Dry out sodden soil

At long last it’s raining. It’s a relief as parched soil soaks up moisture but it can be too much of a good thing.

Heavy, clay soils stay wet and airless until sun and wind can dry them out again. Plants sitting in sodden soil can easily succumb to root rot as they don’t grow or transpire (absorb water through the roots and give off water vapour through pores in the leaves) well at low temperatures.

A touch of companion planting can work wonders – especially for overwintering summer bulbs which prefer dry winters.

Nasturtiums have large leaves for rapid transpiration, meaning they quickly and steadily pull water from the soil. Press a few seeds around vulnerable plants (or buy seedlings) then pull them out in mid-spring when they’re no longer required.

Choose the compact top-flowering nasturtium varieties to avoid smothering the plants you’re trying to protect.

LOCKDOWN UPCYCLING PROJECT

Before lockdown, Tina Ainley, of Kaiwaka, was worried. Her usually overflowing vegetable garden was empty due to the Northland drought.

Panic set in as she envisioned life without vegetables.

Tina had always dreamed of a greenhouse to raise seedlings so she put through an online order to Kings Seeds. Her husband Nigel managed to buy some plastic sheets before the shops closed and searched the garage for building materials.

Four days later a wonderful greenhouse appeared. Nigel upcycled an old barbecue trolley into a moveable greenhouse.

Tina reports that it is working really well but she does have to remember to water the seedlings.

CHOOSE TREES FOR BEST AUTUMN COLOUR

If you want to plant trees with stunning autumn colour, have a good look around your neighbourhood before it’s too late. Catalogues are great, but they only show a species at its very best, under optimal conditions and not all trees deliver full autumn fanfare in all regions.

Some of the best autumn foliage is delivered by the maple (Acer) clan.

It’s worth finding one to suit your locale and situation as there are many sizes – from giant to dwarf – within this genus.

Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, known as the Dancing Peacock in Japan, is pictured right.

Persimmons are very ornamental with glorious fiery tones. The dove tree, Davidia involucrata, is best known for fluttering white blooms in spring but also dons a lovely tri-coloured autumn display of red, gold and green. It’s a painterly affair that’s sure to turn heads.

DIG HOLES FOR NEW FRUIT TREES

It’s fun to plan new orchards, and it’s worth putting in the work before buying trees.

It is so very easy to plant too many fruit trees, too close together. Trees straight from the nursery look so small and it seems ridiculous to put them metres apart, but most fruit trees should be planted four or five metres apart at least. Take into account both the ultimate height and the width of the trees (and how much pruning you are likely to do).

Plenty of sunlight is crucial for fruit production and fruit quality, so plant taller trees and evergreens on the southern side.

Dig the holes so you can visualise the planting plan. Aim for a hole at least twice as deep and wide as a bucket. Backfill with a mix of soil, compost, seaweed and manure, cover it with mulch to insulate the soil life and leave till planting time.

SWAP TO GROWING IN POTS

It’s well worth switching your salad growing to pots and containers in cold, wet areas. Not only will the soil temperature in your containers be significantly higher than the soil in your garden, it will have much better drainage too.

Another benefit to potted salads is that

GET GROWING

This column is adapted from the weekly e-zine, get growing, from New Zealand Gardener magazine. For gardening advice delivered to your inbox every Friday, sign up for Get Growing at: getgrowing.co.nz

you can move your greens to a sheltered area near the house for more convenient harvesting.

Salad greens you can sow and plant now include: mizuna, mibuna, miner’s lettuce, kale, cress, mustard, rocket, minutina, Asian greens, redleafed or cos lettuces and all the winter-friendly mesclun mixes such as ‘Kale Blend’, ‘Simply Red’, ‘Winter Greens’, ‘Italian‘, ‘Oriental’– all from Kings Seeds.

Harvest young leaves for mixed salads and garnishes or let the plants grow larger and use them in stir-fries or soup.