Gardening in Waitaki August 20th 2024

Magnolia Starwars:

Almost the end of August means we should be leaving winter behind, but we had a cold snap last week which had my small seedlings all a-quiver. Unfortunately, weed growth is never checked by cold snaps, chickweed and bidibid are romping away but at this stage are very easy to pull out or hoe in before they produce seed.  Magnificent magnolias will be center stage right now, very worthwhile trees to grace any medium-sized garden. Beautiful bare branching through winter, stunning blooms then large attractive leaves. Azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias grow well with magnolias because they all prefer an acid soil. There are many different choices in tree size and blooms, for the smaller garden Magnolia billowing cloud is White / Pink Upright habit- Hgt / width 3m x 2,5m, for a larger garden Magnolia Charles Raffill soft Pink upright habit, Hgt/width 7m x 5m and magnolia star wars never lets me down. Lavenders can be cut back now as they begin to put out new growth, really old woody bushes can be cut back hard to encourage new lower growth, if they do not respond it will be time to replace them. Young lavender plants just need a slight trim and fed manure-enriched compost plus a little lime. Climbers are in bud now ready to do their spring thing so when trimming watch you are not cutting off new buds, Jasmines may still get knocked by frosts, leave  a bit longer until sure frosts are over before trimming them. Roses: Feed roses as they are moving fast now, well worth the effort to minimize spaying that may be needed later on.  Sow seeds under cover, seed packs that recommend spring sowing should germinate now. I sow seeds in trays of peat, potting mix, and compost combined with a top layer of seed-raising mix. Once planted, cover trays with plastic or glass, using spacers to let air circulate. Lawnswill be greening up now and will need some attention after Winter dormancy.To eradicate moss use a water watering can to apply sulphate of iron, once moss has turned black rake it out. Moss takes hold on Nutrient-poor soil, soil with high acidity, soil that is compacted or drains poorly or where there is excessive shade or thatch accumulation. Give older lawns a good rake to lift any thick thatch and apply lawn fertiliser during rain to give them a good boost.Vegetables: If you are planting out a vegetable garden seedlings are best planted later in the day when the heat is out of the sun, watering however is best done at the start of the day allowing time for the soil to warm before the night chill. In areas you plan not to plant for a while sow a green crop to add humus to the soil, Mustard, lupine, barley, or wheat will germinate in no time then dig in when still soft and green, don't let it get to the flowering, stalky stage because it takes too long to break down. Seed potatoes are on offer now for you to get later crops sprouting, early varieties can be planted, and they should show leaves in about a month when frosts are over. Keep frost protected if early leaf is showing now. Fruit: Give fruiting shrubs and trees a dressing of potash-enriched fertiliser to encourage fruiting. Deciduous fruit trees and everything in the way of small fruit should be planted in August / early September at the latest. Keep an eye on peach and nectarine tree buds, spraying with copper for leaf curl should be done just on bud burst. Cheers, Linda.

Chitting potatoes: