Gardening in North Otago 1st March 2017

The odd lovely summer day this week along with coastal mist, heavy dews and darker mornings......beginnings of autumn. There are parts in our garden that are really tired now particularly the long boarders which I plan to attack today. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering then top dress with compost and some blood & bone to give all a gentle boost. To get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias, delphiniums and chrysanthemums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemums they will be putting on a show soon. With our frequent summer showers and the now heavy dews I feel gardens will carry on as in summer until the first frosts, dead heading will encourage flowering rather than seed producing. With summer moisture supplying roots leaves will most likely turn and fall later this autumn but from past experience it will be a long raking up season with nature enforcing leaf drop bit by bit!! Wrenching: I would dearly love to shift shrubs but I know they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year even if water was kept up to them, best to wait until winter when the sap is down. However if you have no option and have to shift trees and shrubs a root ball would need to be as wide as the plant and as much of the tap root as possible, the planting hole should be twice as big as the root ball, compost or peat added then filled with water before planting and firming in with a secure stake to protect the transplant from wind movement. I always leave a hose dripping down into roots until I feel things have settled. It would not be as traumatic if a transplant were first wrenched to cushion from shock. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost or peat is added under them for new feeder roots to grow into, the untouched roots on the other side will continue to feed the tree or shrub, wrench now and transplant in winter when plants are dormant. Those who are lucky enough to pile garden waste in a stock paddock be mindful of what is being left leaving stock to eat. There are a number of common plants that can poison animals and Children : Arum lillies, Calico bush, Daphne, English yew, foxglove, Hemlock, Holly berries, Iris, Ivy, Kowhai (especially seeds) Laburnum, Lily of the valley, Ngaio, Night shade,Privit, Rhododendron, Rhubarb (leaves) Spindle berry, Potato ( green berries & green tubers) Lawns: The lawn weeds sprayed here last week are wilting away, even the Hydrocotyle which I thought was not going to succumb to the spray. I am ready with grass grub granules next significant rain fall we get, seeing where the grubs are eating away at the roots of grass, mostly in the ground at the foot of trees the night beetles strip leaves from, (Grass grub turn into these beetles). Veg and fruit: New veg plants have gone in here, board beans and carrots are up and going strong and new leaf veg don't look back once planted in the warm moist ground, cover from birds when first planted they seem to go for the small newly planted. I am picking corn, potatoes, carrots, celery, runner beans and cabbage and knowing they are free from pesticides makes them even better. I sprayed the grapes with the milk solution last week and plan to do it twice more, as this was suggested in the article I read for eradicating powdery mildew, I will let you know the end results. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard. Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant strong runners and keep the water up to them until they make roots. Apples, late peaches, nectarines and quince are the next picking crops then walnuts will be falling..... Tis the giving season. Cheers, Linda. http://nzstyleforever.blogspot.co.nz

