Gardening in Waitaki 7th May 2024

Well, I have to admit frost is here on the coast even though days warm back to autumn warmth by lunchtime....my dahlia leaves have blackened and the flowers browned plus my nasturtiums are looking a little sad. This means the many trays of rooted cuttings I am nursing will need to be raised from the cold ground and have a cover of frost cloth. As for dahlias going into winter, do you dig them or not? If the freeze in your area reaches a depth of 4-6 inches or more, do not leave your dahlias in the ground! Also, if you have drainage issues with water sitting after a rain your Dahlia tubers will rot so lift and store them and plan to replant them in a better draining spot come spring.Approximately two weeks after your first frost cut dahlia stalks down to the ground and covered with straw, leaves, or any other mulch for insulation. Containers growing dahlias should be moved to a location where they will not freeze.  If you need to dig and store tubers Start digging around 2 weeks or more after the first frost. If they are dug too early the tubers will still be in a "green stage" and will not have hardened enough for winter storage. Their skins need to thicken like potatoes. Store in an airy, dry location, and remove any damage or rot. Trees & shrub pruning, we play the waiting game now, best to leave all major pruning well into winter when the sap is right down, if pruned now new growth is likely to occur then winter damage will encourage disease, its best to stick to cutting back tired summer growth and raking up the ever-increasing leaf drop.  I am pleased not to have the mountains of leaves I needed to rake up in my past big garden but I do miss the leaf mulch made from them. Leaf mulch is simply made with fallen leaves left to decompose separately to the rest of your compost. Gather fallen leaves, run the lawn mower over them to chop them up, keep them damp, and store in a bay or bin bags to create leaf mold over winter to add to your garden in spring.Here on the coast we can plant for winter colour, look about your garden for polyanthus and pansy's left in from last winter also self-sown seedlings under plants like lavender, calendula, poppy, sweet peas, lupins, hollyhock, viola, and primulas. If they flowered well and made seed they will be there for the gathering. Pot up in punnets and nurse along until ready to re-pot or plant. I have sent for flower and veg seeds online and received them this week, there is still time to raise seeds before winter if you get onto it now. I raise mine outside but keep the containers up from the cold ground by placing them on polystyrene or straw bales in a warm sunny spot. Keep the planting mix on the dry side, always water only when needed early in the day as evaporation is not great now and very small seedlings do not have the root capacity to take up excess moisture. Seeds collecting: I am still collecting seeds from dry pods and saving them to dry in paper bags and envelopes, adding a sprinkle of rice will absorb any remaining moisture and help to keep seeds dry and in good condition until spring planting.  Wisterias will need a cut back now, in our past garden ours was growing along the upstairs balcony threatening to push through sliding doors and take over a bedroom and because it was getting very heavy it was cut right back to the trunk wood. It pushed out new growth fast so I trained only one leader left and right. For wisterias that are not causing a problem use a hedge trimmer to get rid of all the leafy, wispy growth, cutting too hard back into thick wood will remove new flower buds. Each long winding growth could eventually grow into a thick branch so if training a young plant let only one length go either way along a structure. Lawns: Grass grub may be bad in areas of lawn leaving dead patches after they have eaten all the roots, rake the dead patch away and rough the soil up a little then sow grass seed and rake into the firm patch. If you do not get a strike during autumn you can resow in spring. Grass grubs are feeding from February until May so by now they will be well down in the ground hibernating until they reappear as the brown night beetle around November. Fruit: Feijoas are plentiful now these delicious fruits fatten and ripen during autumn and winter and have become popular to be eaten straight from the tree or used in the many recipes now being created. Citrus bushes would benefit from a rich layer of compost, well-rotted manure, seaweed, straw – whatever you have to spread as a mulching layer around roots. Vegetables:Mound up mulch around the base of leeks to keep them pale and sweet, but keep the soil beneath the bottom leaf to stop it from getting inside making washing them difficult. An application of lime now if you have some is a real benefit to many of the leaf crops – cabbage, spinach, kale, broccoli, and silverbeet. Potatoes need to be dug and stored now, if they still have more growing to do keep water off them, they last better if the tops have yellowed and died down. Once dug, let the dirt dry on them, brush them off, and store in a cool dry place away from any other veg or fruit, any moisture will encourage sprouts.  Nonsprouting powder can be purchased but I use the layering of dried herbs method, cut Rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon balm, mint any of the herbs before they die back, let the moisture dry out of them, and layer among stored clean dry potatoes, (a herb-filled muslin bag works to)  When all potatoes have been used crush the dried mixed herbs and store in a glass jar for use.  Curing Pumpkins: Bring Pumpkins in for curing and storing before hard frosts, pumpkins are ready when the stem is dry and hard to the touch, cut from the runner leaving a 10 cm stem attached to the pumpkin, and cure by sitting in a warm spot, raised allowing air to circulate the whole pumpkin for about two weeks then turn upside down and leave for another two weeks, this will harden skins and intensify the flavor. Storing pumpkins: Rub all over with olive oil to seal in moisture, store in a dry place, off the ground. Thinking ahead to spring planting already? Spring planting can be delayed for ages because of wet cold ground so in very cold areas place an insulating layer on soil you plan to plant out in early spring, this will prevent soil from becoming water-logged, use polythene, fertilizers bags, or old carpet. Cheers, Linda

