Friday, June 25, 2010
Gardening in North Otago June 25th 2010
Gosh the weeks are going fast with the days so short it's Friday before I know it!!
This week the cleaning up continues, the leaves seem never ending and everyday I decide there is something needing to be taken out or shifted to another place, if it needs done this is the time of the year to do it. I make a big gap then walk around the garden looking for something well grown to fill it.
I have started my rose pruning and cleaning up around them at the same time, it will take me a few weeks to finish them all, then I will spray them with copper and winter oil mixed to seal up the cuts.
For those new to rose pruning get yourself a nice sharp pair of secateurs and start by removing all branches growing into the middle of the bush. The idea is to keep the inside of the bush open.
Cut on a slant at an outward facing bud at the bottom of the branch. Next look look for cross over branches and cut back to an outward facing bud to encourage the branch to grow in another direction. Really old wood should be cut right out, again at a bottom out ward facing bud, don't bother with any spindly branches they will never produce flowers so just remove them. Make sure the crown of the rose is not covered with soil or compost this area needs to be clear and needs a good spray along with the rest of the bush.
If you have bought new roses they will need pruned because they will have only had the tops cut to make them easier to handle. If you are going to plant a new rose in the same place where another had been growing you will need to take out the soil and replace it with soil that has not been growing roses. There is a product called Tricapal which is coated on sterile wheat, this is a good fungus which will overtake the bad fungus in the soil left by the rose before.
It's time to remove moss and lichen from paths and walk-ways to prevent the areas becoming slippery in the winter months. There are moss kill products on sale but diluted household bleach poured on with a watering can will do the trick.
Moss in the lawns after all the rain is happening everywhere, sulphate of ammonia dissolved in water and applied with watering can to moss will deal to it pretty fast. When the moss has turned black it can be racked out.
Now is a great time to deal to fish ponds, shift fish to a bucket filled with the original pond water, empty the pond and remove all the leaves that may have fallen in. If you have water lilies in containers they can be re-potted at this time of the year. They are good feeders and need a lot of food like manure and slow release fertiliser to get them to flower well. The problem is that this food should noletch into the water because it will encourage slime growth in the water in warm weather. Cut old leaves from the Lilly and remove the plant and contence of the container. Line the bottom of the container with thick newspaper, then add a layer of clean gravel, next manure and slow release fertiliser, some soil then replace the Lilly, some more soil and lastly a thick layer of clean gravel. It’s the gravel that keeps the fertiliser from leaching. Lillies always make a huge amount of roots these can be cut back a lot to fit it back into the container. Refill the pond but do not put fish back in for a couple of weeks.
This is the perfect time to plant seeds of the flowers you will be wanting to plant out spring and summer, I have planted delphiniums, snapdragon, all sorts of poppy, lupins and stock seeds. Without a controlled glass house they will take a while to germinate but put in a nice warm sunny place and covered at night they will pop up and as soon as the soil warms up again will grow strongly. I feel that seedlings planted now and carried through the winter do better as plants than spring and summer plantings.
Veg: With the winter being mild so far here on the coast the vegetable gardens are still producing well so keep planting in rotation, root veg where leafy veg has grown and vis versa. I plan to plant peas and some butter crunch lettuce this weekend because my new raised veg gardens are in a nice all day sun location, Butter crunch lettuce likes it cooler and it is such a nice sweet lettuce.
Cheers, Linda
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Gardening in North Otago June18th 2010
A nice week of lovely winter day's except for the dull cold day today.
There was so much work done in our garden this week, I had a helper with the compost and pea straw spreading and a man on the end of a chain saw and hedge trimmer, Fantastic!! Because it is too late in the year to trim soft trees and shrubs it was a huge ivy that was taken back to the start again, nothing will kill ivy and it can be trimmed at this time of the year.
If you have ivy growing it really needs to be trimmed at least twice a year, it is like wisteria if you are too kind to it each soft leader it puts out will grow into a thick woody tree trunk if left.
