Gardening in Waitaki September 18th 2024

Rain and wind chill again in North Otago as new spring growth wants to retreat back into bud, but spring rain is always welcome here.The hum of bees is back when the sun shines on all the flowering cherries in blossom and what a magnificent display magnolias are making. Now is the perfect time to sow seeds for summer flowering, I am sure every gardener enjoys trying new plants and colour combinations but keep an eye on seedlings with late frosts. Some I planted 3 weeks ago have germinated so I have been protecting them. Birds will be scratching about in gardens looking for worms and grubs to feed their young, they usually concentrate on the front edge of a garden making a mess on paths and lawns, if you have a problem with this, growing a mat forming a border will deter them. Some border plants to consider are catmint, lambs ear, alyssum, alchemilla mollis, dwarf agapanthus, armeria maritim (thrift), mondo grass, any low growing perennial plant that mats over soil. Baskets and pots need to be thought about now, use only shallow rooted plants for baskets like pansies, lobelia, small type petunias, nemesia, and trailers like dwarf sweet pea, with the addition of slow release fertiliser and water Chrystal's to keep them going. The roots of what you want to plant will determine the size and depth of a pot. Place a deep saucer on the basket bottom to catch and hold water before filling with planting mix.Time to address root-bound pots, most established potted shrubs respond well to being removed and having half the roots removed with a sharp spade, then re-potted in fresh mix with a good amount of plant food to suit the plant, repot spring flowering shrubs after flowering. Potted roses and hydrangeas need a deep pot that will not heat up and cook roots during summer. Tin foil around the inside of a pot before filling,( shiny side facing out) will help keep roots cooler for roses, camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas, and small trees and shrubs. All potted plants need excellent drainage and a consistent food and water supply. If a potted plant is left too dry for too long between watering it will never thrive.Roses are leafing up now and the warmer it becomes the more aphids (greenflies) will be about, aphids settle on the top new growth of rose bushes and are easily visible for you to dispose of by removing with your finger and thumb. If you feel you need to spray, wait until the leaves are well-grown and have hardened up a little, or leave to encourage birds and predators to take the bugs. Lawns: New lawns sown on the coast should result in a once the cold snap is over, as I have mentioned before seed must be sown thickly in spring to beat most annual weeds although annual weeds will be mowed out with the first mow. Keep the mower blades up when cutting spring grass to allow it to thicken and feed established lawns just before or during rain and they will stay lush, no feeding is required on very new lawns as they need to push roots down deep looking for moisture and nourishment to become strong. Fruit: Strawberries and rhubarb are starting to move, they need to be fed, watered, and mulched, manure enriched compost then straw, pine needles, or un sprayed grass clippings will do the trick around both. Vegetables: Here on the coast Plant lettuce plants at two-week intervals and any spare ground could be planted in seed potatoes. Plant corn and pumpkin seeds early and protect once through the soil until frosts have passed, they both need a long ripening season.  Enjoy watching the glory of spring gardens as the beauty unfolds before our eyes. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki September 12th 2024

North Otago looks so spring-pretty after some nice sunny days, with masses of lovely blossoms and daffodils everywhere and the magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas taking centre stage. Now that it's planting time and there is a lot on offer it's a good time to talk about plants for the right place. starting with dry areas of the garden, under hungry trees or areas that drain too readily. You will be wasting your time and money planting shallow-rooted plants like rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas or hellebores in these areas. Grouping with plants that will work their roots down to look for moisture is the way to go, like euphorbias in all their varieties, colours and sizes, agapanthus, large and small varieties are great on a slope. Grasses grouped as they are in nature do well in the dry and add movement to the garden as they waft in the wind, geraniums like it dry but need water until their roots get down and need to be cut back after flowering. Lupins are wonderful in big groups but also need water until they become established, after the first flowering they will self-seed and make their groups larger. All these plants once established will not need watering. (Shady areas next week.) Hydrangeas are a popular shrub, grouped or as a gap filler, they are leafing now and will need fed ready for their long flowering season, animal manure is a good food source for them ( not fresh) Hydrangeas are shallow-rooted so need to be mulched and watered often. To keep pink use a little lime around the drip line and for blue use aliumn sulphate or Epsom salts, these must be watered in and not just left on top of the roots. Lawns, Lawns benefit greatly from an early spring feed of lawn fertiliser, this works best with rain to wash it in. I have been spreading pig manure over my clay-based new lawn because it needs humus to build up to help with drainage. Vegetables: The soil is warming and days are longer, everything is now coming to life for spring so this is a busy time for gardeners who will be sowing, planting and fertilising edible gardens. Get pumpkin, butternut, squash and corn seeds started now under protection, they need a long warm growing season to grow and ripen. It is good to be planting salad veg again with still no white butterflies or aphids but new seedlings should be covered from nesting birds. Fruit: All deciduous fruit trees can still be planted in September while they are just coming out of dormancy. The widest selection will be available in garden stores now. All fruits require a position in full sun and shelter from prevailing winds is preferable. Codling moth Spring flowers are the trigger for codling moth grub to become active, as soon as the petals start to fall, it’s time to act to prevent infestation. I have come across a method of dealing with codling moth which is said to have worked well for some. Use a plastic milk container, and place 1 banana peel, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup sugar in it. Fill the container almost full of water, replace the cap and shake it well to mix and dissolve the contents. Remove the cap and firmly secure one container onto the apple tree. The moths are attracted to the scent of the concoction, becoming trapped and drowned when they investigate. Refill with water as needed throughout the summer. Strawberries: will do well with a dressing of fertiliser specifically formulated with extra potassium, I am sure there will be one on offer, especially for strawberries. All other berries on offer should be planted now to settle into a season of fruiting. Mound up potatoes as they show leaves, this keeps them cooler and the light from them. If you are still to sprout and plant potatoes here are a few FIRST EARLY VARIETIES: Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Maris Anchor, Rocket. SECOND EARLY Ilam Hardy, Karaka, Red King. MAINCROP VARIETIES: Desiree, Mondial, Nadine, Pentland Dell, Red Rascal and Rua. I have sown mixed lettuce seeds in a tray and plan to transplant them into the garden as I need them, lettuce seedlings will hold in a tray for a long time and then really start growing when they are planted. Garden design: If creating a new garden or revamping an existing garden I can steer you in the right direction with a concept garden plan. I have been creating concept garden plans for many years with local plant and design knowledge. Message me for a consultation. email:linda.lsw@gmail.com

