Gardening in North Otago June 26th 2014

Monday bought the first really hard frost here on the coast, so the woollies came out for me.  The brilliant days that follow a hard frost allow at least half a day to work in the garden after the thaw. No such luck further inland with frozen ground, the perfect garden planning time to be a step ahead before spring.

I have started pruning some large rambling roses here in my garden, the time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time of bud burst so we have a good two months to get rose  pruning out of the way here on the coast and a little longer further inland. There are still new seasons roses on offer and this is the time to get them planted and settled in for summer flowering. If planting new standard roses they will need staked to keep them secure until enough roots to hold them have grown. Newly bought roses also need pruned, growers just lop them back before sending them off to Garden centers so cross over branches need cut out and all others cut back to an outward facing bud.

The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now and the ground is perfect for planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet, no roots like sitting in water especially new young roots which have not made a root ball of feeder roots. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim any damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.

Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start. I am enjoying digging out shrubs and plants that have not worked where they are planted and filling the gaps with a new look. Erica's I planted 30 + years ago are still looking wonderful, I managed to get hold of  a number of small gradeerica's to plant that will in time give drifts of bright clear colour through future winter months. Erica's are low maintenance plants, most are winter flowering, they look great planted around and among conifers. 

Fruit & Veg.

Keep planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears.

Frosty sites are no disadvantage for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.

Continue to shelter citrus in frosty gardens, they should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now.

In cold wet areas start garlic off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 11th June 2014

More rain this week keeping us out of gardens and off soggy lawns, I have noticed a lot of spring blossom, ( mostly pretty  prunus autumnalis which flowers four times a year) and jonquils blooming around the town and we have only just come into this mild winter, I guess tree's and bulbs feel it is already spring.
Because rain has kept me out of the garden this week, time has allowed me to really look at deciduous trees and shrubs now they are bare, inspection is a must to spot any sprouting of new growth beneath the graft on a grafted tree. 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 growth. From time to time the root stock will push growth out and up and because it is strong growing it will always overtake the wanted specimen. This root stock growth must be cut out before it becomes established. I have seen a few mature flowering cherry trees left to grow this way and the result is not good, a display of  beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side spoils the originally chosen tree.
Thinning out of branches on trees can be done now, if branches are crossing over each other or if there are too many in the centre  don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out, cut on a slant leaving a short collar against the trunk.Prunus  and crab apple trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together encouraging disease if not removed,  But wait until spring before pruning flowering cherry trees because winter is when they can become infected with silver leaf, which will eventually kill even a large tree. Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this.

With the help of an arborist I have been tidying up established trees, Rowan, hoheria, silver birch, ash and oak. Tree's that really need attention each year are standard kilmarnock willows, these small ornamental willows are a ground cover willow species grafted onto a willow standard becoming a Man made, upright small weeping tree that in this form nature had no plan for. Growing along the ground as it should the dead undergrowth would rot and break down. In the upright form each seasons growth dies and builds up under new growth. The dead branches are small and brittle and easily removed by working under the new growth canopy and cutting away the past growth. If the old growth has built up over a few years a small chain saw will do the trick. Attending to this annually is best, unwanted build will make the tree top heavy, two of mine fell over in overly wet ground but have now been pulled back upright and given permanent stakes for support. Robinia mop tops need the same annual cut back, they have also been grafted onto a standard but these trees put out fresh new growth each spring so all past growth needs to be cut right back to retain the round growth habit.

Leucodendrons are taking center stage now here on the coast, they are wonderful for picking once fully hardened and will last for months picked and put in a vase, just the thing when there is not lot else to pick. Leucodendrons are easy to grow in the conditions they prefer, being full sun, good draining acid soil and staked and protected from strong winds until established. They will grow on dry banks and rough area's as long as they do not have to compete with grass and weeds. Leucodendrons resent any type of fertiliser, will not cope with hard frosts and once established will die if shifted. There are leucodendrons which grow very large, low spreaders which look great spilling over walls, low bushy types, they all add wonderful colour to a dull winter garden.

