Gardening in Waitaki June 21st 2023

Gardens are sleeping through the cold short days but, are they? buds are swelling and bulbs are up answering the call of spring. While growth is slow and there is not a lot of urgency right now to do what needs to be done in the garden, there is time to plan and maybe construct for the coming growing season. Raised gardens have proven to be easy care but need to be put together well in the beginning. Advantages of a Raised Bed Garden: Raised gardens warm quickly in spring, allowing you to work the soil and plant earlier. Being raised they drain better. No compaction of soil, because they are not walked upon. Its easy to tailor the soil to suit plants in a raised bed. Raised beds are not difficult to construct using wood or (here in North Otago) Oamaru stone seconds as a surround. If you need time to think about a permanent position for raised beds you could make some using straw bales as surrounds for a year. Once in place to the size required, fill them with soil and compost and plant out. A sunny location is a must for growing vegetables and herbs. Accessing all sides with a wheelbarrow is recommended for ease of maintenance, keep a raised garden around four feet wide, this way you can reach the middle. Access to water is essential with drainage being greater in raised gardens and from time to time will need good spankings. Filling a raised bed: First layer: For a deep raised bed on grass I spread a layer of compost to bring up worms, then twigs sticks old stump matter, grass clippings / straw, then soil and manure enriched compost mixed to fill. However a raised bed of six inches above the soil is enough to grow leaf vegetables and herbs and at least ten inches for root veg veg but I don't see the sense in not raising it to a height that will reduce the amount of digging and bending you do. If winter has left your garden looking a little bleak, Garden centers will have potted colour to brighten things up. I have noticed on offer pansy's, wall flower, polyanthus and primula malacoides which look fresh and bright planted in groups or as a border before bulbs bloom. - Tulips planted in May should be showing now, don't give them any fertilizer as this will only promote leaf growth which will take away from the bloom. Tulips store the food needed in the bulb. Veg: Here on the coast get seeds in for broccoli , cabbage, cauliflower, broad beans, onions, spinach and silverbeet and protect in a warm spot with moisture kept up when needed and they should be ready to transplant in 6 -8 weeks from germination. Approximately 4 cm high with a good amount of root. Prick out into punnets, they will hold until frosts are over before planting out. Cheers, Linda.