Gardening in North Otago December 21st 2020

This column will be short because Christmas is but a couple of days away and I am sure gardening will only come into play when it is time to dig the potatoes and carrots and pick the peas for Christmas dinner. What a treat to harvest your own produce, so worth all the work that goes into growing veg. In the flower gardens: Watering to keep gardens going will be needed over the festive season, a good deep soak will be kept longer in the soil if mulch is layered on top of bare damp soil. Mulch on hand could be compost mixed with grass clippings or Arborist mulched green waste, sometimes referred to as forest floor, even hedge trimmings or foliage cut back from plants or shrubs layered among plants will keep moister there longer and the hot sun from baking soil. This would be especially handy if going away for a break. Fruit trees are needing moisture to plump up fruit so a good soaking now and then and mulch if possible will ensure good crops. In the veg Garden: It is a shame that this very hot time of the year is when most head off for a break needing to leave produce at it's best behind in the veg garden. I grow a lot of stock plants in pot's and trays which I need to hold from drying out if I head off for a few days. I have found soaking them and then shading with shade cloth keeps them from drying out too soon. This could also work with veg plots, a good deep soak then shade created to stop that baking sun. Pumpkin plants are well on now so water needs kept up to them until enough large tough leaves have grown to shade roots. Corn should be putting on good growth as well, mulching around corn roots after a good soak will encourage good strong growth. Tomato plants will need supported, leaves removed to let light into over crowded plants and tunnel and glass house doors remain open to let insects in to fertilise flowers. Garlic will be ready to harvest if it was planted on the shortest day you will know garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom two leaves have died and a third is also showing signs of browning off, some green leaves will remain so once pulled from the ground leave the top green growth attached, tie into bunches and hang until all green tops have dried into the cloves. I wish you all a joy filled Christmas and a happy and safe 2021. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in north Otago December 9th 2020

Rain then wind, rain then wind!!! hoses are not put away.I had a couple of days in Wanaka this week having Nana time with grandies, then back to the garden again on Thursday.I know all gardeners will be finding there is so much to be cut back in the garden, plants like tree peony which doubles in size each growing season. Don't let tree peony swamp your garden and smother other plants. When finished flowering the older woody canes can be cut out. By doing this now seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants I have had to cut back are bush lavatera's, English abutilon, ornamental broom, and false Valerian. These will all grow back soon and look a lot nicer, some will flower again. Keep deadheading roses, don't just cut the flower off, cut at an outward facing bud on a lower section of the branch strong enough to support a new flower. Begonias are really pushing through now and I see that I have lost a few that I left in the ground from last year. I did dig and store some of them over the winter which I am now glad about. The food begonias most appreciate is any fish based fertiliser, as a folia spray or watered in around their roots. Hydrangeas are producing flower heads now so it is important to keep the water and food up to them, old stable manure, blood and bone, dry, liquid or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy and flowering well. Remember it's lime for pink and Epsom salts or aluminum sulphate to keep them blue.  Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot and they soon become bushy and to fill a pot. Tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias now, if you spot some you like in a friends garden ask for some cuttings. I break a cutting off at a heel or a bud section, remove some of the top growth and push into firm wet river sand.Tip cuttings cuttings from Hebe's will also root with no trouble in river sand .  Abutilon (Chinese lantern: If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try Abutilon (Chinese lantern, they come in three strong colours, yellow, orange, burgundy and white. I planted yellow and burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass's below, being a rather spindly plant I intertwined them and they now look like one bush. If trained against a wall leave some longer branches and shorten back others to get a good cover of flowers.  Peony roses: What a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they have been fantastic this year or am I just seeing more in peoples gardens? The brilliant shades and very large blooms fill many vases I am sure. Remove seed pods once blooms have finished to stop plants putting effort into making seed. Low hanging tree branches: With the weight of rain not so long ago I could see which branches need lifting on large deciduous trees, if left they will cast too much shade over surrounding plants. It's the lower branches that can be removed without making the tree look as though it has been cut. The upper branches will hide the cuts, so any branch growing downwards with a canopy branch directly above it can be cut back or removed altogether.  Lawns: keep lawn food on hand for the next good rain, lawns get really stressed from now on as the heat of the day intensifies. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, apply gypsum ( soluble lime) and water in. After a couple of years of doing this your lawns will have a spring back in them. Gypsum works it's way through the clay and makes it become more like soil. Vegetables: The days are warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is STILL not a problem in our garden, long may it last. I had bad luck with the runner beans planted directly into the ground before labor weekend, they popped up then were eaten off I am guessing by snails / slugs!. So more beans have been planted but this time into trays to be transplanted when big enough to make a start on climbing up the frame. But, yes I know the slugs & snails will be waiting so I will make beer traps out of empty plastic fiz bottles by cutting the bottles with the lid in place through the middle, bury the lidded half in the ground and fill with beer, cut door opening in the other half for snails & slugs to slide in, then force the other half with door opening on top. The bottom of the bottle will be the roof to keep the rain out. Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants by allowing more nutrients to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible for pollination, try it and see if you get a better crop. The cooler nights tend to upset tomato plants, leaves become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight. Another recipe!!  Comfrey liquid fertiliser. With its deep taproot, and large root system, comfrey pulls its nutrients from way down in the subsoil, where most other plants can't reach. Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big 3, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. In fact, it becomes a good source of nitrogen. And it has more potassium than composted manure.Comfrey leaves decompose down to a black liquid over a 6 week period. Pick and break up as many leaves as you can harvest, place in the bottom of a large container, weigh down with a rock and within 6 weeks the leaves will have decomposed into a thick  black liquid. Dilute to 1 part comfrey liquid to 15 parts water, dilute more when using on seedlings. ( let me know if you would like comfrey to start a patch)   Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago December 7th 2020

