Gardening in North Otago April 13th 2016

Leaves, leaves, leaves so many on the ground and yet to fall,  right now our garden is on fire with it's yellow, red and orange display. Most of the leaves turn into good compost but I limit composting  oak or walnut leaves, they take too long to break down in my heaps,  burning then adding the ash is beneficial to compost. The addition of hen manure while building autumn compost will aid in the  heating process.

Dried Blood is an easy way to replenish the nitrogen content in the soil for plants needing to perform through winter,  Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansy's and Cyclamen love it and will flourish when you add dried blood to their diet. 100% Pure and Natural.

Ranunculus and anemone are on offer in Garden centers nowthis week, They are so worth while and a good investment because they multiply well and give vibrant or soft mid height colour to an early spring garden. Ranunculus and anemone corms look very dried up and brittle in the packet when bought, soak them over night and they will become nice and plump before planting then plant at least five together in groups to get the best effect.

With lilies becoming available in shops this month established clumps can be lifted if necessary, but do not disturb them unless they are very crowded or unsuitably sited. Instead top dress them with a mixture of compost and blood and bone. (A cup full of blood and bone to each bucket of compost. be sure to keep lily bulbs moist while they are out of the ground, roots must never dry out. Almost all lilies need to be planted as deep as three times the height of the bulb.The only exception to this deep planting is the Madonna lily which is planted just below the surface and prefers to be shifted in mid summer straight after flowering. This is also one of the few lilies which also prefers limy soil.

Feed rhododendron and camellias with fertiliser mixed especially for them to boost them for spring flowering

Break up primula and viola clumps, pot up or plant out to fill gaps in front boarders.

On the coast give evergreen hedges a last light tidy up during this month. further inland I would leave top growth as frost protection and trim after spring growth.

Vegetables / fruit

Time to dig up and divide Rhubarb crowns, mixing in heaps of compost before replanting.
A good time for sowing of spinach, snap peas and spring onions. Maybe fill the top of a shallow pot with spring onion seed and start picking when plants are still quite small.
I am sure there are some wonderful pumpkin crops being harvested, unfortunately not for me! I planted early but they were wiped out by a late frost and my second planting was too late, lots of leaf and flowers but limited growing season ahead. When harvested  remember not to remove the stalk from the Pumpkin, this stops rotting.
Still plenty of apples, quince, late peaches and walnuts to keep me busy.

Cheers, Linda.

--

Linda Wilson

Rockvale Gardens

37 Airedale Road

Weston

North Otago 9401

Ph: 03 434 9786

Mbl: 027 4430256

Gardening in North Otago April 7th

What a wonderful Autumn week it has been, rain and warmth to settle new plantings in before winter. 

So much can be done in gardens right now, weeding, hedge trimming, cutting back and clearing out summer growth, feeding and mulching plus raking leaves and building new compost heaps....(Whew, no pressure)  

I have taken the time this week to look around the garden to see what plants have been flowering well over the summer months and which plants have not because of trees getting taller and wider and blocking out light. The plants I found most suffering were dahlia's, some bushes have not flowered at all from lack of light and moisture they will be dug them up and transplanted into a sunnier spot and watered well, leaving the top growth on to die off back into the tubers. Other plants that have suffered the same are dwarf agapantha, roses, asters and dianthas, all of these need a lot of sunshine and light to preform well.

If looking to improve the look of established gardens a front boarder will do the trick, there are so many plants multiplying around my garden like lambs ear, with it's lovely silver textured leaf that will break up and transplant easily to form a front boarder to give a garden a whole new look. Other plants that will allow you to do this are, the variegated iris, blue grass, dwarf agapantha, hosta, Helibours, purple sage, thyme, erigeron daisy, and succulents. Plus heaps of other low growing evergreen plants that cuttings can be taken from right now to create borders like purple sage, thyme, all of these plants I have mentioned look great planted en masse in long rows to change the look of a garden.

The following annual seeds can still be sown now, aquilegia,calendula (marigold) perennial lupins, stocks, sweet peas, dianthusand are most probably now germinating around where these plants have been growing. I pot up most worthy plants that nature supplies in our garden to be planted out either before or after winter depending on the maturity of them.

Top dress lilies with blood and bone and compost, a cup full of blood and bone to each bucket of compost. If you need to shift lilies never let them dry out, get them back in the ground straight away or store them in a wet sack or towel until ready to transplant.

