Gardening in Waitaki August 7th 2024

Winter sweet.

Early Spring is showing now in gardens on the coast, blossoms, bulbs flowering, swelling of buds, fragrance from winter sweet, witch hazel, Daphne, boronia, and violets wafting perfume about, and birds are beginning to nest. We are coming to the end of pruning time, humping straw bales and barrows of compost/mulch. It is now time to create and dress gardens by planting, shifting, and feeding. I have been liquid feeding with worm and comfrey tea, adding at the strength of black tea to a full watering can, then applying generously to all new leaf, budding and flowering plants like polyanthus, forget-me-nots, dianthus, sweet peas, pansy, and, viola. Any new plantings can be Helped along by feeding now to get roots going and to keep them green and strong through any cold snaps yet to come. Slow-release fertiliser is a great idea now as well, sprinkle around established ornamental and newly planted trees and shrubs to be ready when the plants need food as they awaken. This week I noticed nice fat buds swelling on the stems of my hydrangeas, I started pruning the more sheltered bushes a couple of weeks back but left the more exposed a little longer. I have found I can pull rooted branches from the base of big old gnarly hydrangea bushes, these take a few years to bush up but it is a sure way to replicate a special variety that has become too large and old for the spot it is planted in. I am forever taking cuttings from geraniums, they are so easy to grow from cuttings. Take short Semi-hardwood cuttings from hardened geraniums, (not new green steams), and let them dry out a little before planting, this means you don't have to deal with them straight away. Plant firmly into a soil and river sand mix, Potting mix is too light to get a tight seal around cuttings. I like it when I come across geraniums in friends' gardens to swap cuttings from mine. Trim dentata lavender now if you haven't already. Dentata is a tall growing lavender with serrated leaves and pale lavender bumblebee flowers. Dentata will recover quickly from a cutback because it is continually budding up. Leave trimming other lavenders until it is warmer, All lavenders like sweetening up with a dressing of lime now. Once wet ground dries dahlia tubers can be planted along with gladioli bulbs, planting can be done from now until September. With roses making a move to budding up they will need food to draw on, powdered rose food needs watered in around the drip line, slow slow-release fertiliser will work each time it rains. Trees and Roses are still available in Garden Centres and now is the last time to plant bare rooted trees and shrubs before roots get going. Lawns: I had the lawn mower out this week as the warm weather after the rain pushed out nice lush growth, next rain would be the time to feed lawns to give them a good spring boost. Vegetables: Vegetable gardens will have enjoyed the rain and it is so good not to have to worry about the bugs during these colder months when planting out leaf veg. Cold and frosty areas inland can make a start now by adding some compost and a little lime in readiness for when you plant out later this month. Let's hope we don't get too many overcast days during the time fruit trees are in blossom so the bees will come out and set to work pollinating. Keep an eye on peach and nectarine trees, if they are just at bud burst it will be time to spray a copper fungicide to prevent leaf curl. When they are in flower it is too late to spray. Cheers, Linda