Gardening in Waitaki June 25th 2024

Gosh, the weeks are going fast with short days it's Friday before I know it!! The ground being so wet underfoot is giving us a winter reprieve from the garden. In my new garden, I am seeing where water is sitting, I expect this to happen as a clay pan is not far below the soil. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm with subdivision building. All soil is removed, not just the area for a house foundation, and then you are left with machinery-compacted clay to build gardens on. When planting in clay-based soil I dig a larger hole than needed, and fill it with water to soften the clay, if draining takes too long, pierce the clay bottom with fork prongs then dig more clay out. This should leave you with a sizable planting hole needing to be filled halfway with gravel or river stones to act as a water sump. Then soil on top of the stones and the tree or shrub planted. Such a pain I know but if plant roots sit in water they will eventually drown. A good thing about rain in early winter is that leaves decompose quicker, so pile leaves onto gardens and they will protect roots from frost while breaking down to become humus. This is the time to shift what needs to be shifted, in my past large garden I would give quite a few shrubs a ride in a wheelbarrow, leaving unsightly gaps, and then I would walk around the garden to find other shrubs or plants to fill them. Rose pruning will be in full swing now, a job I don't have now, it used to take me a few weeks to finish this job, and then I sprayed with copper and winter oil mixed to seal up the cuts. For those new to rose pruning get yourself a sharp pair of secateurs and start by removing all branches growing into the middle of the bush. The idea is to keep the inside of the bush open. Cut on a slant on an outward-facing bud at the bottom of the branch. Next, look for cross-over branches and cut back to an outward-facing bud to encourage the branch to grow in another direction. Really old wood should be cut right out, again at a bottom outward-facing bud, don't bother with any spindly branches; they will never produce flowers so just remove them. Make sure the crown of the rose is not covered with soil or compost. This area needs to be clear and needs sprayed along with the rest of the bush. If you have bought new roses they will need pruned because they will have only had the tops cut to make them easier to handle. If going to plant a new rose in the same place where another had been growing you will need to take out the soil and replace it with soil that has not been growing roses. This is the perfect time to plant seeds of the flowers you will want to plant out spring and summer, I have planted delphiniums, snapdragons, all sorts of poppies, sweetpeas, and lupins. Without a controlled glass house they will take a while to germinate but put in a nice warm sunny place and covered at night they will pop up and as soon as the soil warms again will grow strongly. I feel that seedlings planted now and carried through the winter do better than spring and summer plantings After the rain moss and lichen will need to be removed from paths and walkways as both are slippery. There are moss-kill products on sale but you will get a good result from sprinkling an inexpensive laundry powder over moss on hard surfaces while wet and once dry it will be dead and ready to rake off. Lawns: Moss on lawns love the wet, sulphate of ammonia dissolved in water and applied with a watering can will turn it black and ready to be raked out. Veg: With the winter being mild so far here on the coast vegetable gardens will still be producing so keep planting in rotation, root veg where leafy veg has grown and vise versa. Garlic should be in but if the soil is soggy hold off until it is drier, cloves can rot n cold wet ground too long. I am going to try an early sowing of peas and I still have butter crunch lettuce doing well because my new raised veg gardens are in a nice all-day sun location, Butter crunch lettuce likes it cooler and it is such a nice sweet lettuce. Cheers, Linda

Remove moss from paths & Driveways.

