Gardening in Waitaki June 15th 2021

A damp dull week so far which I am sure does not inspire anyone to work outside, cloud cover means no frost for a bit allowing plants to hydrate before the next big freeze. At long last we have come to the end of leaves on trees and letting trees rest for a couple of months while there is plenty going on beneath them. Bulbs are pushing through with early snowdrops almost in flower, shrubs are budding up along with hellebores, ericas, wallflowers and all the polyanthus and primulas planted last month, it's time once again to notice all the special little things happening from now on in our gardens. Tidying up and dividing perennials is what can be done along with pruning the large climbing old fashioned roses and ramblers that have become entangled and may need a hedge trimmer to reduce the height and width. Early planting: Make early plantings of gladioli for November flowering and sweet-pea planted now will flower in early spring. Roses: Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent the spread of pest and disease that intensifies during damp weather. A lime sulphur spray can be done now being a few weeks before pruning then after pruning a spray of Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen and moss. There is a good selection of bare rooted roses on sale now and this is the best time to plant them. wisterias have lost all their leaves now, prune off all long and unruly canes, if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and some keep growing thicker each year. New seasons trees will be available locally now: Prunus, Flowering cherries and Malus, crab apple trees are ballerinas in the garden but when choosing trees the important factors are Height and width when fully grown. Some grow vase shaped which will allow light to gardens beneath. The spreading /weeping varieties branch wide spilling to the ground from the top. All are grafted onto standard 1.2m/ 1.5m/ 1.8m root stock which allows height when first planted, each label will tell you the expected height and width. Very few are suitable for small gardens. Some very pretty varieties to consider: Yedoensis -med/large,spreading mass of mid season single white or pale pink blossom, Shirotae (Mount Fuji) large spreading, early season double white blossom. Shimidsu sakura late season, low spreading double pale pink blossom. Pink perfection med/large, upright spreading, mid season double pink blossom. Autumnalis rosea: smaller branched pale pink small blossom 3 times a year, flowering now. Weeping type: falling snow, white blossom pendula rosa pink blossom and Kiku shidare double pink blossom. They all start at a manageable size but within 5 years they become a sizable tree. Veg: On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing other than garlic can be planted this month but tunnel and glass houses can be cleared, sterilized and re-soiled if needed ready for protected veg planting in late winter. Fruit: This week I will go through the pruning required for pear trees, it is not recommended to heavily prune pear trees but if this is required the best time to do major pruning is during winter. If only a light trim is required this can be done in late summer, .the more you prune Fire blight the greater the chance fire blight will develop. Fire blight is obvious on leaves and branches when they appear as if they have been burned by fire, this disease delays fruit production. There are many new varieties of both pear and apple trees that have been cultivated to be very resistant to fire blight, this is one disease that can severely damage or kill fruit tree's. Leaves and twigs of the trees get the disease from insects who enter the flowers during spring, insects get it by gathering pollen from nearby cedar trees. Choose a resistant variety and keep trees moist, especially when in blossom and when fruit is ripening. If your tree has already been hit by fire blight, you will need to prune out the affected shoots at least several inches below the damaged area. Be sure to sterilize your clippers between cuts and burn cuttings. . Pear trees bloom and bear fruit on the sharp, short spurs that grow between its branches, older spurs should be removed occasionally to be replaced by more vigorous young ones. Too many spurs will result in small fruit, thinning will let the remaining fruit grow larger. Think about how you want your pear trees to look and set a three-year plan to get them into that shape and size. First year: remove damaged, crossing or crowded limbs, suckers need to be removed as soon as you notice them. Second year: Thin out the tree some more and bring down some of the height. Third year: thin out branches some more and cut down to the desired height. (Burn all trimmings)

