Gardening in North Otago January 6th 2020

Happy New Gardening year to all. 

What a changeable January so far, but thankfully we are experiencing some sunny days along with heavy rain from time to time, I have not had to drag the hoses around, a bonus for any gardener. 

Roses, All roses should have had a summer pruning after the first flowering, cut a spent flower stem down to an out facing bud on a thick part of stem not just the flower. If just the flower is removed the remaining stem will die back to only the first bud, that part of the stem will be too weak to support new blooms. Dull days and mildew may become a problem for roses I have noticed mildew rust and the odd bush with black spot while cutting back. Pull all the affected leaves off and destroy, this can leave bushes quite bare but it takes no time at all for new leaves and buds to grow back. A spray with fungicide should limit problems.

Cut back summer flowering perennials and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering, I have just cut back daisy bushes, delphiniums, lavaterias, dianthus, lupins and most of the herbs because they were all going to seed. Feed with slow release or a liquid fertiliser, they will all come back fresh and most will flower again. Foliar feeding is very important to encourage fresh new growth after cutting back anything at this dry time of the year. Fill gaps in the flower garden with annuals. Front planting full sun: impatiens, small type petunias, begonia, small marigolds, lobelia, alyssum Mid plantings: nicotina, coriopsis, tall petunias, tall marigolds, bedding dahlia, salvia, nemesia. Tall back plantings: cosmos, lavatera, sun flowers, Canterbury bells, love in the mist. Semi shade ( with good light )plantings: impatiens, bedding begonias, lobelia, Japanese anemone (perennial), foxglove. 

Lawns: When the next rain arrives feed the lawns with lawn fertilizer and they will bounce back like fresh spring lawns. 

Hydrangea's are showing their first large blooms and because of the frequent rains colours are very intense. Hydrangeas enjoy semi shade so are perfect for planting alternatively with rhododendrons and camellias, pinks in a sweet soil and blues grow and flower blue in the opposite, lime for pink and acid fertilizer for blue shades also pine needles and coffee grounds will help keep soil acid.

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. 

Seed collecting starts now, 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.   

Lifting tree branches: After the heavy rain it was easy to see which branches on large spreading trees were too low restricting light from plantings below. Oaks, flowering cherries, ash, Alms and maples put on a lot of new growth each year and most want to grow to the ground to shade roots if left. Remove cross over branches and any branches you feel are not required, dappled light is much nicer than dense shade.  

Ponds: Keep an eye on pond water, evaporation from heat in summer means topping up regularly. Still water tends to green up as it warms, adding barley straw will keep slime from growing there is also a barley liquid available at pond retail outlets.

Fruit and veg: gooseberries, strawberries, raspberry's and currents ripen quickly so it is a rush to get them picked before they drop from the bushes. Cut all the fruiting branches from black currents then strip them of currents in a shady spot, this way the fruit is picked and the bush pruned at the same time. Grapes reduce the length of fruiting runners and remove all unproductive growth. Tomatoes need water kept up and some leaves removed to let more light in too many leaves take up nitrogen that should be used by the fruit. Water needs to be kept up and plants are maturing fast then bolting to seed if not picked when ready.  Corn and pumpkins are making good growth benefiting from the rain . Keep planting all veg, we have the best growing and ripening time ahead.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago December 9th 2019

Wind, heat then rain but once again North Otago  escaped the weather damage inflicted on  neighbouring districts.

So much in the garden has finished flowering now and needing a cut back, if early summer flowering plants have grown leggy and collapsed cut back the perennials and pull out annuals even if they are still producing flowers. Fallen plants will eventually rot along stems and rot what they have fallen on top of. Clear the ground where they have been, add compost and plant annuals that will continue flowering through until autumn. Cosmas, nicotiana,saliva, verbena are tall growing. Petunia, gaillardia, coreopsis, bedding dahlia and bergamont (bee balm) are all mid plantings. Alyssum, lobelia, coreopsis and begonias are front planting gap fillers.

Tree peony doubles in size each growing season. Don't let them swamp your garden and shade other plants, the older woody canes can be cut right down leaving the new green stalks to be next years flower branches. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off, if allowed to ripen will pop all over your garden and grow. Other plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, false Valerian and cat mint, all will grow back quickly and some bud up for another flowering.  

Monarch butterflies are being encouraged into many gardens as gardeners plant swan plants for caterpillars to feed on. To keep the butterflies in your garden plants they feed on should be growing. Buddleias are tall shrubs that flower on new growth, cut back after each flowering to produce new flowers through summer, all verbenas ( tall and low growing), echinacea, daylilies, hydrangea, zinnias, cosmos, Californian poppy, foxglove, Viper's Bugloss and coriopsis will keep monarch butterflies happy but for them to lay eggs there is no alternative plant in NZ for Monarch caterpillars than the swan plant. Swan plants succumb to frost during winter if not protected, I cover mine with a double layer of frost cloth.

