Another dry week with Autumn making a start... leaves, leaves, leaves, another wedding in the garden tomorrow so again things are full on keeping things look fresh as they are slowly drying up!!
Nights are cooling off now which is a blessing for dry parched plants, deep watering and mulching is the only way to save precious shrubs now. My rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas are really suffering and with such a big garden I am spotting everyday shrubs that have missed being watered.
Continue to remove spent summer annuals and always fork in and fresh compost and wet well before replanting beds. Be on the look out for useful self sown seedlings like fox glove, lupin, cineraria, and primula melacoides, they can be transplanted now to settle in before winter. Plants for spring and winter flowering can be planted out now on the coast even though there has been no rain, as long as the ground is well watered before they go in and new plantings are shaded from the hot autumn sun until the days are cooler. These plants will keep making strong feeder roots over winter and be well ahead of any thing planted in early spring. Plants that will go through the winter are, antrrhinum, calendula, iceland poppy, stock, pansy, primrose, pollyanthus, viola and wall flowers. This will not work further inland where the ground freezes.
Lift gladioli now and store in a dry place, if left in the ground they may be attacked by pests.
This is the best time to plant conifers, which in my mind have a place in any garden as winter interest when gardens are bare and uninteresting. Conifers come in many shades and sizes and the size given on any conifer label is only up to 10 years. No mater how small they are said to grow they all keep growing to a larger size than the 10 year size given. Don't be afraid to cut out conifers that have out grown their space, I had 4 20 year old conifers cut out this week and will build up the soil where they were growing and start again in the same place with new conifers.
Get that grass seed in now, the cooler nights and mornings are allowing the moisture to remain longer after watering and a strike will happen pretty fast as the ground is still nice and warm.
I am really wanting to dethatch my lawns but have decided to wait until all the weddings are over which will be after next weekend. The dry weather encourages thatch to build up around the grass roots and lawns can become thick, with it killing out the good grass.
Keep an eye out for the first early frosts if you still have pumpkins and corn to harvest, dry off pumpkin and squash skins before storing them in a cool dry place.
The birds are making a feast of apples and late peaches, if they are eating them then they will be ready to pick and use. Apples can be stored in a cool dry place for ages.
Cheers, Linda.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Gardening in North Otago February 26th 2010
Another lovely week but oh so dry.
Parts of my garden are really tired now, particularly the long boarders which I plan to attack this weekend!
Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering and top dress the clumps with compost.
To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums.
I would dearly love to shift shrubs but I know they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if the water was kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when the sap has gone down in most plants.
However trees and shrubs can be wrenched to cushion them from the shock of being moved at this time of the year. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under them which will encourage new feeder roots to grow into the compost. It is important to keep the water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. The tree or shrub will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots. Wrenched trees and shrubs have a much higher transplant success rate than tress and shrubs that are lifted in one and transplanted. Wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant.
I am gathering seeds for planting next spring an with all this hot weather there are plenty to be had, like foxglove, poppy, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, even rhododendron and azalea.
Store them away in a dry place in brown paper bags and plant them into seed raising mix at the end of winter.
Watering plants is a priority now but it is best not to water in the heat of the day, wait until it cools down and your plants will absorb and retain the moisture.
Mulching is also beneficial right now, but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping that moisture in the ground.
If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground now by getting rid of perennial weeds which is easily done by using round up then rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan, then rake and rake to create a fine tilth on top. Then test the PH and if it is very acid adjust to about 6 with dolomite lime. The lime will take a few months to be absorbed so leave applying fertiliser to your new lawn until Spring. Then once or twice a year there after.
The vegetable garden should be abundant now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season.
Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps.
Cheers, Linda
Parts of my garden are really tired now, particularly the long boarders which I plan to attack this weekend!
Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering and top dress the clumps with compost.
To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums.
I would dearly love to shift shrubs but I know they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if the water was kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when the sap has gone down in most plants.
However trees and shrubs can be wrenched to cushion them from the shock of being moved at this time of the year. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added under them which will encourage new feeder roots to grow into the compost. It is important to keep the water up once roots have been cut or disturbed. The tree or shrub will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots. Wrenched trees and shrubs have a much higher transplant success rate than tress and shrubs that are lifted in one and transplanted. Wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant.
I am gathering seeds for planting next spring an with all this hot weather there are plenty to be had, like foxglove, poppy, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, even rhododendron and azalea.