-- Fire blight on apples and pear trees

Gardening in Waitaki June 9th 2021

Short days and Frost is as it should be to do what nature intends for growing and freezing Gardeners hands and feet along the way, but once the sun is up Waitaki is usually bathed in warm winter sun. Deciduous fruit trees benefit from winter chilling, and cold snaps turn starches into sugar in crops such as parsnips, improving their flavour. Frosts can also disrupt pest and disease cycles, and improve soil structure. If you have vulnerable plants in your garden cover with frost cloth that allows sunshine through to recharge the heat source for the next night.  keep an eye on tender plants like fuchsia, daphne, borgenvillia and young seedlings. Now that deciduous trees and shrubs are bare, inspection is a must to spot any sprouting of new growth beneath the graft on a grafted tree, it makes all the difference to the look and health of a tree if it is kept to grow as it was intended. For many years now formal, deciduous trees are grafted onto stronger and more manageable root stock than their own. Trees such as flowering cherries, magnolia, silver birch, ashes and oaks. Any large well grown specimen tree bought today will have been grafted and sometimes the root stock will push growth out and up to compete with the grafted section. This root stock growth must be cut out before it becomes established. I have seen a few mature flowering cherry trees left unattended and the result is not good, a display of  beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other spoils the originally chosen tree. I have also noticed young weeping specimen  trees with root stock growing straight up through the middle of weeping branches. Cull out all of these rogue branches now while trees are dormant along with all branches crossing over, don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point, take it right out, cutting on a slant leaving a short collar against the trunk. Prunus, (flowering cherry) crab apple and silver pear trees are bad for producing over crowding branches which tend to rub together encouraging disease if not removed. To avoid spreading silver leaf in prunus trees, do this pruning on a fine sunny day, keep equipment clean from tree to tree, wipe with methylated spirits as you move from tree to tree.  With the help of an arborist, if needed tidying up established trees like rowan, hoheria, silver birch, ash and oak. A tree that really needs attention each year is standard kilmarnotck willow, these small ornamental willows are a ground cover willow species grafted onto a standard becoming a Man designed upright small weeping tree that nature had no plan for. Growing along the ground as it should the dead undergrowth would rot and break down but in the upright form each seasons growth dies and builds up under new growth. Past growth is brittle and easily removed by working under the new growth canopy. Attending to this annually is best, unwanted build will make the tree top heavy, two of mine fell over in overly wet ground. Robinia mop tops need the same annual cut back, they have also been grafted onto a standard but these trees put out fresh new growth each spring so all past growth needs to be cut right back to retain the round growth habit. Weeping silver pear is another ornamental needing annual attention, don't let it get over crowded in the center and remove branches intent on growing straight up. Vegetables Frost on veg gardens will be breaking down clods and zapping pests left from summer, frost also draws up moisture so keep moisture (early in the day)  up to winter veg if looking dry, moist soil stays warmer. Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans, garlic and here on the coast rhubarb and asparagus crowns. 

Remove all growth below a tree graft.

Gardening in Waitaki June 1st 2021

Mud and more mud plus soggy leaves after the rain this week, lawns are holding a lot of moisture, needing as much sun and airing as possible to firm them up again, raking leaves off grass is a must, piles of wet leaf cover will be blocking much needed light and in shady areas grass may rot away. Soggy leaves are perfect for adding to compost.  Rain encourages  a lot of snails into the garden, my bantams were great slug and snail hunters but they could still be found in dark sheltered spots among pots or behind plants growing up against walls, flax and agapanthus are especially bad for harboring snails to multiply fast and be ready to destroy plants in spring. I have read that it is no good transporting snails to a vacant area away from your garden because they have homing instincts and travel long distances to return to their garden of choice. I cannot bring myself to stamp on them or drown them in a bucket so if you are like me you can gather up as many as you can find and put them in a closely closed plastic bag, and place in the freezer, this way they will go to sleep and not wake up, yes I know, "what is she on about"? working with Nature is what gardening is all about with me and snails belong in gardens until you remove them. Roses: The last of the summer roses will be looking a little sad and bushes could be in danger of contracting fungus Botrytis cinerea which thrives in wet weather and can wreak havoc among susceptible plants like roses, azaleas and bedding plants. We need more hard frosts to take care of fungus and bugs.   A spraying program to follow is Lime Sulphur first which will quickly kill off any fungal spores in the garden and knock down an impending infection, then wait several weeks before spraying Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil. Oil helps the copper stick to the plant, improving longevity of the copper spray along with providing a suffocating film to rid treated plants of scale, mealy bug and other over-wintering pests. I usually leave this second spray until the big winter prune in July.   New seasons, bare rooted roses will soon be arriving in Garden centers so if planning to buy and plant a few, prepare ground now by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. If planting a rose in the same place a rose has been growing, you will need to remove most of the soil and replace it with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another. Roses planted in winter are less likely to suffer from planting stress.  Vegetables:  Muddy conditions keep us off soil so trenching manure/compost in will have to wait, well done if you dealt with this before all the rain. When the soil dries out a little here on the coast plant garlic, shallots, butter crunch lettuce plants, broad beans, and top weight carrot seeds.  Fruit:  Tamarillos, if lucky enough to have these in your garden they will soon be hanging like red jewels from almost bare branches, such a treat at this time of the year. Because the plants do not make hard wood they are frost tender but here on the coast in a sunny location they ripen. Tamarillos will grow from tip cuttings, a bush will last for a decade if protected during winter and prefer to be outside not in a glass house.Lemon “Meyer” are cold hardy and will fruit all year, if planting a new plant remove all flowers and small fruit for the first 3 years to get branch work established then it will produce for years. Plant a meyer lemon to get afternoon sun, feed with citrus food in early spring and early autumn.NZ Cranberry(Myrtus ugni) has a taste combination of strawberry, pineapple and apple my Grandchildren pick and eat them like sweets. This small, evergreen bush, is very fragrant when fruiting and can be hedged. Cheers, Linda. 

