Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 20th July 2011
I notice the days are drawing out a little since the shortest day, yes, true not wishful thinking.
Being out there freezing at one with nature I notice the daily pattern!! weeell some day's I can say this is the case.
This week I have spent another good percentage of my time raking up old leaves, will autumn ever be a distant memory? it is important to get leaves out of every nook and cranny during winter because bugs are looking for places like this to winter over. Once leaves have been removed from the base of roses, hydrangea's and other deciduous plants I am applying manure enriched compost, (not covering the base of the plant) to be there in readiness for spring feeding.
I continue to re-sawdust rough pathways which is freshening these areas up and allowing me to find a lot of self sown plants in the old saw dust topping which I delight in potting up or transplanting.
This week I thought I would write about the benefits of raised gardens as there is not a lot happening except pruning an
Limited time to spend gardening is a sad fact for young families today but I am sure most would love to grow their own fresh produce.
Raised gardens are the saviors of gardeners with limited time or poor soil. The basic idea of a raised garden is instead of battling against poor soil conditions, why not build above ground where you have complete control.
Advantages of a Raised Bed Garden
Aside from the issue of gardening in poor soil, raised bed gardens offer several advantages:
Raised beds warm more quickly in spring, allowing you to work the soil and plant earlier.
Raised beds drain better.
The soil in raised beds doesn't get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.
It's easy to tailor the soil for your raised bed to the plants you plant.
Contained raised beds are not difficult to construct using wood or (here in North Otago) Oamaru stone seconds as a surround. If you need time to think about a permanent position for a raised beds you could make some using straw bales as surrounds for a year. Once in place to the size required fill them with soil and compost and plant out.
A sunny location is a must for growing vegetables and herbs, and access around all sides with a wheel barrow is recommended for ease of maintenance, keep the garden around four feet wide, this way you can access the middle.
Access to water is essential,with drainage being greater raised gardens need good soakings.
A raised bed of six inches above the soil is enough to grow leaf vegetables and herbs and at least ten inches for root veg but I don't see the sense in not raising it to a height that will benefit the amount of digging and bending you do.
keep an eye on what is on offer for planting now, this is the very best time for choice when buying deciduous tree's and shrubs.
Cheers, Linda.
Being out there freezing at one with nature I notice the daily pattern!! weeell some day's I can say this is the case.
This week I have spent another good percentage of my time raking up old leaves, will autumn ever be a distant memory? it is important to get leaves out of every nook and cranny during winter because bugs are looking for places like this to winter over. Once leaves have been removed from the base of roses, hydrangea's and other deciduous plants I am applying manure enriched compost, (not covering the base of the plant) to be there in readiness for spring feeding.
I continue to re-sawdust rough pathways which is freshening these areas up and allowing me to find a lot of self sown plants in the old saw dust topping which I delight in potting up or transplanting.
This week I thought I would write about the benefits of raised gardens as there is not a lot happening except pruning an
Limited time to spend gardening is a sad fact for young families today but I am sure most would love to grow their own fresh produce.
Raised gardens are the saviors of gardeners with limited time or poor soil. The basic idea of a raised garden is instead of battling against poor soil conditions, why not build above ground where you have complete control.
Advantages of a Raised Bed Garden
Aside from the issue of gardening in poor soil, raised bed gardens offer several advantages:
Raised beds warm more quickly in spring, allowing you to work the soil and plant earlier.
Raised beds drain better.
The soil in raised beds doesn't get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.
It's easy to tailor the soil for your raised bed to the plants you plant.
Contained raised beds are not difficult to construct using wood or (here in North Otago) Oamaru stone seconds as a surround. If you need time to think about a permanent position for a raised beds you could make some using straw bales as surrounds for a year. Once in place to the size required fill them with soil and compost and plant out.
A sunny location is a must for growing vegetables and herbs, and access around all sides with a wheel barrow is recommended for ease of maintenance, keep the garden around four feet wide, this way you can access the middle.
Access to water is essential,with drainage being greater raised gardens need good soakings.
A raised bed of six inches above the soil is enough to grow leaf vegetables and herbs and at least ten inches for root veg but I don't see the sense in not raising it to a height that will benefit the amount of digging and bending you do.
keep an eye on what is on offer for planting now, this is the very best time for choice when buying deciduous tree's and shrubs.
