Gardening in Waitaki May 28th 2024

Pretty sasanqua camellia

Here we are now almost June, it feels like winter but still nice warmth in the sun on those fine days. Moisture is holding well in the soil and annual weeds should be minimal from now on. Those still growing are easy to remove from damp ground.  Shallow-rooted rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and maples may still need a good soak to get moisture right down around roots before the big freeze, Especially mature maples, I have lost one or two over the years when not having enough moisture to push them into new spring growth. Early flowering sasanqua camellias are putting on a show, it almost seems wrong with every plant nearby shutting down for winter. You will probably see these lovely flowering camellias in Garden centres, the perfect shrub to add interest to a garden in late autumn / early winter. Compost: Instead of the big compost heaps needed in my past garden, I now have two plastic composters which work fine for a small garden if moisture is kept up to them as they have lids to keep rain out. Being black they generate warmth but if the contents are dry organic matter will not decompose. Roses: We need some good frosts to harden stems and take care of fungus and bugs.  Later in the month,  spray lime Sulphur first which defoliates bushes then wait several weeks before spraying Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil usually leaving this second spray until after the July proon.  New seasons, bare-rooted roses arrive early in Garden centres these days, if planting, prepare the ground by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove most of the soil and replace it with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another.   New season non-native trees will also be arriving in Garden centres, I will list a few worth selecting below. For large gardens: Fraxinus (ash) deciduous fast-growing attractive shade trees 5m high in 5 years,( est )height 30 m. Golden ash / Claret ash and pendulous weeping ash.Fagus (English beech): beautiful deciduous shade trees or hedging, 4m in 5 years (est) 30m, Fagus sylvatica purpurea attractive wine leaves, Fagus sylvatica, fresh green.Crataegus (hawthorne) Paul's scarlet, deciduous 3m in 5 years,est 6m very hardy displaying full clusters of dark pink flowers in November.Ginkgo biloba: Deciduous, colourful, unique foliage, Pest and drought resistant mature height 13-20 m / mature width 12m, one for a shelter belt. Smaller gardens: Gleditsia emerald cascade: A very attractive weeping form, smaller growing making an ideal garden focal point. 2m high by 3m wide.Cotinus Goggygria / Grace (smoke bush) large spreading shrub, with stunning plum coloured leaves, and plumes of smoky pink flowers in summer. Height 2m after 5 years / 3m when mature. Michelia: very pretty, evergreen large shrub / tree with creamy-white blooms.Can be used for hedging or screening. Height 4m width 2m in 7/10 years.Robinia lace lady: A deciduous, very daintily branched, small leafed tree which will not grow heavy hard wood branches or roots and can be kept to the size required. Vegetable garden:Keep planting shallots, butter crunch lettuce plants, beetroot and broad beans and keep water up until they get settled. Cover with frost cloth to protect from frost and birds when small. Fruit: Tamarillos, if lucky enough to have these in your garden they will be hanging like jewels from almost bare branches, such a treat at this time of the year. Because the plants do not make hardwood they are frost tender but here on the coast in a sunny location, they ripen and are ready to pick now. Tamarillos will grow from tip cuttings, a bush will last for a decade if protected during winter, and they prefer to be outside not in a glass house.Feijoas are a treat right now as well, they do not ripen all at once but drop from the bush when ripe.Lemon “Meyer” are cold hardy and will fruit all year, if planting a new plant remove all flowers and small fruit for the first 3 years to get branch work established then it will produce for years. They do fine west facing with roots mulched until the shrub can shade its roots.  Feed with citrus food in early spring and early autumn.NZ Cranberry(Myrtus ugni) has a taste combination of strawberry, pineapple and apple my Grandchildren pick and eat them whenever here. A small evergreen bush, very fragrant when fruiting, can be hedged. Cheers, Linda. 

Gardening in Waitaki 21st May 2024

Peony ready to be cut back.