Lawns dried out during the strong nor west winds, thankfully we received a heavy shower or two but not enough to repair the damage. Don't cut grass too low  and boost with lawn fertiliser during the next rain.

Veg  will be bolting during this early intense heat we are experiencing,  root veg and potatoes need deep moisture to draw on and leaf veg plants grow faster in moderate weather conditions. A rise in temperature increases the plant's growth rate but to an extent and if temperature goes on increasing growth rate starts falling and loss of moisture increases which will result into the death of plants. Rise in temperature also has bad affects on seed germination.

As tomatoes grow be sure to remove laterals from the taller growing variety and stake to keep them upright as the fruit gets heaver. They should be flowering now waiting for the bee's to pollinate, if they are in a glass house and you do not see many bee's you can spray with a product call tomset.

Rather than using spray on eatables  why not try companion planting, some plants have been proven to help and enhance others I have listed what has been proven to work.

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, caulis, 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.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago December 3rd 2019

Climbing rose Albertine

Wow the last month of the year already, if you are playing catch up before the Christmas break you can be assured gardens just keep on doing what they are supposed to regardless of weather conditions or people intervention judging by the endless cutting back! It is disposing of everything that creates a problem for most , however at this time of the year the cut back growth is soft and with the help of daily heat will break down in heaps or on the compost so pile it up and leave until all moisture has gone  and this will drastically reduce the green wast. Gaps left can be built up with fresh compost and planted out in summer annuals.  

Catmint edging can be cut right back now, it will grow back and flower again, if left clumps will make seed and collapse and flatten.

English lavender  will need cutting back now and is worth, bunching and hanging once stems have firmed. Dried lavender will continue to give off that lovely fresh lavender fragrance right through until it flowers again next summer if kept inside. 

Rhododendrons finished flowering need spent flowers removed before they make seed, imposable to do on very large bushes but beneficial to smaller bushes as you want them to put growth into the bush not seeds. There is a point on a spent rhododendron flower when bent will break cleanly without damaging new growth. 

Roses: Keep moisture up to roses and dead head to encourage new buds, remove and destroy leaves showing rust or black spot.

Lillies also need moisture to be kept up as the winds we are now experiencing continue to dry out soil, continuous. Lillies prefer  roots moist but like most bulbs will rot if water logged.

Hedge trimming is on going here, trim hedges if you feel they have put out all the spring growth they are going to, ivy that has romped away can be trimmed right back now before it sets flowers. My buxus (box hedges) are still a little soft to trim, as soon as stalks snap cleanly when bent I will get the hedge trimmer to them.

Herbs  are beginning to flower so if cut and bunched now you will prevent them from running to seed and going woody. Herbs should be harvested when flavor and aroma oils are at their peak, before they flower. Harvest early in the morning after the dew dries and before the heat of the day. Herb flowers harvested to dry for craft should be picked just before flowers are fully open. Culinary herbs to dry: rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, basil, chives, parsley, oregano, tarragon, nasturtium (leaves and flowers)

Fruit: black currents, raspberries and gooseberries are all wanting continuous sunny days , large top leaves on strawberries can be removed to let more air and light in but they need to have a net cover if exposed to birds.

Elder flowers are blooming now so elder flower cordial is on the go again here, so refreshing after a hot day in the garden, Gin, tonic, ice and a splash of elder flower cordial.

Elder flower cordial, 25 elder flower heads, zest and juice of 2 lemons and 1 orange, 1.5 litres boiling water 1kg sugar 1 heaped teaspoon citric acid. Method: Wash flower heads to remove any bugs, place in large bowl with orange / lemon zest. Bring water to boil, pour over flower heads and zest, cover, leave overnight. Strain, pour into a saucepan and add sugar, lemon /orange juice and citric acid. Heat gently to dissolve sugar then simmer for a couple of minutes, bottle (sterilized) and seal. 

Vegetable garden: Weeds as well as veg are romping away but easy to pull while young,. Keep potatoes mounded, not long now to harvest for Christmas dinner. Corn will be struggling with winds, add compost over roots and support with stakes and garden twine if needed, I find they get support from each other if planted in squares rather than a row. Pumpkins, zucchinis and the like will not be coping with the drying winds the large leaves dehydrate quickly, wind break protection would be beneficial at very windy times.

Cheers, Linda.

