I have two feijoa trees in my garden. One is doing really well and given us fruit all season, but the other one, it's companion, didn't have hardly any fruit at all. Or only very tiny, yellowing fruit, you could count it on one hand. Last year I pruned many of the branches back as it was growing too tall and it sprouted a lot of new growth from the cuts, which made it more bushy. I have now cleared all this growth that was growing into the tree and let more light and air in.
The feijoa prunings I've left under the buxus hedge until I decide what to do with them all, I'm sure they must have broken down from last year that I remember putting them in other beds. The feijoas are pretty healthy and no sign of myrtle rust or mites that I've heard are beginning to plague feijoas around the country, so am thankful my garden still has these fruit trees as standbys.
Another backyard fruit tree that I may replant soon is my lemon tree. At the moment it's in a pot, but I'm hoping to get it in the ground at some stage, on a mound, so it can put it's roots in further. I have moved it to the north side of the house, and it seems to like it with more sun.
Our tangelo tree is just coming into fruit, and it likes its companions under the shade of the canopy - bromeliads, orchids, fuchsia, seem to have multiplied at its base in pots.
Other than that not much gardening been doing except clearing out some kikuyu round St Giles, and at home, feeding the soil with CPP - cow pat pit biodynamic fertiliser. Bulbs are coming up, I see the tips of dutch iris reappearing, and freesias. I have put in some peas but its very random whether these seeds sprout and give me peas, since I don't coddle them, perhaps Martha eats the shoots?
I'm refilling my two compost bins which hopefully will give me another batch of compost in spring.
Cleopatra Magnolia has now lost her leaves and we are just now coming into the autumn season.The maples are dropping and so are the apricots. My eggplants are still ripening...will they ever be harvested? I managed to get some chilis this year.
I need to wait now for spring which is hard for a gardener to do, otherwise I would be really busy planting up a storm of fruit trees at St Giles, but it seems, alas, they don't want any. I heard back months later (six months, to be exact) from one of their boards that yes, you can do some gardening. Oh and can you clear weeds in 2 weeks because the Ministry of Education is now coming to inspect the property round the daycare. I just said no, I'm way too busy with other things now...like sorting books!
Six months to make a decision to weed the garden.
?!