What a Lovely soft rain on days that look so much like winter now,  Peony roses: If you are planning to move a peony, the best time is now in the autumn when the plant is nearing dormancy. Peonies start to go dormant when the foliage is rapidly losing colour.  Cool soil temperatures allow peonies to start growing a new root system quickly before the ground freezes. The site should be sunny and well-drained, deep fertile soil is best but they can still do ok in quite poor soils as long as they never become waterlogged (especially over winter). Planting depth is important, too deep means they will spend time pushing up to the right depth, finding the uppermost bud on the crown and planting so that the base of the bud is 5 cm (2") from the soil surface. Don't expect much growth in the first year, if you do get flowers in late spring leave on the plant because stems don't regrow during the season. The leaf dieback adds strength to the tuba, so foliage must be left on and then cut down to ground level in autumn and disposed of, which may help prevent the carry-over of fungal infections like botrytis. Tree peonies don't need to be cut down, stems above the ground remain alive, remove diseased leaves, and leave pruning out dead wood until spring. Hellebores will benefit from fortnightly feeding now to encourage better blooms. I have been removing the old foliage from mine because aphids seem to winter over on the underside but it is best to leave some top growth on in colder areas to protect the new growth, flowers will soon shoot up past the old leaves.  Only feed bulbs and plants that are due to flower now, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to sleep through winter.  Move all spring flowering plants in pots into a sunny spot now, plants like camellia, azaleas, and rhododendrons that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months. Shrubs in pots get root-bound and hungry, If you fed them when they finish flowering, they should be fine, if not then give them a little fertiliser and water well to give them a boost.   Seedlings and rooted cuttings need as much sun as they can get over the colder months, they may not look as though they are growing as they will not put out any new growth on top but with the warmth of the sun on pots they will be making lots of feeder roots.  There is still time on the coast to divide border plants, perennials, and rock plants, they will make new roots before growth stops.  In very cold districts leave the dead top growth on, safer to remove in spring but If you are strawing your gardens this will do the same job.  This is the best time to shift small evergreen shrubs and conifers, 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 during the cooler nights, our lawn was spot sprayed last week, there was quite a lot of clover and flat weeds spreading, I only spot spray where needed because I would hate to kill hard-working worms. The grass-grub-damaged areas raked out and resown here have new grass now, thankfully germination of grass seed is very fast during autumn while the ground is still warm. The drizzle now falling is an opportunity to spread gypsum on compacted clay areas and fine compost around lawns to add humus.  Vegetables:   Leeks should be available now for planting, they can be planted lying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, and they will soon sit up and grow fast.Remove shading from glass houses now and reduce watering, more light, less watering for pot plants inside as well. Fruit If you have apple trees laden, let as many apples as you intend to eat on the tree ripening naturally, birds will be pleased if you share or pick most unripe and store them in a cool dry place for later. Late peaches will still be on trees, the flavor is delicious in a late peach.  Grape picking will be well underway, I miss my small vineyard with always enough grapes to make into a few bottles of wine that would sometimes be more like vinegar that could be turned into Homemade Weed Killer, so however bad the wine turned out there was no waste. My recipe is 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, dish detergent (any brand), Empty spray bottle. Put salt in the empty spray bottle and fill it the rest of the way up with white vinegar. Add a squirt of dish detergent. This solution should only be used on drives and pathways, it works best on a warm day.   Cheers, Linda

Planting leeks in a trench.

Gardening in Waitaki May 14th 2024

Here we are well into May and the days are lovely after light frosts,   This week I will cut back dahlias that blackened and collapsed from frosts over the last two weeks, I will not dig them out to store as what I left in last year came through the winter fine in this new garden. If you feel your dahlia tubers will be sitting in wet ground during winter it is best to dig and store them.  In my last large garden after compost and pea straw had been spread the gaps where dahlias had been would be filled with winter flowering annual wall flowers, poppies, and calendula ( winter marigolds)  Planting for interest in a winter garden: A few years ago I planted small clumps of the variegated iris, this iris has an insignificant blue flower but its interesting green and white striped leaves lighten a dull winter garden. I mass-planted them under standard iceberg roses and they made a wonderful show. The clumps became large quickly but were easy to dig and break up. Cineraria silver dust, (Silver ragwort)  is grown for the stunning silver foliage, and hardy, striking plants adding interest to a dull winter garden or winter pots, Take fresh tip cuttings and firm them into sifted river sand ( keep moist, not wet)  and they will have roots in no time. Cineraria silver dust is a good front border gap filler, I never let them flower and trim often to keep it compact.  Remove the old leaves from hellebores as they are budding up for a winter display, a fortnightly liquid feed can be given now if you feel they need boosting. The underside of hellebore leaves are a chosen place for aphids to winter over. Further inland it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to clumps.  Time has run out for a last hedge trim before winter sets in, if needed just a light tidy-up trim, leave hard cutbacks until the end of spring when new growth has finished. Erica's, I know I mentioned these not long ago but they are worth mentioning again for winter flowering. Erica's are in Garden centers now, budded, and ready to burst into winter colour. The low-growing variety are wonderful ground cover for low-maintenance gardens and the mid-height ericas as melanthera never let me down in a winter garden. Trim spent flowers from erica's that flowered through the summer months to keep them compact and they will put out fresh new green growth through winter. All erica's like dry acid soil and full sun, no lime.  I have shifted all trays of my plant cuttings into a light warm spot and raised them from the cold ground for them to continue growing well over winter. Check trays & pots are draining well, some of mine were holding too much water and needed drainage holes unblocked.  Inside pot plants need less watering from now on and need to be moved away from cold glass as night temperatures drop.   Lawns: It is time to keep the mower blades high enough to pick up leaves, rake, or mow fallen leaves from lawn areas because they restrict the light grass is needing now as days shorten.   Vegetables: Clear out finished summer veg or dig in any leafy veg ( not root veg ). Work in manure-enriched compost with a little lime if the soil has been extensively cropped over the summer. Scruff the dog has taken the responsibility of our property protector up a level to be the street protector !!  Dogs, cats, birds,' vehicles, and people seem to need a good barking when passing, I feel it could be boredom having no chickens and rabbits to chase now. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki 7th May 2024

