Gardening in North Otago 4th December 2013

The big clean up after more hedge trimming has been on go here, things are looking a little too neat and tidy now but nature will do it's best to put that right! I know all gardeners will be finding there is so much to be cut back in the garden, plants like tree peony which doubles in size each growing season. Don't let tree peony swamp your garden and smother other plants. When finished flowering the older woody canes can be cut out. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, and false Valerian. These will all grow back soon and look a lot nicer, some will flower again. Keep dead heading roses, don't just cut the flower off, cut at an outward facing bud on a lower section of the branch strong enough to support a new flower. Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few that I left in the ground from last year, I am guessing all the rain we had earlier on rotted them. I did dig and store most of them over the winter which I am now glad about. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around their roots. Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot and they soon become bushy and to fill a pot. Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a bud section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand.Tip cuttings cuttings from Hebe's will also root with no trouble in river sand . Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon (Chinese lantern, they come in three strong colours, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow and burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below them, being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. If trained against a wall leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers. Peony roses: What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they have been fantastic this year or am I just seeing more in peoples gardens? The brilliant shades and very large blooms fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting effort into making seed. Low hanging tree branches: With the weight of rain not so long ago I could see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. It's the lower branches that can be removed without making the tree look as though it has been cut. The upper branches will hide the cuts, so any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether. Lawns: keep lawn food on hand for the next good rain, lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in. After a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring back in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil. If lawn weeds are a problem spray before cutting or remove flat weeds with a knife when noticed. I spot spray with lawn weed spray because I don't want to upset the balance of the work going on in the soil beneath the lawn by contaminating it with chemicals. Vegetables: Perfect weather for vegetables and fruit this year, keep the hoe going because the weeds are doing well also. The days are warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is STILL not a problem in our garden, long may it last. I had bad luck with the runner beans planted directly into the ground before labor weekend, they popped up then were eaten off I am guessing by snails / slugs!. So more beans have been planted but this time into trays to be transplanted when big enough to make a start on climbing up the frame. But, yes I know the slugs & snails will be waiting so I will make beer traps out of empty plastic fiz bottles by cutting the bottles with the lid in place through the middle, bury the lidded half in the ground and fill with beer, cut door opening in the other half for snails & slugs to slide in, then force the other half with door opening on top. The bottom of the bottle will be the roof to keep the rain out. Gritty egg shells will go on the ground around the bottom of the frame as well. Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants by allowing more nutrients to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible for pollination, try it and see if you get a better crop. The cooler nights tend to upset tomato plants, leaves become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight. One method of keeping them in good health I have been reading up on is the use of copper wire. Basic premise: The presence of copper (wire) would help the tomato plants be more resistant to "blight" related diseases during the course of the growing season. Material: 12" length of 18 gage (wall picture hanging wire). the main vine should be at least 1/4" in diameter and transplant shock over. Insert or force one end of the wire through the center of the main vine about 1" above ground level. Kink the protruding wire end so that it doesn't slip out of the vine. Force the remainder of the wire (9-10") into the root zone in the ground. That's all there is to it. The person who wrote the above also wrote that he used this method on half his crop and controlled the other half with sprays. Result, the copper prevention was as successful as his spraying programme. Any new idea is worth trying to avoid spraying what we eat! Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 29th November 2013

