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