Gardening in Waitaki June 13th 2023

Frosts are here to stay for a while now with the shortest day upon us, Plants wanting to be planted can be acclimatised to the cold by gradual exposure to outside and overnight temperatures as some bought plants have been nursed to get them into retail outlets. Many plants may be frost tender when young but will be quite tolerant when mature. Keep an eye on weather forecasts, if the overnight low is predicted to be 4 degrees Celsius or below with little wind, tender growth will need a cover. There are ways now to minimise frost damage when plants are young, overhead cover which still lets light in is frost cloth, acting as a duvet for plants but needs to be kept from touching foliage. Plants growing under evergreen trees are protected from frost so this might be an option for where to place potted tender plants. Water in mornings –it has been proven that a moist soil can hold four times more heat than a dry soil. It will also conduct heat to the soil surface faster than a dry soil, aiding in frost prevention. These days sprinklers are sometimes used on commercial plantings to keep plants “warm” on a frosty night, the science being that as water freezes, it releases heat, hard to figure? Most perennial plants will recover in spring from frost damage even if they have gone black or mushy, don't remove the affected growth, just leave to protect the new growth which will appear when the ground warms up again. In favor of frost, it is very effective in reducing the populations of over-wintering pests, it will will also help break down clay soil if clods are left exposed over winter and come spring soil will fork over easily prior to planting. Digging up and shifting plants around the garden like rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias, if shiftable size can be shifted now and anything you think has been struggling in the spot it has been planted in. This is also the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long out grown their youthful beauty, you can change the whole look of a tired garden by replacing these plants with a younger version of the original or something different. I notice many native shrubs that have grown into ugly woody trees, ake ake, hebe's, olearia traversiorum (Chatham island ake ake) and Hoheria (lace bark) which is a nice tree for a number of years but will then die back and eventually look half dead. Pittosporums will grow nicely for many years if trimmed but if left to grow into a tree will soon become unattractive. Most respond well to being taken right back to ground level and will regrow into a nice shrub. Over grown hoherias need to be completely removed. Lawns: that performed poorly in spite of feeding and watering during the growing season may be improved with a winter liming, aim to achieve a PH of around 6 (mildly acid) which will encourage strong grass growth. Worms will also appreciate lime. Vegetable garden: The shortest day is here already which which means gradually lighter days, but as we all know there is a lot of winter yet to come here in the south. The shortest day means garlic planting and plenty more veg here on the coast if you provide a warmer microclimate to aid growth. Cloches for protecting newly planted seedlings in frosty areas, or plant veg in pots or boxes and position them in a warm sheltered spot to make the most of our North Otago winter sun. Fruit: People have been asking me about the pruning of fruit trees, it is confusing to explain unless showing someone so I thought I would give an explanation which I hope will be easy to follow when planting a new apple trees. Apples are produced from shoots which are in their second year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance between side shoots produced this year and those produced last year. The first pruning should occur immediately after planting, make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. A one year old apple tree - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp secateurs but before cutting make sure the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher above the fourth bud. Second, third and fourth year old apple trees: The light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should Not be pruned, black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree. A five year old apple tree can be considered mature and the basic shape will have been established. Pruning should consist of keeping the centre of the tree relatively clear of growth, removing all weak or diseased growth and keeping the tree within the space available. Remember that apples will grow on wood produced the previous year, so always leave a good proportion (say 50%) of the previous year's growth. I hope this is straight forward and helpful. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki June 7th 2023

Hello winter here on the coast in Waitaki, it was late in getting here but the frost cloth and winter woolies are now out and on. Pruning: Now trees and shrubs have shed leaves they are open for inspection, many ornamental trees need attention, branches crossing, too many branches blocking light from buds once in leaf, height and width reduction. Most trees are pruned in winter while sap is down and insects / diseases that can potentially invade pruning cuts are dormant as well as trees. In winter the worst disease is silver leaf, which attacks stone and pip fruit, roses, poplar, willows and escallonia hedges. It is during cold wet weather that spores are released which can then enter the pruning cuts, a reason to avoid pruning on cool wet days. Spores are not released during dry weather, this is the reason that some prefer a summer prune on susceptible trees, Thinning: is the removal of an entire branch if two branches are doing the same job, this technique rids the tree of weak and diseased branches and increases light penetration and air movement. I have included diagrams of where and where not to cut for best healing practice. Heading back: is shortening the length of a branch back to a bud or the next side branch. Rose pruning: is done once rosewood has had enough time to harden, end of June, July even August is not too late. Hellebores: I have cut the leaves from all my hellebores, they were infested with greenfly wintering over, new fresh leaves will soon appear after the beautiful flowers have popped up and flowered on their own. Erica's are flowering now, these are very hardy plants that are perfect ground covers, over wall spillers and great as a wide border. They usually grow only 6 - 12 inches high and spread 2 - 3 feet. Upright erica melanthera improved is one of the prettiest winter flowering small shrubs, bright pink 60cm high by 1m wide fully grown. Leucadendrons are looking wonderful now, perfect for picking and will last for weeks in a vase. Remember not to give them rich compost or fertiliser, they prefer poor soil conditions. Even though we are now in winter there is plenty on offer to plant, deciduous trees will settle in with a firm stake, roses do best planted now. If planting evergreen shrubs that look like they have been nursed get them used to the outside temperatures before planting then protect with frost cloth. Plant labels should tell you their hardiness. Mulching: If you have a bare garden over winter, opportunistic weeds will germinate during fine days, mulching will prevent this, plus protect not only plant roots but soil as well. If you haven't got a green cover crop in, or you've just run out of time to get winter food crops, put your garden to bed by mulching. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens, straw, shredded garden cut back or autumn leaves shredded with the lawn mower on dry gardens after a good watering. Vegetables: On the coast in gardens getting winter sun sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb.

