Gardening in North Otago November 18th 2020

November is almost over and we are racing towards December the busy month. Warm winds have dried ground out again as I write this there are rain filled clouds all around but no rain as yet.Because some nights are still cool the night beetle and the big brown moths have not yet made an appearance, but the spittle bug is here frothing up plants. Spittle bug nymphs can turn a liquid secretion into bubbles by moving or pumping their bodies, once bubbles have formed, they use their hind legs to cover themselves with the froth that insulates  them from temperature extremes and protects them from predators. Although spittle bug nymphs do feed on plant sap, the damage is minimal and populations are usually small, so no pesticide is necessary, a strong hose  blast should be enough to dislodge them.  Roses: I am keeping up the fish emulsion to foliar feed roses and deter greenfly plus still removing old hellebore leaves where I see green fly have populated on the under sides and wintered over.orchid growers it is the time to re-pot now, use orchid mix for the best results, it takes the guesswork out of wondering what to feed them. Dahlias are pushing growth up fast, get supports around those that grow large heavy blooms and they will not collapse when fully grown. So much spent spring growth in our garden is needing cut back now, aquilegia's, forget-me-not, pansies, viola's and catmint, plus I have dug out all the pollyanthus to replant in a shady damp spot until next winter. Gaps will be filled with daisies, poppies, petunias, marigolds and salvia .vegetable garden: Early morning soaking keeps moisture up through the day and helps with the germination of seeds. Successive planting can be kept up right through the Summer. If you are having problems with bugs or mildew on veg try an organic option spray or make your own natural sprays, The following plant leaves can be simmered in water and the resulting liquid used on plants. Basil will help to 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 black spot. These may be only plants but in liquid form they can be harmful to children so keep marked bottles high up. I found that it is not a good idea to breath in fumes when simmering, keep doors and window open.  Companion planting: Some plants have been proven to help and enhance others so I will list what has proven to work. Carrots and onions together, celery and the brassica family, i.e.: cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli, marigolds and beans/brassicas.  Get corn and pumpkins in as soon as possible because they need a long growing and ripening season. Fruit: Keep water up to currants an berries, lemons and fruit trees, it takes a lot out of a plant to grow fruit. There are specially prepared fertilisers for most plants with instructions for how much to apply and when. All fruiting trees and plants need a lot of water now to create juicy plump fruit, it takes only a day of strong wind to zap moisture from the ground. Remember to cover strawberries from birds. Strawberry netting stretches out to cover a large area and does the job well, birds can strip gooseberries as well, throw some frost cloth or old net curtains over them until you get a chance to pick them.   Keep food up to tomatoes as  they grow, be sure to remove laterals of the taller growing variety and stake them to keep them upright as fruits get heaver. They should be flowering now waiting for bee's to pollinate them. If your bees are few and far between on overcast days you may have to move an electric tooth brush close to flowers to gently move  pollen around while leaves are dry.  Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 10th November 2020

Whew! Rain showers have changed growing conditions here in North Otago so for me a break from dragging hoses about with scruff our dog pulling on the end.   The weight of rain on deciduous tree branches makes it easy to see those needing to be lifted, if left they cast shade over surrounding plants. Any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether because lower plantings need overhead light to prevent stretch growing. Hedges:Because lush growth is later this spring having been so dry hedges will still not be finished pushing out spring growth and if trimmed too early another trim will be needed so best to wait until new growth  has hardened and stems snap clean when bent. All new growth hedge trimmings can go on the compost or be scattered around the garden as mulch. Cut back spring flowering perennials finished flowering and fill gaps with summer annuals, tall like cosmos and lavatera at the back, petunias, nemesia, saliva and marigolds middle and lobelia. alyssum, dwarf sweet peas and petite petunias in front. Roses: Fat rose buds are opening now all healthy and beautiful before succumbing to the stress of hot drying days, aphid, black spot and rust, if water, feeding and mulch is kept up these can be avoided and healthy roses can be enjoyed though to early winter. Dahlias are pushing through now as spring bulbs finish, I discovered some dahlias in shade as tree branches spread wider so have shifted clumps while still low into a sunnier position. Supports can be put in place now for large spreading dahlias before they put on heavy growth. Hydrangeas are starting to produce flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. It's a dressing of lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue. Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots or a shady spot, they are making a lot of growth now so if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will soon catch up. Peony roses: What wonderful additions these are to the flower garden, peony roses are beautiful fillers in a sunny spot and great for filling vases. Supports are needed for most peony roses to hold up full flower heads. Elderflower cordial: Elder flowers are covering bushes now, they  don't last long before berries start forming from the flowers. Ingredients: 20 large elderflower heads, 4 lemons, 1 tsp citric acid, 1.5 liters water, 1kg sugar. Method; Grate zest off lemons, then roughly chop into chunks. Gently wash the flowers and steep them in a bowl with water and add this to the flower head mixture. Cover and leave for 24 hours, then strain through muslin. gently bring the strained liquid to the boil, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour into sterilized glass bottles and store in the fridge when cool. Add a measure to iced water for the perfect fresh summer beverage for all ages and a dash in gin for those who like a G and T. Vegetables: Keep mounding potatoes to give depth for them to produce more, consistent watering is important for potatoes, this goes for all root vegetables. Leafy veg don't need any extra feeding at this time of the year it will just encourage them to bolt. Only plant as many plants as you think you would use when ready to pick, hold back the other small seedling plants from the same batch and keep in a semi shady place until required for planting. Small plants will hold if watered only when too dry, over watering will encourage rot . Keep pumpkin and squash plants mulched, roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. Corn seeds sown last month are now ready to plant out, planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassel's and add support during strong winds.   Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 3rd 2020

Blossom is almost over for another year "But oh", the Rhododendrons and deciduous azalea's, how lovely they are right now, in my view equal to any beautiful tropical flowers.  Roses, one or two of my roses started to flower this week, a little later than usual because I pruned late, the new growth is healthy and with the on and off again rain and continuing evening chill they should stay that way. I mentioned noticing aphids last week, yes they are colonizing on new buds and can be removed using the index finger and thumb. Aphids winter over on the underside of last year's hellebore leaves, if you have not done so already remove them because new leaves should be up now. If you do not want hellebore seedlings germinating all through the garden cut out spent flowers now before seed is dropped.  Peony roses should be in bud now, get supports under them to help hold up the heavy flower heads. I have tall wire supports shaped like a u at the top that are pushed into the ground with the rounded top in place to let them flop over and stay in place.  If you planted new crowns for this season it would pay to let only one flower develop on these to allow growth to go into the crowns, then cut the one blooming flower off before it makes seed pods. Clumps form much faster if no blooms are produced for the first two years, Peony roses need full sun and do not like to be smothered by other plants plus lots of water before and during flowering.  Lavenders are budding up, if spittle bugs become a problem spraying will not work, the spittle surrounding them is a barrier to pesticide, a forceful hosing will dislodge them and hopefully drown a few.     Hybrid clematis: I have noticed these lovely clematis in Garden centers, Hybrid's are those especially large flowered varieties, not the invasive pink and white montana type. You have to be quick in training hybrids where you want them to grow, train while the trailers are still soft enough to wind around a support. Hybrids need a lot of feeding to take them to great heights, manure, deep down with a little lime added when planting is beneficial. Don't worry if you have one with no buds because they all have different flowering times, If you planted one this year let it flower then cut it to the ground. This will make it send up more shoots and you will have a much bushier and stronger climber. Hybrids can also wilt and die for no reason if this happens cut it to the ground but don't dig it out because I have known some to shoot away again the following year with no sign of wilt.  