Spring will soon allow for garden aspirations

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 599, 15 August 1995, Page 18

Spring will soon allow for garden aspirations

Two fine weekends and great aspirations for the work we could do in the garden and down came the rain again. However, every day now is a day nearer spring. The birds are practising their spring songs and the daylight hours are growing longer. A tempting variety of trees and shrubs are becoming available for spring planting. Magnolias, rhodos, camellias, corms in many varieties and the lovely malus floribunda. wisteria, clematis, viagenea creeper to cover the fences and archways and a few bush roses for early planting. The main flush of roses in bud and bloom will be available in October/November, so if you plan to revitalise your rose bed now is the time to give it some attention. After the long period of wet weather small soft weeds have become a problem and these should be removed and the ground carefully forked over to open it up to the sun and air, taking care not to disturb the shallow roots of existing plants. If you haven't already pruned your roses now is the time being careful to remo ve any dead or spindly wood and leaving healthy stems with at least four or five buds from ground level. Spray the roses after pruning to kill off any bugs and disease spores which may have wintered over. I shall be searching the paddocks for some well-weathered horse manure and will apply a good dressing all over the rose bed taking care it is not too close to the stems of the plants. This will supply humus to improve the soil structure and will serve to retain moisture in the drier weather which is hopefully to come. Follow this up during the growing season with a balanced rose food and you will be rewarded with good blooms on strong healthy plants. How lovely to see all the narcissus and tulips poking their leaf spikes through the soil with a promise of the clear colours of spring a little later on. My pride and joy are the first leaves of the tiny snowdrop and I look every day to see if the buds are about to open. The long period of winter rains will have leached quite a lot of goodness from the soil and a dressing of a prepared bulb food will help things along. Azaleas, rhodos and all acid loving plants will benefit from a dressing of acid plant food at this time which will help if any of the foliage has become sad and yellow looking. If this yellowing persists especialiy on daphne a dressing of epsom salts or flowers of sulphur should give the boost they need. The whole garden will benefit from an application of a

general fertiliser now, and if you have spread a mulch over the winter months spread the fertiliser on top and hoe it in. Remember a light application of dried blood for your polyanthus and primulas and keep the dead heads of the flowers picked off to keep new buds coming. The vegetable plot will benefit from a dressing of lime now and can be left for about three weeks for the rain to wash it in and sweeten the soil. Avoid liming areas where you intend to plant carrots, tomatoes, or members of the squash family. Later the ground can be dug over and a dressing of fertiliser applied before the ground is finally raked over for planting.

It is too soon to plant seeds in open ground, at least here in Ohakune, as the ground is too wet and cold. Seeds need warmth in the soil to germinate properly otherwise they tend to rot. If you want an earlier start it is better to start them off in seed boxes in a sheltered place with good light. Gladioli can be planted in rotation from now to November to keep a succession of blooms coming along after the earlier plantings have finished. Do supply a good firm stake at the time of planting.