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"The answer lies in the soil." This was a prophetic phrase heard years ago in a strong English accent on the radio. As this is the first edition of a possibly erratic garden column, shall we start at the bottom of the cycle where all good growing begins?
The bane of a gardener's life is supposedly weeds. Tons of foul chemicals have been dropped on them, hours spent digging, hoeing and cursing them but they remain. Does that tell you anything? Weed seeds have a viability of hundreds of years and they are the soils way of protecting itself from the destructive force of the sun. Soil is a very delicate, complex asset on which humans rely for our very existence. It is staggering how badly we treat it.
Compost
Soil tilth is improved by adding compost or organic matter of any type or variety. "Oh we make our own compost" is an overused phrase usually accompanied by a self-congratulatory, saintly facial expression. These amazing compost heaps are more often than not suppurating heaps of organic matter breeding more maggots, flies and vermin than your average 'Grab and Go' meat pie.
Compost heaps, properly done, are labour intensive and time consuming. Fantastic if you have the time and interest but most do not. A proper compost heap needs three bins, minimum. It must be properly layered with rough twigs, weeds, lawn clippings, house hold waste etc in alternate layers to allow aerobic bacterial activity, with blood and bone, lime and a good heating component such as horse or chicken manure. The compost heap needs to be brought up to heat quickly, hopefully close to at least 28°C, then turned at least three times from bin to bin as it matures. Then you may sieve and spread.
There is an alternative which, if employed, will not cause civilization as we know it to grind to an abrupt and untidy halt. Weed and a shake of the soil, chop up the coarse bits or bruise them with a good wallop from the spade, add thin layers of lawn clippings plus the kitchen waste and dump it all straight back on the garden. Throw a bit of blood & bone over it and let nature take its course. Don't look at it for a couple of weeks and you will be amazed at what nature can do when you do not watch it, layer it or turn it. Yes it may look untidy but we have to get over this intensively groomed, scorched earth look which is so bad for the soil condition. Take a walk around the Heathcote River and observe it closely, now that it is left to be untidy.
As a replacement or in addition to homemade compost, pea straw and mushroom compost is fantastic. Almost anything organic you can lay your hands on. If you find it necessary to alter the pH or alkaline tendency of mushroom compost, scatter some flowers of sulphur over it. However it needs to be remembered that compost, apart from mushroom, is mostly a soil conditioner not a fertiliser. Home made compost will only recycle the soil deficiencies you already have.
At this time of the year put lime on the vegetable garden and sow a green crop where you can. Lupin and barley are excellent for nitrogen fixing. Avoid mustard as it can bring club root infection into the garden which is fatal for brassicas. Dig the green crop into the soil in about August. Spread a mulch of mushroom compost after weeding. Throw some sheep pellets around. This is an excellent fertiliser for the entire garden and the worms love it.
Work
In addition to your work with compost and fertiliser there are other tasks to do over winter and prepare for spring. Clean up and cut back your perennials. You can divide these now but leave them for another month or so if possible. Cut most of the leaves off your winter roses and feed them with a proprietary rose fertiliser. Cutting the leaves off gives the flowers a better chance of being seen. Cut the leaves of Iris stylosa right back so that you can see the flowers and lessen the slug problem.
Get broad bean and snow pea seed planted. Plant them direct or in blister packs to plant out as soon as they have sprouted. Plant garlic cloves too. They seem to do a little better if planted well before the traditional 'shortest day', as they are up and established before the bad weather. Have you planted your sweet peas? Redo the pots of summer annuals with plants of your choice. Use some fresh potting mix as well as the existing and freshen the lot up with some sheep pellets. Repot some of your existing pot plants. Always use a good quality potting mix . Good potting mix is well worth paying for. Try Pearson's in Ruru Road.
Don't send all those lovely leaves to the dump. Spread thickly on the garden as mulch. Depending on the colours of the leaves this can be very decorative. Throw a bit of blood and bone around.
Now is the very best time for checking out seed catalogues either on line or in the hand. Plan for the new season especially with vegetables. Check out www.gardenews.co.nz, www.kingsseeds.co.nz, www.rnzih.org.nz and www.maryrobertson.co.nz.
Thanks for reading my column and here's a thought until next time:
Our Heathcote is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing "Oh how beautiful!" while sitting in the shade.
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives.
After Kipling.
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