Filling gaps: I have been filling the gaps in the flower garden with old fashioned cottage flowers like cosmos, love in the mist, salvia blue bedder, Clary sage, and lavatera. These are all taller flowering annuals planted close together so they hold each other up. The more plants put in the less room for weeds to grow is the plan. All the plants mentioned will be flowering at Christmas, and then for ages after if dead headed regularly.  Fruit: No night beetles about yet, they should not be far away and ready to feast on new tree leaves, the damage they cause to established trees is not that noticeable but newly planted fruit and prunus trees can be striped of leaves. Leaves will re-grow and fruits will continue to make growth.    Vegetables: Still perfect Spring weather for growing all veg now the ground is so warm and moist. Board beans are doing well with no sign of rust, could it be the pinch of potash I put in when planting? Peas are romping up netting and beans are in and ready to climb. Keep planting veg seeds and plants, a few at a time so you can have the continuous thing happening. Also plant corn, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers and all that need to grow in glass / tunnel houses. White fly seems to find it's way into glass / tunnel houses and multiply rapidly. Sticky traps are a good way to monitor populations of white fly early on in the season, make your own, paint or colour in cards yellow, then smear with a concoction of petroleum jelly cut with a little dish washing liquid. Hang up close to affected plants. If white fly is detected on sticky traps the first line of control is to take action as soon as they appear.1. Begin with a strong blast from a hose, all areas of the leaf, especially the undersides. 2. Organic insecticidal soap (eg, Neem soap) after the water blast can be sprayed taking great care to cover all areas of the leaf, top and beneath. Spray at a cool time of the day and follow up with a couple more sprays a few days later.  Also consider encouraging the whitefly's natural enemies, hover flies and ladybirds by planting flowers and herbs such as calendula, oregano, fennel, parsley even thistles will draw in white fly eating predators. Grow some outside next to the door to tempt beneficial bugs closer. Cheers, Linda.  

Gardening in North Otago November 1st 2020

Gardens will be revived a little after the much needed rain, however so much more is needed during Spring to set growth up for summer,  with soil now warm, moist and ready for planting small weeds are popping up ready for hoeing and easy pulling, all is pretty straight forward now for those who have time to enjoy the rhythm of spring. Birds feeding young will be making a mess in gardens and on paths searching for worms, so annoying to have newly planted annuals scratched out daily. This will not be happening with gardens sporting low front  hedging  or a continuous perennial boarder. I have found strips of shade cloth weighed down with stones covering a front planting will keep the birds off until new plants have settled in and filled out to cover exposed worm filled soil. Rhododendrons, deciduous azaleas and peony roses are now displaying a dazzling range of colours and our Botanical Gardens are bursting with the delight of these spring treasures. Early flowering rhododendrons can now have spent blooms removed before seeds sets, especially those newly planted, energy is needed for growth not making seeds. There is a point on the spent bloom where it snaps off without disturbing the new leaf growth, once you find this point snapping off past blooms becomes easy. Roses are budding up, but I see on some of mine green fly has arrived and a few new leaves have had to be removed where I spotted rust which was expected with soil being so dry and because we mulch thickly in our garden old leaves with rust and black spot spores would have escaped the clean up in early winter.  Keeping a balanced food up to roses is the best form of protection against pests and fungus  as Nature has it's own plan for keeping harmony in a garden. Continual spraying will mean continual spraying which I feel really does upset the balance for plants and insects. I stopped spraying a number of years ago, things got worse before it got better, it took about 3 growing seasons to get a balance back between healthy growth and insect and fungus attack. i now deal to greenfly early as they congregate on new leaf tip growth with a finger and thumb, and remove any leaves showing signs of rust or black spot, feed roots well plus folia feed with a fish based plant food to deter aphids and keep water up. Wisterias are at putting on a display as well now, once flowering is over energy will go into putting out many long leaders, if your wisteria has reached the distance and spread