Gardening in Waitaki December 6th 2023

So much in the garden has finished flowering now and needing a cut back, if early summer flowering plants have grown leggy and collapsed cut back the perennials and pull out annuals even if they are still producing flowers. Fallen plants will eventually rot plants they have fallen on. Clear the ground where they have been, add compost and plant annuals that will continue flowering through until autumn. Cosmas, nicotiana,saliva, verbena are tall growing. Petunia, gaillardia, coreopsis, bedding dahlia and bergamot (bee balm) are all mid plantings. Alyssum, lobelia, coreopsis and begonias are front planting gap fillers. peony roses are taking center stage now, if picked with a strong stem and an opening bud flowers will open in a vase. Tree peony's doubles in size each growing season. Don't let them swamp your garden and shade other plants, the older woody canes can be cut right down leaving the new green stalks to be next year's flower branches. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off, if allowed to ripen pods will pop all over your garden and grow. Other plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera, English abutilon, ornamental broom, false Valerian and cat mint, all will grow back quickly and some bud up for another flowering. Monarch butterflies are being encouraged into many gardens as gardeners plant swan plants for caterpillars to feed on. To keep the butterflies in your garden plants they feed on need to be growing. Buddleias are tall shrubs that flower on new growth, cut back after each flowering to produce new flowers through summer, all verbenas ( tall and low growing), echinacea, daylilies, hydrangea, zinnias, cosmos, Californian poppy, foxglove, Viper's Bugloss and coreopsis will keep monarch butterflies happy but for them to lay eggs there is no alternative to the swan plant in NZ. Lawns: Don't cut grass too low and boost with lawn fertiliser during the next rain. I have been popping out flat weeds rather than the spraying and upsetting worms. Veg: Root veg and potatoes need deep moisture to draw on and leaf veg plants grow better in moderate cooler weather conditions. A rise in temperature increases the plant's growth rate to bolting. Rise in temperature also has bad affects on seed germination. As tomatoes grow be remove laterals from the taller growing variety and stake to keep them upright as the fruit gets heavier. They should be flowering now waiting for bee's to pollinate, if they are in a glass house and you do not see many bee's why not try companion planting, some plants have been proven to help and enhance others I plant basil & marigolds with tomatoes, carrots and onions together, the onions help keep the carrot fly at bay and carrots the onion fly. Celery and the brassica family, i.e.: cabbage, caulis, and broccoli. the celery will confuse the white butterfly when wanting to land and lay it's larvae eggs. Marigolds and beans/brassicas, the marigold emits a natural gas which protects surrounding plants from insects like aphids and white fly. Make your own natural sprays: The following plant leaves can be simmered in water and the resulting liquid used on plants. Basil for 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. Cheers Linda.