What a great time of the year to really look at the garden, with some trees and shrubs bare inspection of trees and shrubs sprouting new growth beneath their graft area can be taken. All large deciduous trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes, oaks any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted onto strong growing root stock different to the top graft. From time to time the root stock will push growth out and up and because it is strong growing it will always overtake the grafted wanted specimen. This must be cut out. I have seen a few mature trees left to grow this way and the result is not good, a prunus displaying beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side looks some what bazaar.
Thinning out of branches can be done now, if branches are crossing over each other or there are far too many in the centre of a tree don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out and let some light in. Prunus and crab apple trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together and encourage disease if not removed. Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this.
I have been digging up and shifting things around like rhododendrons, azalea's and magnolias. Anything that I think has been struggling in the spot I planted it. I stress again as last week this is the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty and replace with a younger version of the original or something different. you can change the whole look of a tired garden by doing this.
If a huge gap is going to be left with the removal of a tree or shrub, fill the gap with a section of manuka screening placed behind the smaller replacement plant, it will give the plant protection and once the plant has reached the desired height and width the screening can be removed.
I found lots of rogue trees and shrubs that the birds have introduced popping up everywhere while weeding, some which have grown in amongst shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias have become quite established before I noticed them and stubborn to remove. It is best to remove them completely if you can because they just keep growing stronger each year and undermine the roots of the needed plant.
On the coast there are so many things that have self seeded and can be planted to grow on at this time of the year like hellebore, lupins, poppies, pansy, viola, forget- me- not and primula.
If you have pollyantha's that you left in the ground from last year they will have multiplied, and will be easy to break apart and plant out separately. Polly's love dried blood it l greens them up after transplanting. If you do get some dried blood sprinkle a little around camellia's and Daphne's if they do not look like they are thriving.
Plant sweet-pea's now to flower very early spring.
Winter lawns that have been performing poorly in spite of feeding and watering may be improved with a winter liming. Aim to achieve a PH of around 6 (mildly acid) which will encourage strong grass growth.
In the vegetable garden where green leafy vegetables and onions will be growing next summer give a dressing of 250 grams per square metre of dolomite lime. If you follow a regular rotation this will ensure that most of the garden receives lime once in three years, permanent crops like rhubarb should be limed every three years as well. in gardens fed with compost rather than chemical fertilisers the PH tends to rise gradually eventually making regular liming unnecessary.
There was so much work done in our garden this week, I had a helper with the compost and pea straw spreading and a man on the end of a chain saw and hedge trimmer, Fantastic!! Because it is too late in the year to trim soft trees and shrubs it was a huge ivy that was taken back to the start again, nothing will kill ivy and it can be trimmed at this time of the year.
If you have ivy growing it really needs to be trimmed at least twice a year, it is like wisteria if you are too kind to it each soft leader it puts out will grow into a thick woody tree trunk if left.
What a great time of the year to really look at the garden, with some trees and shrubs bare inspection of trees and shrubs sprouting new growth beneath their graft area can be taken. All large deciduous trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes, oaks any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted onto strong growing root stock different to the top graft. From time to time the root stock will push growth out and up and because it is strong growing it will always overtake the grafted wanted specimen. This must be cut out. I have seen a few mature trees left to grow this way and the result is not good, a prunus displaying beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side looks some what bazaar.
Thinning out of branches can be done now, if branches are crossing over each other or there are far too many in the centre of a tree don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out and let some light in. Prunus and crab apple trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together and encourage disease if not removed. Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this.
I have been digging up and shifting things around like rhododendrons, azalea's and magnolias. Anything that I think has been struggling in the spot I planted it. I stress again as last week this is the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty and replace with a younger version of the original or something different. you can change the whole look of a tired garden by doing this.
If a huge gap is going to be left with the removal of a tree or shrub, fill the gap with a section of manuka screening placed behind the smaller replacement plant, it will give the plant protection and once the plant has reached the desired height and width the screening can be removed.
I found lots of rogue trees and shrubs that the birds have introduced popping up everywhere while weeding, some which have grown in amongst shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias have become quite established before I noticed them and stubborn to remove. It is best to remove them completely if you can because they just keep growing stronger each year and undermine the roots of the needed plant.
