Hi there from NZ

[possum]

Originally UK, we moved to NZ a few months ago and bought a place with 10 acres, fantastic views but it is extremely dry and hot where we are so growing things is a challenge for someone from Yorkshire used to digging in clay in a small suburban garden and cursing the weather.

[Cornelian]

Hi Possum - welcome! I'm from Australia, and I imagine that you will need to get very used to adding lots and lots of organic material and learning to love mulch in order to keep plants healthy in the hot dry conditions.

[red]

hi and welcome

[Jack]

Gidday

You better watch out you might be shot with a name like possum.

Dry and hot? Were would that be this time of the year?

I am in North Otago so if you are needing any local knowledge let's know and I will try to help.

[possum]

Well I have a series of raised beds with loverly soil in them for the veggie patch, fed by a timed irrigation system from our well.
I have found that prickly pear cactuses survive outside here, so thinking about putting in a small crop of them - working with land rather than fighting it.
Any other ideas for very dry crops would be appreciated

[Andy Hamilton]

We might all be joining you looking for dry crops if this weather stays the same. Welcome to the forum.

[Shirley]

Hi possum

:welcomeish:

Agree with Andy - already looking for plants that like dry conditions!

[possum]

Dry and hot? Were would that be this time of the year?

It was hot over the summer, now it is more of a temperature that I am used to, but over the summer months it was regularly into the mid thirties, 37 was the highest we recorded but supposedly it gets hotter. Look up Kaitorete on multimap, we might not be far from chch but climate is a lot different.
We didn't appreciate how much irrigation we would need to lay down, at first we were doing it by hand, but couldn't keep up - there are lot of young fruit and olive trees as well as the veggie patch

[Wombat]

G'Day Possum,

Welcome to our world! and the forum!

Nev

[Cornelian]

prickly pear cactuses

Prickly pear is considered a noxious weed in large areas of Australia as it runs rampant and takes over everything - be very very careful with it as very soon that may be all that you will ever have.

[possum]

I think it is the same with most plants, as long as you don't ignore the first signs of problems and keep them under control, you are fine. I am planning on picking the fruits so they should not be able to re-seed themselves unless I want them to.

[Wombat]

prickly pear cactuses

Prickly pear is considered a noxious weed in large areas of Australia as it runs rampant and takes over everything - be very very careful with it as very soon that may be all that you will ever have.

Not since the introduction of the cactoblastus cactorum moth! I wonder if they introduced it to NZ as well..........

Nev

[Jack]

Gidday

Please please be careful playing with plants that can get away. Our bush is full of escaped ornamental plants.

[possum]

Gidday

Please please be careful playing with plants that can get away.

That would rule out pretty well any plant not native and plenty native ones also. Pretty well any plant, given the right circumstances has that potential. The key is to observe and take action before it becomes a problem.

[Cornelian]

Not since the introduction of the cactoblastus cactorum moth

My father swore by Agent Orange. LOL