Gardening in Waitaki January 25th 2022

We have had a reprieve from the heat this week, a shock to our systems and the garden I am sure. I have divided clumps of violas now finished flowering, dig up part of a large clump and basically pull it to bits planting  sections with roots into pots ,by the start of next winter the small pots will be filled with roots, new leaves and buds ready to be planted out.The same for pollyanthus  and  primulas, break up clumps; plant out only fresh new growth and throw away knotted old spent roots.Drifts of blue and white agapanthus are putting on a great show around town, once finished flowering clumps can be dug up  (if clumps are manageable enough to do this) then pull off small rooted sections and plant out on their own using fresh compost to get roots going again. Agapanthus are great gap fillers in new gardens, they can always be removed as you fill your garden with permanent plants. Cut back border and rockery perennials as they finish flowering, to get superior blooms on gerberas, dahlias and delphiniums dead head and give fortnightly feeds of liquid fertiliser, remove excess buds from large flowering chrysanthemum, they will be flowering soon.The ground will be getting hungry now so give areas opened up after a cutting back a good soak then top up with compost to encourage spreading plants to make new roots.  Resist the urge shift shrubs, they would suffer by being shifted at this time of the year if water was not kept up to them. Best to wait until the end of Autumn when sap is down. If large shrubs are needing to be shifted, wrench them now in readiness to lift them at the right time. Wrenching is when one half of the roots are dug around and lifted, then compost is added. Keep water up once roots have been cut or disturbed and the wrenched shrub / tree will survive with being fed from the remaining untouched roots while at the same time the other half is making new roots into the compost. Seeds: with all the hot weather there are plenty of ripe seeds to be had from foxgloves, Poppy's, dianthus, lupin, marigold, sweet pea, lavender, snapdragon, even rhododendron and azalea. Store them in brown paper bags in a dry place( where mice cannot get at them) and plant into seed raising mix at the end of next winter. Mulching of the soil is beneficial right now but always apply mulch to ground that has been well soaked then you can forget about watering for a while because the mulch will do the job of keeping moisture in the ground. Un-sprayed grass clippings mixed with compost as a mulch around plant roots works well. Lawns:  If you are thinking of sowing lawn this autumn, prepare the ground soon by spraying out perennial weeds then rotary hoe the area to ensure there will be no hard pan. Firm and create an even service by raking and more raking to create a fine top layer to sow seed when dews start again. Warm ground and gentle watering will have the seed struck in no time. Leave fertilising until the lawn is really established, new grass will burn easily.  Veg and Fruit Vegetable gardens will be well picked over by now, keep the water up to corn and pumpkins to ensure a juicy crop, they both need a long ripening season. Dig out old spent strawberry plants that have finished cropping and discard, Plants that are being kept for another season should have runners cut off now to preserve the strength of the main clumps. Transplant the runners closest to the mother plant and keep the water up until they make roots. Apple trees are producing well this year and the birds will have a ball as they ripen. If there are too many apples in clusters remove some that can be reached, wind will take care of the weak and small.  Plumbs are ripening well and late peaches are coming on. Time to cover grapes, the birds are waiting to feast.  Cheers, Linda 

Gardening in Waitaki January 19th 2022

Seed collecting:

I would imagine many people are still in holiday mode and long may it last......it would be great if the lawns and garden followed suit, however it is so good to get the rain this week to keep gardens fresh. Weeds are loving the perfect growing conditions also, if you need to spray, wait until the end of a hot day when weeds are thirsty and bee's are fewer. The summer cut back, with the continual growth and with garden maintenance being all about keeping plants and shrubs under control, cutting back will still be in full swing in gardens and once a plant has finished flowering there should be seed heads to save. Seed collecting starts now, I select beautiful annuals and perennials and let a part of them go to seed for collecting when fully ripe, then store seed pods to pop out into brown paper bags. So far I have aquilegia, poppies, dianthus, pansy, viola, and polyanthus still waiting on delphiniums, peonies, iris, and many more treasures to fully ripen. Seeds can be planted during Autumn then the germinated seedlings will need to be nursed through winter. Agapanthus, hydrangeas and roses are all giving good displays around waitaki with the heat and moisture, as are, rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas, these along with hydrangeas all do best in semi shade and moist soil so summer rains have been perfect for them. They would all benefit from a dressing of blood and bone watered in when a good soak is needed. Lawns will be enjoying the heat and moisture as well which means catcher after catcher full. Grass cuttings are good humus to soil so cover bare ground as a mulch to conserve moisture and to block out the light needed for weeds to grow. Fruit: So many fruits are ripening now, black currants and raspberries to freeze, strawberries have been disappointing but apricots and plums are ripening well. Apple and pear trees are layden to the point where thinning out of bunches will be necessary if the wind does not take care of it. Vegetable gardens should still be producing well, I have a slug problem because I kept the garden too moist so will leave it up to the rain from now on. Beans are plentiful and Corn and pumpkins are putting on good growth which is important because they both need a long ripening season. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki January 2nd 2022