On the coast there are so many things that have self seeded and can be planted to grow on at this time of the year like hellebore, lupins, poppies, pansy, viola, forget- me- not and primula.
If you have pollyantha's that you left in the ground from last year they will have multiplied, and will be easy to break apart and plant out separately. Polly's love dried blood it l greens them up after transplanting. If you do get some dried blood sprinkle a little around camellia's and Daphne's if they do not look like they are thriving.
Plant sweet-pea's now to flower very early spring.
Winter lawns that have been performing poorly in spite of feeding and watering may be improved with a winter liming. Aim to achieve a PH of around 6 (mildly acid) which will encourage strong grass growth.
In the vegetable garden where green leafy vegetables and onions will be growing next summer give a dressing of 250 grams per square metre of dolomite lime. If you follow a regular rotation this will ensure that most of the garden receives lime once in three years, permanent crops like rhubarb should be limed every three years as well. in gardens fed with compost rather than chemical fertilisers the PH tends to rise gradually eventually making regular liming unnecessary.
Gardening in North Otago June 4th 2010
Nice week after all the rain especially today (Friday)such a lovely mild day.
This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on to keep the moisture in for Spring growth.
After the rain we have had gives a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay which is probably forming a pan and holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can then put a layer of gypsum on top of the broken clay then add at least three shovels of gravel to create a sump for water to drain into. By doing this the plant of your choice can stay in that spot without drowning.
I have cut the leaves from all my hellebore's because they were very infested with greenfly wintering over and wanting to pounce onto my roses come Spring. They will soon produce new fresh leaves after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own which looks wonderful in the middle of Winter.
Tidy up perennials and divide overgrown plants. Plant rooted cuttings from the outer edges of the clumps. Dispose of the old centre.
Keep planting lilium bulbs. These are best placed in raised beds. Don’t let the roots dry out at all.
Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering.
Roses will have finished flowering. As soon as the leaves fall spray Lime Sulphur or Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss.
Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease.
Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. They make a huge amount of roots every year and not all are needed.
Plant polyanthus for a bright patch of colour a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.
Once wisterias has lost all their leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.
On the coast Sow broard beans, garlic, shallots and rubarb.
Colder areas nothing much can be planted.
This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on to keep the moisture in for Spring growth.
After the rain we have had gives a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay which is probably forming a pan and holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can then put a layer of gypsum on top of the broken clay then add at least three shovels of gravel to create a sump for water to drain into. By doing this the plant of your choice can stay in that spot without drowning.
I have cut the leaves from all my hellebore's because they were very infested with greenfly wintering over and wanting to pounce onto my roses come Spring. They will soon produce new fresh leaves after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own which looks wonderful in the middle of Winter.
Tidy up perennials and divide overgrown plants. Plant rooted cuttings from the outer edges of the clumps. Dispose of the old centre.
Keep planting lilium bulbs. These are best placed in raised beds. Don’t let the roots dry out at all.
Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering.
Roses will have finished flowering. As soon as the leaves fall spray Lime Sulphur or Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss.
Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease.
Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. They make a huge amount of roots every year and not all are needed.
Plant polyanthus for a bright patch of colour a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.
Once wisterias has lost all their leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.
On the coast Sow broard beans, garlic, shallots and rubarb.
Colder areas nothing much can be planted.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Gardening in North Otago June 2010
Nice week after all the rain especially today (Friday)such a lovely mild day.
This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on to keep the moisture in for Spring growth.
After the rain we have had gives a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay which is probably forming a pan and holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can then put a layer of gypsum on top of the broken clay then add at least three shovels of gravel to create a sump for water to drain into. By doing this the plant of your choice can stay in that spot without drowning.
I have cut the leaves from all my hellebore's because they were very infested with greenfly wintering over and wanting to pounce onto my roses come Spring. They will soon produce new fresh leaves after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own which looks wonderful in the middle of Winter.
Tidy up perennials and divide overgrown plants. Plant rooted cuttings from the outer edges of the clumps. Dispose of the old centre.
Keep planting lilium bulbs. These are best placed in raised beds. Don’t let the roots dry out at all.
Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering.
Roses will have finished flowering. As soon as the leaves fall spray Lime Sulphur or Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss.
Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease.
Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. They make a huge amount of roots every year and not all are needed.
Plant polyanthus for a bright patch of colour a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.
Once wisterias has lost all their leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.
On the coast Sow broard beans, garlic, shallots and rubarb.
Colder areas nothing much can be planted.
This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on to keep the moisture in for Spring growth.
After the rain we have had gives a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay which is probably forming a pan and holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can then put a layer of gypsum on top of the broken clay then add at least three shovels of gravel to create a sump for water to drain into. By doing this the plant of your choice can stay in that spot without drowning.
I have cut the leaves from all my hellebore's because they were very infested with greenfly wintering over and wanting to pounce onto my roses come Spring. They will soon produce new fresh leaves after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own which looks wonderful in the middle of Winter.
Tidy up perennials and divide overgrown plants. Plant rooted cuttings from the outer edges of the clumps. Dispose of the old centre.
Keep planting lilium bulbs. These are best placed in raised beds. Don’t let the roots dry out at all.
Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering.
Roses will have finished flowering. As soon as the leaves fall spray Lime Sulphur or Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss.
Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease.
Re-pot container grown buxus every second year or if they look pot bound.Trim the outer roots and replace any loose soil with new potting mix. They make a huge amount of roots every year and not all are needed.
Plant polyanthus for a bright patch of colour a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.
Once wisterias has lost all their leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year.
On the coast Sow broard beans, garlic, shallots and rubarb.
Colder areas nothing much can be planted.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Gardening in North Otago May 27th 2010
Well what can I say, North Otago has been on the map this week, so much rain I am so pleased we built on a rise.
The bottom of our garden is a lake and the run off from the hills behind us has created a river that is running out nicely now through the culvert under the road taking anything in it's path to the Oamaru creek then out to sea.
Nothing much been done in my garden this week apart from digging ditches and raking up leaves. While the ground is so sodden it is best to keep off it, if the lawns are walked on too much they will turn into mud. (lets hope the grass grub has drowned!)
I have been making sure my doves, bantams and aviary birds are well fed and as sheltered as they can be outside, they all look decidedly cold & bedraggled.
I shifted the fish out of the ground level pond before the rain into a raised pond so they would not be washed away, outside fish need food from now until spring. With this cold there are no bugs around for them.
Make sure saucers are removed from all potted plants now so they don't drown, and when the rain is over mulch them around the top of the pot with compost or straw to stop the roots freezing when the big freeze hits us.
North Otago is renowned for draining away quickly after a rain like this but deep wet ground will freeze deep so protect soft plants now before the ground freezes, Pea straw is good for this and there is plenty around this year being sold as a fund raiser for different clubs.
Lift... Dahlia tubers now because they are likley to rot in this wet ground, store the in a dry place.
Lightly cut back daisies, geraniums and others that have finished flowering, leave a little top growth on for winter protection.
I have been looking at what is available for planting in the retail outlets, plenty to choose from so while it is too wet to get out and do anything do some planning. I mentioned last week how I buy bedding and perennial plants now and pot them up and nurse them over winter, with the ground being so wet I will pot up a lot more and get them to the budding stage before I plant them out at the end of winter. They need to be in full light in a sheltered place and up off the cold ground in polystyrene trays for insulation to raise the ground temperature for continued growth. Overhead watering is not advisable unless early on a sunny day, water only when really needed down into the roots, again at the start of the day. The roots will not be using a lot of moisture over the coldest months.
Feed… Citrus trees with Citrus Fertiliser as they make prolific growth now. Thin out big clusters of fruit to improve fruit quality and cover bushes with frost cloth in colder areas.
PLANT... Broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, onions, peas, shallots (bulbs) and spinach, get seed potatoes sprouting.
Plant lupins and mustard in vacant areas to be worked into the soil late winter
The bottom of our garden is a lake and the run off from the hills behind us has created a river that is running out nicely now through the culvert under the road taking anything in it's path to the Oamaru creek then out to sea.