Store them away in a dry place in brown paper bags and plant them into seed raising mix at the end of winter.
Watering plants is a priority now but it is best not to water in the heat of the day, wait until it cools down and your plants will absorb and retain the moisture.
Mulching is also beneficial right now, but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping that moisture in the ground.
If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground now by getting rid of perennial weeds which is easily done by using round up then rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan, then rake and rake to create a fine tilth on top. Then test the PH and if it is very acid adjust to about 6 with dolomite lime. The lime will take a few months to be absorbed so leave applying fertiliser to your new lawn until Spring. Then once or twice a year there after.
The vegetable garden should be abundant now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season.
Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps.
Cheers, Linda
Gardening in North Otago February 12th 2010
What glorious weather and a little rain earlier in the week to help things along.
It is so important now to cut plants that have finished flowering back if you want the plants to grow back with a new lot of fresh leaves to fill the gaps. If you let things run to seed as they want to right now some perennials and annuals will give up because they have made seed to take their place.
Seed collecting:
However if it is seed collecting you want then it is time to start collecting now. Always store seed in brown paper bags and leave in a dark dry place until required. Seeds collected now can be planted now as nature intended or sowing can be done in the spring. Spring sowing will work better some times, hot summer sowing will usually result in fewer seedlings surviving.
Seeds to collect now would be delphinium, aqualegia, dianthus, poppy, marigold, rhododendron,sweet pea, lilies, violas & Pansy's, all of these will do well planted into seed raising mix and planted out when strong enough.
Native seedlings
I am also finding an abundance of native seedlings growing all over the garden, this is the work of birds doing their bit to regenerate the forna. I dig out the small ones and pot them up at this time of the year but leave the larger ones until winter, they will have a better survival rate then.
Gladioli
Lift summer flowering gladioli as leaves begin to dry off, and hang upside down inside to ripen before cleaning and storing.
Clematis:
It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering clematis to get roots established before winter. A fungus spry at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from at planting time and all clematis like a little lime to sweeten their ground.
Bulbs:
Keep planting spring bulbs where you picture a show of them in spring, Clumps are much more effective than one planted here and there.
Dahlias
Keep dead heading dahlias to keep them bushy and flowering longer. take stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper.
Lawns:
Begin preparations for new lawns to be sown in autumn, Start by spraying out all perennial weeds,then the area should be dug or rotary hoe to ensure there is a fine tilt and no underlying hard pan.Test the ph and if, as is likely in many areas it is very acid bring it up to about 6 with lime, leave as long as possible for the lime to be absorbed before applying fertiliser.To ensure a level, firm planting surface, the soil should be gently compacted again after digging by raking and treading.
Veg & fruit
This is a major harvest month for vegetable and fruits, the jam and preserving pans will be busy and the gardens abundant with food. Keeping the water up to everything especially the late ripening fruit trees is a must to get the best crops.
It is so important now to cut plants that have finished flowering back if you want the plants to grow back with a new lot of fresh leaves to fill the gaps. If you let things run to seed as they want to right now some perennials and annuals will give up because they have made seed to take their place.
Seed collecting:
However if it is seed collecting you want then it is time to start collecting now. Always store seed in brown paper bags and leave in a dark dry place until required. Seeds collected now can be planted now as nature intended or sowing can be done in the spring. Spring sowing will work better some times, hot summer sowing will usually result in fewer seedlings surviving.
Seeds to collect now would be delphinium, aqualegia, dianthus, poppy, marigold, rhododendron,sweet pea, lilies, violas & Pansy's, all of these will do well planted into seed raising mix and planted out when strong enough.
Native seedlings
I am also finding an abundance of native seedlings growing all over the garden, this is the work of birds doing their bit to regenerate the forna. I dig out the small ones and pot them up at this time of the year but leave the larger ones until winter, they will have a better survival rate then.
Gladioli
Lift summer flowering gladioli as leaves begin to dry off, and hang upside down inside to ripen before cleaning and storing.
Clematis:
It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering clematis to get roots established before winter. A fungus spry at planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from at planting time and all clematis like a little lime to sweeten their ground.
Bulbs:
Keep planting spring bulbs where you picture a show of them in spring, Clumps are much more effective than one planted here and there.
Dahlias
Keep dead heading dahlias to keep them bushy and flowering longer. take stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper.
