Gardening in Waitaki April 17th 2024

Waitaki valley autumn.

Waitaki is now enjoying Autumn splendor with orange, gold, and red leaves fluttering to the ground with every wind gust. I have had my small hedge trimmer out this week. In my past garden, it took no time to create havoc, and then spent days cleaning it all up but now, it takes me no time at all in my new low-maintenance garden. I trimmed small hebes, and ornamental grasses, and shaped standard shrubs. I am collecting seeds from the garden to dry every day and also taking lots of cuttings, these I leave in a bucket of willow water until I get time to prepare and plant into crusher dust. This is the very best time to do this as the days are still warm but not long and hot like summer days that dry out cuttings. The cooler nights retain moisture in seedling and cutting trays which means they can be forgotten about until the spring. By then cuttings should have enough feeder roots to be potted up in their own pots to grow on ready for planting at the end of spring. Cuttings I have been taking are lavender, Marguerite daisy, Hebe, hydrangea, choisya, geranium and roses (always use a stem that has flowered). These plants are all semi-hardwood plants and should push out roots in no time. Even though there is some moisture in the ground from the recent rain the ground is still very dry, so keep the hoses going, and then when soaked in get compost and mulch on to keep it there. Feed plants and shrubs that have been busting themselves flowering with blood & bone, this is good right now because it is not high in nitrogen which will only push new growth out and its hardening off we are wanting from plants now to take them into the winter. All bulbs would benefit from a dressing of blood and bone as well. Remove shading from glass houses now and reduce the watering, more light less watering for pot plants inside as well. If you have small evergreen shrubs and conifers that need to be shifted do it now, as long as the root ball is not to well spread they should transplant well. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas can be shifted now as well. Lawns have picked up since the rain and night's cooling, they can have a dressing of lime now which will condition the soil and work its way in over the winter months to sweeten sour ground in time for new spring growth. Moss in a lawn is a good indication of sour ground and bad drainage. Lime can also be spread around clematis, lavender, lavatera, dianthus, carnations and all herb clumps. Keep picking fresh herb growth and dry by spreading out on newspaper to leave in a dry place inside where they can be left undisturbed until dry enough to be crushed and stored in glass jars for cooking when there are no fresh herbs about. Vegetable gardens are holding thier own again now that it is not being baked through long summer days, plants are sitting up again and growing well without bolting. Leeks are available now for planting, they are planted lying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, and then they will sit up and grow fast. I planted some wheat in vacant areas of my veg patch this week, I will dig it in before it gets past the leaf stage and this will add nice humus to the soil. Cheers, Linda.