Gardening in Waitaki February 26th 2024

Another lovely week with moisture, perfect growing weather, continuous colorful blooms, and the intoxicating fragrance of jasmine and roses wafting among lush summer foliage. As February progresses, we start thinking about the cooler months ahead, now is the time for an end-of-season clean-up—tackling it while the weather is still mild. I have been trimming back hebes that have, and are flowering, they run to seed quickly and If seed heads are left new growth will start from that point leaving leggy gaps below. Keep them trimmed and they will stay bushy. For superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, and delphiniums, remove spent flowers and excess buds, while giving fortnightly feeds of liquid fertilizer. Soil is getting hungry now so soak well after pruning and top up with compost to encourage new roots. Summer Shrub and Tree Care :Resist the urge to shift shrubs now; they will suffer from transplant shock even if watered well. Instead, wait until the end of autumn when sap levels drop. If large shrubs must be moved, begin wrenching, which means digging up and lifting one-half of the roots while packing compost underneath to stimulate new feeder roots. Keep watering to support the remaining untouched root system, this will avoid transplant shock when the tree or shrub is lifted and replanted in late autumn. Seed Collecting and Storage: with the hot weather, seeds are ripening fast. Look out for foxgloves, poppies, dianthus, lupins, marigolds, sweet peas, lavender and snapdragon seed pods. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place, away from mice, to plant now or in late winter. Lawn Preparation: If you plan to sow a new lawn in autumn, start preparing now by removing all perennial weeds, then once weeds are well dead rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Then roll the soil to firm if able to create an even service, then it's raking and more raking to ensure a fine layer of soil on top to sow grass seed, once sown rake over the seed through prepared soil. The warm ground and gentle sprinklings of watering will have the seed struck in no time. Leave any fertilizing until the lawn is established. Vegetable gardens should be abundant now: Keep planting root veg and fill soil gaps with a green crop to be dug in before flowering, this helps enrich the soil. Start planning your winter garden and allocate beds for strawberries, garlic, and broad beans. Strawberries: Remove spent plants, trim runners from those being kept for another season, and transplant strong runners for next year's crop. Apples: Because of birds feasting, pick fruit early and store in a cool place, check often for any signs of rot. Grapes will need covering to prevent bird damage. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki February 19th 2025

The hot, muggy days last week, combined with good rainfall, created ideal growing conditions but weren’t great for harvesting—nature doesn’t always cater to everyone. Cutting back and tidying plants to encourage summer flowering is still ongoing, once areas are cleared a dressing of compost and then a deep watering would be beneficial to provide much-needed humus to soil drained of nutrients from summer growth. Leaf mulch makes perfect humus so with autumn approaching consider allocating a space, bin, or even bags for storing gathered leaves with the addition of moisture to help decompose into leaf mulch. Continue deadheading roses and dahlias to prolong flowering. Deadheading roses and dahlias is a critical part of care. It means removing the remains of the spent. By doing this, the plant’s ‘desire’ to set seed is frustrated, so it puts its energies into growing more flowers. Continual deadheading means flowering continues until the onset of winter. Spring bulbs are now available in garden centers. It may feel odd to think about spring at this time of year, but to acquire a stunning spring garden, planting must start now. Bulbs should be planted at the depth recommended on the packaging—typically 4 to 6 inches of soil on top—to ensure they survive dry periods while dormant. Plant in groups for the best effect, a drift of daffodils and grape hyacinths (match heads), tulips, and hyacinths, or a drift of any spring bulbs with forget-me-not make a stunning spring show. I also adore iris planted in drifts, plant bearded iris in an area where they can stay, rake mulch away from their rhizomes so they get good baking from the summer sun, and divide rhizomes as they age. Lawns will benefit from a good feed now—have fertilizer ready for the next rainfall. If you notice dead patches, grass grubs are likely the cause. There is still time to treat them before May when they are actively feeding on roots. For years, treatment granules were unavailable, but a new solution is now on the market. Native organic Neem granules effectively combat grass grubs and other garden pests, making them worth researching. Vegetables and fruit are still growing well, so maintain consistent watering on days when evaporation is minimal. Birds are targeting outdoor tomatoes and ripening apples, old net curtains or frost cloth can be used as a cover to keep them hidden. Apricot trees can be pruned as soon as all fruit has been harvested. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki February 11 2025