Lawns:
Begin preparations for new lawns to be sown in autumn, Start by spraying out all perennial weeds,then the area should be dug or rotary hoe to ensure there is a fine tilt and no underlying hard pan.Test the ph and if, as is likely in many areas it is very acid bring it up to about 6 with lime, leave as long as possible for the lime to be absorbed before applying fertiliser.To ensure a level, firm planting surface, the soil should be gently compacted again after digging by raking and treading.
Veg & fruit
This is a major harvest month for vegetable and fruits, the jam and preserving pans will be busy and the gardens abundant with food. Keeping the water up to everything especially the late ripening fruit trees is a must to get the best crops.
Another good week with a hint of rain, I want it to really rain but I have another wedding in the garden tomorrow so maybe not just yet.
This week I have been moving the hoses around as much as I can, so many of the plants are suffering right now with the dry conditions customary with March weather.
March is such a mellow month and the colour of all blooms intensifying as the growing slows down, seeds ripen along with fruit and vegetables.
This is when I take note of where the weeds are and get them out before their seeds pop every where, I do not want to be faced with all the biddy bids and convolvulous I had this growing season in the next one!
I am also looking at the spent tired areas of our garden and taking note of what is looking good right now in other areas with a view to dividing those perennials to plant in the dull places when the ground is moister.
Drifts and mass plantings really work in the garden from now on, the agapanthas and hellebore leaves in mass have such a cooling effect on a dry garden.
Both these plants can be divided and planted out after we have had a rain, they are wonderful gap fillers for maintenance free gardens. I am just a bit tired of dead heading flowers now and really appreciate the foliage gap fillers.
Because the growing season is winding down plants do not require the same amount of fertilising, except for late flowering annuals and hanging baskets, keep folia feeding these to get the best out of them.
I am ready with the blood and bone for when I divide and transplant plants but will stop all fertilisers like nitrofoska which is designed to encourage new fresh growth.
This goes for roses as well, no more fertiliser and dead heading is not important from now on. Roses need to be able to make seed to harden them off for the cold months ahead. I will dead head my roses for another couple of weeks as I still have a lot happening in the garden and need the roses to look tidy but after that I will let them make seed and harden off.
This week I cut all my English lavender and have started to bunch it, the fragrance is so powerful even one bunch left in a closed room is enough. I bunch it and leave it to dry then later in the year I will rub it and it will probably find its way into lavender bags and pillows.
I will give the lavender plants a dressing of lime before winter to sweeten the ground before spring when they will start to preform again.
I put some grass seed in spots that I missed getting a spring strike, in spring more weed is likely to come up than grass. Autumn after rain, when the soil is warm is the best time to sow a lawn. We have a good two months left before the ground starts to chill off so new grass will shoot up in no time.
With the lack of rain my lawns are full of thatch so I plan to get the dethatcher on to them next week then go over them with a fork to airate them as much as I can. It is a time consuming job but at the end I value all the thatch I am left with to use as mulch around the gardens.
Keep planting out veg plants if you think you can beat the white butterflys!! try using frost cloth over them, it lets the light and rain in and keeps the butterfly off. it just looks a bit strange at this time of the year.
Leeks go in now, but to get the best results plant them in a well drained and sunny position, add some lime to the soil a few days before you plant to help raise its pH level.
if you want to give them a really good head start, add a general fertiliser, to the soil prior to planting. This will encourage growth and ensure lovely, luscious leeks come harvest.
Dig a small trench. Next, place the seedlings in the trench, approximately 10cms apart. Leeks need space to expand, and grow best when planted in rows.
Fill in the trench with soil to the top of the stems, leaving the leaves at the top exposed then give a light water. Try to keep the soil constantly moist, without being too wet.
leeks are a little fussy. They loath water-logged conditions but need constant moisture. So, for the first few weeks after planting, you will need to check on the soil every couple of days until they are well established.
As the plants grow, regularly fold in the soil around the stems. Doing this will ensure they increase in size and will help to achieve white, chunky, stems.
They dislike tightly compressed soil. Hoeing the soil gently on a regular basis will keep the soil light and fluffy and your leeks happy.
Cheers, Linda
This week I have been moving the hoses around as much as I can, so many of the plants are suffering right now with the dry conditions customary with March weather.
March is such a mellow month and the colour of all blooms intensifying as the growing slows down, seeds ripen along with fruit and vegetables.
This is when I take note of where the weeds are and get them out before their seeds pop every where, I do not want to be faced with all the biddy bids and convolvulous I had this growing season in the next one!