Gardening in Waitaki May 31st 2023

Autumn in our Oamaru public gardens

As we slip into June the days are still milder here on the coast than they have been at this time of the year, nature is in charge of when winter starts and we need to take notice of changes as they occur to be one step ahead for plants that require protection. With warmth still in the soil any shrub or tree planted now will settle in and make good root growth until we get an intense ground freeze. Dry gardens need water kept up, when shrubs, trees and plants let us know by leaf droop and bark stress a good soak is needed while roots are still active. I have lost well grown maples due to dryness going into winter and results not showing until spring. Soak rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas as they are susceptible to dryness deep down. Top Ground moisture will be drawn out  during cold nights, if there are dry spots in your garden soak around roots in the morning and mulch to keep moisture there. Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil, so frost penetration will be deeper and soil temperatures colder for sandy or dry soils.  Compost: needs to be left alone now to do its magic for when needed around gardens in spring, plants are ready to use it then. Using precious compost now would be wasting it as winter weather will leach all the goodness out, it is important not to leave soil bare through the winter. Autumn leaf cover ( chopped up with the mower ) to stop the wind lifting them off, straw or summer cut back material laid over bare soil will work and can be removed to the compost heap in spring.  Winter colour: Plant polyanthus, pansies, primulas, snapdragons, wall flower and calandulas 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 not required because if you don't they will entwine themselves around established branches and keep growing thicker each year. Lawns will be storing energy now for winter so mowing frequency should be decreased to allow growth. Before lawns slow down and become tufty  you could rent a core aerator to improve drainage during winter. Irrigate the lawn a couple of days before your aerate and after aerating the lawn fine soil can be spread over to fill in the holes.   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. They continue producing on the same spurs 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. Flower buds are plump while growth buds are flatter. 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 the winter only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year.

Cover bare soil during winter with whatever is at hand.