Nature stops for nothing at this time of the year so I have my head down gardening again after a sad time for our family last week saying a final goodbye to my Mum. From the words of John Lennon "Life happens when you are busy making other plans" Some changeable days this week and the night beetle are here again in full force, I was getting the washing in just on dark one evening and they were making so much noise devouring the leaves on trees I thought there was an engine running somewhere! Also the fat moths and the spittle bug are in force again, Spittle bugs don't seem to be deterred by the odd cold snaps we have been experiencing. Spittle bug nymphs can turn a liquid secretion into bubbles by moving or pumping their bodies. Once the bubbles have formed, spittle bugs use their hind legs to cover themselves with the froth. The ‘spittle’ serves multiple purposes. It shields the spittle bugs from predators It insulates them from temperature extremes and It prevents the spittle bugs from dehydrating. Spittle bug eggs are laid in late summer and are left to over winter on plant debris. The eggs will hatch in early spring and go through five stages, before becoming adults. When the nymphs originally hatch in early spring, they will attach themselves to a plant and begin feeding. Although spittle bug nymphs do feed on plant sap, the damage is minimal and populations are usually small, so no pesticide is necessary. A strong blast with a hose should be enough to dislodge a spittle bug nymph,they’ll be gone in a few weeks anyway. In extreme cases, they can cause stunting and weaken plants or reduce yields. If you should have a severe infestation, remove plant debris in the autumn and work the soil to reduce egg population. Adult spittle bugs (frog hoppers) are 6 to 8mm long, elongated, oval and usually dull coloured with prominent eyes Nymphs are smaller and bright greenish/yellow. Dead heading roses is on the go here again already after waiting for those fat buds to open and I am keeping up the fish emulsion to foliar feed and deter green fly, but have had to use a nasty on the underside of my hellebore leaves because am sure this is where the green fly winter over in my garden. If you have orchids it is the time to re-pot them now, use the orchid mix for the best results, it takes the guess work out of wondering what to feed them. The dew's are still wetting so the ground is still holding some moisture, scatter grass clippings around as mulch if your lawns have not been sprayed, they become good humus. But don't pile them on too thickly because they are inclined to form a shield that stops the rain reaching the soil beneath. I throw them about to empty the catcher then go back and rake them out. So much spent spring growth in our garden needs cut back now, I am making a lot of gaps by cutting back aquilegia's, forget-me-not, pansies, viola's and catmint, I have cosmos, poppies and statice, lobelia, and petunias to fill gaps. The hose is out every second day now to keep moisture up to rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias now their brilliance is all but over. What a fantastic spring it has been for theses bushes, the right amount of sun and rain resulted in the best blooming. Now rhododendrons need to be dead headed to prevent seed being made, there is a specific point at the base of the spent flower head that if bent will snap off perfectly, if you have not done this before it will not be long before you will learn where that point is. Snap off as many of the flower heads at that point as you can without disturbing the new growth just below. Feed with a light dressing of acid fertiliser, water in well around the drip line then mulch to stop bushes drying out over the warmer months. Vegetable: It seems I only need to turn my back on the vegetable plots for a couple of days and the veg are smothered by very healthy weeds! Food needs to be keep to tomatoes, currants an berries, lemons and fruit trees... fruiting takes a lot out of a plant.There are specially prepared fertilisers for most plants with instructions for when, and how much to apply. Blood and bone is a good all rounder but can attract fly's at this time of the year so water it in well. All fruiting trees and plants need lots of water now to create juicy plump fruit, the rain we have been lucky enough to get has been perfect for them but it's the winds to come that will do the damage so keep the water up when you know it will be needed. Remember to cover your strawberries to keep the birds from eating them as soon as they show any sign of red. Strawberry netting stretches out to cover a large area and does the job well, the birds are helping themselves to my gooseberries so I have thrown some frost cloth over them until I get a chance to pick them. As tomatoes grow be sure to remove laterals of the taller growing variety and stake them to keep them upright as the fruit gets heaver. They should be flowering now waiting for the bee's to pollinate them. If your bees are few and far between like mine this year you may have to take a hair drier into the glass house to gently blow the pollen around while leaves are dry. Early morning soaking on the vegetable garden keeps moisture up to them through the day and helps with the germination of seeds. Successive planting can be kept up right through the Summer. If you must use spray's on your vegetables make sure you read the directions to know how long the with holding period is before you can eat the vegetables. Why not try an organic option there are more on offer every year, or try companion planting. Some plants have been proven to help and enhance others so I will list what has worked. Carrots and onions together, the onions help keep the carrot fly at bay and carrots the onion fly. Celery and the brassica family, i.e.: cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. the celery will confuse the white butterfly when wanting