Gardening in Waitaki May 1st 2024

Autumn in the Oamaru public Gardens

May has sneaked up on us while we have been enjoying the wonderful mellow days of autumn, warm days in a row intensifying the glorious leaf shades. I often bike through our public gardens enjoying the changing seasons and the brilliance at this time of year coming out on top. I acknowledge the vision of those who selected and planted those trees to create the visual beauty we now enjoy. Compost and pig manure have been applied to my gardens to supply nutrients for worms to take down to plant roots to benefit spring growth, beneficial to trees, shrubs, and plants by also keeping the ground warmer during winter. Pig manure is available at the Resource Recovery park, it has been aged with sawdust and straw, has no smell and is easy to spread. Conifers have been out of favor for several years but still, I consider conifers along with the trees to be the bones of any garden and now that leaves are disappearing from deciduous trees I am appreciating the wonderful conifers I planted. Finding the right conifer for a particular spot needs a little homework because size and preference for shade and texture need to be considered. A conifer can be used as a focal point, to add interest at the end of a vista in an otherwise bleak winter garden. Find an image of the right conifer for your garden and get the information required then order because Garden centers do not carry many varieties these days. Conifers planted alongside erica's and callunias are the perfect combination for a low-maintenance planting to make a winter garden interesting. Pots that have been full of summer colour will now be looking very tired so replace the growing medium as all nutrients will be exhausted. Huge pots can be filled with stones on the bottom, then filled with soil/compost and topped up with a heavy potting mix then planted with winter flowering annuals like pansies, Polyanthus, primulas, and dwarf wall flowers, all of these have shallow roots.Succulent pups can be pulled from Mother plants because many will have become stalky which means that it is time to forgo the Mother plant and plant out her babies. Each rosette can be broken off with a little part of the stem and pushed into river sand to quickly develop roots. These Baby succulents look great in pots over the Winter months, You can fill all of the vacant space or push in around the edges of potted plants, succulents give pots some interest before bulbs come up.  Lawns perked up again after the rain, and lawn seed sown should be up and growing before the threat of frost, I have sown grass seed on the bare patches in the hope the ground will stay warm long enough for germination. Don't waste lawn fertilizer on grass now, save it for spring but a dressing of dolomite lime now will have worked down by spring to sweeten grass roots.  Vegetables: Plant broad beans, cabbage, carrots, and spinach here on the coast, further inland forget about the vegetable garden apart from planting a green cover crop to protect soil while breaking down over winter.  Cheers Linda.

A green cover crop protects soil over winter.

