Gardening in Waitaki August 27th 2024

Pruned hydrangea.

Wow wet again over the weekend and Monday, which is not a bad thing going into spring growing happens in warm moist soil. Get seeds sown now for whatever you would like to grow, be it food or flowers. I have seed germination from sowing seeds 2 weeks ago in trays with a plastic cloche covering and plenty of ventilation. I have also noticed germination from seeds falling directly onto soil in Autumn so here on the coast, the new growing season begins. It can be a costly time stocking a garden but the rewards make it all worthwhile. I make potting mix go further by adding sifted soil after all soil is the original growing medium and with Garden centers loaded up with so many different mix options soil is now being overlooked. Those who have a soil sieve can fill a wheelbarrow with finely sifted soil in no time. Seed-raising mix can be used sparingly by filling a container with sifted soil and then only a layer of seed-raising mix on the top. Science tells us that a teaspoon of productive soil contains more living organisms than there are people in the World. Baskets and pots can be thought about now, use only shallow-rooted plants for baskets, pansies, violas, primulas, and trailers like Virginia stock and dwarf sweet peas until it is warm enough to plant petunias, lobelia, and begonia. Pots and baskets benefit from the addition of extra slow-release fertilizer and water Chrystal's to keep them going, The method of burying a hole-punched plastic bottle down into a pot or basket allows moisture to seep among plant roots each time it is filled. Potted roses need a deep solid pot to help with the heat of summer cooking roots, Placing a shorter plastic pot inside a terra cotta or concrete pot will help keep roots cooler, interior plastic pots should have wide drainage holes and sit on a layer of gravel inside the bigger pot leaving a three-inch gap at the top to spread mulch which can be a thick layer of gravel, stones, bark or even sheep wool. Potted, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons can be shifted to the shade once flowered. Hydrangeas can now be pruned at the second new growth from the bottom on stalks that flowered last summer, leaving the unflowered stalks unpruned as these will carry the flowers for this summer. Fuchsias can be pruned once they start showing new leaf, they flower on new growth that's why growers cut them right back to encourage new fresh growth and flowers for retail. Cut back all scraggly old wood. Dahlias can be planted when the soil is drier, I keep a cover of pea straw on top the dahlia clumps until they show signs of new growth. Rose growth is well on now and we don't have to worry about aphids (greenfly) yet but they will be about soon to settle on the top new growth, easily visible for you to dispose of by removing with your finger and thumb. Leave spraying (if needed) until leaves are well-grown and hardened up a little. Lawns: Prepare the ground for sowing new lawns here on the coast, when the chill has left the ground, spring sowing should be spread thickly to beat annual weeds. Once spring mowing starts again on existing lawns, keep the mower blades up to allow grass to thicken as it comes back from dormancy and feed lawns just before or during rain and they will stay lush. Vegetables: Here on the coast sow lettuce seed and plant lettuce plants and other leaf veg on offer now at two-week intervals but protect from frost and birds while small. Carrots and peas can go in but the ground is still too cold for parsnips, beans, corn, and the pumpkin family, they all need warmer soil. Broad beans sown in March should be in flower looking for bees. Prepare the ground for planting seed potatoes, if the soil is too wet, fork over adding compost to get air in to aid drying. Potatoes can rot if the soil is cold and wet. Fruit: Buds are swelling to blossom burst as sap rises, what's needed now are sunny days to bring bees out. Work on gooseberry bushes now before leaves arrive, thin out middle branches and cut bottom skirt branches up to raise bush height making it so much easier to pick the fruit from underneath. Strawberries are starting to move towards budding so will be looking for food, they need to be mulched with compost, old animal manure, then straw or pine needles as a cover will do the trick. Cheers, Linda.