Vegetables and Fruit

Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans and garlic here on the coast.
Winter is also the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns so prepare the ground with rich composted now, get them planted and established and in no time you will be making rhubarb crumble and asparagus rolls.

Black current bushes should have as much of the old dark shoot removed now, leaving only the light coloured smooth vigorous young growth.

Red currents don't fruit on new wood so older wood should be kept for 3 years just cut out the odd old branch yearly to encourage a few new replacements.
Give all current bushes a good two hand fulls of bone meal or blood and bone in spring to ensure a good crop of fruit.

The continuing saga of Scruff our pup who at last has had his first doggy school lesson, he went in as a mighty  ball of energy and after only 20 mins he was sitting and much quieter. It's all about the treats he receives, and the right way of giving those treats once he has done what is needed of him. I will need to remember not to apply this method to my busy Grandchildren! I don't think it would go down well with the Mum's and Dad's!!

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago June 4th 2014

Into another month! and what a fantastic Queens Birthday weekend weather wise, and so much happening in North Otago. And a busy weekend locally, Oamaru is certainly a town with an abundance of creative energy giving locals the opportunity to take part in or just enjoy from the sidelines.

This week the pea straw went on with some energetic help, so good to get it on while the ground is still wet, the straw will keep that moisture in for Spring growth.

After the past rain we have had a chance to see areas in the garden not draining well, if you have plants that are still water logged dig them up and improve where they are growing by digging the hole deep down to the clay, which is probably the pan holding the water. Break up the clay as much as you can, 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 done the annual cutting of leaves from all my hellebore's, the under sides were infested with greenfly wintering over, 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, giving a wonderful show in the middle of Winter.

This week I have been taking root cuttings of hydrangea paniculata and a few other plants I have trouble striking cuttings from.

 Root cuttings: Taking root cuttings is one of the most reliable and economical ways to produce many perennial and woody plants. If you've ever had problems propagating some of your favorite plants, this may be the way for you to go, it is a straight forward process best done during the plant's dormant season between June and September.

For Woody Plants
Note: Many trees today have been grafted to a different root stock, only take cuttings from non grafted tree's & shrubs.

Carefully remove dirt around the roots on one side of the plant, dig fairly close to the base of the plant to make sure you find healthy roots that are pencil thick belonging to the plant you are working on, take 2 to 6 inch (2 to 15 cm) cuttings and cut into 2 to 3 inch (6 to 7.5 cm) sections. 

The best way to keep track of top end and bottom end of the cutting is to make a flat cut on top side, and a slanted cut on the bottom side. 

Plant in a deep pot, raised planter bed, or just in the soil somewhere,(frost free) put a little sand in the bottom of the hole and dust the bottom of each cutting with powdered sulfur to control fungi. making sure that the tops of the cuttings are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the soil and cover with a layer of  coarse river sand or small gravel, Water only when soil becomes dry.

For Perennial Plants.
It is usually easier to lift the entire parent plant, look for large fleshy roots, the thicker the better.Take 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) cuttings the same way as above, then replant the parent plant and water in.
In three to four weeks your cuttings should be forming roots, and some even may start to push new growth.
When new shoots appear, give them some liquid fertilizer at half strength.
Once the plants are established, they can be transplanted to individual pots or moved into the garden.
List of Plants For Root Cuttings.
Crabapple, Figs, Hydrangeas, Lilacs, Mock oranges, Popler, Pussy willow, Red and yellow twig dogwoods, Old roses, Snowball bush, Weeping willow, Yucca, Aster, Bear’s breeches, tall phloxes, Gernaium, Globe,Thistle, Hollyhocks, Horseradish, aster, Oriental poppies,Primrose, Rhubarb, Sage, Sea hollies, perennial Statice Rhubarb, Sage Raspberry and Blackberry.

Roses: Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes before adding compost or mulch to prevent the spread of pests and disease. Roses can have a clean up spray with Lime Sulphur which will defoliate them and deal to scale, mites, moss & lichen, then later after pruning a Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil spray. This is the only spraying I do on my roses because at this time of the year there are no bee's, butterfly's or ladybirds around the bushes.

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.

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 unneeded roots every year.