If you have trees and shrubs that need to be moved, wrench them now, this means digging around one half of their roots and leaving the other half untouched for a few weeks. Make a trench around the dug roots and fill with soft compost, the cut roots will form new feeder roots into the compost which will make the eventual transplant cope better. Remember plants which have had their root system reduced should also have their top growth pruned to correspond, or they may die back.

Veg and fruit

Pumpkins and squash should be bought in before the frosts starts, always picking them with a short length of stem attached.

Tomato's need all the daylight hours now to ripen so I have removed all shading leaves, tomato plants threatened by frost can be dug out and hung in a shed for the last of the tomatoes to ripen.

Sweet pepper plants that need more time to ripen can be dug up and put into a pot and placed under shelter to continue growing.

 Sow a green crop, adding humus to vacant vegetable plots will improve the soil, Blue lupin, mustard, wheat, barley or oats are good for this purpose. Dug in just before the crop reaches flowering stage. 

In cooler areas citrus trees, especially when young should given a temporary roof for frost protection put in place. 

I had two of our Grandchildren were busy treading grapes (plasic bags on feet) last weekend, the wine is started and doing it's thing. Most of my grapes succumbed to bytritis  again this season.....need to come up with an organic method of treating after pruning.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago April 1st

Easter has rolled into April, the cooling down month but thank goodness days stay warm a little longer even if the nights and mornings are cooler. Autumn here in NorthOtago is usually more predictable than spring or summer, it is a time to reap and sow lest all be lost to the frost!  Gardening professionals suggest gardeners should apply potash to their plants as winter starts Potassium hardens up plant growth and helps prevent damage from winter chills. Because we have had some moisture this autumn trees and shrubs are slower to colour up and leaves hang on longer, but when they do fall gather to make good humus for the garden, compost down with manure, grass and soft hedge clippings. I will need to empty my existing compost piles to make way to start another lot.

I have been viewing the light situation around our garden before all the leaves fall, because trees and shrubs get taller and wider every year blocking out light. I am noting what trees and shrubs to reduce in height and width and which trees and shrubs to remove altogether. Sometimes one tree or shrub will do the job of the two or three in one spot. Sacrifice trees that give little interest for trees close by that offer more, and shrubs that have grown too big in the front of a garden hiding what is behind need to be cut back, maybe wrenched for shifting later or cut out. I have at times changed the whole look of gardens by removing a few front shrubs / trees, letting more sun in then planting out sun loving plants. 

Here on the coast keep cutting back large daisy and lavatera bushes to encourage new buds that will flower over the next two months. Also get all hedges cut back now before frosts start, this will be the last cut until the new growth in spring, especiallyphotinia bushes / hedges, a trim now will encourage vivid red leaves to brighten dull winter days. 

It is just the time to clean up garden areas that have been flowering all summer and to visit the garden centres (here on the coast only) to choose more plants for planting now to bud up and bloom through winter, if they are planted while the ground is still warm to get the roots going they will continue to get enough winter sun to carry on and bloom. 

Plant: Viola, snapdragon, pansy, polyantha's, stock, calendula, wall flowers, sweet William and good old primula malacoidies. If you want to plant evergreen shrubs other than conifers now is the time or wait until the frosts are over, once frosts start it is only deciduous trees / shrubs and conifers that will cope with the really cold nights that can be planted without the need protection. Keep getting spring bulbs in the warm ground and Hybrid clematis are still on offer, they are the lovely huge bloom, deciduous type which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. This type are not as invasive as the Montana variety. They love being planted into warm autumn ground and are so pretty growing in with other climbers and climbing roses that flower at a different time to them. All clematis like manure and lime. 

Lawns: Spray lawn weeds and apply sifted compost with some gypsum added to lawns if they are compacted ( a bucket to the square metre), the compost will improve the humus content and the gypsum will soften clay soils. If you have had a good strike with a newly sown lawn delay cutting until grass is 7-8 centimetres high, set the blades high and avoid cutting when the ground is wet and soft. 

Veg: I have dug the last of my potatoes and stored them with a covering of herbs, t

he peas I put in are up and making growth. I have not harvested any pumpkins yet, will leave growing until the threat of frosts. Time to dig up and divide Rhubarb crowns, mixing in heaps of compost before replanting. 

Sow: Spinach,Snap Peas,Brussel sprouts, board beans and Spring Onions, fill the top of a shallow pot with Spring Onions to have handy by the back door, start thinning when plants are still quite small, pull them as they’re needed, 

Cheers, Linda http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.co.nz/

Gardening in North Otago March 22 / 3 / 2016

What a lovely balmy long weekend experienced Pryor to writing this, with many locals. including myself, family and Scruff drawn to the Historic prescient / Harbour area to enjoy the jazz and all else on offer. Then to have the bonus of  drifting into another wonderful long weekend with Easter break, memories I will happily draw on in the depths of winter.