Elderflower cordial

Gardening in North Otago December 1st 2019

Pillar rose Phyllis Bide

December approaches and now counting down to the end of another year.

It's dead heading roses time again,  rose petals are lovely laid out to dry for potpourri, the fragrance  as they dry is wonderful but always pick them perfectly dry to get good results. It is 6 weeks from cutting off a past bloom at an out facing bud low down on the strong part of a branch  to new rose forming bud at this time of the year.

I have found old hellebore leaves that had not been removed absolutely loaded in green fly!! I will cut every last one out and dispose of so green fly do not fly off onto my waiting roses. It is so important right now to keep the water up to roses, constant feeding and deep soaking at the roots will keep them healthy and not in need of spraying. A rose that is struggling will be susceptible to everything bad.
Night beetles will be on the wing again, newly planted young trees are the worst targeted as they can strip leaves right off. If this happens don't be alarmed because another lot of leaves will soon grow. The way I dealt to them when our trees were young was to wait until just on dusk when they were thick on the trees tucking in, I then sprayed them with a kill on contact spray, this way you get rid of heaps of beetles and keep the future grass grub numbers down. Night beetles usually sleep through the day under a tree they are feeding on.
Summer weeds, get rid of weeds like biddy bid, while seeds are still green, where ever you see it pull it out, don't let seeds ripen and drop.  Convolvulus is a battle here for me  popping up through plants everywhere, next winter I will again make an effort to get to the roots while the garden is resting. Some gardeners have had success with soaking long convolvulus runners in weed spray solution which should kill well down through that net work of roots. Fat-hen and chick weed are more weeds that spread quickly by seed drop so get them gone before seed ripens.
Flag iris that have flowered can be broken up and transplanted in a sunny spot. Prepare the bed by digging in fresh compost and some lime then plant, leaving half the rhizome (root) exposed to bake in the sun over summer. Long leaves can be cut half way back to reduce transpiration while reestablishing.　
While you can still see where spring bulbs have been cover them with mulch to stop them drying out over summer, Compost is fine then you can plant annuals on top to fill gaps. If large clumps of bulbs flowered poorly during spring this is a good time to break them up and plant out into smaller groups using compost to give them a good start.
Montana clematis will have have finished flowering but wait a little longer before trimming back because they have not finished their new growth spurt, if you trim now you will have to do it all over again in a couple of weeks. However wisterias can be dealt to now, if you wisteria has nice strong flowering hard wood branches that flower well then no more will be required, remove all the new long trailers. A wisteria is like a climbing tree and will take over and out grow it's place in no time and become very heavy if you let too many leaders grow.

Lawns:  Keep the mower blades up a little higher and mow in the cooler part of the day to help with recovery from heat exposure, mow without the catcher sometimes and give deep watering's rather than a light sprinkle. New lawns will need feeding and water kept up to help them to strengthen enough to cope with summer heat. If spraying lawn weeds add liquid fertiliser and feed the grass at the same time, don't use sprayed grass clippings around the garden or in compost, spray containers have printed information on how long the with holding time is.
 Herbs: Culinary herbs are the original cut-and-come-again crop, if you grow them get picking because plants really will benefit from it, and you'll have wonderful flavours to add to dishes. Most herbs and leafy plants naturally want to create seeds but once they get to that stage it means the end of a herb like parsley, chives or basil. So pick leaves early and often to encourage the plant to put out more foliage and prevent it from running to seed. It may be cheating Nature but it extends the life of your plants and gives you handfuls of herbs to enjoy.  Picking, bunching, drying and rubbing to store in glass jars will keep you in dried mixed herbs all winter. 

Vegetables: Don't feed leaf veg now as they will put out too much soft growth and bolt, all that is needed is moisture when dry. I am experimenting with some  plant concoctions to keep the white butterfly and aphids away. 

Organic bug spray

1/2 cup hot peppers, diced 

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups water

Blast in a food processor,

strain, add 2 teaspoons liquid soap (without bleach) 

Fill a plastic spray bottle and mist spray affected plants.

Cheers, Linda.

Drying herbs

Gardening in North Otago 20th November 2019

Still so much change in the weather but never as dramatic here in North Otago as elsewhere and those showers are fantastic for gardens and crops.

I am like all Gardeners weeding, weeding,!! and cutting back heaps of stuff that has finished flowering, 

Dahlias are pushing out new growth fast now, they need to be positioned in full sun and at least 10 cm of soil cover above tubers, if dahlias remain in the ground through winter tubers tend to loose soil  soil / mulch cover so if needed top up over tubers now before full growth.