Gardening in Waitaki April 23rd 2024

Autumn and nature have it right, leaves fall to cover the ground protecting roots from the cold to come but in home gardens, there will be a lot of raking going on. In my past large garden, I would be filling wool pack after wool pack with leaves which would be turned into mulch and compost to be returned to the garden come spring. Erica's - Give amazing winter colour to a garden, if they were cut after their last flowering they should have gone through the Summer looking fresh and green. Now as the days get shorter and colder Erica's buds start to flower. There are many different types in shades of, pink, lavender, and white, and as well as ground covers some are upright growing. Erica's need full sun and good drainage and look great planted in groups. Roses: I stop deadheading roses now, pull off the spent blooms, and let the seeds form which will harden the wood needing to be pruned in July. Remove all diseased leaves from bushes and on the ground around bushes before mulching to bed them down for winter. Tidy up daylilies, by pulling off old leaves and cutting back those that will not pull off, divide overgrown clumps by putting a sharp spade through the clump and transplanting pieces with a little blood and bone then mulch to retain moisture. Seed collection should be full on now as plants age seeds are popping all over the place, nature is so generous with seeds during autumn. Seeds I planted not so long ago are up and growing well, I will nurse them along in a warm spot until spring. Potting them up before then should they put on a lot of growth before the cold slows them right down. Lawns:My lawn was fertilised during the last heavy rain and is now green, boosted and ready for what winter will throw at it. Vegetables: With not being able to buy veg plants for a while let a few veg go to seed because I see seed is hard to come by as well. let seed brown off before picking to continue ripening in a paper bag. Peas, lettuce, cauliflower, silver beet, spinach, rocket, and beetroot all seed well. If you have grain on hand plant some as a green crop to add humus to the soil when dug in. Fruit Gather late fruiting peaches, apples & pears and if storing check there are no even slightly damaged fruit as they will soon rot and affect the sound fruit. A dressing of lime now will assist next season's fruiting. Feed citrus bushes, manure, seaweed-based fertilizer then mulch. Clean up strawberry beds, removing runners, and potting up a few from closest to the Mother plant to encourage good roots for replacing plants older than 3 years. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki April 17th 2024

Waitaki valley autumn.

Waitaki is now enjoying Autumn splendor with orange, gold, and red leaves fluttering to the ground with every wind gust. I have had my small hedge trimmer out this week. In my past garden, it took no time to create havoc, and then spent days cleaning it all up but now, it takes me no time at all in my new low-maintenance garden. I trimmed small hebes, and ornamental grasses, and shaped standard shrubs. I am collecting seeds from the garden to dry every day and also taking lots of cuttings, these I leave in a bucket of willow water until I get time to prepare and plant into crusher dust. This is the very best time to do this as the days are still warm but not long and hot like summer days that dry out cuttings. The cooler nights retain moisture in seedling and cutting trays which means they can be forgotten about until the spring. By then cuttings should have enough feeder roots to be potted up in their own pots to grow on ready for planting at the end of spring. Cuttings I have been taking are lavender, Marguerite daisy, Hebe, hydrangea, choisya, geranium and roses (always use a stem that has flowered). These plants are all semi-hardwood plants and should push out roots in no time. Even though there is some moisture in the ground from the recent rain the ground is still very dry, so keep the hoses going, and then when soaked in get compost and mulch on to keep it there. Feed plants and shrubs that have been busting themselves flowering with blood & bone, this is good right now because it is not high in nitrogen which will only push new growth out and its hardening off we are wanting from plants now to take them into the winter. All bulbs would benefit from a dressing of blood and bone as well. Remove shading from glass houses now and reduce the watering, more light less watering for pot plants inside as well. If you have small evergreen shrubs and conifers that need to be shifted do it now, as long as the root ball is not to well spread they should transplant well. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas can be shifted now as well. Lawns have picked up since the rain and night's cooling, they can have a dressing of lime now which will condition the soil and work its way in over the winter months to sweeten sour ground in time for new spring growth. Moss in a lawn is a good indication of sour ground and bad drainage. Lime can also be spread around clematis, lavender, lavatera, dianthus, carnations and all herb clumps. Keep picking fresh herb growth and dry by spreading out on newspaper to leave in a dry place inside where they can be left undisturbed until dry enough to be crushed and stored in glass jars for cooking when there are no fresh herbs about. Vegetable gardens are holding thier own again now that it is not being baked through long summer days, plants are sitting up again and growing well without bolting. Leeks are available now for planting, they are planted lying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, and then they will sit up and grow fast. I planted some wheat in vacant areas of my veg patch this week, I will dig it in before it gets past the leaf stage and this will add nice humus to the soil. Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki 9th April 2024

Peony ready for cutting back.

