Gardening in Waitaki 1st February 2023

February and Children back at School. Ok, now we really are into a new working year!!! North Otago is experiencing a real summer compared to what Auckland and the far north are getting. Where they have sodden ground we are getting the opposite, I see the intense sun heat creating dry cracked ground and fields browning where irrigation is not on hand, reminiscence of past drought like summers Waitaki was known for with grain crops ripening to the point dryers were not needed. It goes without saying watering gardens during heat is a daily thing to keep moisture up to plants and lawns so it was a relief for plants I am sure for plants to be greeted this morning morning with low cloud and drizzle. In the flower garden take seed heads off anything that you do not want to spread, that goes for weeds as well, make sure you whack the seed heads off even if you don't pull them out there and then .Continue deadheading dahlias, petunias and roses to keep them bushy and flowering longer, remove stalky old growth right back to where the stem is plumper. Keep trimming hedges as they finish putting on soft new growth and either compost the trimmings if not too woody or scatter them around the garden, they are soft enough to break down at this time of the year. Hybrid clematis: It's the right time from now on to plant large flowering hybrid clematis to get roots established before winter. There are some stunning hybrid clematis on offer, huge or delicate flowers, in vibrant shades that to me have a tropical look climbing and spilling through gardens, I had a stunning claret red one in my past garden which I forgot about every year until it bloomed to surprise and please me. When planting try not to disturb the roots, fungus spray on roots and growth will help eliminate the wilt problem some clematis suffer from. Sprinkle a little lime around the drip line to sweeten soil. Lawns Heat slows down growth if grass is not fed and watered regularly and weeds ramp up growth in dry lawns, leaving the catcher off now and then helps shade grass roots and covers gaps where weeds want to settle. I fertilise lawns during rain which adds nutrients when clippings are left or spread on gardens or composted. Grass grub beetles lay eggs in grass over summer and their grubs start feeding on grass roots this month until May. Grubs can be eradicated with products available while grubs are near the surface but after May they stop feeding and then burrow down to about 25cm to over-winter. Fruit: With all the ripening heat there is a lot of fruit ready for picking, I have made plum sauce and apricot jam so far and will not be stopping at that. Vegetables: plant, pick and enjoy.

Gardening in Waitaki January 18th 2023

I am loving this real summer weather with all the growth and I do tend to repeat myself, mentioning cutting back all early summer perennials and shrubs before they make seed. You can be especially hard now on hedges if height and width need reducing as the grow back rate is fast to cover any unsightly scalping. Height can be taken out of shelter shrubs like pittosporum, laurels and conifers should they be getting taller than required by removing the center leader to a point where lower branches will cover the cut. This will stop these shrubs from becoming the trees they were created to be. Growth removed from top's and sides will regenerate but branches removed from the bottom will seldom regrow. Heat this summer is hard on shallow rooted rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas, if any have outgrown the space allotted width and height can be reduced now before budding becomes too advanced and removing as many spent flower heads as can be reached will benefit growth. Collecting rose petals to make potpourri is a nice way to carry summer into the colder months. Pick petals and rose buds early in the morning when still plump from dew, lay them out separated on newspaper and place in a dark, warm, very dry place ( there must be no hint of moisture or petals will grow mold). Once the petals have completely dried place in a glass jar with a lid, at this stage you can add spices (such as cinnamon or cloves) or dried rosemary, lavender or even dried citrus slices to personalise your scent. Close the container and gently shake from time to time then store and enjoy the scent of summer whenever the lid is opened. Seed collecting is well under way now, a few warm days in a row will ripen pods that have been slow to mature. I like to store mature pods into small paper bags / envelopes where they can pop in their own time. Continue to mulch with light scatterings of un-sprayed grass clippings to keep moisture in soil, they break down into humus quickly with summer sun and rain. All tree foliage benefits from mulch around a tree root area to retain moisture needed to benefit foliage at a height. Lawns scorch badly as they experience day after day of intense heat, keeping the catcher higher, early morning soakings and feeding during rain helps them stay green. Lawn weeds can be sprayed if needed, there are a few different lawn weed sprays on offer to deal with whatever weeds are a problem. I pick a time to spray when bees are not about and only spot spray to consider the worm population working in the soil. Fruit & Veg: It's proving to be a bumper year for both fruit and veg, my corn, beans and pumpkins have really taken off now after a slowish start, and my cucumber plants are producing and ripening well but tomatoes are very slow to ripen, other Gardeners have confirmed the same is happening with their tomato plants. Keep rotating root and leaf vegetables to get the best results. New potatoes will be loving the warmth, I leave them in the ground well covered until ready to use even when the tops have died back. Garlic is dug and hung to dry, I plant local Kakanui stock and still, after years of growing, find it surprising when I lift such large bulbs produced from single cloves. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki January 11th 2023