Gardening in Waitaki May 27th 2021

Almost June and don't we know it with May frosts giving us a taste of what is to come, such hard frosts sucking moisture from the ground. Trees, shrubs and plants let you know when water is needed, soak rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas as they most certainly will be needing water. Cold nights draw ground moisture up as the ground cools so when rain fall has been minimal during autumn shrub and tree roots can go into winter too dry. Roots do not become dormant in the winter as quickly as stems, branches and buds so roots are less hardy than stems. Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil, so frost penetration will be deeper and soil temperatures colder for sandy or dry soils. Winter colour to plant, polyanthus, pansies, primulas, snapdragons, wall flower and calendulas for colour, a few poly's in a pot is all that's needed to brighten up any doorway. Wisterias: Once wisterias have lost leaves prune off all long and unruly canes because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year adding weight to structures holding them. Lawns: Growth should have slowed right down now and lawns will be at the tuffty stage but lawn mowers will still be on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. On the coast in early winter there will still be some growth that will benefit from one last cover of lawn food on a wet day. Vegetables: On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing much can be planted without protection. Fruit tree pruning: Apple Trees, after initial shaping of apple trees, the only pruning necessary is the removal of excess twiggy growth. Apple trees produce fruit on spurs,( short stubby growths attached to main branches) these spurs continue producing for a number of years. Pears and cherry fruit also grow on spurs and require similar treatment. Removal of all tall new growth will keep apple trees in good shape with fruit being produced at picking height. Peach & Nectarine Trees: These trees flower on new wood made the previous summer, prune hard to encourage new growth otherwise, fruit will be produced further and further out on the branches each year. Blossom buds are plump while growth buds are flatter. Plum Trees: Plum trees produce fruit on the same spurs for several years. Once shape has been established, they require little pruning because excessive pruning can over stimulate tree growth at the expense of fruit. Remove vertical branching and water sprouts’ regularly. Look at a tree and it is easy to distinguish the water sprouts from the regular growth they grow straight up from the canopy branches and trunk and are thin and scraggly in appearance. A heavy hand when pruning may increase the number of water sprouts on the tree. When pruning plum trees in winter only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year and always fruit prune on a bright sunny day. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki May 19th 2021