Lovely autumn days over the last week with a noticeable drop in temperature morning and night now daylight saving has changed. If shrubs and climbers need to be cut back it should be done now while there is still time for plants to recover, and bud up again before June.  Peony roses: If you are planning to move a peony this is the best time when peonies are nearing or in dormancy. Peonies start to become dormant when foliage is rapidly losing colour, leaf dieback adds strength to tubas so foliage needs to be left on and then cut down to the ground level when completely dried back. Dispose of what has been cut off to prevent carry-over of fungal infections. If planting a planting site should be sunny and well-drained, deep fertile soil is best but they can still do ok in quite poor soils as long as they never become waterlogged (especially over winter). Planting depth is important, too deep means they will spend time pushing up to the right depth, find the uppermost bud on the crown, and plant so that the base of the bud is 5 cm (2") from the soil surface. Don't expect much growth in the first year.  Tree peony stems remain alive, only remove diseased leaves and wait until spring to cut out dead wood stems.   This is the best time to shift small evergreen shrubs and conifers, as long as the root ball is not too well spread they should transplant well. Rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas can be shifted now as well.  There is still time on the coast to divide border plants, perennials, and rock plants, new roots will be made before growth stops. In very cold districts leave the dead top growth on, safer to remove in spring but If you are mulching with straw this will do the same job.  Hellebores will benefit from fortnightly feeding now to encourage better blooms. Remove old foliage, but in colder areas, it is best to leave some top growth on to protect new growth, flowers will soon shoot up past the old leaves. Destroy all removed old leaves because greenflies winter over on the underside of hellebore leaves. Only feed bulbs and plants that are due to flower now, all other plants will be slowing their growth right down to sleep through winter. Plants like camellia, azaleas, and rhododendrons that have been tucked away in a shady spot over the hot months should be moved into a sunny spot now. Shrubs in pots get root-bound and hungry, If you feed them when flowering finished they should be fine. If not then give them a little fertiliser and water well to give them a boost.  Compost: Keep layering fallen leaves on the compost along with animal manure, soft garden green waste, hedge trimmings, and un-sprayed grass clippings. Add some leftover compost from your last lot to the layers. Give heaps and bins a good watering from time to time to get things started. With the very warm days we have had, compost heaps should be building up heat which should remain working well into the coldest months, then they will just sit until days get longer and the ground warms again.  Lawns have picked up since the nights have cooled and dew is back. Spot spraying clover and flat weeds works best in the heat of the day when plants are thirsty, I only spot spray where needed because I would hate to kill hard-working worms. Grass grub-damaged areas can be raked out and resown now, thankfully germination of grass seed is very fast during autumn. Next time we get rain gypsum and fine compost can be spread over compacted lawns to soften and add humus.  Vegetables I have planted broad beans, carrots, celery, and leek seeds and have had to have the hose out to give the vegetable gardens a good soak.  Leek seedlings should be available now for planting, they are planted lying down in a trench that will hold water to get them going, they will soon sit up and grow fast. Remove shading from glass and tunnel houses now and reduce watering. Fruit If you have apple trees laden, some can be picked unripe and stored in a cool dry place, but leave as many as you intend to eat on the tree to ripen naturally. Some will still be picking those delicious late peaches.  Cheers, Linda.

Leek seedlings ready to plant in a wet trench.

Gardening in Waitaki April 2nd 2024

With Easter behind us, for me this has always been the time for action in the garden. Clearing out spent growth and collecting seeds as I move about in the flower garden then spreading compost over all cleared gardens, I mix my ready compost with pig manure to give the soil a boost after all the summer growing then let it all settle before mulching areas that require it and filling gaps with winter/spring colour. Calendula, pansy, viola, polyanthus, ornamental kale, primula malacoides, snapdragon, wallflower. Here on the coast in a warm sunny position get any of these planted early to reach the budding stage while there is still warmth in the soil and they will go onto. Further inland planting will need to wait until early spring. Ranunculus and anemones will be on offer in Garden centers now, They are good value because they multiply well and give vibrant or soft mid-height colour to an early spring garden. Ranunculus and anemone corms look very dried up and brittle in the packet when bought, soak them overnight and they will become nice and plump before planting, plant at least five together in groups to get the best effect. Dried Blood is an easy way to replenish the nitrogen content in the soil for plants needing to perform through winter, Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansies, and Cyclamen love it and will flourish when you add dried blood to their diet. I have been taking tip cuttings of many plants, so many plants can be produced from rooted cuttings. Snip 10 cm long tips from the shrubs you want more of. Remove lower leaves and halve soft top growth before pushing them into river sand/crusher dust to make roots. Roots will develop over winter. Leafy tip cuttings from all hedge-type shrubs can be taken now along with tip growth from lavender, daisy bushes, hebes, lavatera, salvias, and geraniums. Roses are producing lovely shades for the last flowering, no more deadheading or feeding as they need to make seed heads to help harden wood. Leucadendrons develop rich colour as days and nights become colder, picking the bracts is a must to keep both leucadendrons and proteas from becoming top-heavy and blowing over. Picked bracts will last in a vase for weeks, even months. All South African plants resent any form of phosphates. potassium and nitrate fertiliser, a little blood and bone in spring will keep them looking good. On the coast prune back perennial wallflowers and buddleias now to encourage new growth for winter, do the same to Marguerite daisies. Further inland take hardwood cuttings from daisies, pot up, and protect over winter. Lawn: I have been filling with soil divots I created by hoeing out weeds and rogue-coarse grass clumps, I then worked in grass seed as this is a good time to sow grass seed for good germination without annual weeds taking over. Vegetable garden: Pumpkin leaves will soon let you know when they are ready to harvest, bring them in if there is any threat of frost. Leave the plump stem attached to the stalk, leave in a warm sunny spot for skins to harden then store in a dry place. Corn should be ready for eating and freezing, tomatoes also, I have been making and bottling a lot of tomato sauce from plump ripe tomatoes. Sow onion and celery seeds and plant all the winter veg seedlings on offer in garden centers. Fruit: Still a lot being picked from trees and vines, I like to think when storing autumn bounty we are capturing the summer sun stored within to be enjoyed during those cold dark months to come. With my new garden being only 2 years old I have been fortunate enough to have acquired a very generous neighbor who shares cooking apples, peaches, pears, and tomatoes with us and a generous amount of walnuts have come my way to dry and store. LUCKY ME! Cheers, Linda.