Gardening in North Otago February 14th 2017

First frost on Monday night, February??? Because of this years summer rain trees, shrub and plants will continue to put out new growth while the ground stays warm and moist, here is hoping for summer continuing into autumn and autumn continuing well into what should be winter. My wheelbarrow has been busy this week, with so much growth the cutting back seems endless, any plant or bush that has finished flowering needs cut back to where the new growth is starting to appear.  Hebe's finish flowering and make seed very quickly, cut all those seed heads and stems off, the bush will look bare but will soon push out new growth and stay the size you require it to be. Photinia bushes and hedges trimmed now will reward you with new bright red foliage in April / May. Roses will be enjoying the bursts of rain but with the sun so hot at other times the ground and roots become dry, roots drying out between watering's will respond with yellowing leaves, rust and black spot, don't be alarmed these are usually old leaves but will soon spread to new leaves if left. Remove them before they fall and spread disease into the ground even if it means removing most of the bush, new leaves will soon take their place. Roses should continue budding up and flowering for many more weeks. Buddleias, ( the butterfly bush) tall thin arching branches with grey/blue leaves and lavender, purple or pink long narrow flower heads, cut them back almost to the ground when they have finished flowering. They grow back very quickly and are best grown at the back of a border. Garden centers are full of lovely bedding plants and shrubs right now, read labels regarding where to plant, sun/shade, with shrubs frost tolerance is important, I have noticed some tender shrubs not suitable for hard frost areas on offer, they look nice but have probably been grown under cover and would not cope with frosts if planted out in the open, in pots under cover they should be ok. Lawns: The evidence of grass grub will soon be noticeable in tree shaded area, the adult brown beetles tend to lay eggs under the trees they feed on. There was an absence of product for a couple of years but I see there are choices back on the market. Eggs of the NZ grass grub are laid in the soil during summer; normally hatching after about 2 weeks. The small larvae feed on the grass roots, infested grass dies off leaving a dead mat. The grubs can feed about 15 cm below the soil surface but right now they should be only 5cm below, control of the grub requires getting insecticide to this level in the soil. Treatment is most effective from February to March. Fruit: A strange fruiting season, my raspberries, flowered, started to fruit then stopped in the early stages, apricot's were few compared to last year as were the strawberries. Apples, quince, late peach and walnuts are plentiful but my grapes have succumbed to to powdery mildew again. I am loathe to use a chemical spray so will try this organic method which is fast, inexpensive and backed by science. Mix 1 part whole milk and 9 parts water and thoroughly spray effected plants. Spraying in full sun works the best, spray once a week but don’t spray more often than that because it can cause another kind of mold to grow on your plants. This technique was developed specifically for zucchini by a Brazilian scientist named Wagner Bettiol, www.sciencenews.org/blog/food-thought/dairy-solution-mildew-woes Bettiol’s research triggered an organic gardener and vintner, David Bruer to try the milk mixture on his vineyards. And guess what? It worked there, too! I am sure this method would be best applied just as leaves open but I have given my grapes, with fully grown leaves a good drowning with this and now await results. Vegetables: Keep planting all vegetable plants in rotation...if you now have a space where root veg were growing fill it with leafy veg and visa versa. Any spaces you have vacant fill with a green crop, wheat, barley, oats, blue lupin or mustard seed. Dig into the soil before it flowers. The humus created from a green crop is about the very best thing you can do for tied soil.  

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago February 8th 2017

Not much watering had to be done this week after the rain, it was really needed to help gardens recover from those hot nor wester days. The hedge trimmer has been on the go again here and yes the plants and shrubs did shudder to their roots when it came their way! If it needs it, it gets it! Trimming with secateurs is not practical for us with such a large garden and at this time of the year you can not do too much damage so if hedges need height and width taken well back the regrowth time is pretty quick. My buddleia's have been flowering for a while now attracting butterflies, but now they need all that new growth cut well back to encourage new fresh growth to taken through autumn and winter. Buddleia's are a great fill in bush and look attractive with their blue green foliage even without the blue, pink or white flowers, plant at the back of a border and you will not be sorry. Begonias, petunias and Lilly's are taking center stage now begonias are tropical perennials and like partial shade. Strong sunlight will burn leaves and blossoms. If growing in dense shade they will grow more leaves than flowers and wind protection is needed because stems are damaged by strong wind. They prefer high humidity not wet soil, let the top inch of soil dry out before watering. Petunias: dead head often, cutting back and feeding petunias will keep them flowering for ages. Lillies: should be in good draining soil but never be allowed to dry out, mulching helps with this. Lilies do not re bloom, remove faded flowers so plants don't waste energy making seeds. Leave foliage until it turns brown and energy is stored for next years flower, cut dead stalks in late autumn. large lily clumps can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering Dividing bulbs: The rains this week will have triggered autumn and winter flowering bulbs to break dormancy so time is limited for lifting and dividing congested clumps. Anemones and ranunculus: will be in Garden centers now I pop them in the fridge for a month in paper bags (not plastic) then soak them overnight in tepid water before planting (stratification), this simulates the winter chill then they are stimulated into growth with the water warmth before planting. Staggering the planting over several weeks will extend the flowering. Lawns: continue to stay green with the rain and warmth which means no slowing down in growth. I spot sprayed lawn weeds again this week, clover really takes off if left and daisies like the continual rain watering, then there is that creeping tiny leafed weed with yellow flowers that forms a mat in lawns. Every little plant off this needs to be zapped because it flowers and seeds very quickly and spreads from lawn to lawn when mowing. Fruit: It is time to shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, the growth is needed for the grapes that have started to form. If a leader has produced too many bunches remove some with shortening back. Veg Garden: Get seeds in garden now for autumn veg, lettuce, carrots, beetroot, dwarf beans, parsley, parsnip, silver beet. Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn can be mounded also when it gets to about knee high. They have a shallow rooting system and the mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds. Corn demands a very high level of nitrogen. The more available nitrogen, the closer plants can be spaced. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago February 1st 2017