Nothing much been done in my garden this week apart from digging ditches and raking up leaves. While the ground is so sodden it is best to keep off it, if the lawns are walked on too much they will turn into mud. (lets hope the grass grub has drowned!)
I have been making sure my doves, bantams and aviary birds are well fed and as sheltered as they can be outside, they all look decidedly cold & bedraggled.
I shifted the fish out of the ground level pond before the rain into a raised pond so they would not be washed away, outside fish need food from now until spring. With this cold there are no bugs around for them.
Make sure saucers are removed from all potted plants now so they don't drown, and when the rain is over mulch them around the top of the pot with compost or straw to stop the roots freezing when the big freeze hits us.
North Otago is renowned for draining away quickly after a rain like this but deep wet ground will freeze deep so protect soft plants now before the ground freezes, Pea straw is good for this and there is plenty around this year being sold as a fund raiser for different clubs.
Lift... Dahlia tubers now because they are likley to rot in this wet ground, store the in a dry place.
Lightly cut back daisies, geraniums and others that have finished flowering, leave a little top growth on for winter protection.
I have been looking at what is available for planting in the retail outlets, plenty to choose from so while it is too wet to get out and do anything do some planning. I mentioned last week how I buy bedding and perennial plants now and pot them up and nurse them over winter, with the ground being so wet I will pot up a lot more and get them to the budding stage before I plant them out at the end of winter. They need to be in full light in a sheltered place and up off the cold ground in polystyrene trays for insulation to raise the ground temperature for continued growth. Overhead watering is not advisable unless early on a sunny day, water only when really needed down into the roots, again at the start of the day. The roots will not be using a lot of moisture over the coldest months.
Feed… Citrus trees with Citrus Fertiliser as they make prolific growth now. Thin out big clusters of fruit to improve fruit quality and cover bushes with frost cloth in colder areas.
PLANT... Broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, onions, peas, shallots (bulbs) and spinach, get seed potatoes sprouting.
Plant lupins and mustard in vacant areas to be worked into the soil late winter
Friday, May 21, 2010
Gardening in North Otago May 21st 2010
Lots of moisture in the ground now.
I am still raking up leaves which are nice and wet and layering them on the compost heaps along with the remaining compost that I have been using around each plant, tree and shrub in the garden to add organic matter to their roots. I spread it around the roots and then let the worms do their job of taking it down into the soil.
Next week I will be spreading pea straw around each garden, the bales are wet which makes it easier to work with and pack down around the roots of plants. I will then turn my back on weeding until spring YA!
Lately I have been buying punnets and bundles of bedding and perennial plants and planting them into deep polystyrene trays, the polystyrene insulates the roots from the cold ground allowing the roots to grow faster. Once the plants show signs of strong growth and the start of budding I plant them out into a sunny spot in the garden in the hope that they will go on to flower during winter if it is a mild one. The worst that can happen is they Will sit making strong roots until early spring and flower then. Any one wanting early colour in their gardens around September/October should do this now.
You can start planting garlic now to the end of the month, Plant garlic 3-5cm deep and 10-12 cm apart in warm, sunny well drained place.
Deciduous fruit and citrus trees will be in retail outlets soon, if you are planning on planting some get the soil ready now by digging and working the ground in the spot chosen for planting. If you plan to plant a few out together measure the distance between now and dig the holes. Read up on the varieties you plan to plant before you do this, taking note of the height and spread each tree will eventually grow. Fruit tress need sun and light right around them to fruit and ripen well so allow plenty of room for each tree. At planting time use slow release fertiliser under each tree as it lasts for two years.
Fruit tree pruning should start as soon as the leaves have dropped.
Harvest your lemons now frosts make the fruit bitter and dry.
Harvest pumpkins after the first frost
Pick once the pumpkins have coloured up and sound hollow when you knock the shell with your knuckles.
If the skin of the pumpkin is hard and doesn’t leave a dent when ‘knocked’ it is ripe.
also once the leaves have died away is another way to know your pumpkins are ripe.
Pick pumpkins from the vine but leave the stem on. This is important because if you cut it off you leave a wound which may cause the pumpkin to rot rather than store well.