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. It is so good to get rain when we do to keep gardens fresh. Weeds love these perfect growing conditions, if you need to spray, wait until the end of a hot day when weeds are thirsty and bee's are not about. The summer cut back, with the continual growth and garden maintenance being all about keeping plants and shrubs under control, cutting back will still be in full swing in gardens, once a plant has finished flowering there should be seed heads to save. Seed collecting starts now, I select annuals and perennials, letting 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, polyanthus and delphiniums, still waiting on 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. Hydrangeas and hostas do best in semi shade and moist soil so summer rain has been perfect for them. My hostas are planted in a gravel garden so have been left alone by slugs not wanting to slither over a rough surface. Both hostas and hydrangeas will benefit from a dressing of blood and bone watered in when a good soak is needed. Lawns will be enjoying the heat and moisture 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. Vegetable gardens should still be producing well, I have a slug problem because of keeping the garden too moist, keep veg leaves up off the soil as they are great hiding places for slugs and snails. Beans are plentiful and Corn and pumpkins are putting on good growth which is important because they both need a long ripening season. Fruit: So many fruits are ripening now, black currants and raspberries to freeze, strawberries, apricots and plums. Apple and pear trees are layden to the point where thinning out of bunches will be necessary if wind does not take care of it. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in North Otago December 14th 2022

Christmas Eve in my past Garden

Here we are at the end of another year with Christmas looming, gardens will be full to bursting with colour and produce just as many of us will be setting off for a break. With so many overcast days some plants have been slow to move which can be an advantage when it comes to produce not bolting to seed. Things will rectify once the hot summer we have been promised starts. I have almost finished planting out our new town, low maintenance garden having spent three or four years growing plants from cuttings taken from the large formal garden we left behind. I selected plants that brought me the most pleasure so I can still enjoy them. I designed most of our new garden in a structured, Japanese theme using weed mat and gravel which will cut out digging and replanting. Larger trees and shrubs have been planted in grow bags to semi bonsai which means they will still retain shape but at a reduced width and height. Each plant is being shaped to the desired effect needed. As it is count down time now until Christmas I am sure gardeners will be spending less time in the garden, just getting lawns mowed and watering done. You will know by now that I am determined to get all gardeners soaking then mulching to retain moisture, this time of the year is when gardens benefit most from being mulched because where dirt is left bare there will always be weeds. Soft hedge trimmings can go on as mulch along with grass clippings, tree mulch (forest floor) ornamental grass clippings, rotted leaf mulch and decomposed pine needles will all do the job. Remove seed heads from Peony roses as they interfere with subsequent blooming, foliage can stay until it turns brown. Delphiniums that have suffered from wind can sometimes be blown right over, it's hard to stand them up again without stems breaking so cut them back to the broken point to continue to put out smaller flower heads. Dead head as many roses as you can so they can get going on their second flowering, deep water and mulch if you have the time. Then let the garden look after itself while you have a well deserved break. Roses first flowering is almost over so it is time to deadhead spent blooms, cut at an out facing bud down on the strongest part of a branch, they will bud up and flower again in a few weeks. I collect fragrant rose blooms to lay out and dry to fill a basket for the hall table. Dry between sheets of newspaper until all hint of moisture is gone and they will last for months without going mouldy. If you are going away, pop all your indoor plants in the bath with a little water to keep them going and baskets and manageable pots around to the shady side of the house until your return. Fruit for us Kiwis fruit ripens at the busiest possible time for picking, it is such a waste if left to drop so maybe with some bribing Children could be recruited as pickers, if needed for jam or pickling and just pop fruit into the freezer until your return? Laden black current branches can be cut from bush's and stripped of fruit in a cool place while having a Christmas drink, this way pruning is also taken care of. Gooseberries are the tricky fruit to pick but the end of a branch lifted with a gloved hand will find fruit hanging from the underside ready to strip off a handful at a time. I find raspberries and strawberries the most time consuming to pick but so worth the effort. Vegetable garden: So much is ready for picking in the veg garden right now, I will be throwing shade cloth over mine to protect from sun and birds when I am not here to keep an eye on things . That's it from me for this year, our tree is ready and waiting for excited Children on Christmas morning and not need to hunt for Nana in the Garden this year. I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for a safe 2023. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki December 6th 2022