to land and lay it's larvae eggs. Marigolds and beans/brassicas, the marigold emits a natural gas which protects surrounding plants from insects like aphids and white fly. Make your own natural sprays: The following plant leaves can be boiled in water and the resulting liquid used on plants. Basil will eliminate aphids Chives prevent mildew occurring on cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. Coriander also for aphids and spider mite. Eucalyptus is a good general purpose insecticide. Rhubarb has been found to help prevent blackspot. These may be only plants but in liquid form they can be harmful to children so keep marked bottles high up. I found out that it is not a good idea to breath in fumes when bringing to the boil, and to keep doors and window open. the fumes from some of them can certainly make you feel really odd. Get corn and pumpkins in as soon as possible because they need a long growing and ripening season. Try planting corn in squares like I suggested in my last notes. Our Parkside Garden calendar with monthly gardening notes and seasonal images of Parkside Gardens is now available in Paper plus. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago November 12th 2013

What wonderful spring rain we are receiving here in North Otago, but the cold days that follow are a little hard on gardeners after the heat experienced some days. My late rhododendrons are so vibrant and holding well due to those cooler days I feel. I have been planting out this week, blue salvia annuals to cool a hot summer garden, sun flowers that always look majestic and cheerful, low growing white alyssum to set all the summer colours off, bedding begonias, petunias and lobelia for a mass summer show. After many years trying to grow plants regardless of conditions preferred, thinking as long as I kept the water up and protected them through the winter I could beat nature. I finally learned that it's a waste of time and money nursing plants that need a warmer climate and more rain than we have here. Plants like hibiscus, banana, gardenia, palms, anything that requires a tropical seasonal rain is going to struggle. Although bougainvillea is growing here on the coast, mine can be fine for a couple of years but other years the frost really knocks it back. Read plant labels and make sure that our conditions are right for the plants on offer at this time of the year, for example there are some lovely pelagoniums for sale now but I have yet to have one survive the winter in my garden, although I see them growing well on the south hill where the frosts are not so harsh so I guess it's a matter of looking at what is growing well in gardens close by to you and knowing that the same plants will do well in your garden. Roses: I have not needed to start spraying roses for green fly and disease yet, but it will not be long, bugs are making a move on every warm day we have. A systemic insect / fungus combined spray will take care of both green fly and fungus if you follow the instructions and spray every 10 days to get on top of infestation. Keep the food up as they flower, it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Slow release rose fertiliser will feed each time you water. Spring bulbs have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of daffodils rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green into the bulb. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up, tops and all and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year, but keep covered because rats will sniff them out and feast on them over winter. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them multiply this way as well as bulbs increasing. Keep water up to Lillie's, they are making rapid growth now and they resent drying out, stake them now before they become too heavy. I will once again sing the praises of raised gardens, Some advantages of raised bed gardens include: Soil warms up faster in the spring, and doesn't cool as fast in the autumn. You don't have to bend far to work in the garden and access the plants. soil has better drainage, so there is less disease. Soil is not walked on, eliminating compaction, roots need air, and therefore compacted soil is very detrimental to plant growth. A raised garden can be a garden feature as it has a specified geometry and form. Studies have shown that a raised bed garden may be up to two times more productive per square foot compared to normal gardening techniques. While you may make the raised bed garden to any shape there are some guidelines to follow. The garden can be any length you want, but it shouldn't be more than 4ft wide so you can reach across comfortably from either side. It can be as high as you want it, but keep in mind that the higher you go, the more support you will need to build. Even a railway sleeper high will give benefits. If it's a raised vegetable garden then it must be built in a spot that gets all day sun. Raised beds for shade and moisture loving plants need to be closer to the damp ground, if they are raised too high the drainage is too great for these plants. Once you have constructed your raised bed fill with fresh soil, compost, and well aged manure If you choose to frame your raised garden with wood make sure not to use treated timber, this has been known to leach chemicals into the soil. While untreated wood will not last as long, it is a safer alternative. Rocks are an economical option but they tend to loose soil with rain and watering, we are fortunate here in Oamaru to have our own versatile Oamaru stone. I have seen ready made wooden raised garden surrounds on offer, these would do the trick if space was a problem. Vegetables: Keep mounding the potatoes to give depth for them to produce large shaws, consistent watering is important for potatoes, this goes for all root vegetables. Leafy veg don't need any extra feeding at this time of the year it will just encourage them to bolt once it warms up. Only plant as many plants as you think you would use when ready to pick, hold back the other small seedling plants from the same batch and keep in a semi shady place until required for planting. The small plants will hold if watered only when too dry (don't over water these seedlings they do not have enough root growth to absorb and will rot,. All seedling plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential . Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. Corn seeds sown last month are now ready to plant out, I have read that planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassels and add support during strong winds. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 5th 2013

November, with more settled spring days, warm sun and still a night chill to keep the garden fresh. I am so enjoying the rhododendrons, azalea's, and peony roses putting on their show and the expectation of something new happened every day in the garden. My roses are full of fat buds waiting to burst open, they still have no green fly or black spot attacking them , no doubt both will arrive eventually. I have just sprayed with Winter oil and fish emulsion combined to discourage them, the leaves are so soft and new it pays to do your spraying on a dull day so the sun will not burn through droplets and damage the leaves. No problem when the leaves have toughened up but I would still spray on a dull day when there are less bees around to be caught in the spray. Never spray or water the leaves at dusk, they should be dry going into warm nights to prevent mildew growing. Spring is the best time for transplanting seedlings that have popped up from existing plants in the garden, like last years hellebore seedlings. ( Winter rose) they should be nice strong small plants now, I have been planting them out in groups under deciduous trees, and around rhododendrons, camellias, hydrangeas and fuchsias, they all like the same shady conditions. Trim spent flowers from perennials and daisy bushes as they finish the first flush of flowering to keep them bushy and continuously in flower, if you let flower heads go to seed the bush or plants will become woody. Box hedge: I have made a start on the spring trim of my buxus here, an overcast morning on Wednesday was just right for this cut giving the under growth a little time to recover before becoming sunburned. Planting on a slope: Spring is also the time to plant out a slope or bank, the ground is moist and plant roots are growing fast which means they will get a good hold before the dreaded winds and the heat of summer. Spray out all weeds, and grass, they will compete with moisture that your plants need. If it is possible terracing a steep slope with rocks or sleepers would be beneficial to hold moisture around the roots. If this cannot be done try not to disturbed soil / clay in areas that are not being planted. If the soil is disturbed and broken up it will wash away with rain and watering. Planting: Dig a hole that is deep into the bank and shallow at the front, (an angle hole) this will create a hollow reserve for water. Make sure it dips down at the back for water to pool. Use stones around each plant, this will help to prevent wind blowing soil away from the roots. Choose plants that grow in dry conditions, like South African plants; Greviller, leucodendron, Proteas, ask the Garden center assistant what survives well in a pot without a lot of watering. The plants they can leave for a while and they still look good when dried out. I mass plant lupines to fill the gaps on a bank until all the other plants get bigger, they give a spectacular show in the second year of planting. This week I have had the hedge trimmer on the go! the hedges have almost finished putting out spring growth so if a hedge has reached the height you require of it take the soft growth off now before the foliage beneath gets too much protection from the new growth. The Winter hardened the under growth up and it should still be strong enough not to get sunburned. My box hedges all reached the required height some years ago so all new growth must be taken back. Choosing an overcast day to do this is best for the box which will allow them to recover with out the added stress of the hot sun. If a hedge is not yet as tall and thick as required leave the new growth to harden off, but if you have to trim just do enough to tidy it up. All my soft trimmings on the garden or compost as mulch. Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If you have not had to spray the lawn weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus, but don't leave thick piles, spread it out so it can break down fast. Your garden can take as much fresh green growth that you can throw at it now the warmth is here to break it down. I have had excellent results from all the grass seed sown,it struck in places only a week from planting which has encouraged me to rake out every bare patch, add the wonderful sifted soil I have been hooked on lately, and plant grass seed like there is no tomorrow! Fruit: My grapes got frosted last week, thankfully they were not in flower, I give only the vines I think could do with a boost fertiliser in early spring. Feeding established vines that are doing ok will only encourage more leaves and leaders. A little potash from time to time will help with fruiting. The old way was to bury road kill under a grape, I have made the grapes a burial ground for any of my bantams that come to a sad end. I have come across another method of dealing with coddling moth which is said to have worked well for some. Use a plastic milk container, and place in it 1 banana peel, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup sugar. Fill the container almost full of water, replace the cap and shake it well to mix and dissolve the contents. Remove the cap and firmly secure one container into each apple tree. The moths are attracted to the scent of the concoction, becoming trapped and drowned when they investigate. Refill with water as needed throughout the summer. My no dig veg garden has been turned into a strawberry bed, but if I find time I plan to make another. It is a is a good no fuss way to grow veg. Making a no dig garden: Find a sunny spot on bare ground,( not concrete) surround with sleepers, logs, Oamaru stone or boards high enough to hold layers of manure,soil, compost and straw. Flood the dirt before you start to get dampness deep down but If you plan to create a no dig garden on top of grass or space that has been growing then you will need to cover the the ground with layers of saturated news paper or cardboard, overlapping to stop strong weeds pushing through. First layer manure, (wet down.) If working on bare dirt spread a layer of manure straight on the damp ground, (this will bring the worms up). Then spread a thick layer of compost and old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (wet down.) Then add a layer of soil, (clay soil is fine in this layer), water well after each layer leaving no dry spots. Next add a layer of straw, (wet down) then add more layers of compost and old leaf mulch and dried grass clippings, (wet down) and top that with more soil, (wet down). River sand, a little lime and an all purpose fertiliser can be added as you build the layers. Lastly add a top layer of straw which suppresses the weeds and is a great deterrent to slugs. When you think the garden is high enough start planting and you should be eating your own produce with in six weeks at this time of the year. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 29th October 2013

Another lovely week in North Otago after a windy but still warm Labour week end. Our Kanzan cherry blossom was blown away too soon but we still have the beautiful Shimadzu sakura low spreading almost white flowering cherries in full bloom. These are truly beautiful and deserve a spot in every garden big enough to cope with them. Weed spraying, lawn seed sowing and mowing has been keeping me pretty busy out here, the ground is warm now even after that recent cold snap and the weeds grow before my eyes, still time to pull out or hoe and spry before they make seed and spread every where. Just watch spraying around roses, they only need a sniff of a hormone weed spray to put out stunted deformed yellowing leaves and then eventually die back. Roses are doing well after the good deep rain soakings and the nights warming up, keep the food and deep root watering up to them as they bud up, foliar feeding on fresh new leaves works well now along with slow release fertiliser which ensures they are feed each time they are watered. Healthy well fed roses are less likely to become diseased. Cut back Erica's and callunas that have finished flowering, this stops them from going woody, taking all the spent Flowers off will encourage them to produce fresh new green growth for summer. If you don't cut the old flowering growth off they will make their new growth out from the old growth which means they become woody at the bottom. Cut back aubrietia rockery plant and you will get another flowering. Also cut spent flowers off hellebore's so you get the full effect of their wonderful leaves. Polyanthus have been wonderful over the Winter but now it's time to cut them back and shift to a shady spot, they can be planted out in a sunny spot again early next Winter. Lawns: keep feeding lawns when rain is about, powdered fertilisers need to be washed well in to stop it burning lawns during hot sunny days. New grass sown now will strike very quickly, sow thickly to choke out annual weeds. Spray flat perennial weeds in established lawns but not new lawns, annual weeds that grow up with new grass will eventually be mowed out. Vegetables: PLANT, PLANT, PLANT plants & seeds, I have planted out pumpkin and squash plants grown from seed, they need a large prepared area for them to ramble with a lot of compost and old stable manure dug in. The leaves will always let you know when they need water. If you have a glass house or tunnel house why not plant some peppers, they can grow high so when their stems are strong enough bang in a stake and attach a string from the stake to the roof to support them as they grow up. Berry Kane's and strawberries are doing a lot of growing now as well, They both flower and fruit up really quickly as long as they get all day sun they will ripen fast. Berries and new seasons peas are perfect for encouraging Children into the garden they all learn the results of clearing ground and planting are well worth the wait. Keep manure enriched compost up to rhubarb, if the soil gets hard and dry around rhubarb it will grow stringy dry uneatable steams, rhubarb sponge and cream, YUM. Keep picking herbs to stop them going to seed, dry what you don't use