I am also looking at the spent tired areas of our garden and taking note of what is looking good right now in other areas with a view to dividing those perennials to plant in the dull places when the ground is moister.
Drifts and mass plantings really work in the garden from now on, the agapanthas and hellebore leaves in mass have such a cooling effect on a dry garden.
Both these plants can be divided and planted out after we have had a rain, they are wonderful gap fillers for maintenance free gardens. I am just a bit tired of dead heading flowers now and really appreciate the foliage gap fillers.
Because the growing season is winding down plants do not require the same amount of fertilising, except for late flowering annuals and hanging baskets, keep folia feeding these to get the best out of them.
I am ready with the blood and bone for when I divide and transplant plants but will stop all fertilisers like nitrofoska which is designed to encourage new fresh growth.
This goes for roses as well, no more fertiliser and dead heading is not important from now on. Roses need to be able to make seed to harden them off for the cold months ahead. I will dead head my roses for another couple of weeks as I still have a lot happening in the garden and need the roses to look tidy but after that I will let them make seed and harden off.
This week I cut all my English lavender and have started to bunch it, the fragrance is so powerful even one bunch left in a closed room is enough. I bunch it and leave it to dry then later in the year I will rub it and it will probably find its way into lavender bags and pillows.
I will give the lavender plants a dressing of lime before winter to sweeten the ground before spring when they will start to preform again.
I put some grass seed in spots that I missed getting a spring strike, in spring more weed is likely to come up than grass. Autumn after rain, when the soil is warm is the best time to sow a lawn. We have a good two months left before the ground starts to chill off so new grass will shoot up in no time.
With the lack of rain my lawns are full of thatch so I plan to get the dethatcher on to them next week then go over them with a fork to airate them as much as I can. It is a time consuming job but at the end I value all the thatch I am left with to use as mulch around the gardens.
Keep planting out veg plants if you think you can beat the white butterflys!! try using frost cloth over them, it lets the light and rain in and keeps the butterfly off. it just looks a bit strange at this time of the year.
Leeks go in now, but to get the best results plant them in a well drained and sunny position, add some lime to the soil a few days before you plant to help raise its pH level.
if you want to give them a really good head start, add a general fertiliser, to the soil prior to planting. This will encourage growth and ensure lovely, luscious leeks come harvest.
Dig a small trench. Next, place the seedlings in the trench, approximately 10cms apart. Leeks need space to expand, and grow best when planted in rows.
Fill in the trench with soil to the top of the stems, leaving the leaves at the top exposed then give a light water. Try to keep the soil constantly moist, without being too wet.
leeks are a little fussy. They loath water-logged conditions but need constant moisture. So, for the first few weeks after planting, you will need to check on the soil every couple of days until they are well established.
As the plants grow, regularly fold in the soil around the stems. Doing this will ensure they increase in size and will help to achieve white, chunky, stems.
They dislike tightly compressed soil. Hoeing the soil gently on a regular basis will keep the soil light and fluffy and your leeks happy.
Cheers, Linda
Friday, February 12, 2010
Gardening in North Otago 13th February 1010
What glorious weather we are getting at last, but with it comes the dry ground!! it is so important to keep moisture around the roots of all plants and trees right now because if you are going to loose anything because of the dry conditions it will be during this month and March. At the end of March we will get dews again to help parched plants along but for the next two months it is up to the gardener.
There is so much to do right now, dead heading roses, cutting just about anything that has flowered back, getting rid of weeds before they run to seed and yes watering and more watering. The one thing we can hold off from at this hot time of the year is planting, unless you are able to water new plantings daily.
Lavenders can be topped now to encourage new flowers, its just a matter of cutting off the old flowers unless the bush has gone ugly and woody then take it right back to the ground and it will soon send up some nice new soft growth.
I have been cutting my well established buddlias right back to the ground also, They get really tall and woody if you let them, their new soft growth is much more attractive than new growth on old wood. Buddlias are such great gap fillers for big gardens with such beautiful flowers that attract butterfly's but it is not worth planting them if you are not prepared to cut them off at ground level every now and then.
Bulbs are arriving in Garden centers now as late summer is the traditional time to plant winter and spring flowering bulbs.
Providing a well drained soil or potting mix (if putting in pots) will ensure success with most bulbs. Drainage in heavy soils can be improved by working in a generous layer of gravel prior to planting. The general rule when planting bulbs is that the depth of the soil above the bulb should be about twice the length of the bulb. Now days planting instructions and where to plant are offered on bulb packets. If it says full sun, shade or semi shade then that is where they must be planted to preform at their best.
