Gardening in Waitaki 21st November 2023

Begonia display at The Oamaru Botanical Gardens.

Another month has almost run away from us, and with all the early Christmas hype the pressure is on to be ready for the festive season. Because nights are still cool the night beetle and the big Porina moths are not about yet, porina caterpillars feed on lawns along with grass grubs which turn into night beetles. However spittle bugs are here frothing up plants. Spittlebug nymphs can turn a liquid secretion into bubbles by moving or pumping their bodies, once bubbles have formed, they use their hind legs to cover themselves with the froth that insulates them from temperature extremes and protects them from predators. Although spittle bug nymphs do feed on plant sap, the damage is minimal and populations are usually small, so no pesticide is necessary, a strong blast from a hose should be enough to dislodge them. Roses: I am keeping up the fish emulsion to foliar feed roses and deter greenfly. Orchid growers it is the time to re-pot now, use orchid mix for the best results, it takes the guesswork out of wondering what to feed them. Tuberous Begonias are are beginning to show leaves, they are easy to grow in pots, baskets, window boxes and the garden as long as you provide good drainage and shelter from scorching afternoon sun, dappled sun or bright shade, in a spot protected from strong winds to avoid damage to the foliage and stems. Dew's are still wetting so the ground is still holding some moisture, scatter grass clippings around as mulch if your lawns have not been sprayed, they become good humus. I empty the catcher, then rake it about to cover any bare soil. vegetable garden: Successive plant and seed planting can be kept up right through the Summer. The best way to keep pests from young plants is covering them with mesh that lets light in. If your veg has already been attacked, make your own natural sprays, the following plant leaves can be simmered in water and the resulting liquid used on plants. Basil will eliminate aphids, Chives prevent mildew occurring on cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. Coriander also for aphids and spider mite. Eucalyptus is a good general purpose insecticide. Rhubarb has been found to help prevent blackspot. These may be only plants but in liquid form they can be harmful to children so keep marked bottles high up. I found from experience that it is not a good idea to breathe in fumes when bringing to the boil and keep doors and windows open. Get corn and pumpkins in as soon as possible because they need a long growing and ripening season. Fruit: Keep water up to currants and berries, lemons and fruit trees, it takes a lot out of a plant to fruit. All fruiting trees and plants need a lot of water now to create juicy plump fruit, it takes only a day of strong wind to zap moisture from the ground. Remember to cover your strawberries from birds, strawberry netting stretches out to cover a large area and does the job well, birds can strip gooseberry bushes as well, throw some frost cloth over them until you get a chance to pick them. Keep food up to tomatoes as they grow, be sure to remove laterals of the taller growing variety. Tomatoes should be flowering now, waiting for insects to pollinate them. If bees are few and far between on overcast days you could take a hairdryer into the glass house to gently blow the pollen around while leaves are dry. Stake tomato plants to keep them upright as tomatoes get heavier. Cheers, Linda