Gardening in Waitaki 18th June 2024

Some good rain for North Otago this week, let's hope it reaches down deep where it is needed. In my past large garden, I would be getting a lot of work done at this time, compost and pea straw spreading, and a man on the end of a chainsaw and hedge trimmer attacking the ivy that I had covering the tank stand. It is too late in the year to trim soft trees and shrubs, but ivy can be taken back to its clinging branches to start again at this time of the year. If you have ivy growing it needs to be trimmed at least twice a year; it is like wisteria if you are too kind to it. Each soft leader put out will grow into a thick woody tree trunk in time.  What a great time of the year to look closely at the garden, now that some trees and shrubs are bare, inspection of sprouting new growth beneath their graft area can be done. All large deciduous trees such as flowering cherries, magnolias, silver birch, ashes, oaks, and any large well-grown specimen tree bought today, will have been grafted onto strong-growing rootstock different from the top graft. From time to time, the rootstock will push growth out and up, and because it is a strong grower, it will always overtake the grafted specimen. Rogue growth must be cut out as I have seen a few mature trees left to grow this way, and the result is not good, a prunus displaying beautiful pink blossom on one side and insipid root stock white blossom on the other side. Thinning out of branches can be done now. If branches are crossing over each other or there are far too many in the centre of a tree, don't just shorten a branch back because it will regrow from that point; take it right out and let some light in. Prunus and crab apple trees are bad for producing overcrowded branches, which tend to rub together and encourage disease if not removed. Make sure you choose a fine day to prune, and your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next. Methylated spirits are good for doing this.  Digging up and shifting trees & shrubs around like rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias, anything you think has been struggling in the spot it has been planted in. This is the time to remove trees and shrubs that have long outgrown their youthful beauty and replace them with a younger version of the original or something different. You can change the whole look of a tired garden by doing this. As I have mentioned before, if a huge gap is going to be left with the removal of a tree or shrub, fill the gap with a section of manuka screening placed behind the replacement plant, it will give protection, and once the plant has reached the desired height and width, the screening can be removed. While weeding, I find a lot of seedling trees and shrubs popping up that birds have introduced, some of which have grown amongst shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias, and have become quite established before I noticed them and are stubborn to remove. It is best to get the spade down and remove them completely if you can, and if lucky enough to get roots intact, they can be potted. On the coast, there are so many plants that self-seed and can be lifted, potted, or transplanted at this time of the year, hellebore, lupins, poppies, pansies, viola, forget- me- not and primula, to name but a few. If you have polyanthas you left in the ground from last year, they will have grown enough to be broken apart. Pollanths respond well to a dressing of dried blood, as do camellias and Daphnes if they do not look like they are thriving.  Plant sweet peas now to flower early in spring.Soak seeds for 24 hours before planting to soften the seed coat and encourage faster germination.Sow two seeds per deep pot filled with quality potting mix, planting them about 1 cm deep. Cover with a clear lid or plastic cover and place in a cool, bright position until they sprout. When seedlings reach 10–15 cm tall, pinch out the growing tip to encourage bushy, vigorous plants. Before planting, enrich the soil with plenty of compost or well-rotted manure, as sweet peas are heavy feeders. Lawns: Winter lawns that performed poorly despite feeding and watering over summer may be improved with winter liming. It is best to keep off lawns while sof and wet. Vegetables: In the vegetable garden where green leafy vegetables and onions will be growing next summer, give a dressing of 250 grams per square meter of dolomite lime. If you follow a regular rotation, this will ensure that most of the garden receives lime once in three years. Permanent crops like rhubarb should be limed every three years as well. In gardens fed with compost rather than chemical fertilisers, the PH tends to rise gradually, eventually making regular liming unnecessary. Cheers,

Linda.

Below the graft growth

Gardening in Waitaki June 11th 2024

Robinia moptop pruning to kep good shape.

A damp dull day as I write this 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 last, we have come to the end of leaves falling, letting trees rest for a few months while plenty goes on beneath them. Bulbs are pushing through with early snowdrops almost in flower, shrubs are budding along with hellebores, ericas and wallflowers, polyanthus, and primulas I planted last month, it's time once again to notice all the special little things happening now in our gardens as we head toward a new growing season. New season 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 rootstock 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. Wait until spring before pruning flowering cherry trees because winter can infect them with silver leaf, eventually killing even a large tree. Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this. Robinia mop tops need an annual cut back, they have been grafted onto a standard and 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 and to stop them from becoming top-heavy. Leucadendrons are taking center stage here on the coast, they are wonderful for picking once fully hardened and will last for months in a vase when there is not much else to pick. Leucadendrons are easy to grow in the conditions they prefer, being full sun, good draining acid soil, and staked to protect from strong winds until established. They will grow on dry banks and rough areas as long as they do not have to compete with grass and weeds. Leucadendrons resent any type of fertiliser, will not cope with hard frosts, and once established will die if shifted. Some leucadendrons grow very large, low spreaders that look great spilling over walls, and low bushy types, they all add wonderful colour to a dull winter garden. Veg & fruit: Here on the coast keep planting out seedling veg plants, broad beans, and garlic. Winter is the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns so prepare the ground with rich compost now, get them planted and established, and in no time you will be making rhubarb crumble and asparagus rolls. Black currant bushes should have as much of the old dark shoot wood removed now, leaving only the light coloured smooth vigorous young growth. Red currents don't fruit on new wood so older wood should be kept for 3 years just cut out odd branches yearly to encourage a few new replacements. Give all current bushes a good two handfuls of bone meal or blood and bone in spring to ensure a good crop of fruit. Tunnel and glass houses can be cleaned, sterilized, and re-soiled if needed to be ready for protected veg planting in late winter. Cheers, Linda.