Mounded potatoes

Gardening in Waitaki September 3rd 2024

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer."~ G. B  Charlesworth. A blustery start to our new growing season to dry soil out after winter rains, the trouble with such strong winds is that soil will dry too much on top where new shallow spring roots are beginning to push up new growth. Plants such as delphiniums, iris, peony roses, and any perennials making a comeback will need moisture to help roots push deeper down into damper soil.Cleaning out ponds should be on the gardening list now, leaves and old growth from pond plants need to be removed, and overflowing the pond will freshen it. Water Lilies, oxygen weed, and water iris are starting to make a move. While water lilies are not fully in leaf sections can be cut and re-potted. If you do not have a mesh pot specifically for aquatic plants, create holes in the sides of a plastic pot and use that. Line the pot with sacking or woven fabric and 3/4 fill with garden soil and a small amount of slow-release fertiliser in the center. Plant a water lily section then add stones or gravel to the top of the pot and submerge to the bottom of the pond.  Now that sap is rising, remove unwanted growth from prunus trees, (flowering cherry) this is said to be the best time to make cuts in prunus to avoid the spread of silver leaf which can spread from tree to tree while in the dormant stage. Always on a warm dry day cut out any weak growth and cross over branches before they grow thick. A tree that can be difficult to prune is a silver pear (Pyrus Salviifolla pendula, best to prune out the center now while not in leaf. Remove branches that are clogging up the center and work to encourage the new outfacing growth which will give your tree the pendula look required.  Foliar feed new spring-growing plants (not bulbs, they store food in the bulb), and liquid plant food will encourage strong growth. Now is the time to plant, plant, plant all the pretty spring seedlings on offer, and sow seeds for summer flowering to save on buying seedlings later in the year.  Lawns, benefit greatly from an early spring feed of lawn fertiliser or a dressing of manure-enriched compost to build up humus on clay-based lawns. Unfortunately, too much soil is removed from new building sites these days which means the clay is not as far down creating a solid moisture-holding pan under the soil. Gypsum ( soluble lime) along with the compost will work on opening up clay without changing the ph of soil. Frosts will soon be over allowing new lawns to be sown, remember to sow seed thickly as annual weed seeds will be competing.  Fruit: All deciduous fruit trees can still be planted during  September. All fruits require a position in full sun, shelter from prevailing winds is preferable, or a stake added for a couple of years until roots are well anchored. If leaf curl is a problem on young stone fruit trees, pull affected leaves off and destroy them, and new leaves take their place. Strawberries are easy to grow in a home garden, as little as 25 plants can yield more than 50 pounds. Strawberries need at least six hours of direct sun daily and will do well with a dressing of fertiliser specifically formulated with extra potassium, regular irrigation, and slightly acidic soil covering the bed in straw or pine needles will keep the weeds down and the fruit clean. All other berries on offer should be planted now to settle into a season of fruiting. Vegetables: With soil warming every plant is now coming to life for spring so there is a lot to do in the vegetable garden as you ready it for planting. Break up and rake clods to fine soil down for direct seed sowing. Get pumpkin, butternut squash and corn seeds started now under protection until frosts finish, they need a long warm growing season to grow and ripen. It's great to be planting salad veg again especially while there are still no white butterflies or aphids about. As an early season deterrent by spraying fish emulsion on both veg and flowering seedlings, will feed the plants and repel pests by fooling them into thinking their favorite food is now protein, repeat after rain. Get sprouted potatoes in the ground, when leaves appear mound over them to keep all light out as potatoes increase in size. Keep water up to rows during dry spells.  Cheers, Linda.