Cheers, Linda.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 12th July 2011
Brrrrrrr there was no doubting this week that winter has arrived in North Otago to kill the bugs around the garden that thought they could just cruise into spring. With the mild weather we had been getting there are definite signs of spring around coastal gardens once plants have moved into the first stages of budding they should continue to bud up during the sunny winter days, camellias and rhododendrons have had a head start and spring bulbs are well on which may mean we are in for an early spring
Daphne’s are in flower now along with hellebore's, primroses and
polyanthus. Primroses are so pretty and clump up well and in time can be broken up spread around to add colour to a winter garden.If you are at the stage to break up clumps remove quite a few leaves on transplanting, they will soon grow more along with new roots to support them. Polyanthus and primulas will benefit from an application of Dried Blood to increase plant vigour and flowering
Under glass sow seeds of antirrhinum, carnation, calendula, sweet peas, verbena and viola for planting out in Spring.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are also coming in this month and can be planted from now in good draining soil, if you think there is a chance they would sit in wet soggy soil over winter they may rot, planting can continue until September
.If young trees or shrubs need transplanting now is a good time to do it whilst they are at their most dormant stage.
Remember to continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with Frost Cloth.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed
Rose pruning is still going on here in my garden, just in case you need reminding on how to tackle pruning.... make a slanted cut just above a strong outward facing bud.
Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes. Secateurs must be sharp to avoid damage by ripping branches which leads to die back.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed.
At this time of the year I make a few trips to the Waireaka sale yards to the Waireaka Valley Lions Club sawdust and sheep manure stand, volunteers clean out calving sheds and under shearing sheds to keep the stand topped up for keen gardeners. I use the calving shed sawdust on garden pathways and the sheep manure on the compost heaps, on the vegetable garden and around the roses when horse manure is not at hand. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens as a weed suppressant and it helps to absorb excess moisture, but on dry gardens it will dry out soil already not retaining moisture.
Vegetables
In land start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in glass houses or under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going mouldy.
On the coast plant seedling plants that are now on offer along with garlic cloves.
Comfrey
I have long known the advantages of growing comfrey but have lately been reading up on it again, it is such a useful plant and if you can get your hands on some I suggest you plant some root sections in an area of your garden where it can spread. Comfrey needs to be planted where it can send it's roots very deep down into the soil so it can tap into much needed nutrients. It is fast growing, high in potassium and can be cut back again and again. I have listed below some uses for comfrey around the garden.
Compost activator, add to your compost bin to heat up the decomposing materials and enriches the compost.
Put a handful of comfrey leaves into a bucket of rainwater and let them rot down for around 6 weeks to give you a rich liquid fertilizer for plants. Lay comfrey leaves in a potato trench and leave for 3 days prior to planting the tubers to give them a potassium rich boost of fertiliser.
Use as a Comfrey leaf mulch around plants, by layering leaves around the stems of plants. Potassium will slowly be released to the plants as the leaves break down – Great for tomatoes, beans and fruit bushes.
Use wilted leaves as a nutrient rich Chicken feed
Cheers, Linda
Daphne’s are in flower now along with hellebore's, primroses and
polyanthus. Primroses are so pretty and clump up well and in time can be broken up spread around to add colour to a winter garden.If you are at the stage to break up clumps remove quite a few leaves on transplanting, they will soon grow more along with new roots to support them. Polyanthus and primulas will benefit from an application of Dried Blood to increase plant vigour and flowering
Under glass sow seeds of antirrhinum, carnation, calendula, sweet peas, verbena and viola for planting out in Spring.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are also coming in this month and can be planted from now in good draining soil, if you think there is a chance they would sit in wet soggy soil over winter they may rot, planting can continue until September
.If young trees or shrubs need transplanting now is a good time to do it whilst they are at their most dormant stage.
Remember to continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with Frost Cloth.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed
Rose pruning is still going on here in my garden, just in case you need reminding on how to tackle pruning.... make a slanted cut just above a strong outward facing bud.
Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes. Secateurs must be sharp to avoid damage by ripping branches which leads to die back.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or straw to hold any heat which has accumulated in the center.