and store away until the months when they are not available. Drying herbs :Pick in the full heat of the day, lay out on news paper in a dry airy place until crisp, (all moisture must be gone). Then rub together into sprinkle sized bits and store in brown paper bags or glass jars. The elder flower is blooming which for me means making elder flower cordial, this is the summer drink in the UK , so refreshing with iced water. Elder berry here is considered a weed because the birds drop the seed and it grows any where and everywhere, when it pops up here in our garden I pull it out and pick my flowers from a bush on the farm. I thought I would share the very easy recipe with you all. Elder flower cordial Prep Time: 40 minutes Steeping of flowers: 48 hours Ingredients: 1k /2 ¼ lbs sugar 1.5 litres / 6 cups boiling water 4 medium lemons, washed 30 large Elderflower heads, shake to remove any insects ( Do not wash) 2 oz citric acid (available from a chemist Preparation: Place the sugar into a large saucepan/stockpot or a large Pyrex bowl. (I use my croc pot) Pour the boiling water over and stir until all the sugar has dissolved and leave to cool. Grate the rind of the lemons with a fine grater, add to the sugar water. Slice the lemons into thick slices and add to the water. Add the citric acid and stir, then finally add the flower heads to the water and stir again. Cover and leave to steep for 48 hours. Strain through clean fine muslin cloth into a clean bowl. Using a funnel, fill sterilized bottles. Seal and store in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator) for a few weeks or freeze in plastic bottles to keep for longer. The cordial is delicious diluted with still or fizzy water. Once a bottle is opened store in the refrigerator. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago 15th October 2013

What a stormy month so far, strong winds, heavy black sky's, rain, hail, frost, thunder and lightening, blossom blown off and trees blown down. Spring is certainly living up to it's unpredictability this year. Because of the weather my main tulip display was flattened so I dug them up with tops still attached and have left them die back before storing them in a dry place to be planted out again next May. I have weeded and composted the gardens they were planted in ready for the planting of blue salvia in a couple of weeks. This is the time of the year that I am busy getting my garden presentable for all the Spring tours that have started. With the ground warming and the heavy rain we have had it is just right for planting and it is about this time of the year that I think about getting the weeds away in my flower beds before they make seed, I then change beds from a spring show to a summer show with annuals. In these beds I cannot use bark or straw covering because I am changing them every season, I use clean weed free compost. The trick is to get rid of the surface weeds and past flowering annuals, water the bed well, then put a thick layer of the compost on top of the wet soil, it must be a thick layer! do not dig it in! leave it on top to suppress any weed seeds wanting to germinate, plant your new seasons plants into it. Remember to keep dead heading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep on flowering until it gets too warm for them. If you feel they have done all they are going to do dig them out, cut back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left and planted out again next year. I see shoots on my flamboyant Begonias now and some tubers have become big enough to cut into several shooting sections to become plants on their own. Flamboyant begonias make a wonderful show as a boarder or in pots and hanging baskets and they flower on and on through the summer. once they send up leaves I start feeding them fish fertilisers to keep them going strong. Coastal gardens will be ahead of gardens further inland, these gardens will still be getting reasonable frosts. Late frosts on the new growth on roses can be a problem but don' t be too concerned because rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. If watering don't let rose foliage go into the night wet, the rain of course can not be helped, water and spray them early in the day. When the nights start warming up any dampness on rose leaves will encourage mildew. Also keep the food up to your roses now, they are making their buds and it's hungry roses that get diseased. Nitrophosca is good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs for a quick result, use every fortnight to keep the food supply up. I have been spot spraying convolvulus, couch and clover, fresh new weed growth is coming through the ground now so its the right time to zap them on a non windy day. If roses get even a sniff of hormone spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die so don't risk spraying on a windy day. I have noticed some of my front shrub plantings are too big now, hiding good planting areas behind each over grown shrub. It takes only a few years for gardens to close in with out us really noticing and what a difference can be made by opening up and creating distance for a new and interesting planting. One area opened in my garden is deep enough to allow me to mass plant with blue bells and include a new maple tree and it was only two scrappy over grown shrubs removed which has made this difference. I planted a lot of sun flower seeds into trays a few weeks ago which are now large enough to plant out, now I know summer is just around the corner when i think of the show I will have of those huge sunny