Gardening in Waitaki April 18th 2023

More rain during this, usually known as the dry and settled time of the year and School holidays as well making it hard for Kids to be entertained outside.  Autumn colours are really happening now brightening dull days.  As all the vibrant leaf colours fade we are knee deep in leaves so much raking with the promise of mulch to go back to the garden in the form of compost and leaf mulch. Don't be too worried about raking every leaf from the garden when adding compost, leaves soon break down. However too many leaves left piled on gardens will be offering homes for garden pests to winter over while also creating a shield to stop rain soaking in. Snails and slugs will be searching for damp hidden places for winter protection from birds so plants like geraniums, hellebore, heuchera, hostas and low leafy perennials need to have the ground cleared around them. Gardeners will still be cutting back summer flowering perennials, piles of soft plant matter go onto the compost but the stringy hard wood trimmings are better shredded or put in a slow composting pile, the more we can put back on the garden the more the garden benefits. I am leaving hydrangeas alone to finish the wonderful autumn show they are offering right now, but have been taking some semi hardwood cuttings as I cannot get enough of these wonderful plants and it takes a few seasons for cuttings to grow into a good sized bush. Semi / hardwood  cuttings need to be taken from close to the base of the bush. Cut at a leaf junction, remove bottom leaves ( not too close to the stem) leaving a set of two leaves and the tip growth, remove the soft tip growth. Use a good nutrient free medium, I use river sand. Dip cuttings in rooting hormone to stimulate root growth then firm in and water, place in a shaded area over winter and Spring.  Still time for sowing seed under cover here on the coast and getting them to prick out size before the days become really cold and growing stops. Once they are pricked out into punnets or pots they will need to be nursed through until spring. Sowing seed now gives you a head start and the seedlings carried through are much stronger and will do better than the new punnets of seedlings offered in Garden centers come spring. Seeds to sow under cover: Antirrhinum (snapdragon), dianthus, pansy, viola, poppy, scabious, sweet William, polyanthus, primrose and primulas.  Seeds to sow straight into the garden now Alyssum, aquilegia, calendula, cornflower, lupins and sweet peas. Lift gladioli and clean corms, after drying dust with flowers of sulphur before storing in paper bags, never plastic.  Winter roses: will benefit from feeding now, take most shabby old leaves off because they harbour green fly over the cold months, but leave enough to protect the new growth then remove when the flowers come up.  Tall asters: Any one growing tall asters should have had them flowering for a while. If they are falling all over the place and need support you need to remember to trim back the new growth by half at the end of next September, this will make them grow bushier rather than tall, I must remember to remind you then. Asters exhaust the soil as the clumps get bigger so divide often when finished flowering.  Lawns are slowing down now, I have given mine a dressing of dolomite lime to keep them sweet over winter, lime takes a season to work down to do its job so if put on now the benefits will be had in spring. Lawn lime application corrects the PH balance in soil by neutralizing acidity and alkalinity. Fertilization of lawns causes the PH to become acidic, limestone will bring the Ph level back down to a natural balance. This has been the perfect Autumn for sowing a new lawn and rain to water. If you notice patches of established lawn browning off and the birds showing interest and scratching grass out, you will probably have grass grubs eating the grass roots, Grass grubs start hibernating in May so this month is the very last chance you will have to deal with them. Grass grub granules need to be watered in.  Vegetables: Watch pumpkins don't get frosted from now on, if they are big and sound hollow when you knock on them they can be picked (leaving the stout stalk attach), sit them in a sunny place to ripen more,  Anzac day is traditionally the time to plant broad beans, if you missed that day any time now is good. Cheers, Linda.