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