required all of these leaders need to be removed, flower spurs develop on old wood year after year, if new leaders are left they will strive to be aged wood and become heavy un-needed branches. Weeds on pathways and in gravel can be dealt to while small with a hoe or a homemade weed spray of 1 gallon white vinegar (16 cups,) 2 cups Epsom salt or table salt, 1/4 cup dish washing liquid. Pour the vinegar, dish liquid and salt into a spray bottle. shake until combined, let settle for 2 minutes then soak weeds entirely with formula. Let sit for a day  with no rain to get result. Lawns have had a dry start here in North Otago but grass is tough and will soon bounce back with the right conditions, long may moisture and sun continue. Non-sprayed grass clippings can be spread as mulch on gardens to keep weeds down and add humus to soil, only add thick enough to keep out light. Spread around trees and shrubs right out to the drip line to retain moisture but spread it around rather than leaving in heaps. If spraying lawn weeds try spot spraying rather than a full cover as grass is in need of worm action to aerate soil. Fruit: trees and fruit bushes should be well on the way to making fruit, keeping moisture up when the season heats up is the next job, putting a mulch around the drip line all will help retain moisture already in the ground. Vegetables: Now is the perfect time for growing veg, once planted it's all about keeping the weeds down  and birds off to give them room to grow. Pumpkin plants I put in last week are romping away as are the corn seedlings. Planting corn in squares rather than rows will ensure pollination on the lower tassels and add support during strong winds. Potatoes loved  the last rain and are pushing on now the treat of frost is over. Tomatoes will be soon needing to be staked, if you have no glass or tunnel house plant a couple of cherry tomato plants in pots and place in a sheltered, well lit spot, they will produce all season. Russian red bush tomato's also grow well out side in a warm spot.  Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago October 21st 2020

Well we did get a little rain but a little is nowhere near enough so let's hope we get a big spring downpour before this goes to print! Everyday something new and beautiful greets me in our garden, this week fragrant lilac, sweet-peas, English abutilon and Kōwhai to please the birds. Some plants like peony rose, dahlias and even the rapid growing alstroemerias are slow to develop because of the drop in temperature we have been experiencing. If you need to shift young rhododendrons, azalea's or camellia's do it immediately after flowering, before they put on their new season growth, if large they will need a third of the top removed after transplanting. Once spring flowering shrubs have finished flowering they can be trimmed if needed. Geraniums and pelargoniums are available now and should be planted in sunny positions. Fuchsias are also on offer, they benefit from afternoon shade to thrive. If you are concerned about the predicted hot dry Summer having a disastrous effect on your garden? Plenty of Mulch is the answer to retain moisture and improve soil structure while suppressing weed growth. Straw, grass clippings, soft hedge clippings or weed free compost are excellent cover to keep exposed soil from baking while plants are becoming established. Soil should be soaked before applying mulch and if gardening on clay soil a dressing of gypsum will break down clay or poor draining soil and over years will eventually convert poor soil into good growing soil. Roses will be putting on rapid growth now needing food and water kept up keeping them in good health to avoid the need to spray. Container plants also need slow release fertiliser and re-potting if in a container 2 years or more. If very root bound half a rootball can be removed with a sharp spade, given a good soak in a bucket then replanted into a new mix with water Chrystal's, as I have mentioned before placing a pot inside another will help keep roots from overheating going into summer. cymbidium orchids can be divided and re-potted now if crowded. Water lilies are available this month and need to be planted in a basket lined with sphagnum moss or a double layer of chux dish cloths will do it, then add garden soil, slow release fertiliser or manure, more soil then the lily and lastly a thick layer of shingle placed on top to help weigh the basket down in the water and stop the fertiliser / manure leaching out which will create green slime growth in the pond.. Fruit and veg: I have been digging in aged manure, mounding potatoes, planting beans and salad greens, peas, corn and beetroot. It will be up to the watering from now on!! Watch your fruit trees and Grapes for fungal diseases, if affected spray with an organic fungicide while growth is new. If you have had trouble in the past with codling moth, get traps in place now before fruit forms. Dealing with codling moth: I have had positive feedback with the following, use a plastic milk container, and place in it 1 banana peel, 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup sugar. Fill the container almost full of water, replace the cap and shake it well to mix and dissolve the contents. Remove the cap and firmly secure one container into each apple tree. The moths are attracted to the scent of the concoction, becoming trapped and drowned when they investigate. Refill with water as needed throughout the summer. "Rockvale Garden" is open daily, Bring a picnic seating is plenty, toilet available / donation entry. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago October 14th 2020