Wonderful leucodendron Mrs Stanley.

Gardening in Waitaki June 4th 2024

This being the beginning of June pea straw or preferred mulch will still be going on gardens helping to keep the moisture in the ground for Spring growth. 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.  Perennial tidy up Perennials need to rest now so overgrown plants can be divided and cuttings taken from the outer edges of clumps, if you think the mother plant is past its best, dispose of it. Keep planting lilium bulbs, these are best placed in raised beds, don't let the roots dry out at all. Make early plantings of gladioli in well-drained sites for November flowering.  Roses will have finished flowering now, as soon as the leaves fall I spray Lime Sulphur first, then after the July pruning spray Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil, to eliminate powdery mildew, lichen, and moss. Clean up dead leaves under rose bushes to prevent pest and disease spread. New season bare-rooted roses should be arriving in Garden centers about now, prepare the ground for planting 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 the rose was growing in and replace it with soil from another part of the garden, disease is transferred very quickly from one rose to another. Roses planted at this time of the year are less likely to suffer from planting stress.  Re-pot container-grown buxus every second year because they quickly fill a pot with roots. I remove mine from the pot to remove half the root ball with a sharp spade then repot with fresh potting mix.   Winter colour: Plant polyanthus, pansies, snapdragons, and primula malacoides for a bright patch of colour, a few polys in a pot are all that's needed to brighten up any doorway.  Once wisterias have lost all 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.  Lawns; Growth should have slowed down now lawns at the tufty stage although lawnmowers are usually on the go until the last of the leaves have been picked up. Vege In colder areas, nothing much can be planted.  Vegetables: If you haven't got a green cover crop in, or you've just run out of time to get winter food crops in, put your garden to bed by mulching. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens, straw, shredded garden cutback, or autumn leaves shredded with the lawn mower on dry gardens after a good watering. Planting on the coast in gardens getting winter sun, plant broad beans, garlic, shallots, and rhubarb. In colder areas forget about planting unless you have a protective cover. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki May 28th 2024