If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot. Leaf mulch is such natural benefit to soil which we tend to remove at leaf fall stage because it looks untidy.Rotting it down this way you can then add it to the soil and it will not be noticed.
At this time of the year I make a few trips to the Waireaka sale yards to the Waireaka Valley Lions Club sawdust and sheep manure stand, volunteers clean out calving sheds and under shearing sheds to keep the stand topped up for keen gardeners. I use the calving shed sawdust on garden pathways and the sheep manure on the compost heaps, on the vegetable garden and around the roses when horse manure is not at hand. Sawdust can be used on wet gardens as a weed suppressant and it helps to absorb excess moisture, but on dry gardens it will dry out soil already not retaining moisture.
Vegetables
In land start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in glass houses or under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going mouldy.
On the coast plant seedling plants that are now on offer along with garlic cloves.
Comfrey
I have long known the advantages of growing comfrey but have lately been reading up on it again, it is such a useful plant and if you can get your hands on some I suggest you plant some root sections in an area of your garden where it can spread. Comfrey needs to be planted where it can send it's roots very deep down into the soil so it can tap into much needed nutrients. It is fast growing, high in potassium and can be cut back again and again. I have listed below some uses for comfrey around the garden.
Compost activator, add to your compost bin to heat up the decomposing materials and enriches the compost.
Put a handful of comfrey leaves into a bucket of rainwater and let them rot down for around 6 weeks to give you a rich liquid fertilizer for plants. Lay comfrey leaves in a potato trench and leave for 3 days prior to planting the tubers to give them a potassium rich boost of fertiliser.
Use as a Comfrey leaf mulch around plants, by layering leaves around the stems of plants. Potassium will slowly be released to the plants as the leaves break down – Great for tomatoes, beans and fruit bushes.
Use wilted leaves as a nutrient rich Chicken feed
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 4 July 2011
Wow, how about these hard frosts we are now getting. The brilliant days that follow give us here on the coast at least half a day to work in the garden after the thaw. No such luck further inland with frozen ground, the perfect garden planning time to be a step ahead before spring.
Rose pruning continues here in my garden, still time to get this task done. The time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time buds break.
The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now, continue planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.
Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start.
Make sure to read the labels to know how high and wide a shrub and tree will grow, some, like natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade. When planting along side the house ask advice.
Compost heaps work much more slowly than in the summer but there is still some decomposing going on if there is adequate moisture and covered to keep warmer than cold winter nights. Old carpet underlay or straw are good for this
Boost bedding plants with fish based fertiliser or a little dried blood.to encourage buds during these sunny winter days.
Fruit & Veg.
Finish planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears.
Frosty sites are no disadvantage for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.
Continue to shelter citrus in frosty gardens, they should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now ( marmalade sounds good )
In cold areas start garlic off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.
Cheers, Linda
Rose pruning continues here in my garden, still time to get this task done. The time by which rose pruning should be completed varies by several weeks from the warmest to coldest gardens. It should be done and dusted by the time buds break.
The bulk of new seasons bare rooted deciduous trees are arriving into retail shops now, continue planting but avoid times when the ground is frozen or excessively wet. Young deciduous trees and shrubs can also be moved at this time, trim damaged roots and cut back any that are inconveniently long.
Evergreen trees and shrubs are on offer as well, but don't be in a hurry to plant them. Keep in bags outside in a sheltered place to harden off, they can sit like this and be planted out at the end of winter. Choose now and plant later to give them a good start.
Make sure to read the labels to know how high and wide a shrub and tree will grow, some, like natives grow fast and when mature will throw considerable shade. When planting along side the house ask advice.
Compost heaps work much more slowly than in the summer but there is still some decomposing going on if there is adequate moisture and covered to keep warmer than cold winter nights. Old carpet underlay or straw are good for this
Boost bedding plants with fish based fertiliser or a little dried blood.to encourage buds during these sunny winter days.
Fruit & Veg.
Finish planting deciduous fruit trees and bushes in a sunny site, avoid frosty hollows for early starters such as plums and pears.
Frosty sites are no disadvantage for soft fruits as winter chills will stimulate fruit buds.