We Gardeners can start thinking about just enjoying the fruits of our labor now as flower and veg gardens fill with colour and produce, but unfortunately weeds and lawns don't stop growing so I guess we must soldier on. Mulch will be holding moisture in the soil on those very hot days, I learned over many years how beneficial mulch is on soil and around plants and trees. Exposed soil dries out very quickly during hot summer weather which means plant roots suffer, growth is stunted, worms dive deep and nutrients deplete as moisture is needed to get benefit. When gardens are mulched, less watering is needed and decomposing  mulch is a tonic to soil and plant growth, beneficial insect life is encouraged and weeds are limited with soil covered. Arborist mulch is great as a mulcher reduces live wood and green together into small particles readily able to break down faster than large chunks of bark which robs nitrogen from gardens. Fresh lawn cuttings scattered thick enough to keep light from soil  (not thickly laid) can become mulch, pine needles and compost will work, mulch becomes dry instead of soil and plant roots.  Buddleia can be cut back now as they finish flowering. When newly planted I cut them back by half after flowering and the mature buddleias right to the ground as they push up new growth very quickly and look attractive with new blue green foliage. Buddleias are a good fill-in shrub and come in shades of blue /purple, pink and white make this an ideal plant for a back border and can be grown from a cutting.  Forget-me-not,  most gardeners pull out forget-me-not when it has finished flowering, I cut it right back to almost nothing and it returns in nice green clumps stronger than ever and becomes a perennial which will flower for years every spring. Heaps of the seed heads stick to clothes while cutting back but as a woodland plant you can't go past forget-me-nots as a pretty sea of blue among rhododendrons. Branches lifted on large trees now will let light onto underplanting, I hired a small chainsaw on a long handle which I found perfect for reaching up to remove long branches growing naturally as a canopy to shade the tree roots but in a garden situation plantings beneath need light to survive.  Anemones and ranunculus for winter flowering can be planted in the next two weeks, I used to plant first into pots to make roots then transplant later when the summer clearing had been done. I liked them grouped and would forget where I had planted them and dig through them in my big garden. Lilies are flowering now, large clumps can be divided up and shifted straight after flowering and planted into good compost. Lily bulbs should never dry out, I have had clumps of Christmas lilies completely disappear and have not noticed until I miss them flowering at this time of the year,  so keep an eye on them through the dryer months. It takes years for lilies to grow from little pup bulbs and seeds so they are worth looking after.  Lawns: If you don't like using sprays and you have a few flat weeds in the lawn try painting them with vinegar, I was told about this recently and it works! I used white vinegar, also great for spot spraying pathways and drives. Clover browns off a little, I am watching to see how much it knocks it. Apply the vinegar in full sun, keep off needed plants. Vegetables Keep mounding up potato rows to encourage bigger shores, corn likes to be mounded up also when stalkes get to about knee high. Corn has a shallow rooting system and the mounding helps to keep them upright in strong winds. All leaf and root veg will be thriving this month, I am picking a lot from my veg plots then filling gaps with new seedlings. One thing is for sure you can put off doing what is needed but nature can not be put off when it comes to weeds and ripening of fruit and veg. If time is limited, cutting the flowers off weeds before they run to seed will reduce the spread until you can tackle them. Fruit: It is time to shorten back fruiting leaders on grape vines, growth is needed for the forming grapes. If a leader has produced too many bunches, remove some. I was told years ago that offal or a dead animal is what a domestic grape vine likes to have buried down around it's roots, too much nitrate fertiliser will produce too many leaves and leaders. Most fruiting plants like a little potash to encourage fruiting during spring. Pip and stone fruit should grow in abundance this season. Usually a tree will shead small forming fruits if too crowded, but I have found this reduction needs to be done by the gardener as well, now is the time to check the number of fruit to branch ratio.  Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki December 3rd 2022