Rain, rain fantastic rain, gardens and pastures will be singing this Monday as I write. Does the cutting back NEVER end? It's getting rid of it all that creates a problem for most people, however at this time of the year the cut back growth is soft and with the help of daily heat will break down in heaps or on the compost so pile it up until it all reduces, then cart it off. Gaps left can be built up with fresh compost and planted out in summer annuals. Catmint edging can be cut right back now, it will grow back and flower again and lavender needs to be trimmed when it has finished flowering to stop it going leggy. English lavender is worth cutting, bunching and hanging once stems have firmed, it will continue to give off that lovely fresh lavender fragrance right through the year until it flowers again next summer if kept inside. Rhododendrons finished flowering need spent flowers removed before they make seed, impossible to do on very large bushes but beneficial to smaller bushes as you want them to put growth into the bush not seeds. There is a point on a spent flower that when bent will break cleanly without damaging new growth. Roses: will have enjoyed the rain but remove rain damaged buds and blooms, if left they will encourage fungus during humid weather. roses need dry sunny days to flower at their best. Lilies will be enjoying moisture in the ground, lilies cannot cope with dry ground but like most plants will rot if water logged. Hedge trimming : Ivy that has romped away can be trimmed right back now before it sets flowers then seeds because every ivy seed will germinate easily. Hedge trimming is on going here for a while when new growth has stopped. Storing dried Herbs: Herbs should be harvested when flavor and aroma oils are at their peak, before they flower. Harvest early in the morning after the dew dries and before the heat of the day. Herbs must be completely dry when cut and bundled for drying to rub and store, any moisture will result in mold. Drying herbs is well worth the effort as a summer harvest and drying can amount to enough mixed herbs to last all year, as well as a gift to others. Culinary herbs to dry: rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, basil, chives, parsley, oregano, tarragon, nasturtium (leaves and flowers) Fruit: black currents, raspberries and gooseberries are all wanting continuous sunny days , removed any strawberries showing signs of rot and large top leaves to let more air and light in but they need to have a net cover if exposed to birds. Vegetable garden: Weeds as well as veg are romping away but are easy to pull while the soil is damp, again get rid of any veg rotting and when time and weather allows work ground with a hoe to get air in. Keep potatoes mounded, not long now to dig for Christmas dinner along with peas, board beans, carrots, beetroot and lettuce, produce so good from your own garden to the table.