Continue to shelter citrus in frosty gardens, they should be offering a lot of fruit to pick now ( marmalade sounds good )
In cold areas start garlic off in containers and plant out later when the ground warms up.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 21st June 2011
The shortest day has been and gone and still there is growth happening here on the coast in North Otago, although I have noticed this week that grass is looking duller, and reacting as it should at this time of the year to the colder days and nights.
The lime sulphur went on the roses in the weekend and this week I started pruning some of my bush roses. Only bushes that lost their leaves some time ago, others that still look a little soft I will leave until well into July.
I am sure further inland it is winter as it should be and rose pruning will be well under way.
If pruning old established rose bushes have a wire brush with you to work on the old gnarled wood which happens in the center of a bush after many years of pruning. Working vigorously with a wire brush will help to stimulate the still active wood below and it may push out new buds, it is worth the effort.
Prune out any inward facing branches at an outward facing bud or swelling to open the bush up then prune back all remaining branches at an out ward facing bud two or three buds from the bottom of the branch depending on the strength of the branch. Remove all weak spindly little branches, they will never produce flowers. Mulch with manure enriched compost but remember to keep it back from the trunk wood of rose bushes as it can cause rot when when the ground is wet for long periods.
The hellebore's (Winter roses) are starting to send up flowers, I removed all the old leaves from mine which really shows the pretty flowers off. There are a lot of hellebore seedlings growing around the main plants, I leave the very small first year ones but dig out and transplant seedlings from year before. These second year seedlings will take another few years to flower and look best in mass plantings. Hellebore's like to be planted in damp soil and semi shade, they do wonderfully well planted around rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.
My large pile of mulch / compost is going down at last! and the garden is looking tidier covered in mulch ready for the pea straw. I have had the hose out again soaking dry areas before applying mulch, we seem to miss out on the rain that is promised and I notice a few plants are showing signs of being dry. Keep an eye on shallow rooted shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias, they are budding up now so their roots need to be moist and well mulched to stop buds and leaves browning off.
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 along with diagrams which I hope will be easy to follow starting with the most planted fruit tree.
How To Prune Apple Trees
First, fruit is produced from shoots which are in their second (or later) year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance (roughly half and half) between side shoots produced this year and side shoots produced last year.
This will provide a crop of apples in the current year and sufficient shoots for next year's crop.
Second, when you prune during winter (while the tree is dormant), this will invigorate the tree, causing it to grow more during the following season. If you prune during summer this will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season. Spring pruning has an effect somewhere between winter and summer pruning.
The first pruning should occur immediately after planting (normally June / July) - make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. The examples below show pruning starting at a one year old tree.
PRUNE A ONE YEAR OLD TREE
A one year old tree should be pruned immediately after planting - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp pair of secateurs.
Before cutting, make sure that the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher, above the fourth bud.
PRUNE A TWO YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. The light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third - see the thick black lines.
When pruning, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in the spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree.
PRUNE A THREE YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. Pruning is similar to the two-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
PRUNE A FOUR YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June until August Pruning is the similar to the three-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned unless it is diseased. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
A five year old 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. I will write about stone fruit pruning next week.
Cheers, Linda
The lime sulphur went on the roses in the weekend and this week I started pruning some of my bush roses. Only bushes that lost their leaves some time ago, others that still look a little soft I will leave until well into July.
I am sure further inland it is winter as it should be and rose pruning will be well under way.
If pruning old established rose bushes have a wire brush with you to work on the old gnarled wood which happens in the center of a bush after many years of pruning. Working vigorously with a wire brush will help to stimulate the still active wood below and it may push out new buds, it is worth the effort.
Prune out any inward facing branches at an outward facing bud or swelling to open the bush up then prune back all remaining branches at an out ward facing bud two or three buds from the bottom of the branch depending on the strength of the branch. Remove all weak spindly little branches, they will never produce flowers. Mulch with manure enriched compost but remember to keep it back from the trunk wood of rose bushes as it can cause rot when when the ground is wet for long periods.
The hellebore's (Winter roses) are starting to send up flowers, I removed all the old leaves from mine which really shows the pretty flowers off. There are a lot of hellebore seedlings growing around the main plants, I leave the very small first year ones but dig out and transplant seedlings from year before. These second year seedlings will take another few years to flower and look best in mass plantings. Hellebore's like to be planted in damp soil and semi shade, they do wonderfully well planted around rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.
