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