flower heads following the sun around the garden. Also up and almost ready to plant out are cosmos, larkspur, nasturtium and marigolds, although I must say they got a tickle up from the frosts and hail this week, maybe I will hold them a little longer before planting out. If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies on the coast, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established. Vegetables Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, mound the soil up around them and frost cloth may be needed at night just to be sure if your garden is low lying. Seeds are popping up in no time now so get them in ready for salad time. Because of the cold snap I have started some seeds in the airing cupboard, if you do this you must take them out as soon as they make an appearance or they will grow leggy looking for light. Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now, if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. If your vegetable garden has been disappointing in the past with plants not growing as well as you would like you could do a Ph test and if the PH of your soil needs to be raised you can then add lime to do this. I sprinkle a little lime on my compost heaps in spring and Autumn and when the compost is ready to put on the garden I feel I have added lime then. But if you have done a test and you need to raise the PH Sprinkle the lime over the soil surface and rake it into the top couple of inches, letting it naturally work down to the root zone. Do not dig it deeply into the soil, it will leach down soon enough. Dolomite lime is less likely to drastically change the PH but if your soil is in need of sweetening our local lime (calcium carbonate) will do the trick. Usually application rates are 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area, every second year to raise the pH from 5.5 to 6.5. There are some veg that like a more acid soil so don't go adding lime unless your soil needs sweetening. Brasica plants,cabbage, brussel sprouts and the like enjoy a sweet soil so you would be safe adding lime every second year where you plan to plant them. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago September 8th 2013

A good rain here in North Otago at the beginning of the week which is always beneficial during spring as long as it stays warm enough for people & plants. The later flowering blossoms are taking center stage now like prunus Kanzan and prunus shimidsu sakura. Enjoy because they will be the last and not be on show again until this time next year. So much happening in gardens now, keep an eye on tall growing chrysanthemums as they start making growth now, I cut back the first new growth before they make hard wood. They do not flower until the Autumn so by removing the first new growth they should regrow a little shorter and be more manageable. Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so, they will make new fresh growth, because they flower on new seasons wood they can be taken well back. Too early yet to trim box hedges, wait until the new growth firms up a little. The perfect time in spring to trim box once the new growth is well out is when there are a few overcast days in a row, the hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days give them time to recover. Dahlias on offer, they are wonderful in the garden for summer colour. If you have a sunny spot that needs a bit of brightening up how about putting in a few dahlia tubers they are so reliable, tall, medium and dwarf. They are just starting to make a move so if you want colour to continue in your garden when the spring show is over dahlias will do the job. Dahlias like a warm full sun free draining spot, the tubas will rot if planted in ground that stays wet. Bedding plants: All bedding plants need attention once planted, water and folia feed often. I had great success last year using sifted soil as a top layer to the soil on flower beds before planting annuals and seeds, I got to the same good results with the grass seed germinating in resown patches in lawns. Sifted soil is fine and packs round new roots firmly if kept moist, and is soft and fine allowing roots to grow quickly. Soil is, after all nature given for growing and here before we had so many other choices! Hydrangea's are popular again, they are leafing up now and will need fed ready for their long flowering season, aged animal manure is a good food source for them, they are shallow rooted so need watered often. To keep pink use a little lime around the drip line and for blue you use alliumn sulphate or epsom salts, These must be watered in and not just left on top of the roots. Vegetable garden: I have just dug compost into a sheltered area of the veg garden and constructed a tall pyramid shaped wooden structure with wire net for growing runner beans up. Once erected and beans in at the base they sprout and climb up really fast then look great in flower before the beans form. More peas, silver beet and beetroot have also gone in along with mixed lettuce seeds in a tray, I plan to transplant them into the garden as I need them. Lettuce seedlings will hold in a tray for a long time in a shady spot and only really start growing when they are planted, fed and watered Keep molding up potatoes as they show leaf, this keeps them cooler allowing more time for them to grow a bigger crop. FIRST EARLY VARIETIES: Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Maris Anchor, Rocket. SECOND EARLY Ilam Hardy, Karaka, Red king. MAIN CROP: Desiree, Mondial, Nadine, Pentland Dell, Red Rascal, Rua Cheers Linda.