Roses are delivering us their second batch of blooms right now, after all the overcast weather and now these dry conditions my roses are not the healthy specimens they were at the start of their growing season. I have been removing rust and black spot diseased leaves as I decided not to spray this year. My trial this year was to foliar feed as much as possible to keep the roses healthy but with all the overcast weather last month the leaves needed to be kept dry to not encourage mildew and fungus.Deep root watering only and keeping the leaves dry has worked so for me, there is no sign of the usual mildew and I don't mind having to remove the black spot and rust leaves by not spraying in the hope the roses will build up a stronger resistance.
I have been removing masses of oxygen and duck weed from my ponds and using it to mulch around plants, it is wonderful as a mulch and should add a lot of goodness to the ground as it breaks down. Ponds can get a bit murky at this time of the year, if you think your pond is stagnant and producing lots of green slime add some non sprayed straw and weigh it down with rocks. This will soon neutralise the water and get the pond working the way it should.
Keep water up to the vegetables, don't leave veg past it's best along side healthy vegetables and always rotate plantings of leafy veg with root veg to eliminate disease being passed on.
Mound soil up around the roots of corn not ready yet, and keep an eye on the pumpkin patch, their leaves soon let you know when they need water to help them grow into prize winning pumpkins.
Cheers, Linda.
There is so much to do right now, dead heading roses, cutting just about anything that has flowered back, getting rid of weeds before they run to seed and yes watering and more watering. The one thing we can hold off from at this hot time of the year is planting, unless you are able to water new plantings daily.
Lavenders can be topped now to encourage new flowers, its just a matter of cutting off the old flowers unless the bush has gone ugly and woody then take it right back to the ground and it will soon send up some nice new soft growth.
I have been cutting my well established buddlias right back to the ground also, They get really tall and woody if you let them, their new soft growth is much more attractive than new growth on old wood. Buddlias are such great gap fillers for big gardens with such beautiful flowers that attract butterfly's but it is not worth planting them if you are not prepared to cut them off at ground level every now and then.
Bulbs are arriving in Garden centers now as late summer is the traditional time to plant winter and spring flowering bulbs.
Providing a well drained soil or potting mix (if putting in pots) will ensure success with most bulbs. Drainage in heavy soils can be improved by working in a generous layer of gravel prior to planting. The general rule when planting bulbs is that the depth of the soil above the bulb should be about twice the length of the bulb. Now days planting instructions and where to plant are offered on bulb packets. If it says full sun, shade or semi shade then that is where they must be planted to preform at their best.
Roses are delivering us their second batch of blooms right now, after all the overcast weather and now these dry conditions my roses are not the healthy specimens they were at the start of their growing season. I have been removing rust and black spot diseased leaves as I decided not to spray this year. My trial this year was to foliar feed as much as possible to keep the roses healthy but with all the overcast weather last month the leaves needed to be kept dry to not encourage mildew and fungus.Deep root watering only and keeping the leaves dry has worked so for me, there is no sign of the usual mildew and I don't mind having to remove the black spot and rust leaves by not spraying in the hope the roses will build up a stronger resistance.
I have been removing masses of oxygen and duck weed from my ponds and using it to mulch around plants, it is wonderful as a mulch and should add a lot of goodness to the ground as it breaks down. Ponds can get a bit murky at this time of the year, if you think your pond is stagnant and producing lots of green slime add some non sprayed straw and weigh it down with rocks. This will soon neutralise the water and get the pond working the way it should.
Keep water up to the vegetables, don't leave veg past it's best along side healthy vegetables and always rotate plantings of leafy veg with root veg to eliminate disease being passed on.
Mound soil up around the roots of corn not ready yet, and keep an eye on the pumpkin patch, their leaves soon let you know when they need water to help them grow into prize winning pumpkins.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Gardening in North Otago February 5th 2010
What glorious weather we are getting at last, but with it comes the dry ground!! it is so important to keep moisture around the roots of all plants and trees right now because if you are going to loose anything because of the dry conditions it will be during this month and March. At the end of March we will get dews again to help parched plants along but for the next two months it is up to the gardener.
There is so much to do right now, dead heading roses, cutting just about anything that has flowered back, getting rid of weeds before they run to seed and yes watering and more watering. The one thing we can hold off from at this hot time of the year is planting, unless you are able to water new plantings daily.