Well those frost's were sprung on us after those lovely mellow autumn days, out came the winter woolies and in came the fire wood. Frost happening now is normal for gardens, as the days shorten and the cold sets in, many plants become “hardened”. Water is pumped out of plant cells into the roots and any remaining sap, which is a sugary solution, often acts as antifreeze. Trees shed their thin, flat leaves each autumn to reduce water loss. Evergreen trees and shrubs with waxy, needle-like leaves (pine, spruce, fir) or tough, broad waxy leaves (holly, magnolia) are more resistant to the cold and moisture loss. Plants can also modify their life cycles to deal with the changing seasons and lack of moisture. No tree or shrub roots survive if subjected to consistently wet frozen ground, good drainage is a must for healthy root growth. Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs need to be exposed to bake in the sun so compost and mulch can be kept off them. Shifting bigger shrubs that were wrenched earlier in the year can be lifted now and transplanted. Some gardens get carried and try to out grow the size allotted to them!! shrubs I planted and thought at the time I could keep shaped to fit the space but after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size, they are wrenched by digging around one half of the roots adding mulch to the damaged root for new feeder roots to grow into. Lifting of the tree or shrub can be done a few months later and given a ride in the wheel barrow to be trans planted. Complete new garden rooms can be created by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a garden up allowing room in the front to be edged and graveled for the placing of seating or may be a statue or large ornate pot. Don't hesitate in reducing the height and width of trees and shrubs, it is essential if garden space is limited, if only to let more light on to lower growing plants. This is a great time to make new perennial beds or re-organise existing beds. Perennial clumps increase in size annually and soon over take a space. Lift overgrown or stagnant clumps, break up and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants can be reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction then lift the cut portions out without disturbing the original plant. I have done this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm. Rockery plants can be divided now as well. Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged cover the bed and around plants with compost which will encourage new root growth and help keep the perennial bed warmer through the colder months to come. Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old over grown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old steams away from the bulb as it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, just cut old stems short and bend, never allow Lilly bulbs to dry out while out of the ground. I plant lilies on a little river sand and cover with compost which has had blood and bone added. Vegetables and fruit . Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds. Garlic, such a used ingredient in today's cooking. Garlic cloves should be in Garden centers now, It is said to plant garlic on the shortest day but any time from late May until August is ok. Select large single cloves (plant point up) 5cm deep and 20cm apart in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Do not cover garlic beds with thick mulch because it keeps moisture around cloves encouraging rot. Start pruning pip fruit trees any time after the leaves have fallen, remove dead or damaged wood, crossing or inward turning branches, excess leaders or sucker growth developing on the main trunks. Shorten back vigorous leaders by about a 1/3 to promote branching. Prune long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.

Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago May 12th 2021

Autumn at our lovely Oamaru Botanical Gardens. What a difference a rain makes during Autumn, It is the shallow rooted tree's and shrubs that need moisture before winter. I have lost aged maples because of dry Autumn and winter season's. Other shallow rooted shrubs that will be benefiting from a good soaking are rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, daphne, hydrangeas lilacs, cornus (dogwood), buxus and viburnums. Leaf mulch: Fallen leaves will have a head start breaking down with moisture and autumn warmth, each tree leaf drop is meant for nourishing the roots of the tree that shed them but piles of leaves left on lawns will restrict light needed for grass. Leaf mulch can be returned to tree roots once decomposed. Mowing leaves before bagging for leaf mulch gets mulch breaking down faster, if leaves are dry add enough water to wet each layer. I have been potting up well grown seedlings before the nights get colder, because they are straight from seed trays frost cloth has not been needed yet here on the coast but it soon will be, I remove it on sunny days and replace once the sun goes down. This is a great time to make new perennial beds or re-organise existing beds, with perennial clumps increasing in size annually they soon over fill a space. Lift overgrown clumps, break up and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants can be reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction then lift the cut portion out without disturbing the remaining plant. I do this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm. Rockery plants can be divided now as well. Once plants have been sectioned and rearranged cover the bed and around plants with compost to encourage new root growth and help to keep perennial beds warmer through the colder months. Lilies, this is the main time to shift or divide old overgrown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old steams away from the bulb as it leaves a hole where water can enter and cause rot, just cut old stems short and bend. Never allow Lilly bulbs to dry out while out of the ground, I plant lilies on a little river sand and cover with compost which has had blood and bone added. Hellebores (winter roses) can now have old leaves removed, they are budding up for a winter display so a fortnightly liquid feed can be given if you feel they need boosting. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to soft new growth, once hardened remove all leaves to display flowers. May is the planting month for tulips bulbs should be in retail outlets when they open, plant them at least 8 inches (20cm) deep in a well drained sunny spot . Lawns: Grass grubs will be slowing down the eating of grass roots now, as larvae, they eat to fuel their transition into the brown night beetle, this process takes about 12 months. The most damage done to lawns is during February until May. Rake out patches of dead lawn ready for re-sowing now on the coast while ground is still warm or wait until spring. Earth-friendly way to eradicate grass grub is nematodes. Beneficial nematodes seek out and kill grubs and other soil-inhabiting insects. They come on a sponge (invisible to naked eye) that you soak in water, put in a sprayer and spray your dirt or lawn. They will multiply over time and continue to kill grubs. Vegetables and fruit . Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds. If planting new runners from existing strawberry plants use only one or two closest to the mother plant. Garlic planting time, It is said to plant garlic on the shortest day but any time from late May until August is ok. Select large single cloves (plant point up) 5cm deep and 20cm apart in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Feijoas are plumping up and our NZ cranberries (myrtus ugni) are ripe for eating , also figs should be ready along with walnuts and hazelnuts so still a lot of gathering still happening. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago May 4th 2021

