuesday. Moisture helps soil to warm and create perfect growing conditions. If weed spraying is needed now is the time before new weed seeds form, pop and spread but please choose a spraying day wisely. Bees choose sunny days to be busy working, to be in line of weed or pesticide spray in the air and coating plants. They have such an important job to do for nature. Natural, alternative weed sprays are much improved these days for driveways and rough areas needing attention. Perennial weeds like convolvulus, couch grass and dock are not so easy to kill with alternative weed spray because their roots are long and strong but if you are prepared to keep at them, spraying each time they send shoots up you will beat them.  I have not used pesticide for many years, prefering to encourage the predators of garden pests. Predators will arrive and feed on an infestation if left long enough to be found. In my experience it took two to three seasons of ensuring good plant health for nature to work and trust my no spray garden. Then I saw positive results of nature taking care of things. Right now as the growing season begins aphids on rose leaf tips can be removed with a finger and thumb, black aphids love to start, breed and fatten on broad bean tip growth, pinch off affected tips and destroy before they travel down to lower leaf and flowers.  Trim shrubs that flowered in late winter now if you have not already done so, before they put new growth on past old growth and get leggy. This partially applies to ericas, callunas and hebes once they have finished flowering. Newly planted shrubs and trees need to be really well staked before the strong winds we usually get around Labor weekend, if trunks and roots are moving around in wind growth will be slow and stunted or not at all. Also keep the water up to newly planted shrubs and trees until roots become established enough to hold.  Tubular begonias will be showing shoots now, bed them into damp (not wet) sawdust or peat / compost. Once this is done they will begin to sprout well, they must never dry out again until they have finished flowering and time to dry store them again.  Peony rose growth should be well up now, while plants are still low, place wire ring supports around to hold them as they grow. Young shoots of peony plants are very delicate and easily broken which can lead to pests, diseases, and even the death of the plant. Now is the time to layer azaleas and rhododendrons, low growing magnolias and other low growing shrubs by pinning a slim branch down into soil then firming in place with maybe a bent wire. Hopefully by the end of this growing season the branch will have developed strong roots which should remain attached to the Mother plant for another year before cutting free to be potted up to grow on as a new bush.  Lawns would have loved the soft rain and being fed during rain, if not this last rain  have fetiliser ready for the next spring shower. Fruit: Keep moisture up to all berry bushes as they move from flowering to making fruit. Vegetables: Still no white butterflies about (in my garden) keep planting out seeds and seedling plants and keeping moisture up to them. Mound up potatoes as they push leaf through and cover at night should there be another cold snap to blacken off new growth. Get peas in with supports, they will be up in no time wanting to climb, like climbing beans they need to be planted in an open sunny position and support has to go in when they are planted so they are not disturbed once they start growing. Because peas and beans put on so much growth in a short time a trench of animal manure enriched compost and a little lime for roots to tap into will keep them growing and flowering longer. ( This applies to the flower sweet peas as well)  Herbs: If you have not removed old growth from your herbs do it as soon as possible because they are putting on new growth, feed manure enriched compost with lime added and keep picking often to encourage continual new growth all season for your salads and cooking.  Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki October 11th 2022

It's all on now that the cold snap is over, soil is warm again and all we gardeners require now is a nice gentle shower or two because as I write this our sprinkler is on the lawn and I am needing to water gardens.Later flowering blossoms are taking center stage now like prunus Kanzan and prunus shimidsu sakura. Enjoy because they will not be on show again until this time next year.  Weeding, weeding, weeding is what happens now,  spot spraying convolvulus and couch while fresh new growth is coming through is about the only way I was able to get on top of them, I would zap them on a non windy day. I could never use weed spray anywhere near roses, a sniff of hormone spray will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die so if you need to use spray don't risk it on a windy day.  Coastal gardens will be quite far ahead of gardens inland, still getting reasonable frosts from time to time I'm sure. Late frosts on roses' new growth can be a problem but don' t be too concerned if new growth has been frosted, rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. When the nights start warming up any dampness left by hose water on rose leaves will encourage mildew, keep food up to your roses while they are making buds, it's hungry roses that get diseased. For a quick result, slow release fertiliser is good right now for any summer flowering plants and shrubs.     Keep deadheading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep flowering until it gets warmer, If you feel they have done all they are going to do dig out, cut old leaves back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left until planting out next year.  Camellias can be trimmed and shaped when finished flowering, take out branches from the middle, enough to let a bird fly through, this lets the light in to help form next year's buds.  About now in  my past large garden I would be taking notice of how shrubs had come through the winter and if some of my front shrub plantings were too big now, hiding good planting areas behind. It takes only a few years for gardens to close in without us really noticing and what a difference can be made by opening up and creating distance for a new and interesting planting.   Seeds are germinating very quickly now, sunflower, cosmos, cornflower, lavatera, nasturtiums are some of the flowers seeds I planted into trays but because they are still small snails and slugs will be attracted to them so I will pop into punnets until they put on more growth. If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established.  Vegetables: Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, frost cloth may still be needed depending on where you live. Soil is warm enough now and there are so many veg options available for growing our own food. Sow salad greens, carrots, corn, beans, beetroot, Pumpkin, squash, and courgette.  If you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place before planting. Glass houses will be ready for the many varieties of tomato plants on offer but if you have no glass or tunnel house try growing on a sunny deck or patio the harder tomatoes  in containers or planter bags that can include stakes.  Smaller varieties are easiest to manage e.g. Red Robin, Russian red or Totem in containers and the cherry tomato tumbling Tom in large hanging baskets. Plant in a tomato mix, water as needed and liquid feed fortnightly. In the glass or tunnel house why not try basil plants growing among tomatoes to repel white fly, the general consensus is that basil - both plants and extracts made from the leaves can be an effective natural deterrent for white fly, mosquitoes, tomato horn-worm, aphids and house fly as well as being a wonderful culinary enhancement with tomatoes.  Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki October 5th 2022