Children back at School, ok, now we really are into this new working year and so far this summer no day is the same weather as the one before! The hot winds are a chellange for people and plant life, they quickly dry the top soil and plant roots so for the first time this summer hoses have been really needed. Hand watering around roots is the most effective along with low soak hoses, evaperation is too great for sprinklers unless they are in the same spot for an age. Keep the water up to maples, hydrangea, rhododendons, azaleas and camellias. Hybrid clematis: It's the right time from now on to plant these large flowering beauties to get roots established before winter. Fungus spray on roots when planting will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from, when planting try not to disturb the roots and sprinkle a little lime around the drip line to sweeten the ground. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer, huge or delicate flowers, in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look climbing and spilling through gardens, I have two stunning varities flowering now one claret red and one lavender scrambling up over structures. I forget about them every year until they bloom to surprise and please me. Spring bulbs, strange I know to think about Spring but wanting a spring bulb display starts now. Clumps are much more effective than one planted here and there, so if you have scattered spring bulbs about your garden now would be the time to dig up same bulbs and plant together for maximum effect. Irises (bearded) finished flowering some time ago and we are now left with green tops, these tops carry on photosynthesis for next years growth and will die down to nothing over the summer. Irises need at least a half days sun and well drained slightly acidic soil, bearded irises do not mind baking in the summer sun and push rhizomes up out of the ground for this to happen. After 2 to 5 years when clumps become congested, divide and replant the best rhizomes in fresh soil, (usuallly soon after flowering) however I am transplanting now into places where they will have moist feet but dry knees." Irises (bulb) Dutch, English, and Spanish irises. Choose a site that has reasonably fertile soil and plenty of moisture, soil that won’t dry out in summer. Dutch and Spanish produce leaves in autumn and winter, so they need a sheltered environment and good drainage will help them survive the winter. Bulbs will be avilable in Autumn to be planted in deep soil, with about 5 to 7 inches of soil cover. Dutch and Spanish irises, are best lifted and stored in a cool, dry place over Summer, lifting them provides the dry resting and ripening period they need for a great flowering season the following year, replant in late Autumn. Lawns Mowing, mowing, mowing the lawns are so lush and green for this time of the year and clippings used as mulch have given our garden continuous humus, I fertilised lawns during the last rain which adds to the nutrients for gardens and compost. Fruit: soak and mulch while fruits are developing in the heat. Vegetables: Weed, plant, pick and enjoy.