At this time of the year days give us chilly mornings, coats, scarves and gloves then it becomes the weather for shorts and tee shirts again, so hard to know what to wear when leaving home early in the morning. Although we detect seasonal changes by the change in temperature, this is not the way plants know seasons are changing, they determine the time of year by the length of daylight, this is known as the photoperiod. I should start this at the beginning and mention that seasons come about because of the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation. If this tilt changes seasons as we know them can become exaggerated but plants continue to grow and change depending on the length of daylight. Bedding plants: I have Pansy, viola, primula, snapdragons and calendula popping up from seed sown a month ago in a protected place. They should continue making growth a while longer and once roots have filled punnets they will be hardened off and planted or potted on to be planted in spring. There is a great selection of well grown flower bedding plants in garden centers ready for planting now. Once planted the autumn sun will bring them into bud and here on the coast they should flower during late winter. Seeds: Seeds pods are dry ready for collecting and storing in paper bags and envelopes, Adding a sprinkle of rice will absorb any remaining moisture and help to keep seed dry and in good condition. Here on the coast flower seed will germinate and grow strong roots until conditions are right for them to bud and flower. In cold areas seed will store until spring and germinate when the ground warms and days lengthen. Wisterias: will need a cut back now, ours would grow along the upstairs balcony threatening to push through the sliding doors and take over a bedroom! I used the hedge trimmer to get rid of all the leafy wispy growth, cutting too hard back into thick wood will remove new buds. Some of that long winding growth can eventually grow into a thick branch so if training a young plant let only one length go either way along a structure. I needed to be given that advice when planting the now multi branched extremely heavy wisteria we left! Compost: I Will go on about compost again because we are running out of time to get heaps cooking. Balance all those leaves with layers of old compost/soil, straw, manure and grass clippings . Moisture is a must, if the mix is dry add water during the heat of the day so the chill will be off before night's cooling. Decomposing will continue on until temperatures drop dramatically. It is such a bonus to have compost / mulch on hand for hungry plants come spring when the ground is left sour from winter and in need of boosting. Lawns have slowed down at last, lime and gypsum can be spread on lawns now, lime to sweeten and gypsum to soften hard compacted ground which has a lot of clay content. No more cracks in the lawn if gypsum is applied and watered in for a few years in a row in autumn. Fruit: If you had bad leaf curl on your peach and nectarine trees this season now is the time to clean up and remove as many old leaves as possible from around the base of your trees, but don’t compost these as it will spread the infection. Controlling leaf curl isn’t easy but good orchard hygiene habits, repeated each year, will give you the best chance. If left untreated the problem will get worse year-after-year and reduce the tree’s ability to produce lots of fruit. Note for spring: Apply a light dressing of a quick acting fertiliser such as sulphate of ammonia to encourage new leaf growth. At the same time apply a seaweed fertiliser, such as Seasol and Comfrey spray, to help the plants’ immunity to leaf curl. Once you notice the symptoms of leaf curl on leaves it is too late to control the disease in those leaves but you can try and stop the fungus from spreading. A clean up spray of lime sulphur when branches are bare can be done. Then in early spring a spray of copper based fungicide applied when buds are about to burst. This will also treat fungal problems on other fruit trees – like black spot on apple trees. Mix the copper fungicide with a spreader/sticker, like Rain Gard, both of which you can get from a local garden centre. Tamarillos: These delicious, tangy fruits ripen in autumn and winter and can go from pale green to rich ripe red in about a week. They are ripe when either a deep, dark red or golden orange/yellow depending on variety. Pick fruit individually by cutting stems. Once picked they keep well and will become sweeter after a week or so. Citrus bushes would benefit from a rich layer of compost, well-rotted manure, dolomite, seaweed, straw – whatever you have spread as a mulching layer around roots. Vegetables: Save seed from beans and peas and also a few of your herb and companion flower plant seeds for next spring. Mold soil around the base of leeks to keep them pale and sweet, but keep it beneath the bottom leaf so it doesn't get inside the stems and make cleaning them difficult. An application of lime now is a real benefit to many of the leaf crops – cabbage, spinach, kale, broccoli and silver beet. In soon to be very cold areas an insulating layer will help to prevent soil you plan to plant out in early spring from becoming water-logged once rains come, use polythene, fertilizers bags, old carpet or underlay. Spring planting can be delayed for ages because of wet cold ground. Cheers, Linda.