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 have lost all 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.

Veg & fruit

On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb in colder areas nothing much can be planted

Give fruit tree and any deciduous trees with lichen a clean up spray with lime sulphur but not apricot trees lime sulphur will burn the fruit buds.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago May 27th 2014

Dark sky's and shorter day's even some snow flurries at the beginning of this week, winter is on the way. With May being the last month of autumn I guess we should not be surprised. When those winter squalls were forecast it prompted me to get my birds & hens a little more protected than they are in the warmer months and to remove all leaves that have fallen into my ponds.Cleaning a pond in autumn reduces wastes in the bottom of the pond which may turn anaerobic (living without air) if sufficient oxygen is not available, creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, or which may decompose, releasing ammonia and other dangerous chemicals that can be trapped under the ice should your pond freeze. As pond water becomes colder the metabolism of gold fish starts to slow way down. They do not need fed because fish do not have a stomach, just a long intestinal tract and being not able to digest food it lays in their digestive tract and rots.

I had a short reprieve from gardening this week because I felt it was time to connect again with my three little Ch Ch saplings. It is the best feeling ever for a Nana to be welcomed so warmly by little ones, and while out walking with the buggy I do some seed collecting. Continue cutting back and shifting dahlias if you think the tubers may rot, if stalks are strong and tube like cut back leaving enough to bend over, these stalks if left open will allow moisture to build up and sit on the tuber which could also cause rotting.

May is defiantly  the month to remove the old and build up soil for new plantings. Dig compost into ground that has been growing old shrubs & trees. If an old rose has been removed and another is to be planted in the same spot I would remove all of the old soil and replace with soil from another part of the garden. The new rose will not then  be affected by decease remaining in the ground from the previous old rose. Roll on the frosts now I say, to kill bugs and harden up rose wood before the big winter prune in July.

Inland it is time to put protection over plants susceptible to harsh cold like geraniums, pelargonium, daisies,bushes perennial petunias and begonias all of theses will need lifted, potted and placed in the protection of a porch or a sunny conservatory and only given water early in a day to allow time for absorption before the nights chill.

 If you're too late, and you already have frost damaged plants, here is what you do

 Initially nothing

 Leave the dead material there because it will help protect the plant if another freeze comes along.

Wait until the warm weather is here to stay and then see where any new growth is starting to emerge

When you can see new growth, and all chance of frost is gone, then prune off the dead material

Water only enough to keep the damaged plants alive, since they have lost so much foliage, their water requirements will be reduced                                                                                                                                                                              

Wait to fertilise until the plant has put on nice, new growth and is well recovered

Now that most of what needed cut back has been here in my garden and I can now see where each individual plant begins I have started putting supports in place for delphiniums, tall asters and phlox. It is such a pain when I miss doing this and they grow and flop all over the garden.

Vegetables.

Weeds are till growing but small enough to be dug or hoed in adding humus to tired soil. Keep the hoe moving the top soil around to let the warmth of the sun in around growing veg during winter months.

Fruit. 

When to prune:

Apples and pears - prune every (late) winter to ensure a good crop of fruit the following season. Note that sometimes due to seasonal fluctuations, pears become biennial fruiters, fruiting better every second season. 

Feijoas, olives, figs, Chilean guavas and citrus - prune after harvest finishes in autumn or winter. In cold areas, don’t prune citrus until after the frosts have passed. It is not necessary to prune every year.

Nectarines, peaches, almonds and plums - prune in summer or early autumn. These fruits don’t need pruning every season, and it’s important not to prune in winter as it can spread the spores of silver leaf, which these stone fruits are prone to.

Grapes and kiwifruit - prune in winter, back to 3-5 buds and tie back any long new branches or canes to train into shape.

Cherries and blueberries - do not require a lot of pruning, other than to shape and to remove dead or diseased wood. Both fruit on the same wood for years. 

