Gardening in Waitaki November 26th 2024

So much growth is happening now and roses are early to bloom but we should still have picking to do at Christmas before the need to do a summer prune. As the blooms die off, head back to a strong out-facing bud. For those with box hedging it is now time to trim as regrowth will be limited now, choose an overcast day or two to hold back the sun -fade on the new undergrowth. Young box hedging will only need the top evened up to encourage more side growth. A dressing of compost and blood & bone will give hedges what is needed to take them through a hot summer & autumn. Viola clumps can be cut back and divided now, I just dig up part of a large clump and basically pull it to bits planting sections with roots into pots and sitting them in a shaded spot over summer & autumn. By the start of next winter, the small pots will be filled with roots, new leaves, and buds ready to be planted. The same for polyanthus and primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth, and throw away knotted old spent roots. There is still time to divide agapanthus, large and dwarf varieties. They can get a bit rootbound which reduces their flowering, dig out the whole clump (if it is still manageable enough to do this), then pull off smaller root clumps and plant them out on their own using fresh compost to get the roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants. If you have, or can get hold of some aged compost that has finished working and is ready to put in the garden you will be able to make compost tea.Compost Tea is a nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic plant food made by steeping aged compost in water. The water is then diluted and used as a root / or foliar feed. It is also noted for its ability to control various plant diseases (blights, molds, wilts, etc. when used as a foliar spray), to repel and control insect pests and their damage when used regularly, and to encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria which results in healthier, more stress-tolerant plants. The basic recipe most often recommended is as follows:1 large container with lid (plastic rubbish bin works well) enough aged, completed compost to fill an old pillow case 1/2-3/4 full. Fill the container with water, place the compost-filled pillowcase (cheesecloth bag or pantyhose also work well), tie off the top, and submerge in the container of water. Cover (to prevent odor and insect problems) and let steep for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks. This steeping time is crucial to the formation of beneficial bacteria and the required fermentation process. When finished, dip out the tea and dilute it (3 parts water to 1 part tea) and use it weekly as root food for all plants.  (It is important to note that COMPOST TEA AND MANURE TEA ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Manure tea can be made in the same way but is not generally recommended as a foliar spray and is not as nutritionally well-balanced, I found that roses do well when liquid manure is applied around roots. Roses:If you are having trouble with aphids, black spots or mildew on roses, spraying now will keep them in check. Shield takes care of all, follow the instructions, and spray at the suggested intervals but not on a sunny day when bees are about, Keep food up to roses, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow-release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water.  Weeds are starting to mature and make seeds, get them out before they do, most are easy to pull when they have grown a bit. Convolvulus will need to be dug out, making sure to remove every root.  I find it too risky to spray around the plants Convolvulus is clambering over so a ground-level zap on new growth is a much shorter distance for the spray to be effective.  Lawns are lush as we seem to have missed the October drying winds this spring, I am keeping the catcher up and mowing every second mow without it on to help retain the growth and ad humus as we head into the hottest seasons.  Fruit: Gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and strawberries should be plumping up nicely, nice sun-filled days are needed now for them to ripen. Vegetables: Keep mounding potato rows to keep light out as they grow bigger, consistent watering is important for potatoes now, this goes for all root vegetables. Leafy veg doesn't need any extra feeding at this time of the year, it will just encourage them to bolt. Plant only as many seedling plants as you think you would use when ready and hold back in shade other small seedling plants from the same batch until needed. Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, their roots are fragile until large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. All new small plants can be over-watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and then collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering and good drainage is essential. Corn requires a long ripening season so should be well on now.  Cheers, Linda