Such beauty throughout North Otago but being so dry all new growth is gasping for moisture, let there be a good drenching soon. Still busy here weeding while weeds are still young, if pieipiri ( biddy bid), Chickweed, convolvulus, couch grass, dandelion and other annual weeds are dealt to before they run to seed will stop weeds taking over your garden. Remember to keep deadheading and feeding flowering pansies and polyanthus as long as there is a chill in the air they will keep flowering until it gets warmer, If you feel they have done all they are going to do dig out, cut old leaves back and plant in a cool shady place where they can be left until planting out next year. Coastal gardens will be ahead of gardens inland where they will still be getting reasonable frosts from time to time. Late frosts on roses new growth can be a problem but don' t be too concerned if new growth has been frosted, rose leaves recover very fast and will have new buds to open in six weeks time. When the nights are warmer any dampness left by hosing on rose leaves will encourage mildew, keep food up to your roses while they are making buds, it's hungry roses that get diseased. For a quick result slow release fertiliser is good right now on any summer flowering plants and shrubs. So pleased to see a selection of organic weed sprays on the market now, fresh new weed growth is coming through the mulch now so it's the right time to zap them on a non windy day, I have been spot spraying convolvulus, couch and clover but care is needed, If roses get even a sniff of weed spray it will deform the foliage and the rose bush will eventually die so don't risk spraying on a windy day. Camellias can be trimmed and shaped when finished flowering, take out branches from the middle to create gaps to let a bird fly through, this lets the light in to help form next year's buds. At this time of the year we can see whether new growth on shrubs have made them too wide and tall for where they are planted hiding good planting areas behind them, it takes only a few years for gardens to close in without us really noticing and what a difference can be made by removing tall front plantings and replace with new and interesting plantings. One area opened in our garden is deep enough to allow me to mass plant with bluebells and include a new maple tree and it was only two scrappy overgrown shrubs removed which has made this difference. The sun flower seeds planted into trays a few weeks ago have now been planted out, because they are still small snails and slugs will be attracted to them so I let them grow on until taller in pots then mulch around them with wood mulch to deter the slugs and snails. Also up and almost ready to plant out are cosmos, larkspur, nasturtium and marigolds which will help fill deep borders. Butterflies: If you are keen to attract monarch butterflies, plant swan plants now but protect from late frosts until established. Last year there was a huge shortage of swan plants for the hungry caterpillars because swan plants are not happy with our cold winters and also attract orange aphids that multiply very fast on young plants. If you have swan plants covered in orange aphids put them into an enclosed space and use fly spray to eradicate the aphids, then again as eggs hatch until they are gone. A good hosing will be needed before butterfly eggs can be laid on leaves. Vegetables Keep an eye on potatoes that are through the ground, frost cloth may still be needed depending on where you live. Seeds are popping up in no time now so get them in ready for salad time. Pumpkin, squash, corn and courgette seeds can go in now but if you prefer to buy plants be sure to harden them off outside in a protected place for a while before planting them out. Carrot fly is on the wing this month, a very small if you put a cover that still lets light in over rows the fly will not get into your carrot rows and lay eggs. The ideal soil for carrots is light, moist and fertile with well rotted compost worked in but not a trace of fresh manure, as this will result in forked roots. Glass houses will be ready for the many varieties of tomato plants on offer. If you have no glass or tunnel house tomatoes are happy growing in containers