Well, I have to admit frost is here on the coast even though days warm back to autumn warmth by lunchtime....my dahlia leaves have blackened and the flowers browned plus my nasturtiums are looking a little sad. This means the many trays of rooted cuttings I am nursing will need to be raised from the cold ground and have a cover of frost cloth. As for dahlias going into winter, do you dig them or not? If the freeze in your area reaches a depth of 4-6 inches or more, do not leave your dahlias in the ground! Also, if you have drainage issues with water sitting after a rain your Dahlia tubers will rot so lift and store them and plan to replant them in a better draining spot come spring.Approximately two weeks after your first frost cut dahlia stalks down to the ground and covered with straw, leaves, or any other mulch for insulation. Containers growing dahlias should be moved to a location where they will not freeze.  If you need to dig and store tubers Start digging around 2 weeks or more after the first frost. If they are dug too early the tubers will still be in a "green stage" and will not have hardened enough for winter storage. Their skins need to thicken like potatoes. Store in an airy, dry location, and remove any damage or rot. Trees & shrub pruning, we play the waiting game now, best to leave all major pruning well into winter when the sap is right down, if pruned now new growth is likely to occur then winter damage will encourage disease, its best to stick to cutting back tired summer growth and raking up the ever-increasing leaf drop.  I am pleased not to have the mountains of leaves I needed to rake up in my past big garden but I do miss the leaf mulch made from them. Leaf mulch is simply made with fallen leaves left to decompose separately to the rest of your compost. Gather fallen leaves, run the lawn mower over them to chop them up, keep them damp, and store in a bay or bin bags to create leaf mold over winter to add to your garden in spring.Here on the coast we can plant for winter colour, look about your garden for polyanthus and pansy's left in from last winter also self-sown seedlings under plants like lavender, calendula, poppy, sweet peas, lupins, hollyhock, viola, and primulas. If they flowered well and made seed they will be there for the gathering. Pot up in punnets and nurse along until ready to re-pot or plant. I have sent for flower and veg seeds online and received them this week, there is still time to raise seeds before winter if you get onto it now. I raise mine outside but keep the containers up from the cold ground by placing them on polystyrene or straw bales in a warm sunny spot. Keep the planting mix on the dry side, always water only when needed early in the day as evaporation is not great now and very small seedlings do not have the root capacity to take up excess moisture. Seeds collecting: I am still collecting seeds from dry pods and saving them to dry in paper bags and envelopes, adding a sprinkle of rice will absorb any remaining moisture and help to keep seeds dry and in good condition until spring planting.  Wisterias will need a cut back now, in our past garden ours was growing along the upstairs balcony threatening to push through sliding doors and take over a bedroom and because it was getting very heavy it was cut right back to the trunk wood. It pushed out new growth fast so I trained only one leader left and right. For wisterias that are not causing a problem use a hedge trimmer to get rid of all the leafy, wispy growth, cutting too hard back into thick wood will remove new flower buds. Each long winding growth could eventually grow into a thick branch so if training a young plant let only one length go either way along a structure. Lawns: Grass grub may be bad in areas of lawn leaving dead patches after they have eaten all the roots, rake the dead patch away and rough the soil up a little then sow grass seed and rake into the firm patch. If you do not get a strike during autumn you can resow in spring. Grass grubs are feeding from February until May so by now they will be well down in the ground hibernating until they reappear as the brown night beetle around November. Fruit: Feijoas are plentiful now these delicious fruits fatten and ripen during autumn and winter and have become popular to be eaten straight from the tree or used in the many recipes now being created. Citrus bushes would benefit from a rich layer of compost, well-rotted manure, seaweed, straw – whatever you have to spread as a mulching layer around roots. Vegetables:Mound up mulch around the base of leeks to keep them pale and sweet, but keep the soil beneath the bottom leaf to stop it from getting inside making washing them difficult. An application of lime now if you have some is a real benefit to many of the leaf crops – cabbage, spinach, kale, broccoli, and silverbeet. Potatoes need to be dug and stored now, if they still have more growing to do keep water off them, they last better if the tops have yellowed and died down. Once dug, let the dirt dry on them, brush them off, and store in a cool dry place away from any other veg or fruit, any moisture will encourage sprouts.  Nonsprouting powder can be purchased but I use the layering of dried herbs method, cut Rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon balm, mint any of the herbs before they die back, let the moisture dry out of them, and layer among stored clean dry potatoes, (a herb-filled muslin bag works to)  When all potatoes have been used crush the dried mixed herbs and store in a glass jar for use.  Curing Pumpkins: Bring Pumpkins in for curing and storing before hard frosts, pumpkins are ready when the stem is dry and hard to the touch, cut from the runner leaving a 10 cm stem attached to the pumpkin, and cure by sitting in a warm spot, raised allowing air to circulate the whole pumpkin for about two weeks then turn upside down and leave for another two weeks, this will harden skins and intensify the flavor. Storing pumpkins: Rub all over with olive oil to seal in moisture, store in a dry place, off the ground. Thinking ahead to spring planting already? Spring planting can be delayed for ages because of wet cold ground so in very cold areas place an insulating layer on soil you plan to plant out in early spring, this will prevent soil from becoming water-logged, use polythene, fertilizers bags, or old carpet. Cheers, Linda