Another week of unpredictable weather here on the coast while inland gardens and people sweltering in the heat. February is an excellent month for taking cuttings and propagating your plants. By late summer, the soft new spring growth has hardened, making cuttings less prone to moisture loss from their leaves. Semi-succulent plants like geraniums (Pelargoniums) and impatiens are ideal for beginners. Still, many common shrubs—such as abelia, buxus, lavender, camellia, choisya, fuchsia, and hebe—also have a high success rate as do all those lovely African daisies available now. The key to successful propagation is keeping cuttings alive while they develop roots. Professional nurseries use glasshouses with heated beds and regular misting, but home gardeners can achieve great results with the following method.1: Take cuttings early in the morning while it's still cool. Select tip pieces about 100–150mm long and place them in a bucket with enough water to keep them upright. If needed, they can remain in the bucket for a couple of days, and work in the shade.2: Fill a deep container with river sand or crusher dust, water it thoroughly, and allow it to drain.3: Trim the base of each cutting just below a leaf node (where a leaf is or was attached). Remove the lower leaves, leaving a few at the top, large leaves can be cut in half to reduce water loss. 4: Dip the base of each cutting in rooting hormone (gel or powder). 6: Use a pencil to create holes in the mix; a 150mm pot can hold about six cuttings. Insert each cutting into a hole and gently press the mix around it. 7: Water carefully and place the pot in a lightly shaded area. A plastic cover isn’t needed at this time of year, but check regularly to ensure the mix stays moist. After a couple of months, gently move the stems—if they feel firm, the roots have started to develop. Once well-rooted, transplant cuttings into individual pots with potting mix and feed with a mild liquid fertilizer. Raise pots off the cold ground over winter before planting them in larger containers or directly in the garden in spring. Compost bins will be working well to break down garden and food waste, I have been emptying mine from the bottom, happy that the many worms have enjoyed time contributing to turning waste into great compost.  Seed Collecting. Many seed pods are ripening, making it the perfect time to start collecting seeds. I’m filling small paper bags with sweet peas, cosmos, lavatera, delphiniums, and nasturtiums, to name a few.Monarch Butterflies. On sunny days, Monarch butterflies are actively laying eggs on swan plants, leading to an abundance of caterpillars that can strip the plants quickly. If you don’t have enough swan plants to sustain all the caterpillars, it’s best to remove and squash eggs. If your swan plants are in pots, consider bringing them indoors to prevent butterflies from laying eggs on them. Swan plants don’t develop hardwood, making them vulnerable to frost in very cold areas. However, some mature swan plant trees can be found in North Otago. I’ve had success overwintering young plants by covering them with a double layer of frost cloth. Lawn Care: Lawns are retaining growth well because of the overcast weather.  Keeping mower blades set higher will help shade the roots and retain moisture.Have lawn fertiliser handy to spread on lawns during the next downpour. Fruit Trees: There should be an abundance of plums, apples, pears, nectarines, and late peaches being picked, such a joy to have them in a garden. Feed citrus trees with citrus food, If you notice scale on leaves and branches, spray with winter oil. If your lemon tree is becoming crowded, remove a few branches to improve airflow and allow more light in for pollinators because lemon bushes have a very long fruiting season. Vegetables: There’s still plenty of growing time left! Keep sowing vegetable seeds like carrots, beetroot, parsnips, spring onions, and lettuce. Seedlings planted now will need protection from birds until they grow larger. Late potatoes should be in flower now, mounding is needed to keep light out.  Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki February 5th 2025

Some lovely summer days came our way this week to remind us how lazy, hazy summer days should consistently be. However, cutting back plants as they run to seed is a constant to keep blooms coming. Dead-heading dahlias by taking stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper keep them bushy and flowering longer, Roses are budding up again after the first blooming, it takes about six weeks from a prune at a new outwards-facing bud to new blooms. Watering and mulching with aged compost will keep roses healthy and blooming right through until early winter. Agapanthus are taking center stage in gardens right now. The blues have a cooling effect on hot summer days, and the whites highlight shaded garden areas. They are perfect for dry banks, under trees, and any part of a large garden where they are allowed to multiply and form drifts of colour. Dividing agapanthus can be done when they have finished flowering. Cut English lavenders back by 2/3rds as they flower once, and give them a dressing of blood and bone. However, if they are too old and woody, they will probably not put out new growth, so take cuttings from what you cut back and grow a few new plants. Lavender stoechas and dentata (French lavender) will keep producing flowers if trimmed often. Catmint and alyssum also need a cutback to encourage another flowering. It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering (hybrid) clematis to get roots established before winter. A fungus spray at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from, when planting try not to disturb the roots, and sprinkle a little lime to sweeten the soil. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer with huge or delicate flowers in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look climbing and spilling through gardens. Seed collecting begins again and the sowing of well-dried seeds for colour during autumn and early winter, pansy, poppies, statice, calendula, primula, cineraria, alyssum, and snapdragon will all get an early start if sown now into seed trays then placed in semi-shade to germinate. Lawns: All lawns will be stressed now, weeds can be spot-sprayed out with product at the suggested strength, it is best to do this in the heat of the day when weeds will be thirsty. I pop them out with the blade of my secateurs and that works fine. Keep the catcher up and leave it off when mowing from time to time to let clippings feed back into the lawn. Fruit & Veg: Overcast days have slowed ripening down but with a few more sun-filled days like last week fruit, veg, and filled glasshouses will make up that lost time. Corn, tomatoes, and all in the pumpkin family need continuous heat. Keep rotating root and leaf vegetables to get the best results, i.e. where carrots have been growing, plant lettuce. Cheers, Linda.

Hybrid clematis's