Gardening in Waitaki 27th March 2024

We will soon be rolling into the cooling down. month of April but thank goodness days stay warm a little longer even if the nights and mornings are cooler. Autumn here in Waitaki is usually more predictable than spring or summer, a time to reap and sow lest all be lost to the frost. Growth here has had the benefit of good rain to keep things green longer. It is a good time to view the light situation around your garden before leaves fall, because of trees and shrubs getting taller and wider every year blocking out light. Note what trees and shrubs to reduce in height and width and which trees and shrubs to remove all together. Sometimes one tree or shrub will do the job of the two or three in one spot. Sacrifice trees that give little interest for trees close by that offer more, and shrubs that have grown too big in the front of a garden hiding what is behind need to be cut back, maybe wrenched for shifting later or cut out. I have at times changed the whole look of gardens by removing a few front shrubs/trees to let the sun in and then planting sun-loving plants. Here on the coast keep cutting back large daisy and lavatera bushes to encourage new buds that will flower over the next two months. Also get all hedges cut back now before frosts start, this will be the last cut until the new growth in spring. This is just the time to clean up garden areas that have been flowering all summer and to visit the garden centres to choose plants for planting now to bud up before winter, if planted while the ground is still warm to get the roots going they will continue to get enough winter sun to carry on and bloom. Suggestions: viola, snapdragon, pansy, polyantha, stock, calendula, wall flowers, sweet William and good old primula malacoides. Seeds of all plants mentioned can also be sown, they should pop up very quickly to be pricked out and potted into punnets to plant out if we have a mild start to winter or held over and protected until spring. Planting shrubs: If you want to plant evergreen shrubs other than conifers now is the time or wait until the frosts are over, once frosts start it is only deciduous trees/shrubs and conifers that will cope with the really cold nights ahead. Keep planting spring bulbs in the warm ground and Hybrid clematis are still on offer, the lovely huge blooms, deciduous type which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. This type are not as invasive as the Montana variety. They love being planted into warm autumn ground and are so pretty growing in with other climbers and scrambling through climbing roses that flower at a different time to them. All clematis like manure and lime. Strengthen plant growth by applying potash to plants, Potassium hardens up plant growth and helps prevent damage from winter chills. Lawns: Spot spray lawn weeds if they are taking over your lawn and apply sifted compost and gypsum to lawns if they are compacted ( a bucket to the square metre). the compost will improve the humus content and the gypsum will soften clay soils. If you have had a good strike with a newly sown lawn delay cutting until the grass is 7-8 centimetres high, set the blades high and avoid cutting when the ground is wet and soft. Veg: I have dug the last of my potatoes and stored them with a covering of herbs. Pumpkins can be left growing until the threat of frosts then harvested and hardened in a dry sunny place before storing. Time to dig up and divide Rhubarb crowns, mixing in heaps of compost before replanting. Sow: Spinach, Snap Peas, brussel sprouts, board beans and spring onions, fill the top of a shallow pot with spring Onions to have handy by the back door, start thinning when plants are still quite small, and pull them as they’re needed. Cheers, Linda.