Gardening in Waitaki 1st October 2026

What a cold snap we have had! The sudden temperature drop will have been hard on plants, with seedlings and soft maple foliage damaged. Here on the North Otago coast the ground will be dry, with gardens needing a good soaking to support new growth while we wait for warmer weather. When temperatures rise, seedlings will soon catch up, but small seedlings have little chance of surviving if planted straight into dry ground, so pot on seedlings into punnets or individual pots first so they can establish a strong root system before planting out. Strong-growing plants such as sunflowers and delphiniums can be sown directly into the ground or peat pots. Think about summer colour now: petunias, lobelia, nemesia and salvia can be raised from seed, while cosmos, poppies, larkspur, nigella and annual lavatera can be sown directly into the garden. The later-flowering cherries are taking centre stage, including Prunus Kanzan and Prunus Shimizu Sakura, although strong North Otago winds can quickly strip their blossom. Spring bulbs are still putting on a show; enjoy them, then allow the foliage to die down naturally so it feeds the bulbs for next year's flowers. Large overcrowded clumps can be divided and given away, a sign at the gate saying “Bulbs to give away – bring a spade!” may soon have takers. Now is also a good time to choose plants for the conditions they will actually have to live in. Dry areas, hungry trees and freely draining ground are unsuitable for shallow-rooted plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas and hellebores. Consider deeper-rooted, drought-tolerant plants such as euphorbias, agapanthus, buddleias, grasses, geraniums and lupins once established. For damp, shady areas, hydrangeas, hostas, heucheras, and hellebores are useful choices. Aluminium plant and Acanthus mollis can quickly cover difficult shady ground, although it is best suited to areas where its vigorous spreading habit can be contained. Trim winter-flowering ericas. Cut back fuchsias now to encourage fresh flowering wood, and pinch chrysanthemums several times to keep them bushy. Lawns: Give lawns a good feed during rain to give them a good spring start; lawn weeds can be spot-sprayed now before they run to seed. Keep mower blades higher and scatter only unsprayed clippings lightly around the garden as mulch. Veg Garden: Companion planting can be useful in the vegetable garden. Marigolds and tagetes are traditionally planted among vegetables to help deter pests, while nasturtiums can attract caterpillars away from crops. Basil and tomatoes make good companions; carrots and leeks can be planted together, sage around celery may help deter aphids, and dill attracts bees and other beneficial insects. In the glasshouse, prepare well-composted soil for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Good ventilation is essential, particularly overnight, as damp conditions encourage fungal disease. Tomatoes need plenty of sun, around six to eight hours a day, and can be kept growing strongly with regular feeding and watering. Keep mounding potatoes as they grow to keep light out and encourage a larger crop. Corn can now be planted in groups so the plants support each other, with dill nearby to attract bees. Beans, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and basil can also be planted, remembering to protect from cold nights. Sow carrot seed thinly and remove thinnings from the garden to prevent attracting carrot fly. Covering rows with shade cloth (which allows the light needed), can also help prevent the female flies from laying eggs. Fruit trees and bushes need moisture while bees are busy pollinating. Mulch with unsprayed grass clippings out to the drip line and consider netting low trees against birds. Check apple trees for woolly aphid, which appears as white furry patches on branches. Cheers Linda.