Lavenders can be topped now to encourage new flowers, its just a matter of cutting off the old flowers unless the bush has gone ugly and woody then take it right back to the ground and it will soon send up some nice new soft growth.
I have been cutting my well established buddlias right back to the ground also, They get really tall and woody if you let them, their new soft growth is much more attractive than new growth on old wood. Buddlias are such great gap fillers for big gardens with such beautiful flowers that attract butterfly's but it is not worth planting them if you are not prepared to cut them off at ground level every now and then.
Bulbs are arriving in Garden centers now as late summer is the traditional time to plant winter and spring flowering bulbs.
Providing a well drained soil or potting mix (if putting in pots) will ensure success with most bulbs. Drainage in heavy soils can be improved by working in a generous layer of gravel prior to planting. The general rule when planting bulbs is that the depth of the soil above the bulb should be about twice the length of the bulb. Now days planting instructions and where to plant are offered on bulb packets. If it says full sun, shade or semi shade then that is where they must be planted to preform at their best.
Roses are delivering us their second batch of blooms right now, after all the overcast weather and now these dry conditions my roses are not the healthy specimens they were at the start of their growing season. I have been removing rust and black spot diseased leaves as I decided not to spray this year. My trial this year was to foliar feed as much as possible to keep the roses healthy but with all the overcast weather last month the leaves needed to be kept dry to not encourage mildew and fungus.Deep root watering only and keeping the leaves dry has worked so for me, there is no sign of the usual mildew and I don't mind having to remove the black spot and rust leaves by not spraying in the hope the roses will build up a stronger resistance.
I have been removing masses of oxygen and duck weed from my ponds and using it to mulch around plants, it is wonderful as a mulch and should add a lot of goodness to the ground as it breaks down. Ponds can get a bit murky at this time of the year, if you think your pond is stagnant and producing lots of green slime add some non sprayed straw and weigh it down with rocks. This will soon neutralise the water and get the pond working the way it should.
Keep water up to the vegetables, don't leave veg past it's best along side healthy vegetables and always rotate plantings of leafy veg with root veg to eliminate disease being passed on.
Mound soil up around the roots of corn not ready yet, and keep an eye on the pumpkin patch, their leaves soon let you know when they need water to help them grow into prize winning pumpkins.
There is so much to do right now, dead heading roses, cutting just about anything that has flowered back, getting rid of weeds before they run to seed and yes watering and more watering. The one thing we can hold off from at this hot time of the year is planting, unless you are able to water new plantings daily.
Lavenders can be topped now to encourage new flowers, its just a matter of cutting off the old flowers unless the bush has gone ugly and woody then take it right back to the ground and it will soon send up some nice new soft growth.
I have been cutting my well established buddlias right back to the ground also, They get really tall and woody if you let them, their new soft growth is much more attractive than new growth on old wood. Buddlias are such great gap fillers for big gardens with such beautiful flowers that attract butterfly's but it is not worth planting them if you are not prepared to cut them off at ground level every now and then.
Bulbs are arriving in Garden centers now as late summer is the traditional time to plant winter and spring flowering bulbs.
Providing a well drained soil or potting mix (if putting in pots) will ensure success with most bulbs. Drainage in heavy soils can be improved by working in a generous layer of gravel prior to planting. The general rule when planting bulbs is that the depth of the soil above the bulb should be about twice the length of the bulb. Now days planting instructions and where to plant are offered on bulb packets. If it says full sun, shade or semi shade then that is where they must be planted to preform at their best.
Roses are delivering us their second batch of blooms right now, after all the overcast weather and now these dry conditions my roses are not the healthy specimens they were at the start of their growing season. I have been removing rust and black spot diseased leaves as I decided not to spray this year. My trial this year was to foliar feed as much as possible to keep the roses healthy but with all the overcast weather last month the leaves needed to be kept dry to not encourage mildew and fungus.Deep root watering only and keeping the leaves dry has worked so for me, there is no sign of the usual mildew and I don't mind having to remove the black spot and rust leaves by not spraying in the hope the roses will build up a stronger resistance.
I have been removing masses of oxygen and duck weed from my ponds and using it to mulch around plants, it is wonderful as a mulch and should add a lot of goodness to the ground as it breaks down. Ponds can get a bit murky at this time of the year, if you think your pond is stagnant and producing lots of green slime add some non sprayed straw and weigh it down with rocks. This will soon neutralise the water and get the pond working the way it should.