A happy gardening New Year to all.  Experiencing some long sunny days with rain from time to time, perfect holiday weather. Roses: Moisture and humidity may be proving a problem this summer, rose buds browning before blooming but roses are enjoying the deep moisture from the summer rain. Cut all affected buds and leaves off and destroy them while dead heading,  All roses should have a summer pruning after their first flowering, cut a spent flower stem down to an out facing bud on a thick part of stem. It takes no time at all for new leaves and buds to grow back. Cut back summer flowering perennials and shrubs to encourage continuous flowering, daisy bushes, delphiniums, lavaterias, dianthus, lupins and herbs before they all go to seed then feed with slow release or a liquid fertiliser, they will all come back fresh and most will flower again. Cut chrysanthemums back if getting tall and lanky, they should then flower in the autumn on shorter steams. Push a few of the tip growth into river sand and they should root to be planted once clumped up. Foliar feeding is very important to encourage fresh new growth after cutting back anything at this dry time of the year. Fill gaps in the flower garden with annuals.  Front planting full sun: impatiens, small type petunias, begonia, small marigolds, lobelia, alyssum. Mid plantings: nicotina, coriopsis, tall petunias, tall marigolds, bedding dahlia, salvia, nemesia. Tall plantings: cosmos, lavatera, sun flowers, Canterbury bells, love in the mist. Semi shade ( with good light )plantings: impatiens, bedding begonias, lobelia, Japanese anemone (perennial), foxglove. Lawns: When the next heavy rain arrives, feed the lawns and they will bounce back like fresh spring lawns.  Ponds must be topped up regularly at this time of the year because of evaporation on hot days. Ponds tend to green up a bit as the water warms. The addition of barley straw to one end of a pond is so beneficial in helping pond water clear naturally. Weigh straw down with a large rock and with the topping up and straw doing it's job the water stays clear for fish and lilies.  Herbs: Culinary herbs are putting out heaps of growth now, harvesting, tieing and drying can be done. Hang in a cool darkish place until crisp to touch then rub onto newspaper and store in sealed glass jars. Mint, bay leaves, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme work well together as mixed herbs. Fruit and veg will be maturing fast then probably bolting to seed if not picked when ready,  birds can be a problem as well, use strawberry net when needed. Gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries and  currents will be doing well now we are getting sunny days. Black currants, cut all the fruiting branches off ( they fruit on the previous year's growth) then strip berries off in a nice shady spot. This way the fruit is picked and the bush is pruned at the same time. Reduce the length of fruiting runners on grapes and remove all unproductive growth. Tomatoes need water kept up and some leaves removed to let in light, too many leaves take up nitrogen that should be used by the fruit.  Corn and pumpkins are growing well and the potatoes I thought were all top and no potatoes proved me wrong by being just the opposite, I gave them a tickle up on Christmas day and was amazed at the number and the size. Keep planting all veg , we have the best growing and ripening time ahead.   Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki December 15th 2021

Christmas eve in the garden.

This column will be short because Christmas will be but a few days away when this is published next week.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. 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 moisture 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.  veg Garden: It is a shame that at this very hot time of the year it 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 annual seedlings in pots 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 covering 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 support, only water around the roots, leaves need to stay dry. Removed leaves from the bottom to avoid soil splash which can lead to disease and a few higher up to let light into overcrowded plants. Tunnel and glass house doors can remain open to let insects come in connect with flowers for pollination. 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 dug from the ground leave the top green growth attached, plait into bunches and hang until all green tops have dried into the cloves. I wish you all a joy filled Christmas and a happy, safe 2022.  Cheers, Linda.