October is almost here, and the weather remains changeable. October is a busy month, but it is also one of the most rewarding times in the garden. With the soil warming, plants growing rapidly, and everything beginning to flower, there is plenty to enjoy; however, this is also the month when chasing weeds can become a full-time job, so hoeing and hand-pulling while weeds are small is still the best option in planted areas. Couch grass and convolvulus need particular attention; remove every runner and root you can find, as even small pieces left behind will quickly grow and spread. Once the obvious weeds are cleared, cover the soil with a good layer of weed-free compost or mulch to block light and discourage new weed seeds from germinating. Then it is time to plant, plant, plant! Annuals and perennials will grow rapidly now and soon help to leave no room for weeds. If plants, roses and shrubs have not yet been fed, now is the time. Compost enriched with blood and bone and a little sulphate of potash will provide food and encourage flowering and fruiting. Water new plantings regularly, preferably in the morning, allowing the foliage and soil surface to dry before nightfall. Roses benefit from well-rotted stable manure and compost spread around the drip line rather than dug into the soil, as digging can damage roots. Keep manure away from the stems and spread it around the outer feeding roots. If greenfly appear on young rose growth, they can often be removed with your fingers or a strong jet of water. Once leaves have hardened, birds will also help. Hostas are beginning to unfurl their beautiful leaves, so take care not to damage the pointed tips while working around them. Keep them well watered and give a dressing of compost and blood and bone. Slugs will soon be looking for them too; copper tape around containers or suitable sharp barriers can help keep slugs away. Lilies and peonies are pushing upwards now. Put stakes or supports in place before they become too tall, as it is much easier to support them early. They also appreciate consistent moisture. Camellias that have finished flowering can now be trimmed and shaped. If a bush has become dense, remove some branches from the centre to allow more light and air through, encouraging future bud formation. Keep an eye on blossom trees too; any growth appearing from below the graft should be removed. Lawns are growing quickly now that the soil is warming. New grass seed should be sown thickly and kept moist until established. Do not fertilise newly germinated grass, as fertiliser can be too strong. Established lawns can be fed, preferably when rain is expected, rather than during dry sunny weather when fertiliser may scorch the grass. Vegetable Garden: If you have a vacant patch of ground, why not turn it into a vegetable garden? Clear, expose, and loosen the soil, add compost, and make simple edges using whatever is available. Keep weeds down around the outside and start planting what seedlings are available, but Corn, pumpkin, squash and zucchini need to be sown under cover for protection from cold nights. Tomato plants are available, so get greenhouses ready to hold the summer crop and plant when nights become warmer. Carrots can also be sown now; if carrot fly has been a problem, covering carrot rows with insect netting after germination can help protect the crop. Avoid disturbing the plants unnecessarily, as the scent released when carrots are thinned can attract carrot fly.  Herbs. A sunny spot enriched with compost or well-rotted manure makes a wonderful herb garden, and mixed herb pots planted now will grow quickly and make thoughtful Christmas gifts. Fruit trees, raspberries and gooseberries are flowering, so sunshine and plenty of pollinating insects are especially welcome. Blueberries need acidic soil and consistent moisture; a mulch of pine needles can help maintain suitable conditions for both blueberries and strawberries. News from our wonderful Community Gardens: Their next Community Classroom series runs throughout October. Visit our website  https://www.waitakicommunitygardens.nz/   or look out for flyers. Cheers,Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki 15th September 2026

Spring is certainly keeping us guessing, with warm days followed by cold winds. I still have the frost cloth close at hand, but there is plenty to enjoy as the garden bursts into life. Keep an eye on seedlings now. Those that have germinated under protection will need thinning and regular watering. Transplant shallow-rooted seedlings such as pansies and lobelia into trays, while deeper-rooted plants such as lupins and poppies are better given individual pots. Remember to harden off bought bedding plants before planting them outside. It is also time to prepare hanging baskets and containers. Pansies, lobelia, small petunias, plus many of the other shallow-rooted choices available now. Use slow-release fertiliser and water crystals, and never allow containers to dry out completely. Tuberous begonias can now come out of storage. You can divide large tubers, provided each piece has a healthy shoot. Begonias appreciate seaweed or fish-based fertiliser and are best lifted before winter, when soil remains wet. Put stakes in now for delphiniums, peonies, asters and tall phlox, before they get too tall. When in my past large garden, I would be sowing wildflower seeds thickly into containers for later use as colourful gap-fillers in perennial borders. By keeping them deadheaded, they would flower for months. This is a great time for planting and colour combinations. I recently divided a large clump of lamb’s ear, using the individual plants around borders and amongst annuals. Its silver foliage makes a lovely contrast with stronger colours and adds interesting texture. Early blossom is a reminder that now is the perfect time to choose trees for a new garden. Look beyond the flowers and consider eventual height, spread, roots and where leaves and blossom will fall. Large spreading trees need plenty of room, particularly near houses, paths and concrete. Lavenders are making new growth. A little lime and liquid or slow-release fertiliser will help. Trim scruffy plants, but if they have become very woody with weak growth only at the top, it is time to replace them. Lawns damaged by winter or grass grub can have patches worked and resown now to thicken before summer. Sow seed thickly in spring to help beat annual weeds, keep mower blades raised and feed when rain arrives. Vegetable garden: keep planting through September. Lettuce planted every two weeks will provide a succession of crops, while new potatoes planted now will be ready to enjoy for Christmas. Keep broad beans well watered and mound soil around their shallow roots to prevent them drying out. Fruit: I am seeing fruit bush and grape varieties on sale locally, and I feel it is important to choose varieties compatible with North Otago conditions. Blueberry varieties proven for growing here are.... 1. Reka, very productive and vigorous. Early fruiting, generally around late November to late December 2. Nui for exceptionally large berries. If you want two, plant Reka + Nui; they pollinate well together. 3. Bluecrop is also an excellent traditional choice and is vigorous and productive. Blueberries are shallow-rooted and really dislike drying out. They also need acid soil, around pH 4.5–5.5 Plant in a really good organic planting mix, pine-bark/sawdust mulch and deep, regular watering, rather than letting them dry out between waterings. Grape varieties for North Otago outdoor planting: 1. Iona – very hardy, coastal-suitable, and ripens in March–April. 2. Albany Surprise – a dependable outdoor grape with large black, sweet fruit.3. Niagara or Schuyler – good choices for coastal conditions. Plant grapes in the warmest, sunniest, most sheltered position possible, preferably against a north-facing wall. Raspberry canes that do well in North Otago: 1. Aspiring: large, excellent flavour, and crops twice. 2. Heritage: Very reliable, long autumn crop and easy pruning. Autumn Bliss: large fruit and earlier autumn crop. 4. Willamette: Excellent traditional summer raspberry. Blackcurrants are starting to make flowers but can still be thinned to let light in, followed by a compost mulch. Cheers, Linda.