Mean while back in the garden, the wheel barrow has had much use because once I start chopping back at this time of the year there is no stopping me, one cut back always leads to another.

Plants that are getting the chop in my garden: Acanthus mollis (bears britches), tall phlox, day Lillie's, damaged hellebore and hosta leaves, buddleia, honey suckle, jasmine, abutilon, evergreen viburnum,alstromeria, Hebe's, iris and all leggy, gone to seed herbs.

While working my way around I dealt to all my bearded iris's by cutting leaves back by two thirds and making sure the top of rhizomes were above ground to bake in the autumn sun. If you have iris that trees are now shading shift into sunny well drained locations. Iris's are well worth the trouble of growing and look wonderful planted together in their own bed enabling them to make an impact on their own. Propagation is usually 6-8 weeks after blooming, then rhizomes can be divided with a chunk of rhizome and roots to every new division.

Bulbs need to be planted now to create splendor in a spring garden, bluebells and snow drops can cope with dappled shade, the daffodil family need good light, hyacinth's look great in either pots or garden, ranunculusand anemones are vibrant after a long dull winter and freesia's love a sunny warm spot. Tulips are planted in May.

If your bulb clumps are getting too big offer some to other gardeners who I am sure would gladly dig them up from your garden just to have them. 

Roses will be heading into the last bud up, I have dead headed for the last time and after the next flowering they will be left to make seed and hard wood in readiness for the big winter prune at the end of July/beginning of August so no more feeding roses because this will only encourage new soft growth. 

If thinking of adding roses, or more roses to your garden I suggest looking at rose variety books or go on line to make your choices then get your order into a Garden center. New seasons roses will begin arriving in June and by ordering now you will be sure not to miss out.

Lawns: I am still raking out grass grub damaged areas of lawn here and re-sowing which means sifting soil for cover. 

Spray flat lawn weeds before they go to seed and spread, spot spray when weeds are dry and thirsty.

Vegetables.

March is an important month for planting winter veg, prepare prior to planting with compost, general gardenfertiliser and lime if needed, (I add lime to my compost)

Prepare garlic beds

Beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, and silverbeet seedlings can be planted but will need to be protected from the white butterfly. A frame work or stakes to hold strawberry net stretched over plants would do the trick.

In colder areas seeds of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are best sown in trays for planting out once hardened off.

Any areas of the vege garden which are not to be used for vegetables this winter can be planted with a green manure cover crop to be dug in later enriching the soil for spring and summer crops. Blue lupin, mustard or oats are good options.

Herbs

Parsley can be grown from seed sown now.

Perennial herbs, chives, mint, thyme, sage, and marjoram can be divided and replanted. Basil, a summer annual should be harvested before the cold weather, it can be dried or frozen.

Fruit

Late peaches should be ready to pick now along with apples, pears, quince and grapes. If your trees are producing more than you can use why not offer to those who would appreciate some fruit for freezing or bottling. Facebook:Oamaru gardeners buy/sell free forum

Feed citrus trees with citrus fertiliser

Summer prune nectarine and apricot trees.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago March 15th 2016

Hurrah, the heavens opened and it rained last Tuesday and I could, I am sure hear every growing thing sighing in relief.

Autumn will probably have taken a couple of steps back after being revitalised, the silver birch tree's and bougainvillea are always the first to drop a carpet here but it is not happening yet as it was at this time last year, going by my last years notes.

This garden is tired now after that last big wind attack, so the cutting back has been stepped up in readiness for a layer of compost, then pea straw to keep that lovely rain moisture in the ground. 
I have needed to be away from the garden a lot over the last few weeks which is detrimental to the watering at this time of the year, so many potted up plants have suffered and out grown pots. I got a bit desperate for potting mix while re potting so dug into one of my compost heaps and was pleased to find everything decomposing really well, due I am sure to the heat we have been experiencing so was able to add it to what remained of the bought potting mix making it go further. Giving potted plants more room for roots and some sun protection at this time of the year enables them to thrive longer without constant watering. 
I am still dead heading roses in the hope of more blooms to make a last vibrant show before they will be left to harden off for winter. Rust is always a problem on roses in Autumn, try to eradicate affected leaves from the bushes as well as those on the ground and burn them to reduce this problem for next year. Don't feed roses now, soft growth needs to make a start at hardening off. 