Keep water up to the vegetables, don't leave veg past it's best along side healthy vegetables and always rotate plantings of leafy veg with root veg to eliminate disease being passed on.
Mound soil up around the roots of corn not ready yet, and keep an eye on the pumpkin patch, their leaves soon let you know when they need water to help them grow into prize winning pumpkins.
Gardening in North Otago 28th January 2010
Sunshine at last and such heat, things have dried out in a matter of days.
The plants that seem to have suffered the most are the rhododendrons, I have had to buy a large bale of peat to spread around the roots and water in, I mixed it with some vormacast to make it go further. A good long soak is best for a dry Rhododendron and then a shift to another location in the garden if the area in which it is growing is too dry for it.
If you have another spot to transplant it to then dig a hole twice as large as needed and half fill with peat, soak the peat and push around the rhodo roots, cover with soil and mulch with wet straw. The recovered rodo will probably show signs of stress next season by developing brown tips on its leaves. This is ok if you know the Rodo is doing better, just cut the brown tips off.
It is not unusual for some deciduous plants to loose all their summer leaves in these dry conditions and then grow another lot when it is cooler. If there are still signs of green when you break a twig you will know that your bush or tree is still alive and will probably recover. If the twig is brittle and snaps off then you have lost it. Mulching is so important now to take the garden into what could be a long dry Autumn. All bulbs that have died down will need a good watering and mulched to hold the moisture in, from now on is when bulbs dry out and whole clumps can disappear if thy get too dry for too long.
I have been dead heading roses and feeding for the next lot of blooms, cutting lavenders and bunching for dried lavender. If you have very woody lavenders it's a good time right now to cut them right back almost to the ground. They will regrow fresh and bushy and make hard wood again before winter, Keep cutting back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they made seed. Cutting will promote a new lot of blooms, but remember to feed what you cut back because they will need it to make the new growth required of them.
Lawn weeds can be sprayed out during theses warm days, use the right product that kills the weeds and not the grass. There are a few on offer even one that weeds and feeds at the same time. Then pray for a good rain and apply lawn fertiliser while it's raining.
The weeds have gone mad in the vegetable garden after the few warm days, get them out before they seed and keep planting as you use, rotating leaf veg and root veg to eliminate disease being passed on to the new planting from the same old plantings.
i.e where carrots have been growing plant lettuce.
I have sown carrots and parsnips to be ready at the end of the growing season.
The plants that seem to have suffered the most are the rhododendrons, I have had to buy a large bale of peat to spread around the roots and water in, I mixed it with some vormacast to make it go further. A good long soak is best for a dry Rhododendron and then a shift to another location in the garden if the area in which it is growing is too dry for it.
If you have another spot to transplant it to then dig a hole twice as large as needed and half fill with peat, soak the peat and push around the rhodo roots, cover with soil and mulch with wet straw. The recovered rodo will probably show signs of stress next season by developing brown tips on its leaves. This is ok if you know the Rodo is doing better, just cut the brown tips off.
It is not unusual for some deciduous plants to loose all their summer leaves in these dry conditions and then grow another lot when it is cooler. If there are still signs of green when you break a twig you will know that your bush or tree is still alive and will probably recover. If the twig is brittle and snaps off then you have lost it. Mulching is so important now to take the garden into what could be a long dry Autumn. All bulbs that have died down will need a good watering and mulched to hold the moisture in, from now on is when bulbs dry out and whole clumps can disappear if thy get too dry for too long.
I have been dead heading roses and feeding for the next lot of blooms, cutting lavenders and bunching for dried lavender. If you have very woody lavenders it's a good time right now to cut them right back almost to the ground. They will regrow fresh and bushy and make hard wood again before winter, Keep cutting back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they made seed. Cutting will promote a new lot of blooms, but remember to feed what you cut back because they will need it to make the new growth required of them.
Lawn weeds can be sprayed out during theses warm days, use the right product that kills the weeds and not the grass. There are a few on offer even one that weeds and feeds at the same time. Then pray for a good rain and apply lawn fertiliser while it's raining.
The weeds have gone mad in the vegetable garden after the few warm days, get them out before they seed and keep planting as you use, rotating leaf veg and root veg to eliminate disease being passed on to the new planting from the same old plantings.
i.e where carrots have been growing plant lettuce.
I have sown carrots and parsnips to be ready at the end of the growing season.
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