gardening in Waitaki September 10th 2026

A chilly start to the new growing season, but North Otago is looking so pretty, with masses of blossoms and daffodils everywhere. There is plenty to do now, so here are some jobs worth putting at the top of the list. Ponds: Clean out leaves and old growth from pond plants and, if possible, allow the pond to overflow to freshen the water. Water lilies, oxygen weed and water iris will soon be making new growth. Be careful what you plant in a domestic pond. I once had to remove yellow bog iris from my large pond because its mat-forming roots had spread so aggressively they eventually covered half the pond. Yellow bog iris is much better suited to the edges of streams, where its fibrous roots help hold banks together. Bullrushes are another plant best avoided in a small pond as they spread rapidly. While water lilies are still coming into leaf, sections can be divided and repotted. Use a mesh aquatic pot, or make holes in the sides of an ordinary plastic pot. Line it with sacking or woven fabric, fill it about three-quarters with garden soil and add a little slow-release fertiliser in the centre. Plant the lily section, cover the surface with stones or gravel and lower it carefully to the bottom of the pond. Roses: Roses are a priority now. Look for winter dieback and cut affected branches back to healthy new growth. Also check for shoots coming from below the graft. These usually have different leaves and are much more vigorous than the grafted rose. Remove them completely. Once new foliage has hardened, begin your regular rose protection programme if required. Good feeding, adequate moisture and good air circulation are the best starting points for healthy roses. Avoid leaving rose foliage wet overnight, as this encourages fungal problems. Perennials and spring plants: New growth is appearing everywhere. Keep feeding actively growing plants with a liquid fertiliser, although bulbs do not need feeding as they have stored food in the bulbs. Plant the many beautiful spring seedlings now on offer, but remember to harden them off first. Put them outside in a sheltered, lightly shaded position for two or three days before planting. Avoid planting during the heat of the day. Perennials such as phlox, hostas and peonies are pushing through their winter mulch. Divide overcrowded hostas now and stake tall-growing plants like delphiniums before they become too tall. Bearded irises also appreciate attention now; keep their rhizomes partly exposed and avoid high-nitrogen fertiliser. Cyclamen that flowered indoors over winter can now be planted outside in a cool, shady position. With some summer care, they can be brought back inside before winter and will continue flowering for many years. Lawns: Grass is well on the move again and may look uneven and tufty until the first few mowings. Keep mower blades reasonably high while the lawn recovers from winter. Have lawn fertiliser ready for the next good rain, as moisture helps wash it into the soil. If you are repairing bare patches, rough up compacted soil, add a little fine soil and sow grass seed generously. Cover small areas with shade cloth or frost cloth to keep birds away while the seed germinates. For eradicating moss, sulphate of iron is effective. Apply according to the instructions, allow the moss to turn black and then rake it out. If your soil sits over a heavy clay pan, gypsum can help improve the structure and drainage without altering soil pH. Vegetables: Days are lengthening, and soil is beginning to warm, so prepare fine soil for direct sowing and get peas and hardy herbs planted. Start pumpkin, butternut, squash and corn under protection now. Plant early crop potatoes; when shoots emerge, gradually mound soil or compost around them to encourage more productive growth. Keep potatoes well watered during dry spells. Young veg seedlings may still need frost protection at night, particularly in colder parts of North Otago. Salad seedlings can be planted in a warm spot. As it warms, white butterflies and other pests will be looking for new seedlings to deposit their young on, so an early spray of diluted fish emulsion on vegetables, flowering plants and roses can discourage pests with its smell of protein while providing a useful feed. Reapply after rain. Fruit: September is an excellent time to plant deciduous fruit trees while they are just coming out of dormancy. Choose a sunny, sheltered position wherever possible and stake newly planted trees until their roots are well established. Apricots and peaches will soon be in blossom, eagerly waiting for bees and some warm weather. If leaf curl has affected young stone fruit leaves, remove and destroy badly affected leaves so that fresh new growth can replace them. It is too late to spray with copper once blossom buds have burst. Raspberry canes need attention. With summer-fruiting raspberries, older brown canes that have already fruited should have been removed, leaving around six strong green canes per plant. Remove weak and sideways-growing canes and tie the remaining canes neatly into their supports. Mulch well to retain moisture through summer. Autumn fruiting varieties are much easier to prune as they always fruit on the current season's growth. They should have been cut back hard in winter, and all dead and diseased wood removed. Strawberries need plenty of sunshine, regular moisture and good feeding. A fertiliser with extra potassium will encourage flowering and fruiting. Mulching with straw or pine needles helps keep weeds down and fruit clean. Rhubarb is waking up now and will appreciate a generous dressing of well-rotted, manure-enriched compost. This is also a good time to plant other berry bushes while they have the whole growing season ahead to settle in. Raspberry cane pruning.