My large pile of mulch / compost is going down at last! and the garden is looking tidier covered in mulch ready for the pea straw. I have had the hose out again soaking dry areas before applying mulch, we seem to miss out on the rain that is promised and I notice a few plants are showing signs of being dry. Keep an eye on shallow rooted shrubs like rhododendrons and camellias, they are budding up now so their roots need to be moist and well mulched to stop buds and leaves browning off.
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 along with diagrams which I hope will be easy to follow starting with the most planted fruit tree.
How To Prune Apple Trees
First, fruit is produced from shoots which are in their second (or later) year. One of the aims of pruning is to produce a balance (roughly half and half) between side shoots produced this year and side shoots produced last year.
This will provide a crop of apples in the current year and sufficient shoots for next year's crop.
Second, when you prune during winter (while the tree is dormant), this will invigorate the tree, causing it to grow more during the following season. If you prune during summer this will cause the tree to grow less during that growing season. Spring pruning has an effect somewhere between winter and summer pruning.
The first pruning should occur immediately after planting (normally June / July) - make sure you know if you have a one or two year old tree. The examples below show pruning starting at a one year old tree.
PRUNE A ONE YEAR OLD TREE
A one year old tree should be pruned immediately after planting - cut off the top half of the trunk with a sharp pair of secateurs.
Before cutting, make sure that the bottom half contains at least four buds or formed branches. If not, make the cut higher, above the fourth bud.
PRUNE A TWO YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. The light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third - see the thick black lines.
When pruning, cut just above an outward facing bud - this bud will then produce a side shoot in the spring which will grow away from the centre of the tree.
PRUNE A THREE YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June / August. Pruning is similar to the two-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
PRUNE A FOUR YEAR OLD TREE
Prune from June until August Pruning is the similar to the three-year old tree - the light grey coloured parts of the tree show growth in the previous year, this should not be pruned unless it is diseased. The black coloured side shoots should all be pruned by a third.
Always prune to just above an outward facing bud.
A five year old 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. I will write about stone fruit pruning next week.
Cheers, Linda
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Gardening in North Otago 1st June 2011
This is a good time to give thought to improving the look of your garden while trees are bare and gardens are clear of full growth.
Don't cling to plants, shrubs or trees that are past their best. If they look like they are past it they probably are. Remove them and replace the spot with something fresh and worth looking at.
If you are worried about leaving a gap and lack of privacy you can always fill the gap with manuka screening until the replacement grows to the required size.
It is also time to look at the shape of trees now that the leaves are gone, remove lower branches if you think the tree would look better with more trunk showing and check young trees are not sporting double trunks. Cross over branches should be removed and if there are two branches doing the same job remove the lower branch of the two and any weak spindly growth. Some trees like silver pear and crab apples can get get a mass of branches in the center going in every direction, they look so good once they have been thinned out.
If you need to remove large branches it is important to cut at the right place and leave the basal collar in tact, ( a slanted cut leaving a short portion of the branch at the base of the trunk) as this contains cells which will seal the wound from disease.
Slim straight branches are perfect to feed through a wood mulcher , once turned into wood chip mulch they can be put back onto the garden.
If you are finding small native trees popping up around your garden which you know were not planted by you, you can be sure the birds have planted the seeds. I have them every where, now is a good time to shift these if you have room for them, or pot them up and give them to someone planting a native area.
With the mild days we are experiencing I am noticing a lot of soft new growth in our garden, all sorts of spring bulbs and annual self seeded plants are flowering out of season, it is a shame that they will suffer when frost's finally arrive, this I feel will be a year for the use of frost cloth. I will be protecting plants like forget me not, polyanthus, pansy, anemone's and ranunculus until they harden off and get used to severe frosts, once hardened off a little they will handle colder nights.
The mulch is still going on gardens here, this also helps to keep the ground warmer and moisture in as well as adding food and humus to the garden.
Leucodendrons are taking center stage now, they are wonderful for picking once fully hardened and will last for months picked and put in a vase, just the thing when there is not lot else to pick.
leucodendrons are easy to grow in the conditions they prefer, being full sun, good draining acid soil and staked and protected from strong winds until established. They will grow on dry banks and rough area's as long as they do not have to compete with grass and weeds. Leucodendrons resent any type of fertiliser and once planted and growing will die if shifted.