Gardening in North Otago December 1st 2020

December and it's dead heading roses time again, I have been laying the rose petals out on a trestle table to dry for potpourri. The fragrance  as they dry is wonderful, It is 6 weeks from cutting from the bush to new bud at this time of the year.I have found old hellebore leaves that had not been removed loaded in green fly!! I will cut every last one out and dispose of so the green fly does not fly off onto my waiting roses. It is so important right now to keep the water up to the roses, constant feeding and deep soaking at the roots will keep them healthy and not in need of spraying. A rose that is struggling will be susceptible to everything bad. Night beetles are on the wing again, newly planted young trees are the worst targeted... these beetles can strip leaves right off, If this happens don't be alarmed because another lot of leaves will soon grow.  Night beetles usually sleep through the day under a tree they are feeding on. Get rid of weeds like biddy bid, while seeds are still green, wherever you see it pull it out, don't let the seeds ripen and drop.  Convolvulus is a battle here for me, popping up through plants everywhere, every winter I make an effort to get to the roots while the garden is resting but it still pops up. Some gardeners have had success with soaking long convolvulus runners in weed spray solution which should kill well down through that network of roots. Fat-hen is another weed that spreads quickly, it will be ripe now needing to be pulled before seeds drop. Flag iris have flowered now so large clumps can be broken up and transplanted in a sunny spot. Prepare the bed by digging in fresh compost and some lime then plant, leaving half the rhizome (root) exposed to bake in the sun over summer. Long leaves can be cut half way back to reduce transpiration while reestablishing.　 Bulbs: While you can still see where spring bulbs have been cover them with mulch to stop them drying out over summer, Weed free compost is fine then you can plant annuals on top to fill gaps. If large clumps of bulbs flowered poorly this is a good time to break them up and plant out into smaller groups using fresh compost to give them a good start. Montana clematis have finished flowering but wait a little longer before trimming back because they have not finished their new growth spurt, if you trim now you will have to do it all over again in a couple of weeks. However wisterias can be dealt with now, if your wisteria has nice strong flowering hardwood branches that flower well then no prunning will be required, remove all the new long trailers, some of these, if left will in time grow into hard wood branches. A wisteria is like a climbing tree and will take over and out grow its place in no time and become very heavy if you let too many leaders grow. Lawns: are suffering with new growth being starved of moisture then scorched in heat. Keep the mower blade up a little higher and mow in the cooler part of the day to help with recovery. Mow without the catcher sometimes and give deep watering's rather than a light sprinkle. If spraying lawn weeds add liquid fertiliser and feed the grass at the same time, don't use sprayed grass clippings around the garden or in compost, spray containers have printed information on how long the with- holding time is.  Herbs: Culinary herbs are the original cut-and-come-again crop, if you grow them get snipping and picking. The plants really will benefit from it, and you'll have wonderful flavours to add to dishes fresh or dried. Most herbs and leafy plants naturally want to create seeds, and once they get to that stage, it means the end of herbs like parsley, chives or basil. So pick leaves early and often to encourage the plant to put out more foliage and prevent it from running to seed. It may be cheating Nature but it extends the life of your plants. I pick and dry, laying fresh herbs on newspaper in a warm, dry place until dry and crisp. Rubbing is next, remove stems, bottle and store.  Vegetables: Don't feed leaf veg now or have the soil too rich, they will put out too much soft growth and bolt, all that is needed is moisture when dry.  Organic insect spray: I am experimenting with some  plant concoctions to keep the white butterfly and aphids away. Organic bug spray1/2 cup hot peppers, diced, 6 cloves garlic, peeled, 2 cups water, Blast in a food processor,strain, add 2 teaspoons liquid soap (without bleach) Fill a plastic spray bottle and mist spray affected plants. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in North Otago November 18th 2020

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

Gardening in North Otago 10th November 2020

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

Gardening in North Otago November 3rd 2020

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