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago May 20th 2014

Some nice drying days & nights for North Otago in the past week, I even manages to get a blaze going on the pile out in the paddock, after it being sodden for weeks. Just about at the end of the leaf collection and compost making and was lucky enough to score a trailer of wonderful horse manure to add to the mix, From now on It will be just making sure the water is kept up to the heaps to get them started. Now leaves are off the gardens it's on with compost around the roots of each plant, shrub & tree, the worms will do the 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 them easier to pack down around the roots of plants. I will then turn my back on weeding until spring, Fantastic!! A chain saw has been on the go again here in our garden, tree's I planted 35 years ago had become tired, three of which were tall straight conifers and two were flowering cherries which had developed silver leaf. These trees were planted as boundary trees before the small paddock in front beckoned to become garden. While medium height and width they still fitted in well but the last ten years had taken them to maximum height & width hiding the now developed slopping bank garden behind. The change was an instant flow of one established garden into another allowing us a view we never had before, and the wonderful thing is I can now shift and plant to enhance it even more. Don't hesitate in taking out tree's that have out grown their allotted space, with an Arborist on the job really big trees can be dropped with minimal damage to what is growing around them. Lately I have been buying punnets of bedding and perennial plants then planting them into deep polystyrene trays, the polystyrene insulates from the cold ground allowing the roots to grow faster. Once the plants show signs of strong growth and start budding I will 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 mild. 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. Vegetables You can start planting garlic now to the end of the month, Plant 3-5cm deep and 10-12 cm apart in warm, sunny well drained place. Harvest your lemons before 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. Fruit 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 to give them food to draw on. Fruit tree pruning should start as soon as the leaves have dropped. Re; Scruff the pup,another week down with no fatality, only one or two close shaves! Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 14th May 2014

Here we are well into May and the rain keeps arriving just when we think it could be all over. The continual overcast weather is not only keeping the sun from us it is also keeping the frosts away which have usually started to slow growth at this time of the year, heaps of new small weeds are popping up everywhere and here was me thinking that last lot of spraying I did would be the it until spring! We are still wading through wet leaves out here which seem to be breaking down before they even reach the compost heaps, with the mild temperatures and all the rain it is making for a bumper compost making time! This week I cut back dahlias that had collapsed with the couple of frosts we had last week, dug out, divided and labeled some while I could still see what shades they were. If the soil continues to remain so wet dahlia tubers will rot. The first of mine have been put in cardboard boxes and placed in a dry shed. I usually leave them in the dry autumn ground and they go through winter fine but I don't think the ground will dry out now before winter. There are a few continuing to flower which I will leave to die back a little into the tubers before cutting back and lifting. After the compost and pea straw has been spread the gaps where dahilas have been will be filled with winter flowering annual wall flowers, poppy's and calendula ( winter marigold) A few years ago I planted small clumps of the variegated iris, this iris is not grown for its insignificant blue flower but for it's interesting green and white striped leaves. I mass planted them under standard iceberg roses and they make a wonderful show. The clumps became large quickly but were struggling with Japaneses anemone growing through them, the only way I could remove the anemone's was to dig the iris clumps out, break them up and replant them minus the anemones. I am so pleased I went to the trouble of doing this because they are now taking center stage under the now finished roses. Last month I took cuttings of cineraria silverdust, (Silver ragwort) and every cutting took. Take a fresh tip cutting and firm it into sifted soil or river sand and they will have roots in no time. Cineraria silverdust is a good front gap filler in dull areas, I never let it flower and trim it often to keep it compact. Erica's,I know I mentioned these last week but they are very worth mentioning again for winter flowering. Erica's are in Garden centers now, budded,and ready to burst into winter colour, the low growing variety are wonderful ground covers for low maintenance gardens and the mid height erica's like melanthra improved never let me down here in this garden. Trim the spent flowers off erica's that flowered through the summer months to keep them compact and they will put out fresh new green growth through the winter. All erica's like dry acid soil and full sun, no lime, I shifted all trays of plant cuttings I have growing into a light warm spot for them to continue growing well over winter. Check trays & pots are draining well, some of mine were holding too much water and needed drainage holes unblocked. Inside pot plants will need less watering from now on and moved away from cold glass as night temperatures drop. As I mentioned last week this wet ground is perfect for shifting plants so keep wrenching any tree's or large shrubs needing shifted. Wrench by digging a trench around half the root mass out from the trunk with a sharp spade, fill the trench with peat /compost or sifted soil to enable new feeder roots to grow while the undisturbed roots on the other side keep growing. If you want to shift a very big plant and it has only big roots and not many fine roots at the edge of its root-ball, it would be better to wait a full year after wrenching before attempting to shift it. Lawns: It's time to keep the mower blades just high enough to pick up leaves. Remove fallen leaves from lawn areas because they restrict the light grass is needing now. Lawns are so soggy out here I am keeping off them as much as i can to avoid compaction. Vegetables: Clear out finished summer veg or dig in any leafy veg ( not root veg ). Work in manure enriched compost with a little lime if soil has been extensively cropped over summer. When, (if) things dry out work up heavy / clay content soil add some gypsum and leave open for the winter frosts to work on before spring planting. Scruff the pup has not put a paw wrong so far this week. Because I have become a little paranoid about him being an accident waiting to happen I have had him following my every move on a lead which, consequently wraps it's self around anything it comes in contact with, like legs!!! Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago May 7th 2014