Gardening in North Otago January 24th 2017

Such a lovely summer day today, Tuesday the 24th January with blue sky and a gentle warm breeze, as summer should be. The heavy rain we received last weekend was welcome to keep gardens and lawns looking green although we could have done without the plummet in temperature. I do tend to repeat myself with the cutting back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they make seed because this is mostly what is happening here in our garden, along with hedge trimming. You can be especially hard now on hedges if height and width need reducing, grow back rate is fast to cover any unsightly scalping. Height can be taken out of shelter shrubs like pittosporum, laurels and conifers should they be getting taller than required. Remove the center leader to a point where lower branches will cover the cut, this will stop these shrubs from becoming the trees they will eventuate into and reduce woody growth at ground level. Growth removed from top's and sides will regrow but branches removed from the bottom will seldom regrow. It's been a wonderful summer for rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas, some here have out grown the space allotted so width and height has been reduced now before budding becomes too advanced. I am collecting rose petals on sunny days for potpourri, laying them out on a table until dry then storing in a large paper carrier bag which needs to be shaken about often to keep petals separated. Seed collecting is well under way now, a few warm days in a row ripen pods that have been slow to mature. I like to store pods that are ready into small paper bags / envelopes where they can pop in their own time. Continue to mulch with un-sprayed grass clippings to keep moisture in the soil, they break down into humus quickly with summer rain. Tree foliage is benefiting from the moist summer soil, this time last year hot drying winds had really effected the new growth on our trees. Lawn should be doing really well this year and with a dressing of lawn food on a rainy day they will remain green and lush. Weeds can be sprayed out during dry days, there are a few different lawn weed sprays on offer, even one that weeds and feeds at the same time. Use a product at the suggested strength and consider spot spraying for the sake of worms. Fruit & Veg: It's proving to be a bumper year for both fruit and veg, warm moist soil and the slightly cooler nights down here in the south...perfect! My corn and pumpkins have really taken off now after a slowish start, and gardeners are telling me their tomato plants are producing and ripening really well so pollination has been good on sunny days. Plums are plentiful for plum sauce and we still have a few black currents ripening for the last pie. Keep rotating root and leaf vegetables to get the best results, i.e Where carrots have been growing, plant lettuce. I have just sown carrot seed, and will plant lettuce where board beans grew. French, butter and runner beans should be flowering well now and new potatoes should be producing good numbers, I leave them in the ground until ready to use even when the tops have died back. I feel there is still time to put in a late crop as Autumn here is long and warm. 3 late crop varieties are Heather - a purple skinned variety (the purple disappears with cooking) firm large tubers and a high yield. A general purpose variety, keeps well. Rua - an older type producing high yields of large oval flat tubers. A good keeper. Van Rosa – A newer variety with great taste. Cheers Linda

Gardening in North Otago January 18th 2017

And this changeable January continues, with spectacular cloud formations. I am liking the heavy rain falls keeping the garden fresh, but must be annoying for hay making. Some of my roses are still suffering from rust on leaves, there are varieties more susceptible to rust attack and I feel these roses succumb and become distressed when the ground becomes dry during strong warm winds. Removing affected leaves and destroying will help to stop the spread and a feed now with manure enriched compost and deep watering around the roots will keep roses happy. The summer cut back is still in full swing here in our garden, with the continual growth and with garden maintenance being all about keeping plants and shrubs under control cutting back after flowering is the rule of thumb. Hydrangea's are wonderful right now, intense colours, big healthy leaves and large full blooms, result of the frequent rains and overcast days, hydrangeas like damp conditions. Lavender is right for picking now, choose a hot dry day and pick when stems are strong but before flowers have opened fully. I have been bunching and hanging to dry in a bone dry place, any hint of moisture and lavender will rot. Drying takes a few weeks once dried it can be enjoyed just in bunches, or rubbed from the stems and stored in paper bags, (never plastic). Uses: add when filling wheat bags, lavender sachets for draws and wardrobes, use dried lavender buds in pot-ourri along with dried rose petals and other dried summer blooms then lavender stalks can be saved for putting on the fire to bring the fragrance into the house when summer has long past. Herbs are at the right stage for cutting and drying as well, so worth the effort to pick and lay flat on news paper or hang in bunches in a dry airy place for as long as it takes for them to dry out completely and become crunchy to the touch. Then simply rub between hands, remove stalks and store in glass jars. My mix is as follows: thyme, marjoram, mint, coriander, tarragon, dill, parsley, sage, small amount of rosemary and a few bay leaves. Seed collecting starts now as well, I select beautiful annuals and perennials and let a part of them go to seed for collecting when fully ripe then store seed pods to pop out into brown paper bags, so far I have aquilegia, poppies, dianthus, pansy, viola, and pollyanthus still waiting on delphiniums, peony, iris, and many more treasures. Fruit & Veg. Sill picking black currants to freeze for when I have time to process them, strawberries have been disappointing for me this season, I put it down to replacing old plants with new and will need to give them another season to preform. Raspberries have taken longer to ripen this season with overcast days and up and down temperatures and the last winds have taken care off thinning out apple bunches. The vegetable garden is doing fine,seeds are popping up in no time after sowing, my lettuces seem to be sitting waiting to be picked without bolting, the corn is putting on some good growth now but I find myself telling the pumpkins to hurry up as they and corn need a long hot ripening season. Keep planting all veg, seeds and plants (apart from corn and pumpkin) they should have been started before now. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago January 10th 2017