December is here and 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 will be flowering well now, English lavender is worth cutting, bunching and hanging once stems have firmed, it will continue to give off that lovely fresh lavender fragrance, if kept inside right through the year until it flowers again next year. 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 will go on for a while, if a hedge is trimmed before new growth has stopped it will be sure to put out more new growth and need trimmed again. 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 , remove 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, get rid of any veg rotting and when time and weather allows work ground with a hoe to get air in. Keep potatoes mounded, protect carrots from carrot fly by covering with cloth that lets light in, don't leave carrot thinings laying about. Pumpkins and corn sould be in to get the summer length needed to ripen. produce is so good from your own garden to the table and planted now will reward you through summer and Autumn. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki November 23rd 2022

What great rain last week to push spring growth on, then sun shine on Sunday for the wonderful Victorian market day, perfect. Right now conditions are just right for planting, the soil is warm and moist, weeds are easy to pull and hoe out which brings me to mention mulching again, bare soil will always grow weeds and weeds are starting to mature and make seeds so get them out before they do. If time is limited just cut seed heads off to avoid spreading. Fill your gardens with annual and perennial flowering plants, all gaps will be filled with beauty plus bees and insects will be encouraged for pollinating berry and fruit trees growing close by. I am spending days sowing seeds and potting up germinated seedlings, a lot of room is needed for this job once all seeds pop up, thank goodness for the Recycling center and all the pots they are able to supply. During last week I potted on lavender and hedge cuttings taken at the end of last summer and lots of annual seedlings, flowers and veg which germinated during the last two weeks.....this sure is seed planting time. Dahlia supports put in now will reduce damaging plants by adding when growth is well on. Roses are well on now, if you have not fed rose bushes around roots do it now to keep them healthy. Aged manure or slow release fertiliser will keep them happy. The Recycling center offers bagged pig manure, no smell and clean to handle, it is a stressed hungry rose that will succumb to disease. If aphid and fungus or black spot have taken hold, feed and spray with an insecticide/ fungicide product. Pond water will be heating now, one of the easiest ways to keep your pond water cool is by shading the pond. You can install a shade sail over the pond or use a small tarp to cover a part of the pond if there are no plants to create shade for fish. Pond plants with large leaves or shrubbery planted to block strong afternoon sun are the natural way to provide pond shade. Top water levels up, evaporation is greater from now on. Fruits are forming well, reducing apple clusters will achieve good sized fruit. Mulch around all fruit trees to retain moisture from the last rain. Unsprayed grass clippings mixed with compost will do the trick. Vegetables: Keep mounding the potatoes to keep them producing more and more new potatoes for Christmas, consistent watering is important for potatoes now, this goes for all root veg. Carrot fly is on the wing now, thinning young carrots can attract carrot fly with smell if thinnings are left lying about. Delaying sowing until early summer, you can sidestep the first generation of the pest. I have planted early so have covered rows with frost cloth which still allows light in and keeps the low flying carrot fly off. Growing varieties of pungent Rosemary, Alliums, Sage or Marigold provides a deterrent by confusing smells. Wind has been hard on my broad beans, stems break very easily, I have created a string web with stakes through the bean stalks which seems to do the trick and have already started picking young tender beans. Tomatoes are zooming up stakes and needing attention almost daily now to control growth. Flowers are looking for pollination which is encouraged by flowers being included around tomato plants, marigolds, basil, sage thyme, plants to attract pollinators. As mentioned last week, keep pumpkin, squash and courgette plants mulched, their roots are fragile until large leaves grow to create the root shade needed. All new small plants can be over watered to the point where their roots cannot cope and they collapse, the soil should be dry on top between watering's and good drainage is essential . Cheers, Linda