A couple of nice days this week and Just enough wind to help dry the ground out a little and help with the leaf drop. Still raking and making compost. Because we are smack bang in the middle of compost using and making time this is what is taking up most of my gardening time just now, so I thought I would go on about compost, yet again! Compost is humus made from organic matter, decomposed plants, manure, old stack bottom straw, anything non toxic that will break down. If you don't want to part out for a composting unit start by heaping organic matter up against a wall or inside straw bale walls on bare ground, so moisture can be drawn up. I start with a layer of animal manure, (worms are sure to work their way up if a fresh layer of manure has been spread on bare ground) then follow with grass clippings, leaves, sawdust or straw (if you have on hand). A sprinkle of lime between the layers will sweeten then most important water as you layer. Repeat until the heap is the size required while there is still heat in the sun to enable the heap to heat up and start working. Winter is the only time I use hen manure which will assist in the heating. Theses heaps can be aerated by laying slim planks of wood between some layers which can be pushed up and down from time to time as the heap compacts down. A heap built up around a roll of wire netting will allow aeration as well. If there is no room for a compost heap leaves can be put into large plastic bags, with the addition of a little fertiliser and left in a warm place, by spring you will have great leaf mould which is especially good for adding to the soil when planting vegetables and annual flowers. I consider conifers along with large tree's the bones of any garden and now that leaves are disappearing from deciduous trees I am appreciating the wonderful conifers I planted many years ago. To find the right conifer for a particular spot needs a little homework, thankfully Garden center assistants should have the knowledge required. Tell them what size space has been allotted to a conifer, what shape and colour is preferred and I am sure there will be one to suit. I like to team conifers up with erica's & callunias, they also stand out during the cold winter months when interest is needed. You will find really nice examples of both conifers and erica's & calluna's in Garden centers in the next few weeks. This week I sprayed the moss and darkening on all the Oamaru stone and tiled areas we have in this garden, if the discolouration is really bad I use a bleach product like 30 seconds but in the last couple of years I have has good success with using wet & forget which works each time it rains. I usually do this job in early spring but with all the rain we have had the moss is thriving so thought I would remove it now and then again in spring if it is still a problem. Lawns have still not slowed down and will not until we get hard frosts, I have sown grass seed on the bare patches (only in very sunny areas) in the hope the ground will stay warm long enough for it to germinate but I have probably wasted my time and will need to re -sow in spring. Don't wast lawn fertiliser on grass now, save it for spring. Vegetables: Plant garlic, board beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast, further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from planting a green crop to be dug in and left to break down over winter. I would like to plant our pup Scruff in a pot until he gains some sense! but it's eyes in the back of my head as well as in the front that is required each time I have him in the garden with me. He is so fast out on to the road, lead and all, targets are the Postman on his scooter, joggers, cars pulling into the neighbours fresh eggs box across the road...one poor lady opened her car door and in he jumped and pinned her to the seat in a lick attack!! All leads have been checked, and looking into the electric force thing that is said to keep dogs where they should be. Cheers, Linda.