Changeable weather still continues this month but the good thing for me so far this summer is that I have not had to drag hoses around, what a wonderful time saver that has been and I am sure a godsend to those of you who took time away knowing that your gardens would still be fresh and in bloom on your return. Roses: will be enjoying the contestant moisture but too much dampness and not enough sun will rot buds, remove these as they will encourage mildew, dead head by cutting down to an outward facing bud, there will be another bud to bloom in 6 weeks. Remove all diseased leaves from the ground around roots and add compost plus blood and bone or slow release fertiliser, with continuous blooming roses respond well to feeding. There are so many plants requiring a cut back now, my wheel barrow and wool packs are on the go most days filling up in no time with cut back lupins, munkshood, mignonette, nasturtiums, iris, buddleia and delphiniums to name a few. I have just cut back a plant which flops all over the place in the heat, acanthus mollis known sometimes as (Bears britches) or (The oyster plant) This cut well back, it will not take long to regrow new fresh growth for autumn and winter. Hydrangea's are wonderful right now, big healthy leaves and large full blooms, and I guess because of the frequent rains the colours are very intense. Petunias are taking center stage now, they are great gap fillers for sunny gardens, but do not preform well in shade. A shady spot can be filled with impatiens which are also colourful when planted in bold groups. Dead heading rhododendrons is really boring and time consuming but worth doing on newly planted bushes to encourage growth into the bush not into making seeds. I have started seed collecting, sweet peas, sweet William, poppies, iris, there is a lot of ripening going on and I have a lot of small paper bags stored away already. A few years ago I planted what were supposed to be small growing flaxes!! Hmmm...they reverted to huge flaxes and this week, I attacked them by cutting them right back resulting in blisters and filling a large trailer. Flaxes are great along fence lines on farm land or filling large embankments but not ideal for town gardens. Now I have reduced them they can be removed. Trees for new gardens: Planting out a new section can be daunting, most want quick growing privacy but quick growing usually results in eventually too big for most sections. In my experience eight years from planting trees a garden will look semi established and the bones of the garden well and truly in place. Trees to begin with in North Otago: Alder, Rowen, Hoheria, Birch, Kowhai (sophora) Magnolia, Elm, Prunus, Cornus, Robinia. Acer,(once shelter has been established) I suggest searching the web for information on these tree varieties, height, spread and differences will be noted for choices to be made for the right spot requiring a tree. Lawns: I was out with the lawn fertiliser in that last heavy rain and see the weeds have been fed as well so will need to spot spray again, it's never ending when lawns need to look good. Fruit & Veg. Many pots of black current jam will be on the go I am sure with currents ripening, It's one of those jobs I need to find time for but always pleased I did once it is done. The vegetable garden is doing fine with seeds popping up in no time after sowing, my lettuces seem to be sitting waiting to be picked without bolting, corn is putting on good growth now but I find myself telling the pumpkins to hurry up as they and corn need a long hot ripening season. Tomatoes are needing more sunny days, keep glass houses moist through the day because white fly like it dry. Keep planting all veg, seeds and plants (apart from corn and pumpkin) they should have been started long before now. Cheers, Linda.