Spring puning raspberry canes. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki 1st September 2026

“Tra La” – spring at last, and what a welcome it is. After winter, every day seems to bring something new into the garden. Sweet peas, ranunculus, anemones and tulips are pushing through. The bees will soon be busy on sunny days, although a cold snap or frost can still remind us that spring has only just begun. There is plenty to do, but after winter, getting back into the garden feels like a privilege. Recent rain softened the ground beautifully, and those strong winds made it necessary to get hoses out. This an ideal time for planting and weeding; weeds are also enjoying the warmer conditions, so hoe or hand-pull them while they are small and before they flower and set seed. While working around the garden, take stock of jobs needing attention. Stake delphiniums before they become too tall, remove excess mulch from iris rhizomes and peony crowns, and cut back old catmint if it has not already been done. Spring feeding: Plants, shrubs and trees will respond to spring feeding. Liquid-feed perennials and bedding plants, while trees and shrubs will benefit from a good general fertiliser. Camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons can show yellowing after winter as shallow-rooted plants use available nitrogen, so give them the acid fertiliser formulated for these plants. Roses are pushing strongly now; if yours have not yet been pruned, do it promptly as the buds are swelling. Seeds and seedlings: Winter-sown pansies and dianthus can be thinned and potted into deeper trays, while lupins, hellebores and Oriental poppies benefit from individual small root pots so they develop a good root ball before planting out. Sow late-spring and summer flowers into seed trays, keeping them raised off the cold ground and protected with glass or clear plastic. A mist spray in the morning is preferable when watering small seedlings. It is also time to think about baskets and pots, using shallow-rooted plants such as pansies, primulas, and dwarf sweet peas until the weather warms enough for petunias, lobelia and begonias.Ornamental grasses can be given their spring haircut, cutting away old seed heads and clearing the dead thatch from around the base. The material can be reused as mulch, compost cover or bedding for animals. Lawns: Give lawns an early spring feed just before, or during, rainfall, or hose if dry so the nutrients are washed in. Keep the mower blades higher as grass comes out of dormancy. If moss is a problem, sulphate of iron can be watered over affected areas; once the moss turns black, rake it out. But remember that moss is usually a symptom of an underlying problem such as waterlogging, shade, compaction or mowing too closely. Vegetables: There is plenty to do in the vegetable garden. On the coast, sow lettuce, spring onions, carrots and peas, and plant leafy vegetables at two-week intervals for a continuous supply. Protect young plants from frost and birds. Frost cloth is perfect as plants still get enough light while hiding seedlings from birds. Prepare ground for potatoes and get seed potatoes planted when the soil is suitable. Do not rush parsnips, beans, corn, pumpkins or squash into cold ground – they need much warmer soil to germinate. Start pumpkin, butternut, squash and corn under protection now to give them the long growing season they need. Fruit: Peach and nectarine buds are at bud burst, so this is the last opportunity to apply copper spray for leaf curl – once the trees are in blossom it is too late. Prune peaches and nectarines now if necessary, remembering that they fruit on wood produced last summer. Gooseberries can also be thinned before the leaves arrive, removing crowded branches and raising the lower “skirt” to make picking easier. Strawberries are beginning to move towards budding and will appreciate a mulch of compost or old animal manure, covered with straw or pine needles. Prune blueberries now  . Remove dead, diseased, weak, crossing, and low-growing branches, keeping the bush open and vase-shaped for good light and airflow. Every 3–4 years, remove one or two oldest canes at ground level to encourage new growth. Overgrown bushes can be cut back hard, but this may sacrifice a season’s crop. Feed with an acid-loving fertiliser, mulch well and water during dry periods. Avoid excess nitrogen, which encourages leaves rather than fruit. Prune Prunus trees on a fine day, removing weak or crossing branches before they become large.  Early spring is also a time to think beyond our own gardens. Native green corridors through Waitaki can soften urban streets, provide habitat and encourage birds and wildlife. The cycle track between Oamaru and Weston and the planting around Cape Wanbrow show what can be achieved when people plant for biodiversity as well as beauty.Cheers, Linda.