Place in a dry, dark place away from rain and weather. Garages, wood - sheds and tool sheds are perfect – just keep them up off the ground.
I am still raking up leaves which are nice and wet and layering them on the compost heaps along with the remaining compost that I have been using around each plant, tree and shrub in the garden to add organic matter to their roots. I spread it around the roots and then let the worms do their job of taking it down into the soil.
Next week I will be spreading pea straw around each garden, the bales are wet which makes it easier to work with and pack down around the roots of plants. I will then turn my back on weeding until spring YA!
Lately I have been buying punnets and bundles of bedding and perennial plants and planting them into deep polystyrene trays, the polystyrene insulates the roots from the cold ground allowing the roots to grow faster. Once the plants show signs of strong growth and the start of budding I plant them out into a sunny spot in the garden in the hope that they will go on to flower during winter if it is a mild one. The worst that can happen is they Will sit making strong roots until early spring and flower then. Any one wanting early colour in their gardens around September/October should do this now.
You can start planting garlic now to the end of the month, Plant garlic 3-5cm deep and 10-12 cm apart in warm, sunny well drained place.
Deciduous fruit and citrus trees will be in retail outlets soon, if you are planning on planting some get the soil ready now by digging and working the ground in the spot chosen for planting. If you plan to plant a few out together measure the distance between now and dig the holes. Read up on the varieties you plan to plant before you do this, taking note of the height and spread each tree will eventually grow. Fruit tress need sun and light right around them to fruit and ripen well so allow plenty of room for each tree. At planting time use slow release fertiliser under each tree as it lasts for two years.
Fruit tree pruning should start as soon as the leaves have dropped.
Harvest your lemons now frosts make the fruit bitter and dry.
Harvest pumpkins after the first frost
Pick once the pumpkins have coloured up and sound hollow when you knock the shell with your knuckles.
If the skin of the pumpkin is hard and doesn’t leave a dent when ‘knocked’ it is ripe.
also once the leaves have died away is another way to know your pumpkins are ripe.
Pick pumpkins from the vine but leave the stem on. This is important because if you cut it off you leave a wound which may cause the pumpkin to rot rather than store well.
Place in a dry, dark place away from rain and weather. Garages, wood - sheds and tool sheds are perfect – just keep them up off the ground.
Gardening in North Otago May 14th 2010
The year is marching on! and May is the official beginning of winter for NZ . For me it is leaves, leaves and more leaves.
Leaves are soil food, they fall to the ground to creating humus but leaves falling around a garden are usually raked up, this is why it is so important to add compost to the garden and lawns.
I am adding to my compost daily layering with leaves. grass clippings, soft garden and hedge clippings and manure. The last rain we had gave the heaps moisture on the top but at this time of the year the moisture needs to get right to the bottom to generate heat and steam which will help the heap break down and turn into compost for spring. So the sprinkler left on for a while is a good idea.
Terry maybe you can explain what you do to make compost in your bins as I do not have any, I do know that the cold weather has a marked slowing down effect on compost organisms and any insulation wrapped around the bin will help them keep working. I do this on my heaps with a thick layer of straw.
The cut back is almost complete in my gardens now and the compost/ mulch is going on to provide food for the plants when they need it and to keep the soil a little warmer for them over winter. Once every plant, shrub and tree has been mulched and watered well the pea straw will go on.
After the rain I am finding a lot of snails in the garden, at this time of the year they will find a dark sheltered spot among pots or behind plants growing up against a wall, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails which will multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because the have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it up and put them in the freezer. This way they will go to sleep and not wake up.
Keep planting tulips until the end of this month, plant them deep because they like it cool, if you have a special tulips you would like to multiply plant them against a south facing wall and forget about them they will grow and multiply there for years.
Keep planting and dividing Lilly's now as well, there should be a good range in the garden centres.
Plan new plantings of deciduous trees and shrubs remembering they will grow both up and outwards. Deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into retail outlets until July, if your ground tends to get wet and sticky in winter it would be a good idea to dig the area up now while the soil is easy to work with. Dig out the soil ad peat or compost and blood and bone to it then fill back in again until you are ready to plant. If you know which deciduous trees and shrubs you require order them now from the garden centre and you will not miss out.