This will be me soon, all of you to I hope.

Gardening in Waitaki December 7th 2021

As I write rain is falling again, helping nature with the rapid growth here in North Otago, I spent last week out of town and on my return I could not believe the growth! In a week broad bean pods had filled ready for picking, strawberries ripened and potatoes and tomatoes foliage had doubled in size and trays of seedlings were ready for pricking out. I know you will be finding there is so much to be now 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 down to the second bud from the bottom leaving the new green stalks to be next year's flower branches. By doing this once flowering has finished seed pods will be cut off as well, if allowed to ripen they will pop all over your garden and grow. Other larger plants needing cut back will be 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 spoiled by rain, they will only rot on the bush if left which will encourage fungus. Cut back to an outward facing bud on a strong lower section of the branch. Peony roses what a wonderful addition to the flower garden peony roses are, they are fantastic this year and I am 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. Begonias are really pushing through now but the cold snap this week will hold them back until they get the sun heat again. 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, they are thriving in the moist soil. Heavy rain may have washed needed nutrients away, blood and bone, aged manure 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. However if soil is Alkaline blue hydrangea flowers will always colour back towards pink. Alkaline soil is referred to by some gardeners as “sweet soil.” The pH level of alkaline soil is above 7, and it usually contains a great deal of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Since alkaline soil is less soluble than acidic or neutral soil, availability of nutrients is often limited. If your soil proves to be alkaline and it is blue hydrangea flowers you want, plant them in large pots filled with an acid mix, this way they will remain blue but new acid mix will need to be added annually. Fuchsias are making a lot of growth now as well, if you missed cutting any back do it now, they will flower later than the ones you have cut back but will soon catch up .Fuchsias are on sale right now and are wonderful in pots for a shady spot. Because they put on a lot of growth in one season they soon become bushy and fill a pot. Abutilon (Chinese lantern ) If you are looking for something non invasive to make a show of colour against a wall why not try abutilon, they come in white and strong yellow, orange, burgundy and a red. I once planted yellow, burgundy and white together in a large container with nice lime green grass like lomandra lime tuff as an underplanting and it worked well. . The weight of rain makes it easy to 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 The rain keeps lawns soft and lush giving them a good start before the intense heat of summer and during rain is a good time to get dry lawn fertiliser on them. If your lawns are inclined to crack when dry they have probably been planted on clay soil, I have in the past suggested gypsum be used to break down clay soil but since giving time to study results I now know that gypsum works well on coastal soil with clay and sodium content but not on heavy clay soil inland. To rectify heavy, non draining soil add organic matter, composted, finely ground pine bark is ideal along with at least 6 inches of river sand to the top 6 inches of soil worked in. This sounds like work, I know but done over time your lawn will soon be softer and springy to walk on. Keeping the catcher higher also helps grass sown in clay hard soil, scalping lawns allows gaps to introduce weeds. Vegetables Perfect weather for vegetables and fruit this year, keep the hoe going because weeds are doing well also. The days are moist, warm and the nights a little cooler, just right for growing. I am amazed that the white butterfly is still not a problem in my veg garden! Tomatoes will be getting taller and starting to fruit now, the removal of over half the leaves on a plant will benefit your plants, more nutrients going to the fruit along with more sun to encourage flowering and allowing flowers to become more visible to insects for pollination. Try it and see if you get a better crop. Cooler nights and wet foliage going into the night tends to upset tomato plants, leaves become bluish and tend to curl causing plants to become susceptible to blight and fungus. Cheers, Linda.

Abutilon (Chinese lantern)

Gardening in Waitaki December 1st 2021

Dead heading roses.