There are leucodendrons which grow very large, low spreaders which look great spilling over walls, low bushy types and they all add wonderful colour to a dull winter garden.
Vegetables & Fruit
Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans.
Winter is also the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns so prepare the ground with rich composted now, get them planted and established and in no time you can make rhubarb crumble and asparagus rolls.
Black current bushes should have as much of the old dark shoot removed leaving only the light coloured smooth vigorous young growth.
Red currents will not fruit on new wood so older wood should be kept for 3 years just cut out the odd old branch yearly to encourage a few new replacements.
Give all current bushes a good two hand fulls of bonemeal or blood and bone in spring to ensure a good crop of fruit.
Cheers, Linda
Don't cling to plants, shrubs or trees that are past their best. If they look like they are past it they probably are. Remove them and replace the spot with something fresh and worth looking at.
If you are worried about leaving a gap and lack of privacy you can always fill the gap with manuka screening until the replacement grows to the required size.
It is also time to look at the shape of trees now that the leaves are gone, remove lower branches if you think the tree would look better with more trunk showing and check young trees are not sporting double trunks. Cross over branches should be removed and if there are two branches doing the same job remove the lower branch of the two and any weak spindly growth. Some trees like silver pear and crab apples can get get a mass of branches in the center going in every direction, they look so good once they have been thinned out.
If you need to remove large branches it is important to cut at the right place and leave the basal collar in tact, ( a slanted cut leaving a short portion of the branch at the base of the trunk) as this contains cells which will seal the wound from disease.
Slim straight branches are perfect to feed through a wood mulcher , once turned into wood chip mulch they can be put back onto the garden.
If you are finding small native trees popping up around your garden which you know were not planted by you, you can be sure the birds have planted the seeds. I have them every where, now is a good time to shift these if you have room for them, or pot them up and give them to someone planting a native area.
With the mild days we are experiencing I am noticing a lot of soft new growth in our garden, all sorts of spring bulbs and annual self seeded plants are flowering out of season, it is a shame that they will suffer when frost's finally arrive, this I feel will be a year for the use of frost cloth. I will be protecting plants like forget me not, polyanthus, pansy, anemone's and ranunculus until they harden off and get used to severe frosts, once hardened off a little they will handle colder nights.
The mulch is still going on gardens here, this also helps to keep the ground warmer and moisture in as well as adding food and humus to the garden.
Leucodendrons are taking center stage now, they are wonderful for picking once fully hardened and will last for months picked and put in a vase, just the thing when there is not lot else to pick.
leucodendrons are easy to grow in the conditions they prefer, being full sun, good draining acid soil and staked and protected from strong winds until established. They will grow on dry banks and rough area's as long as they do not have to compete with grass and weeds. Leucodendrons resent any type of fertiliser and once planted and growing will die if shifted.
There are leucodendrons which grow very large, low spreaders which look great spilling over walls, low bushy types and they all add wonderful colour to a dull winter garden.
Vegetables & Fruit
Keep planting out seedling veg plants, board beans.
Winter is also the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns so prepare the ground with rich composted now, get them planted and established and in no time you can make rhubarb crumble and asparagus rolls.
Black current bushes should have as much of the old dark shoot removed leaving only the light coloured smooth vigorous young growth.
Red currents will not fruit on new wood so older wood should be kept for 3 years just cut out the odd old branch yearly to encourage a few new replacements.
Give all current bushes a good two hand fulls of bonemeal or blood and bone in spring to ensure a good crop of fruit.
Cheers, Linda
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
North Otago Gardening May 25th 2011
Hi Terry & Frances,
I am in Ch Ch on Saturday with our little boys, just ring my mobile 0274430256.
Such a lovely mellow time of the year, I have done a heap of work in the garden this week.
Last week we had a truck load of the mulch from pukeuri freezing works as we do each year, I use my compost first then the mulch on top, it's just right for our garden.
Once all the autumn leaves and annual weeds have been removed from gardens I shovel this compost on thickly over beds. I use on all gardens, it looks great and suppresses weeds.