Don't prune hydrangeas yet, let them harden off for a while, in cold districts don't prune back until spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Very strong rambler roses can be pruned now cutting out any dead stems and cutting back all side stems on canes to with in 2-3 buds from the main steam.Shorten back vigorous leaders by about 1/3 to promote branching. If the bush is out of control like some of mine reduce the size with a hedge trimmer then cut canes right out from ground level.
Veg:
Continue planting strawberries, raising the beds where drainage is suspect.
it is still not too late to sow a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden , oats or blue lupin are a good nitrogen fix when dug in. Broad beans are also suitable, better than a single variety is a mixture of legume and a cereal. Dig them in while still soft and green, this tends to the nitrogen and bulk needed in the soil.
If worms are rare in your garden, this usually indicates that the organic content of the soil is very low, worms seem to always find manure but it needs to be spread as a layer low down under a soil bed for them to come up to it. This would be a daunting task to undertake in established gardens, although worth doing bit by bit. But worth remembering when setting out new gardens where the soil is dry and has clay content.
spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Leaves are soil food, they fall to the ground to creating humus but leaves falling around a garden are usually raked up, this is why it is so important to add compost to the garden and lawns.
I am adding to my compost daily layering with leaves. grass clippings, soft garden and hedge clippings and manure. The last rain we had gave the heaps moisture on the top but at this time of the year the moisture needs to get right to the bottom to generate heat and steam which will help the heap break down and turn into compost for spring. So the sprinkler left on for a while is a good idea.
Terry maybe you can explain what you do to make compost in your bins as I do not have any, I do know that the cold weather has a marked slowing down effect on compost organisms and any insulation wrapped around the bin will help them keep working. I do this on my heaps with a thick layer of straw.
The cut back is almost complete in my gardens now and the compost/ mulch is going on to provide food for the plants when they need it and to keep the soil a little warmer for them over winter. Once every plant, shrub and tree has been mulched and watered well the pea straw will go on.
After the rain I am finding a lot of snails in the garden, at this time of the year they will find a dark sheltered spot among pots or behind plants growing up against a wall, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails which will multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because the have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a plastic bag, close it up and put them in the freezer. This way they will go to sleep and not wake up.
Keep planting tulips until the end of this month, plant them deep because they like it cool, if you have a special tulips you would like to multiply plant them against a south facing wall and forget about them they will grow and multiply there for years.
Keep planting and dividing Lilly's now as well, there should be a good range in the garden centres.
Plan new plantings of deciduous trees and shrubs remembering they will grow both up and outwards. Deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into retail outlets until July, if your ground tends to get wet and sticky in winter it would be a good idea to dig the area up now while the soil is easy to work with. Dig out the soil ad peat or compost and blood and bone to it then fill back in again until you are ready to plant. If you know which deciduous trees and shrubs you require order them now from the garden centre and you will not miss out.
Don't prune hydrangeas yet, let them harden off for a while, in cold districts don't prune back until spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
Very strong rambler roses can be pruned now cutting out any dead stems and cutting back all side stems on canes to with in 2-3 buds from the main steam.Shorten back vigorous leaders by about 1/3 to promote branching. If the bush is out of control like some of mine reduce the size with a hedge trimmer then cut canes right out from ground level.
Veg:
Continue planting strawberries, raising the beds where drainage is suspect.
it is still not too late to sow a green crop in vacant areas of the vegetable garden , oats or blue lupin are a good nitrogen fix when dug in. Broad beans are also suitable, better than a single variety is a mixture of legume and a cereal. Dig them in while still soft and green, this tends to the nitrogen and bulk needed in the soil.
If worms are rare in your garden, this usually indicates that the organic content of the soil is very low, worms seem to always find manure but it needs to be spread as a layer low down under a soil bed for them to come up to it. This would be a daunting task to undertake in established gardens, although worth doing bit by bit. But worth remembering when setting out new gardens where the soil is dry and has clay content.
spring. Leave the tops on to protect the new growth.
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