Gardening in Waitaki June 13th 2023

Frosts are here to stay for a while now with the shortest day upon us, Plants wanting to be planted can be acclimatised to the cold by gradual exposure to outside and overnight temperatures as some bought plants have been nursed to get them into retail outlets. Many plants may be frost tender when young but will be quite tolerant when mature. Keep an eye on weather forecasts, if the overnight low is predicted to be 4 degrees Celsius or below with little wind, tender growth will need a cover. There are ways now to minimise frost damage when plants are young, overhead cover which still lets light in is frost cloth, acting as a duvet for plants but needs to be kept from touching foliage. Plants growing under evergreen trees are protected from frost so this might be an option for where to place potted tender plants. Water in mornings –it has been proven that a moist soil can hold four times more heat than a dry soil. It will also conduct heat to the soil surface faster than a dry soil, aiding in frost prevention. These days sprinklers are sometimes used on commercial plantings to keep plants “warm” on a frosty night, the science being that as water freezes, it releases heat, hard to figure? Most perennial plants will recover in spring from frost damage even if they have gone black or mushy, don't remove the affected growth, just leave to protect the new growth which will appear when the ground warms up again. In favor of frost, it is very effective in reducing the populations of over-wintering pests, it will will also help break down clay soil if clods are left exposed over winter and come spring soil will fork over easily prior to planting. Digging up and shifting plants around the garden like rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias, if shiftable size can be shifted now and anything you think has been struggling in the spot it has been planted in. This is also the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty, you can change the whole look of a tired garden by replacing these plants with a younger version of the original or something different. I notice many native shrubs that have grown into ugly woody trees, ake ake, hebe's, olearia traversiorum (Chatham island ake ake) and Hoheria (lace bark) which is a nice tree for a number of years but will then die back and eventually look half dead. Pittosporums will grow nicely for many years if trimmed but if left to grow into a tree will soon become unattractive. Most respond well to being taken right back to ground level and will regrow into a nice shrub. Over grown hoherias need to be completely removed. Lawns: that performed poorly in spite of feeding and watering during the growing season may be improved with a winter liming, aim to achieve a PH of around 6 (mildly acid) which will encourage strong grass growth. Worms will also appreciate lime. Vegetable garden: The shortest day is here already which which means gradually lighter days, but as we all know there is a lot of winter yet to come here in the south. The shortest day means garlic planting and plenty more veg here on the coast if you provide a warmer microclimate to aid growth. Cloches for protecting newly planted seedlings in frosty areas, or plant veg in pots or boxes and position them in a warm sheltered spot to make the most of our North Otago winter sun. Fruit: People have been asking me about the pruning of fruit trees, it is confusing to explain unless showing someone so I thought I would give an explanation which I hope will be easy to follow when planting a new apple trees. Apples are produced from shoots which are in their second year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance between side shoots produced this year and those produced last year. The first pruning should occur immediately after planting, make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. A one year old apple tree - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp secateurs but before cutting make sure the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher above the fourth bud. Second, third and fourth year old apple trees: The light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should Not be pruned, black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree. A five year old apple tree can be considered mature and the basic shape will have been established. Pruning should consist of keeping the centre of the tree relatively clear of growth, removing all weak or diseased growth and keeping the tree within the space available. Remember that apples will grow on wood produced the previous year, so always leave a good proportion (say 50%) of the previous year's growth. I hope this is straight forward and helpful. Cheers, Linda