When I locate some pea straw I will spread over the compost on all gardens other than the gardens I mass plant with annual flowers. I plant the annuals straight into this mulch and they do well.
Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs need to be exposed exposed to bake in the sun so keep compost and mulch off them.
I have been shifting bigger shrubs that I wrenched in March , our garden gets carried away from time to time and tries to out grow the size allotted to it!! some shrubs I planted and thought at the time, I could keep them shaped to fit the space, however after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size for the spot, I dig them up and give them a ride in the wheel barrow. I have made complete new garden rooms by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a garden up allowing room for pathways, seating or a statue or pot on a graveled or paved area.
Don't be worried by 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 which will stop leggy growth and encourage optimum flowering.
This is a great time to make new perennial beds or reorganise existing beds.Every year perennial clumps increase in size, lift overgrown or stagnant clumps and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants are best reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction in size, lift the cut portion out without disturbing the plant remaining.
I have been doing this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm and rockery plants.
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.
Some plants, peonie roses for instance, definitely resent any disturbance and a few others, such as gerberas, should only be moved in spring. hellebores are another group to leave alone now, as they are winter flowering. I have been cutting back the old leaves from my hellebores and will liquid feed fortnightly until buds begin to colour. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to the clumps.
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 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 & fruit
Apples are dripping from trees, it has been a good ripening season, it is best to pick apples for storing when not too ripe.
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.
Garlic again, such a used clove in today's cooking, I go through so much of it. Any time from late May until August plant garlic cloves in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Select large single cloves and plant 5cm deep and 20cm apart.
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 over long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.
Cheers, Linda
I am in Ch Ch on Saturday with our little boys, just ring my mobile 0274430256.
Such a lovely mellow time of the year, I have done a heap of work in the garden this week.
Last week we had a truck load of the mulch from pukeuri freezing works as we do each year, I use my compost first then the mulch on top, it's just right for our garden.
Once all the autumn leaves and annual weeds have been removed from gardens I shovel this compost on thickly over beds. I use on all gardens, it looks great and suppresses weeds.
When I locate some pea straw I will spread over the compost on all gardens other than the gardens I mass plant with annual flowers. I plant the annuals straight into this mulch and they do well.
Bearded Iris rhizomes and freesia bulbs need to be exposed exposed to bake in the sun so keep compost and mulch off them.
I have been shifting bigger shrubs that I wrenched in March , our garden gets carried away from time to time and tries to out grow the size allotted to it!! some shrubs I planted and thought at the time, I could keep them shaped to fit the space, however after a while I get fed up with trying to keep them the right size for the spot, I dig them up and give them a ride in the wheel barrow. I have made complete new garden rooms by shifting tall front plantings to the back which opens a garden up allowing room for pathways, seating or a statue or pot on a graveled or paved area.
Don't be worried by 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 which will stop leggy growth and encourage optimum flowering.
This is a great time to make new perennial beds or reorganise existing beds.Every year perennial clumps increase in size, lift overgrown or stagnant clumps and replant some of the youngest growths from the perimeter. Healthy vigorous plants are best reduced by putting a sharp spade in where you would like a reduction in size, lift the cut portion out without disturbing the plant remaining.
I have been doing this with asters, phlox, aurbretia, small grass's, hosta's, and herbs like sage, thyme and lemon balm and rockery plants.
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.
Some plants, peonie roses for instance, definitely resent any disturbance and a few others, such as gerberas, should only be moved in spring. hellebores are another group to leave alone now, as they are winter flowering. I have been cutting back the old leaves from my hellebores and will liquid feed fortnightly until buds begin to colour. Further in land it would be advisable to leave some top growth on to give frost protection to the clumps.
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 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 & fruit
Apples are dripping from trees, it has been a good ripening season, it is best to pick apples for storing when not too ripe.
Continue planting strawberry plants, raising the beds where drainage is suspect and adding manure rich compost to the beds.
Garlic again, such a used clove in today's cooking, I go through so much of it. Any time from late May until August plant garlic cloves in warm, well-drained sites where soil has been recently limed. Select large single cloves and plant 5cm deep and 20cm apart.
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 over long side branches back to a weak twig to discourage further spread.
Cheers, Linda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
