Gardening in Waitaki 25th January 2024

I must comment on how pretty our town is right now, most of the week for me is spent in the CBD of Dunedin and I appreciate the beauty of our Town on my return. If I was still in my big garden I would be cutting back and deadheading so much, it all has to go if it has flowered and died back to encourage new fresh growth. Seed collecting: Seeds grown locally and stored will do well. Store in envelopes and label, I always thought I would remember but I collect many annual flower seeds, Poppy, nigella, cosmos, sweet pea, lupin, lavender plus, plus, plus it became necessary to label all. Hedges can get a light tidy up, not buxus there is too much heat in the sun to trim them just now. But ok for all other hedges that have put on unwanted new growth. Trees and shrubs: Hold off from planting trees and shrubs, unless you are able to water daily, but there is no reason to not choose and buy trees / shrubs when you see them on offer. Just store in light shade while still in growing bags and keep the water up until planting time in mid to late autumn. Lawns: During rain is a good time to fertilise lawns however lawn weeds respond well along with grass when fed. Hydrocotyle is thriving this year with summer rains, hydrocotyle spray which also deals with a number of other lawn weeds including clover will deal with it, spot spraying is best to give worms a chance. Fruit: Feed citrus trees with citrus food and spray any scale you notice with winter oil. Fruit is dropping from trees, plumbs, peaches, apricots and apples and pears are ripening well. I am sure there will be a lot of jam and pickles going into jars. Vegetables: Keep sowing carrot, beetroot, parsnip, spring onion, brussels sprout, onions and lettuce because there is plenty of growing time left to germinate seeds. If your veg has gone to seed, leave until ripe and save to sow when dry. Dig and store potatoes if you feel they have been in the ground too long, I was doing this the other day with the unwanted help of Scruff the dog...I am sure he thought I was digging up ball's to be carted off ready for throwing. Store in a bag or box in a cool dark place. Layering and topped with a generous amount of fresh mixed herbs is an old garden tip for keeping them from rotting and sprouting. I use thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram and mint. Cheers, Linda.