Trim back ericas that have flowered.

As I write this it is the first week of School holidays and the cold polar blast will be keeping all inside,a gentle warm spring drizzle is what gardens need right now, not this harsh weather which is hard on new spring growth. Spring bulbs are still dancing in gardens. Enjoy the blooms then let green tops die down into bulbs to feed and encourage bulbs to multiply. If you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space there will always be someone willing to bring a spade to halve big clumps and adopt bulbs. Put a sign at the gate saying Bulbs to give away, bring a spade! Geen tops will still die back into bulbs if left on when dug up. Sifted soil is what is needed for reseeding lawn bare patches and to add body to tired gardens, pots, baskets and seed trays. With peat based planting mediums used today soil becomes light and fluffy and will not hold moisture, soil is nature given for growing and sifted it is the perfect medium for new roots, spread it on top and it will wash in beneath the mulch with each watering to bulk up depleted soil. Lavenders eventually reach the end of their growing but if trimmed back at the end of Winter you will soon know if they are going to make good growth only or just patchy growth with most of the plant staying woody. If you have the odd lavender doing this pull it out and replace it with a fresh plant. Cuttings can be taken now from stronger growing lavenders, Tip cuttings with stems that have firmed can be taken along with a little hard wood at the bottom, (too soft and it will not work) strip bottom leaves and dip into rooting hormone, then push into damp, sharp crusher dust and place in a warm place with good overhead light, (not full sun) . Nurse cuttings until they are ready to pot on into individual pots. Take tip cuttings from shrubs as well now once stems have firmed, using the same method as lavender cuttings. They will make roots over the Spring and summer ready to be potted and nursed for planting at the end of next winter. Keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums they start making a lot of growth now, Pinch back growing tips two or three times as they grow to keep them bushy. If this is not done they become leggy and woody. Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so, they will make new fresh growth, because they flower on new seasons wood, they can be taken well back. Ericas that flowered over winter can be trimmed now so new growth does not start above the spent flowers. Dahlias are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. They like a warm full sun, free draining spot, tubas will rot if planted in ground that remains wet. Lawns: mowers are humming again on lush lawns, use the clippings around your garden as mulch, not great piles but evenly scattered around will keep the weeds down and help to retain moisture. Vegetables: Tomatoes, Peppers and cucumbers for those with glass houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost. This will need to have been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated. Summers here in North Otago can be cool so a glass or tunnel house is a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However, a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly by plants and never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet. There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from. Beefsteak, the big tomato best for sandwiches and cooking, Early girl, stars producing early and keeps on until late in the season, Potentate, medium/small firm with moderate acidity and low in sugar, Money maker, medium size and good flavor , Doctor Walter is the very low acid tomato Cherry tomatoes, the plant you can grow in a pot inside or on a porch, great for Children's lunch boxes. Russian red a tomato to grow outside in a sunny spot protected from the wind. Heirloom tomatoes have become popular, they don't look great but they have the great taste of yesteryear. Most need staked and tied up in the glass house and ALL tomatoes like sun all day, 6 to 8 hours. Nip out laterals and it helps the fruit if there are fewer leaves on the plants. Tomato leaves create unneeded shade, compete for nutrients, and harbor disease. Keep planting vegetable seeds directly into the garden but don't sow too thickly, mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning. Beans, pumpkins and corn can be planted as soon as the ground remains warm. Cheers, Linda. Tomatoes,basil, peppers and cucumber.