Daisies bushes : Prune where needed to encourage summer flowering, and prune spring-flowering shrubs as well now if they are taking up too much room in the spot they are planted, take back to past growth now before seed is set and new growth hardens. 

Summer bedding annuals : will thrive if planted now in the warm soil, pot's and hanging baskets. Petunias, lobelia, nemesia,  nasturtium, salivea,  marigolds and many more to choose from in retail outlets now. 

Geraniums are now available, plant in a sunny, dry spot and dead head often to keep them flowering. Fuchsias are also available for planting now, they prefer semi-shaded areas and along with hydrangeas take over from the spring flowering of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas. 

Tuberous begonias: Those who store tubers over winter will be checking to see if shoots are starting. If new to tuberous begonias choose a well-drained site that is protected from wind in a semi shaded spot. Early morning and late afternoon sun is ok. Plant tubers with soil just barely covering them at 20-30cm apart with the indented side facing up and water well, roots and sprouts will form in a few weeks. Keep watered enough to keep the soil around the plants very slightly damp, never enough for it to be soggy, avoid watering on top of the plants encouraging mildew. At the first sign of a white patch on any of the leaves apply a fungicide. Feed Begonias with a well-balanced ( fish based) plant food every 2 to 3 weeks. Begonias have male and female flowers on the same plant with the former containing stamen and the latter an ovary or seed sack, to encourage bigger blooms female flowers are picked off and the prettier male ones left to flourish.

My buxus hedging is still too soft to be trimmed, when you can bend new growth and it snaps cleanly then it will trim cleanly, if too soft the hedge will still be growing and you will not get a sharp cut. 

Lawns : Have some lawn  fertiliser on hand for the next rain  (which never seems far away this month) encouraging strong roots to withstand the hot months ahead.

Vegetables: Changeable weather is affecting  tomatoes, they literally turn bluish in colour  when affected by a cold snap but soon recover once the heat returns, best not to water late in the day while the day's are swinging from hot to cold. The odd chill keeps leaf veg from bolting to seed so it's not all bad.

Fruit: All fruit seems to be doing well even though the weather has been so changeable, nutrients and moisture are the important elements while fruit is forming. Berries and plums mature first and birds have it all worked out! Berry bushes and strawberries will need a net covering to keep them off, some use old net curtains.

Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 11th 2019

Four seasons one after the other since November started ....heat of summer, windy autumn, winter chill then wet unpredictable spring!!!

However rain is better than dragging hoses around the garden and it has been gentle rain which is always a bonus in Spring.

It is time once again to cut back plants that have finished flowering, alyssum, ground cover phlox, aubrietia, aquilegias and forgetmenot. if you cut them back now they will green up again and look good over summer, same goes for Erica's, cut all the brown spent flower stems back and they will green up again in no time.
After spreading compost, I started filling every gap with flower seedlings like cosmos, petunias, static, blue salvia, natushims, lavatera and lobelia not leaving any room for weeds to grow, hence grateful for the rain.

All trees have leafed up now, don't be afraid to cut out over crowding branches to let light on to plantings underneath. If there are two branches filling the same spot take the lower one out. Maples and Oak trees tend to grow thick canopies, thin them out as required. I remove heaps but when I stand back and look it is not noticeable and now there is dappled light coming through.

This year my dahlias are slower to leaf up than past years, once in bud they can be pinched out like chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness' but they will still get tall so put stakes in now before they get up too far and begin to bend and fall.

If your daffodils did not flower so well this spring, It's a good time to break up large clumps while you can still see where they have been, flowering can be restricted when the clumps get over crowded. Plant out in small groups in about 20 cm of compost...plant, feed with blood and bone and mulch so they don't dry out over summer.

There are autumn flowering bulbs in Garden centers now, like belladonnas, crocuses, nerines, plant in full sun where they will not be disturbed.

Water lilies can be added to ponds now that the water is warmer, if buying one it should be in leaf,  plant into a plastic basket using thick news paper first then some manure and garden soil, plant the lily in soil then top with a thick layer of stones or gravel. It is important not to let any fertiliser or manure leach out into the pond water because it will encourage the water to go green with slime which is harmful to fish when caught in gills. If your pond is stagnating it means that it is not working as I have mentioned before  put in some un-sprayed barley straw weighed down with a rock so it does not float around. At first the pond water will not look too healthy but soon you will be amazed at how fast it will clear and stay clear once things start working naturally. To work naturally the bottom of the pond can and should be a little muddy, but the top should be clear, you can easily tell when it is. Introduce some oxygen weed from a pond already filled with fish, fish blow their eggs into the weed so there is sure to be eggs now that water is warmer, these will hatch out in your pond with no big fish around to eat them. You will not have to feed fish as the warmer months attract plenty of bugs to a pond.
Lawns:  Keep mowers up a notch and try mowing without the catcher now and then, then rake the clippings out over the lawn to add humus. Lawns need fed regularly through the growing and cutting seasons but never without moisture to follow to avoid grass burning. Have some fertiliser on hand for the next rain. New lawn seed sown should germinate quickly  in damp warm soil. Spray daisies, clover and flat weeds with lawn weed spray and the gaps where the weeds die will fill in with grass during this rapid growing season.