Here on the coast we can still enjoy colour during winter if bedding  plants are prepared now. I have been potting up seedlings grown from last years seed and some young bedding bought in punnets. The idea is to utilize the warmth from now on to encourage individually potted plants to bush, bud and harden for planting out before frosts get heavy. Bedding plants that respond well to this method are pansy, viola, pollyanthus wall flower, stock, calendula and  primulamalacoides. It is so worth taking the time to pot individual young seedlings on to grow and become acclimatised to early winter conditions rather than buying plants that have been forced into flower at the time.

March is defiantly a great planting month with the soil warm and the nights and mornings cooler, newly planted trees and shrubs settle in well. There are a lot of well grown trees, shrubs and plants on offer right now in Garden centers ready and waiting to be planted. Gardner's further inland will need to read the labels to establish frost ratings before buying, if in doubt wait until spring. 

Spring bulbs can be planted now. If you have not already done so break up really large clumps of Spring bulbs, clumps tend to double in size with out you noticing and in no time a garden bed can become choked, looking attractive only in spring and dull for the rest of the year. I have often been asked the reason for spring bulbs not flowering after the first couple of years from planting, the problem can be over crowding, lack of adequate light as trees become larger and throw more shade during summer, but the most common problem is bulbs may not have not been planted deep enough. Spring bulbs need to be planted 4 to 6 inches deep, that's 4 to 6 inches on top of the bulb, if not planted deeply eventually when they do come into leaf and experience a dry patch during this time they wont take up enough moisture to come into bud.

Rake mulch off bearded iris rhizomes they need to be exposed to the sun for a baking now.

Layer carnation stems by pinning the center of the stem down under the soil while still attached to the mother plant with the flower end still exposed, roots should form along the buried stem. Once rooted cut from the mother plant and pot up to grow on before planting out in lime sweetened soil. This layering method can be applied to many herbs, plants and shrubs.

Lawns. 

After those baking hot days and a lot of mowing lawn growth starts slowing down from now on although, catchers will still be filling up for a while yet but don't feel you need to cut lower than usual because growth has slowed, a scalped lawn dries out faster and encourages weeds. Still the best time to sow new lawns while weed growth is slowing down and evening dews are back. The flat weeds I do come across now I pop out with the blade of secateurs before they seed and spread.  

Fruit: The apricot season went on for ages here in our garden now the late peaches and quince are next to be picked. Granny Smith apples were blown off the tree so I am peeling them daily to stew and freeze because after falling they all have a bruise. Even after giving heaps away I now have many pottels of apricot and apple not to mention the peaches and quince soon......might have to make puddings for our Grandchildren to experience some of the old fashioned winter puds from the past. Apple dumplings?? the first thing I made in Intermediate School cooking class and never forgotten.

Vegetable  Gardens will be growing new crops for the cooler seasons, leaf veg should not bolt so readily now and will not mind the days getting shorter and cooling and root veg seeds will germinate well while the ground is still warm. My second sowing of peas are up, corn is picked and the pumpkins have out grown their space and just keep going. Onions can be lifted once leaves have bent over, don't bend or damage leaves before they are ready to bend naturally if you want them to store and keep well.  Once dug lay them out in a warm place to fully ripen then store in a cool place.

Cheers Linda

Gardening in North Otago March 8th 2016

A much needed heavy drizzle  at the beginning of this week enjoyed by all thirsty plants but it only wet the surface of our baked ground. 

At this mellow time of the year I would like to slow down along with all growth and enjoy the mellow days.  

I spend a lot of time hand watering to top up moisture around plant  roots while at the same time noticing what needs dead headed or cut back, perennials cut back last month have already bushed up again to fill in gaps.

Autumn crocus has burst into flower, chrysanthemums are budding and I notice some spring bulbs are pushing through which means it is bulb planting time, iris, crocus, hyacinth and daffodils along with any daffodil bulbs you need to shift.  Bulbs require deep planting in a sunny well drained spot, tulips and lilies can be planted in may or June.

Sow Seeds

March is the month to collect and sow  seeds of hardy annuals, foxglove, honesty and sweet william directly where they will flower with a little fertiliser, forked into the soil, before sowing. Once sown these areas need to stay open to the sun so mark them to avoid covering with winter mulch.