Gardening in Waitaki May 23rd 2023

Roses last flowering

Nearing the end of mellow May leads us into a new month bringing different gardening challenges with the start of winter chills. Leaf drop is coming to an end as trees and shrubs prepare for winter and frost will be playing a part in robbing soil of moisture so give rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas a good soak if they look dry. Also keep an eye on maples, if leaves shriveled too quickly during colour change it's an indication of root dryness.  Rose flowering is coming to an end but don't cut spent flower heads off, leave all types of roses to make seed which will harden wood before the big prune in July / August. New seasons bare rooted roses are on offer in Garden centers, if you want to plant roses, prepare ground by digging in old stable manure or bagged rose mix. Bare rooted, winter planted roses are less likely to suffer from planting stress than those planted during the growing season.  If replacing a rose you will need to remove most of the old soil that rose was growing in and fill with soil from another part of the garden to avoid the new rose contracting any disease left in the ground.  Re-pot container grown buxus  if they look pot bound.  Buxus  root growth is prolific and they don't seem to suffer from the removal of half a root ball, I replace the old growing medium with half potting mix and sifted soil. Winter colour in pots, plant polyanthus, pansies, primulas, snapdragons and wall flowers. The combination of  wall flowers and forget- me- not, work and both will fill out from now on and should be in full bloom towards the end of winter.  Lawns: The unusual autumn rain we have had has kept lawns green but growth should now be slowing down, however lawn mowers will still be on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. Next time it rains, sprinkle some lime over lawns for a boost before they stop growing. Gardeners in the past prefered to lime just before the first frost because the soil then has all winter to absorb the lime and lime was never spread on a dry wilted lawn or a soggy, wet lawn, nor did they lime during frosty weather. I like to follow the old, tried and tested ways that get results. Any sign of moss in a lawn in a sunny lawn is a sign that a lawn would benefit from sweetening with lime.  Vegetables:  On the coast Sow broad beans, garlic, shallots and rhubarb. Colder areas nothing much can be planted without protection. Fruit: Bare rooted fruit trees will be arriving in garden centers soon, ask now if they will be stocking required trees and have them put aside on arrival.Ground can be prepared now for planting fruit trees, choose an open, sunny position, sheltered from strong winds. Fruit trees will grow in a wide range of soil types as long as there is good drainage. Plums and pear rootstock tolerate heavier soils than most other fruit trees. Using good quality compost will improve water retention in lighter soils and improve drainage in heavier soils as well as improving fertility. Pruning fruit trees:  Pruning of newly planted fruit trees will not take place until trees have branched. During early stages of tree development, the main goal is to develop the shape and framework which will support heavy crops of fruit.   Pruning fruit trees can be a confusing subject, when explained with too much information people seem to glaze over, below I have tried to make it straight forward. Pruning of apple trees, the only pruning necessary is the removal of excess twiggy growth. I have found doing this pruning during winter will only stimulate wood growth causing much unwanted growth the following season, a summer pruning will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season.  Apple trees produce fruit on spurs, (short stubby growths attached to main branches). They continue producing on the same spurs for a number of years.  Pears and cherry fruit also grow on spurs and require similar treatment. Apricot: Prune apricot trees in late winter or early spring as the new leaves and flowers begin to open. During this period of time the tree is actively growing and the pruning cuts heal quickly. Newly planted apricots can be pruned soon after planting. Remove all damaged or broken shoots and limbs and all branches with a narrow crotch (those that grow up more than out) and all branches that are within 18 inches of the ground, Shorten last year’s main branches to about 30 inches. Peach and nectarine: 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. Flower buds are plump while growth buds are flatter.  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 in winter will increase the number of water sprouts on the tree. When pruning plum trees in the winter only remove 20 percent of the growth from the previous year.  Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki May 17th 2023

Having experienced only a couple of frosts yet here on the coast this lovely, mellow time of the year is such a treat for us Gardeners who are outside and busy. Ready compost will be going on as autumn leaves and annual weeds are removed from gardens as Gardeners work to put gardens to bed for winter. Compost can be shoveled thickly over beds, but there will still be a lot of leaf drop to come before pea straw or forest floor covering can be spread. If you are planning to add a straw or other weed suppressant and the soil is dry a good watering beforehand will be needed if rain hasn't done it for you. Cleaning up garden areas that have been flowering all summer will leave gaps so why not visit garden centres to choose annuals on offer, plant and get them into bud while there is still enough warmth in the sun and soil to get roots going. They should continue to get enough winter sun to carry on and bloom here on the coast. Suggestions are, Viola, snapdragon, pansy, polyantha's, stock, calendula, wall flowers, sweet William and good old primula malacoides. Seeds of all mentioned above can be sown now and they will pop up very quickly to be pricked out, potted on into punnets and held over with frost cloth protection until spring ready for your garden, pots or hanging baskets. Dahlias: If your dahlias have been affected by frost , leave them to die back into tubers for a good while before cutting back. Removing the old leaves from hellebores as they are budding up for a winter display, a fortnightly liquid feed can be given now if you feel they need boosting. The underside of hellebore leaves are a chosen place for aphids to winter over. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to clumps. Time is running out for the last hedge trim before winter really sets in, just a light tidy up trim leave hard cut backs until the end of spring when new growth has finished. Planting shrubs: If you want to plant evergreen shrubs other than conifers do it now or wait until the frosts are over. They will just sit once hard frosts start, it is only deciduous trees / shrubs and conifers that will cope with the really cold nights ahead. Lilies: I will mention this again, this is the main time to shift or divide overgrown clumps of lilies. Be careful not to break the fleshy scales and to retain all the basal roots. Don't pull the old stems 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 Lily 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. Gardening professionals suggest gardeners apply potash to their plants as winter starts, Potassium hardens up plant growth and helps prevent damage from winter chills, it also encourages fruiting. Vegetables and fruit Get garlic plots ready for planting out around the shortest day, garlic enjoy a rich fertile loam soil or a silty loam soil. Avoid planting in poor draining soil because cloves can rot if sitting in wet ground too long. Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds. 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 rather than growing too tall for you to reach the fruit. Prune long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread. Cheers, Linda

Putting the garden to bed.