Pretty sasanqua camellia

Here we are now almost June, it feels like winter but still nice warmth in the sun on those fine days. Moisture is holding well in the soil and annual weeds should be minimal from now on. Those still growing are easy to remove from damp ground.  Shallow-rooted rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and maples may still need a good soak to get moisture right down around roots before the big freeze, Especially mature maples, I have lost one or two over the years when not having enough moisture to push them into new spring growth. Early flowering sasanqua camellias are putting on a show, it almost seems wrong with every plant nearby shutting down for winter. You will probably see these lovely flowering camellias in Garden centres, the perfect shrub to add interest to a garden in late autumn / early winter. Compost: Instead of the big compost heaps needed in my past garden, I now have two plastic composters which work fine for a small garden if moisture is kept up to them as they have lids to keep rain out. Being black they generate warmth but if the contents are dry organic matter will not decompose. Roses: We need some good frosts to harden stems and take care of fungus and bugs.  Later in the month,  spray lime Sulphur first which defoliates bushes then wait several weeks before spraying Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil usually leaving this second spray until after the July proon.  New seasons, bare-rooted roses arrive early in Garden centres these days, if planting, prepare the ground 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.   New season non-native trees will also be arriving in Garden centres, I will list a few worth selecting below. For large gardens: Fraxinus (ash) deciduous fast-growing attractive shade trees 5m high in 5 years,( est )height 30 m. Golden ash / Claret ash and pendulous weeping ash.Fagus (English beech): beautiful deciduous shade trees or hedging, 4m in 5 years (est) 30m, Fagus sylvatica purpurea attractive wine leaves, Fagus sylvatica, fresh green.Crataegus (hawthorne) Paul's scarlet, deciduous 3m in 5 years,est 6m very hardy displaying full clusters of dark pink flowers in November.Ginkgo biloba: Deciduous, colourful, unique foliage, Pest and drought resistant mature height 13-20 m / mature width 12m, one for a shelter belt. Smaller gardens: Gleditsia emerald cascade: A very attractive weeping form, smaller growing making an ideal garden focal point. 2m high by 3m wide.Cotinus Goggygria / Grace (smoke bush) large spreading shrub, with stunning plum coloured leaves, and plumes of smoky pink flowers in summer. Height 2m after 5 years / 3m when mature. Michelia: very pretty, evergreen large shrub / tree with creamy-white blooms.Can be used for hedging or screening. Height 4m width 2m in 7/10 years.Robinia lace lady: A deciduous, very daintily branched, small leafed tree which will not grow heavy hard wood branches or roots and can be kept to the size required. Vegetable garden:Keep planting shallots, butter crunch lettuce plants, beetroot and broad beans and keep water up until they get settled. Cover with frost cloth to protect from frost and birds when small. Fruit: Tamarillos, if lucky enough to have these in your garden they will be hanging like jewels from almost bare branches, such a treat at this time of the year. Because the plants do not make hardwood they are frost tender but here on the coast in a sunny location, they ripen and are ready to pick now. Tamarillos will grow from tip cuttings, a bush will last for a decade if protected during winter, and they prefer to be outside not in a glass house.Feijoas are a treat right now as well, they do not ripen all at once but drop from the bush when ripe.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. They do fine west facing with roots mulched until the shrub can shade its roots.  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 whenever here. A small evergreen bush, very fragrant when fruiting, can be hedged. Cheers, Linda. 

Gardening in Waitaki 21st May 2024

Peony ready to be cut back.

What a Lovely soft rain on days that look so much like winter now,  Peony roses: If you are planning to move a peony, the best time is now in the autumn when the plant is nearing dormancy. Peonies start to go dormant when the foliage is rapidly losing colour.  Cool soil temperatures allow peonies to start growing a new root system quickly before the ground freezes. The site should be sunny and well-drained, deep fertile soil is best but they can still do ok in quite poor soils as long as they never become waterlogged (especially over winter). Planting depth is important, too deep means they will spend time pushing up to the right depth, finding the uppermost bud on the crown and planting so that the base of the bud is 5 cm (2") from the soil surface. Don't expect much growth in the first year, if you do get flowers in late spring leave on the plant because stems don't regrow during the season. The leaf dieback adds strength to the tuba, so foliage must be left on and then cut down to ground level in autumn and disposed of, which may help prevent the carry-over of fungal infections like botrytis. Tree peonies don't need to be cut down, stems above the ground remain alive, remove diseased leaves, and leave pruning out dead wood until spring. Hellebores will benefit from fortnightly feeding now to encourage better blooms. I have been removing the old foliage from mine because aphids seem to winter over on the underside but it is best to leave some top growth on in colder areas to protect the new growth, flowers will soon shoot up past the old leaves.  Only feed bulbs and plants that are due to flower now, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to sleep through winter.  Move all spring flowering plants in pots into a sunny spot now, plants like camellia, azaleas, and rhododendrons that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months. Shrubs in pots get root-bound and hungry, If you fed them when they finish flowering, they should be fine, if not then give them a little fertiliser and water well to give them a boost.   Seedlings and rooted cuttings need as much sun as they can get over the colder months, they may not look as though they are growing as they will not put out any new growth on top but with the warmth of the sun on pots they will be making lots of feeder roots.  There is still time on the coast to divide border plants, perennials, and rock plants, they will make new roots before growth stops.  In very cold districts leave the dead top growth on, safer to remove in spring but If you are strawing your gardens this will do the same job.  This is the best time to shift small evergreen shrubs and conifers, as long as the root ball is not to well spread they should transplant well. Rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas can be shifted now as well.  Lawns have picked up during the cooler nights, our lawn was spot sprayed last week, there was quite a lot of clover and flat weeds spreading, I only spot spray where needed because I would hate to kill hard-working worms. The grass-grub-damaged areas raked out and resown here have new grass now, thankfully germination of grass seed is very fast during autumn while the ground is still warm. The drizzle now falling is an opportunity to spread gypsum on compacted clay areas and fine compost around lawns to add humus.  Vegetables:   Leeks should be available now for planting, they can be planted lying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, and they will soon sit up and grow fast.Remove shading from glass houses now and reduce watering, more light, less watering for pot plants inside as well. Fruit If you have apple trees laden, let as many apples as you intend to eat on the tree ripening naturally, birds will be pleased if you share or pick most unripe and store them in a cool dry place for later. Late peaches will still be on trees, the flavor is delicious in a late peach.  Grape picking will be well underway, I miss my small vineyard with always enough grapes to make into a few bottles of wine that would sometimes be more like vinegar that could be turned into Homemade Weed Killer, so however bad the wine turned out there was no waste. My recipe is 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, dish detergent (any brand), Empty spray bottle. Put salt in the empty spray bottle and fill it the rest of the way up with white vinegar. Add a squirt of dish detergent. This solution should only be used on drives and pathways, it works best on a warm day.   Cheers, Linda