Hard wood cuttings: This is the time to take hard wood cuttings , place cuttings in a water filled container as they are taken. Prepare cuttings by removing the bottom leaves and cutting the top leaves back by half. Plant into river sand filled trenches in the ground or trays of river sand, keep moist and in no time at all they will develop roots. Once growing pinch the cuttings back at least twice to get nice bushy plants.

Planting

With days shortening and nights cooling the still warm ground begins to retain moisture again making Autumn one of the best times for planting trees and shrubs. Always plant trees and shrubs to the depth they were in the pot or bag and stake well if tall.

Caring for soil is important now after the intense heat and summer blooming this year, deep watering then the addition of organic matter either dug in or left as a top mulch will help to condition soil in readiness for next spring.
I wait until autumn leaves have been raked off gardens before I add the compost and pea straw cover that will take gardens through winter which leaves time from now until then to sow a cover crop like blue lupin, mustard or alfalfa to add natural nitrogen to soil. Dig in before flowering, or just cover with compost before a final cover of pea straw.

Pea straw is available again Phone 034326844 , offering large and small bales off the paddock.

Lawns. 

The grass grub damage is really showing up in our lawns now with black birds letting me know just where they are, I have decided to leave them to the black birds to deal to then rake out all damaged patches and re-sow.

Vegetables: All seeds sown will germinate but watch the heat, I have covered my seed boxes with shade cloth to keep them from drying out. If planting out seedlings I would cover them as well to keep moisture in and white butterfly's off.

Cheers Linda

Gardening in North Otago March 1st 2016

Autumn begins: "Ahhh this warm ripening season I love, long shadows, low sun in Cornflower blue sky's above". ( At this mellow time of the year the poet in me emerges!!) I am still cut, cut cutting back plants that looked stunning through summer but are now just tied and straggly like bush lavatera, mignonette, lavender tops, geraniums, they will all leaf up again to go through the winter. I am still seed collecting, there are so many ready now, I plant a few now but save most to sow in spring. What I am planting now are lupin, Iceland poppy, pansy, pollyantha, primula, aquilegia (Grannies bonnet) and ageratum ( snapdragon) wall flower, stock, Virginia stock and sweet-pea. if these sunny days keep up they should all be up and ready for me to prick out and and plant into containers where they will continue to grow and harden off a little before the danger of hard frost. If some of these seedlings grow big enough to reach bud stage I will plant into the garden but most will need to be carried over until the ground warms up again in spring.( Sweet pea seeds should to be planted straight into the garden now, they will pop up and hold over the winter then as soon as the ground starts to warm in August they will take off and flower early ) This week the hedge trimmer has been out again because with the favorable conditions we have experienced this growing season.some shrubs in our garden have out grown their space. 

Autumn is said to be the best time to plant conifers, http://www.conifers.co.nz/ there are such a lot of different types on offer now and I consider these contribute to the bones of the garden. Tall narrow conifers planted in groups give larger gardens a vertical push and formality. Read labels carefully they will give you the height and width for the first ten years, after that they do keep growing and can be removed if they start to look untidy but most ornamental conifers look wonderful for years and years. 

Compost:This is an excellent time to start building a new compost heap and get it heating up before winter.http://freshorganicgardening.com/learn-to-build-a-compost-pile/

Lawns. This is said to be the best time to sow a new lawn,because perennial weeds have slowed down, the ground is nice and warm as are the nights and if the moisture is kept up grass seed will be up in no time. I have been spot spraying the flat weeds in my lawns and when we get rain again I will apply grass grub granules, as this is the time to do this. 

Vegetables: What a great year for produce it is with so much ready to use, parsnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, corn and pumpkins scrambling all over the place. Keep planting in rotation, leaf veg where root veg has been,

It is a good time to sow Root plants like Asparagus , Beetroot , Carrots , Chives , Leeks ,Onions , Parsnips , Shallots , Spring Onions.  When potatoes are dug they need to be kept in the dark or they will go green. I take what I need from a dig and leave the rest in the ground until needed. When the time comes for you to store them there are products which will inhibit sprouting, but many gardeners avoid chemicals near food so I will once again mention a natural alternative with you. Layer the stored potatoes with dried sprigs of rosemary, sage and lavender, the essential oils given off by these herbs not only inhibit sprouting, they will also help to keep the tubers free from bacterial soft rots. 

Fruit: Apples, quince, plums, walnuts and late peaches so much at once! the birds must be overjoyed by their feasting and the rats / mice will be waiting patiently for the nuts and sun flower seeds to ripen, such abundance! Cover grapes from those waiting birds.

Cheers, Linda