on a sunny deck or patio, with staking and training as you would in a glass house. Smaller varieties are easiest to manage e.g. Red Robin, Russian red or Totem in containers and the cherry tomatoes like tumbling Tom in large hanging baskets. There are many varieties on offer, plant all in a tomato mix, water as needed and liquid feed fortnightly. Why not try basil plants growing among tomatoes to repel white fly, the general consensus is that basil - both plants and extracts made from the leaves can be an effective natural deterrent for white fly, mosquitoes, tomato horn-worm, aphids and house fly as well as being a wonderful culinary enhancement with tomatoes. Pop into the Garden corner at the Resource recovery park for a good selection of organic veg and tomato plants grown by the Community Gardens ready for planting. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago 6th October 2020

Windy October to blow blossom from trees, what a relief it was when the wind stopped and the rain fell today. The late prunus blossom, lolly pink canzan, and shimidsu sakura so prettily like pale pink ballerina tutu's are in full bloom this week along with blue bells carpeting  gardens as spring continues here in North Otago. Spring bulbs: As they start to finish, don't be tempted to cut leaves off just yet as the bulbs top up on food for next year from leaves as they die back. Spent flower heads can be removed before seeds form.  If you have really big clumps of bulbs choking your garden space dig half out and plant somewhere else or donate to someone needing spring bulbs. Erica's that flowered over winter can be trimmed when flowers brown new growth will be fresh green through summer. Erica's are such a wonderful ground cover displaying beautiful colour during winter months. A low growing erica will eventually cover a metre of ground and last for many years. Lillie's are really pushing up now so it is a perfect time to get supports in for them as well being careful not to damage bulbs. Lillie bulbs need to be planted in a moist but well draining soil. Mulching will stop soil drying out.     Prune fuchsias back now if you have not already done so because they flower on new seasons wood they can be taken well back. Summer annuals: I have been planting groups of annuals for summer colour, cosmos, lavatera, love in the mist, sun flowers and sweetpeas. When frosts are well behind us begonias, petunias and lobelia can be planted. Too early yet to trim hedges, wait until the new growth finishes and firms up a little or you will be trimming them twice, this applies to box hedging as well, the test is to bend a stalk and if it snaps off it will have hardened enough to trim. The perfect time to trim spring growth on box is during overcast days, hot sun burns new undergrowth, dull days give them time to recover although there will still be some burning which will soon be hidden by new leaves.   Lawns are responding to lawn food here, I am out with it each time it rains and popping flat weeds out with the point of my secateurs while lawns are damp and soft. If you feel you need to spray lawn weeds grass clippings will need to be kept off gardens and compost heaps for a few cuts. Spray free lawn clippings will be beneficial as mulch around gardens, trees and shrubs to retain moisture, a dry summer is predicted. Sifting soil will begin again here this week for re-sowing  lawn bare patches.Vegetables:  Herbs: We can forget the dried herbs in cooking now as all herbs are putting on nice fresh growth. Sage, mint, thyme, rosemary, bay, marjoram, oregano, basil and even nasturtium can be harvested often during the growing season and what is not used can be dried over summer ready to rub and store for next winter. For the most flavor, cut herbs in mid-morning, right after the morning dew has dried. Vegetable seeds can be sown directly into the garden now but don't sow too thickly mix seeds with fine soil when sowing to avoid a lot of thinning. If planting seedlings from punnets cover with shade cloth so birds cannot see them as they are bird feeding young now and they really like to strip small seedlings from gardens.Beans, pumpkin types and corn can go into soil now, once up protect on cold nights. Tomatoes: For those with glass or tunnel houses, prepare the soil well by digging in good organic compost having been heated to the point of all fungus disease being eradicated.  Summer nights here in North Otago can be cool so a glass or tunnel house is the a must if wanting to be a serious tomato grower. However a glass house is a perfect incubator for fungus disease during nights and dull days when moisture is not taken up quickly, never let tomato plant leaves go into the night wet. There are a lot of tomato varieties to choose from. Children love the cherry tomatoes, (a good lunch box filler ) cherry tomatoes can be grown in a large pot on a well lit porch and will keep producing all Summer. Cheers, Linda.