Fruit: Check your fruit trees now for over crowded bunches, thin bunches out by snipping small fruits off with sharp scissors if winds do not do it for you.

Vegetables:
I have planted peas where the broad beans were and lettuce and coriander where I dug out the beetroot. Potatoes are well up, corn and pumpkins going well now after that strong wind and so far no white butterflies about looking for brassica to lay eggs on.

Keep planting all vegetables but not too many of the same at one time.

Cheers, Linda.  

Gardening in North Otago November 5th 2019

Loving this Spring, rain, warm days then rain again. Last weekend and Monday were too hot for me to work in the garden, except in the early morning while the dew was still on grass.

Such an abundance of flowering right now, rhododendrons, azaleas, peony roses, iris, and fresh green on hedging and trees everywhere we look. This is the time for planting but never in the heat of the day, wait until the end of the day or better still wait and plant on a dull day if possible. I am busy most days weeding and pricking out flower and veg seedling into punnets, I like to keep every space in the garden filled to not only look amazing but also to leave no room for weeds to take hold. Those that do persist need to grow fast to the light which makes them easy to pull. A full garden also keeps plant roots shaded and less evaporation after watering.

Sow summer flowering seeds now and leave to germinate in a well lit semi shaded area, too sunny and the mix dries out too quickly, too shady and seedlings grow too fast looking for light. Once seedlings come through leave until a set of two leaves fully form then prick out carefully into punnets and water often while tiny with a soft spray until firm enough to cope with a stronger hosing. Once plants have filled punnets with roots they can be planted out into the garden and should thrive. 

This is the perfect time to get Children involved in gardening by planting sun flower seeds so they can watch the plants grow fast and taller than them, runner beans are great for growing over bamboo or wooden lengths shaped into a teepee tent shape for the bean runners to grow over to form a green living tent for them to play in and produce fresh beans. Children love peas, carrots and radish and all berries straight from the garden. Also by planting swan plants monarch butterflies will visit, lay eggs to hatch for Children to watch grow into fat caterpillars before creating a chrysalis to grow a beautiful butterfly, nature at it's best that is touch, smell, taste and happening in real time.

Peony roses are stunning right now in bud and flower, it pays to put supports under them to hold up the heavy flowers and because they are growing so fast, I have tall wire supports shaped like a u that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place. They need the water kept up. I have some crowns that were planted last season so have let only one flower develop to see what it is like and removed any others. I will cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. A clump will form much faster if you do not let it flower for the first two years.

 

Hybrid clematis:  ( those large flowered clematis) are shooting sky ward now, you have to be quick to train them onto supports or they will just find their own way over plants. Direct them while trailers are still soft, they like a lot of feeding to take them to great heights, manure is great. Don't worry if you have one with no buds just yet they all have different flowering times, If you have just put one in this year, let it flower then cut it to the ground this will make it put up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber and if you have one that looks dead with the ends wilting I am afraid it has the wilt and should be cut off at the ground. Don't remove it because I have known some to shoot away again the following year, climatic also like lime.

Ponds: Will have heated during all that hot weather which will have encouraged slime, this needs to be removed before getting into fish gills. Barley straw works for reducing slime forming. Wrap in netting and weigh down with a rock. Shallow ponds need shade, plants or shade created during a hot day plus cold water going into a warm pond will help fish over heating. Fish should be breading now and will need a plant like oxygen weed for female fish to blow eggs into so they are not eaten by the male fish.

Lawns: Grass, Grass. Grass...So much mowing! If like me you have not had to spray the weeds out yet you can sprinkle your clippings around the garden, it is wonderful humus. 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. Sow new lawns and fill bare patches with the right lawn seed for the lawn you require.

Fruit: Blossoms have moved on to forming fruit, gooseberries,  currents,  strawberries, pip and stone fruit seem to be all cropping well. Remember to keep water up when needed while fruit is plumping.

Veg: Keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. If you put too many in at one time they will all bolt at this time off the year. The ground is warm enough for corn and beans pumpkins and courgettes to be planted.

Cheers, Linda.