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 cut to new bud at this time of the year. I have found old hellebore leaves that had not been removed, absolutely loaded in green fly!! Cut every last one out and dispose of them so green fly do not fly off onto your waiting roses. It is so important right now to keep the water up to 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, they can strip leaves right off, If this happens don't be alarmed because another lot of leaves will grow. Night beetles usually sleep through the day under a tree they are feeding on and you will not notice the leaves striped from the top new growth of established trees so nothing needs to be done about the night beetles on these. 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.　 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 has 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 to now, if your wisteria has nice strong flowering hard wood branches that flower well then no more will be required, remove all the new long trailers, most 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 it's place in no time and become very heavy if you let too many leaders grow. Lawns: will be suffering with new growth being 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. New lawns will need feeding and water kept up to help them to strengthen enough to cope with this summer. 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 when cooking. Most herbs and leafy plants naturally want to create seeds, and once they get to that stage, it means the end of a herb 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 and gives you handfuls of herbs to enjoy, pick bunch, hang, dry then store in glass jars. 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. I am experimenting with some plant concoctions to keep the white butterfly and aphids away. Organic bug spray 1/2 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.

Hanging fresh herbs to dry.

Gardening in Waitaki 23rd November 2021

What great spring weather, rain during nights and warmth during most days, I can almost see and hear plants growing. It is time to concentrate on the next stage of spring now, roses, peony roses, delphiniums, begonias, hydrangeas and lots of other beautiful happenings soon make us forget about spring bulbs and blossoms. Roses: Keep an eye on new rose growth, try to go a season giving them plenty of nurishment, folia and around roots to avoid spraying. If leaves develop black spot or rust, remove and destroy them before they fall to the ground. Keep food up during the flowering seasons as it's hungry roses that are more susceptible to disease. Spring bulbs and for-get-me-nots have finished flowering, tie a knot in the leaves of bulb growth rather than cut them off yet as they need to take all the top green into storage. Tulips collapse quickly and can be dug up and stored in a dry place until planting out again in May next year. Blue bells need to be left to seed if you want them to spread. They increase in the bulb but also seed successfully. I cut forget- me -not's back because they can grow back fresh green leaves and sit in nice clumps until they flower again next spring. Keep the water up to Lilies, they are making rapid growth now and the ground they are in must never dry out, stake them now before they become too heavy. Bougainvillea: If you have a bougainvillea, right now is the time to really get the water into it along with some all purpose fertiliser (not slow release) to simulate a rainy season. Once this has been done and your plant is established do not water or feed it again, they do the best flowering when they are stressed. A newly planted bougainvillea will need watered now and then to get it established but NO food, if fed often they put out leaf than those lovely coloured bracts. I have been spraying weeds again, germination from the first lot of spring weed seeds would probably have blown in on the wind, spraying will be an every three week job from now on. There are a number of organic weed sprays available, these need to be sprayed on weeds when they are small at the hottest time of the day. As I have mentioned before, the most economical weed control for small areas is good old common table salt, purchased in bulk or in kilo bags at agricultural outlets. Use it at the rate of 240 grams (about 12 heaped tablespoons) to a litre of warm or hot water to dissolve it, then spray on the foliage of weeds when conditions are dry and sunny . This works very fast on annual weeds but perennials probably needing a further salt treatment. If spraying only the foliage, at the above rates, there will be little residual damage done to soil. To make absolutely sure, give the area a good watering after the weeds have died. Lawns Lawn mowers will be mowing flat out everywhere with all this lush growth, compost bins will have been treated to many full catchers. Spray out the lawn weeds now which means clippings will need to be spread in areas where plants will not be affected by the contamination. On lawns where there are just a few flat weeds spot spray. Never spot spray weeds on lawns with anything other than a lawn weed spray which will not affect the surrounding grass. I have seen disastrous results where normal weed spray has been used to spot spray lawns which has leached from the weed into the grass leaving bald patches everywhere that need to be re-sown with grass seed. Vegetables: Keep mounding potatoes to encourage growing shoots and tuber development, mound until leaf and stalk are approximately 300 mm tall. Consistent watering is important for potatoes and all root vegetables so we should have some good crops after the rain we have had. Leafy veg tends to run to seed during hot days so no extra feeding to help them do this. Keep pumpkin, squash and zucchini plants mulched, their roots are fragile until their large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. Plant dwarf and climbing beans, home garden beans will give heavy crops to fill bags for the freezer. Orchard: Water needs to be kept up to fruit bushes and trees, strong winds tend to thin out over abundant fruit bunches on trees and birds are in waiting for fruit bushes to ripen, a net cover before this happens will keep fruit on until picked. Mulch fruit trees and bushes to retain moisture while fruit is swelling. Cheers, Linda