Gardening in Waitaki 9th May 2023

How lovely the summer-like May days have been in the past week. A heap of work will be going on in gardens with compost going down, leaves racked and annual weeds being removed. If you have a good supply of compost, shovel it thickly around plants for worms to do the work of taking it down to spring hungry roots. If compost is not made at your place, bagged compost for small gardens and maybe a trailer or truck load from Pukeuri compost is an option. Contact: George 0272285108, pea straw on top really puts the garden to bed for winter. For orchards, establishing native blocks and rough garden areas the coarser mulch offered by the Waitaki resource recovery park is a perfect cover and weed suppressant. Contact: 03 4340999. Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs will have pushed up, exposed to bake in autumn sun so compost and mulch should be kept off. Gardens tend to get carried away from time to time and outgrow the size allotted. I have planted large growing shrubs thinking at the time I could keep shaped to fit a space but Nature beat me every time, I got fed up with trying to keep them the right size, they were either dug out or dug up if manageable and given a ride in the wheelbarrow. New garden rooms can be created by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a space allowing room in the front to be edged and graveled or tiled for the placing of a seat or maybe a statue or large ornate pot. Don't hesitate in reducing the height and width of trees and shrubs if only to let more light on to lower growing plants, stopping leggy growth and encouraging optimum flowering. If shrubs have been wrenched to be shifted, height and width needs to be reduced to compensate for damaged roots. I continue to divide overgrown perennial clumps, some to fill gaps and some to pot up and grow on until strong roots develop before planting. Once plants have been sectioned and planted cover beds and around plants with compost which will encourage new root growth and help keep perennial beds warmer through the colder months. Lilies and Peony roses can be planted or shifted this month, be careful not to break the fleshy scales on Lily bulbs and new shoots on peony tubers. Fruit and Veg. Strawberries: Remove exhausted clumps, replace with a runner closest to the removed Mother plant. Raise the beds where drainage is suspect and add manure rich compost to beds. Raspberries: When fruiting is finished, cut the stems back by half, the new tip growth will bear fruit, cut two year old canes back to the ground. Apples: are still dripping from trees, best to pick for storing now before birds enjoy the lot. Leave pruning pip fruit until next month. Veg: Continue planting winter veg before soil gets too cold. Snow peas, Pak choi, Kale, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot. Baby spinach and micro greens in a kitchen window container and picked often will supply needed greens over winter. This is the last month to sow carrot seed, onion sets ( in punnets already at bulb stage) achieve better results now than planting seeds. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki May 2nd 2023

Ranuculus grouped

Leaves, leaves, leaves so many on the ground and yet to fall, right now gardens will be on fire with yellow, red and orange displays . Most of the leaves turn into good compost but limit composting of oak or walnut leaves, they take too long to break down in heaps, you can burn them then add the ash to compost.The addition of hen manure while building autumn compost will aid in the heating process. Dried Blood is an easy way to replenish the nitrogen content in the soil for plants needing to perform through winter, Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansies and Cyclamen love it and will flourish when you add dried blood to their diet. Ranunculus and anemone will be on offer in Garden centers now, They are so worthwhile and a good investment because they multiply well and give vibrant or soft mid height colour to early spring gardens. Ranunculus and anemone corms look very dried up and brittle in the packet when bought, soak them overnight and they will become nice and plump before planting, plant at least five together in groups to get the best effect. With lilies becoming available for sale this month, established clumps can be lifted if necessary but do not disturb them unless they are very crowded or unsuitably sited. Be sure to keep lily bulbs moist while they are out of the ground, roots must never dry out. If lifting is not required, top dress lilies with a mixture of compost and blood and bone. (A cup full of blood and bone to each bucket of compost. Almost all lilies need to be planted as deep as three times the height of the bulb.The only exception to this deep planting is the Madonna lily which is planted just below the surface and prefers to be shifted in midsummer straight after flowering. This is also one of the few lilies which also prefers limey soil. Feed rhododendron and camellias with fertiliser mixed especially for them and water in to give a boost for spring flowering. Break up primula >and viola clumps, pot up or plant to fill gaps in front borders. On the coast, give evergreen hedges a last light tidy up during this month. further inland I would leave top growth as frost protection and trim after spring growth. Lawns are still putting on strong growth after autumn rain but they will slow growth down when frosts are frequent. One last boost with fertilizer needs to be done this month or not at all as fertilizer will be wasted when roots stop feeding. Vegetables / fruit I have broccoli, silver beet, spinach, cabbage, kale and parsley seeds up and potted into punnets. Seeds of beetroot, broad beans, onions, swedes and turnips can be sown directly into garden beds with soil still holding warmth. I am sure there will be wonderful pumpkin crops ripening on beautiful sunny Autumn days. I put another crop of runner beans in after the first sowing had finished and what a great crop of fresh beans I am now picking. Tomatoes, and corn will be coming to an end, if you still have them producing reduced moisture now will encourage ripening and stop new growth. Still plenty of apples, quince, late peaches and walnuts to pick and I see tamarillos are starting to make fruit. Cheers, Linda.