Planting leeks in a trench.

Gardening in Waitaki May 14th 2024

Here we are well into May and the days are lovely after light frosts,   This week I will cut back dahlias that blackened and collapsed from frosts over the last two weeks, I will not dig them out to store as what I left in last year came through the winter fine in this new garden. If you feel your dahlia tubers will be sitting in wet ground during winter it is best to dig and store them.  In my last large garden after compost and pea straw had been spread the gaps where dahlias had been would be filled with winter flowering annual wall flowers, poppies, and calendula ( winter marigolds)  Planting for interest in a winter garden: A few years ago I planted small clumps of the variegated iris, this iris has an insignificant blue flower but its interesting green and white striped leaves lighten a dull winter garden. I mass-planted them under standard iceberg roses and they made a wonderful show. The clumps became large quickly but were easy to dig and break up. Cineraria silver dust, (Silver ragwort)  is grown for the stunning silver foliage, and hardy, striking plants adding interest to a dull winter garden or winter pots, Take fresh tip cuttings and firm them into sifted river sand ( keep moist, not wet)  and they will have roots in no time. Cineraria silver dust is a good front border gap filler, I never let them flower and trim often to keep it compact.  Remove 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 inland it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to clumps.  Time has run out for a last hedge trim before winter sets in, if needed just a light tidy-up trim, leave hard cutbacks until the end of spring when new growth has finished. Erica's, I know I mentioned these not long ago but they are worth mentioning again for winter flowering. Erica's are in Garden centers now, budded, and ready to burst into winter colour. The low-growing variety are wonderful ground cover for low-maintenance gardens and the mid-height ericas as melanthera never let me down in a winter garden. Trim spent flowers from erica's that flowered through the summer months to keep them compact and they will put out fresh new green growth through winter. All erica's like dry acid soil and full sun, no lime.  I have shifted all trays of my plant cuttings into a light warm spot and raised them from the cold ground for them to continue growing well over winter. Check trays & pots are draining well, some of mine were holding too much water and needed drainage holes unblocked.  Inside pot plants need less watering from now on and need to be moved away from cold glass as night temperatures drop.   Lawns: It is time to keep the mower blades high enough to pick up leaves, rake, or mow fallen leaves from lawn areas because they restrict the light grass is needing now as days shorten.   Vegetables: Clear out finished summer veg or dig in any leafy veg ( not root veg ). Work in manure-enriched compost with a little lime if the soil has been extensively cropped over the summer. Scruff the dog has taken the responsibility of our property protector up a level to be the street protector !!  Dogs, cats, birds,' vehicles, and people seem to need a good barking when passing, I feel it could be boredom having no chickens and rabbits to chase now. Cheers, Linda