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To help you develop your gardening skills, we provide you with gardening tips - our 'Seasonal Tips'. Tips for two consecutive months appear on this page.
Keep your garden in shape! Return here regularly to discover how to improve your gardening skills!
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Seasonal Tips : March 2010
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Sow Namaqualand Daisy Seed and plant Sweet Pea Seeds in full sun, well-composted, fertilized and well-drained soil.
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Perennials such as Agapanthus, Dietes, Scabious and Penstemons – cut back all old flower stalks to neaten up the patch. If the plants have overgrown their allotted space – lift, divide and replant newest growth.
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Give Camellias regular (once a week) deep watering in anticipation of the upcoming flowering season. Feed with fertilizer high in potassium to promote buds.
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Start to collect fallen leaves for mulching the flowerbeds as well as for your compost heap.
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Plan your winter seedling and vegetable garden. You can start planting this more towards the end of this month. Add lots of compost and well matured kraal manure to ensure quick strong growth.
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Plan your winter seedling and vegetable garden. You can start planting this more towards the end of this month. Add lots of compost and well matured kraal manure to ensure quick strong growth.
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Seasonal Tips : February 2010
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Lawns – water once a week and mow often. Fertilize every 6 to 8 weeks until the end of April. Avoid cutting seed lawns too short, as roots will be damaged by the sun and heat. Be on the lookout for mole crickets or harvester termites, they can be treated with Baythroid or Zero Harvester Termite bait.
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Have you had lots of rain? Is there a boggy patch in a corner of the garden? Instead of draining that spot, why not start a bog garden?
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Cut back geraniums and deadhead daisy bushes. This will promote a longer flowering season.
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Spring flowering shrubs such as camellias and Azaleas are already forming buds, therefore begin regular watering and fertilize with a high potassium fertilizer.
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Deadhead agapanthus flower heads or let dry so that you can harvest the seeds.
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Loosen compacted soil and mulch to prevent unnecessary watering and to stop weeds from growing.
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Start trenching for sweet pea planting. Add lots of compost and either super phosphate or bone meal.
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Keep citrus trees well watered to ensure good crop levels for the coming season.
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Start planning and preparing beds for your spring flowering bulbs. Add sufficient compost and bone meal so you don't waste any time when you've got to plant your bulbs. DO NOT START PLANTING UNTIL NIGHT-TIME TEMPERATURES HAVE DROPPED CONSIDERABLY
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Do not forget to do something special for your favourite person on Valentines Day.
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Water Wise Gardening Tips
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Containers
Coat the inside of porous terracotta pots with a sealant to stop moisture loss
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Zoning
Practice zoning - group plants according to their water needs, and then water the high, medium and low water use zones separately
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Water Wise Plant Choice
Water using sprinklers with a large droplet size and low spray, to prevent water loss from the wind blowing fine drops away.
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Avoid using hosepipes to clean patios. A broom will do the trick.
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Water deeply but less often to encourage plants to put down deep roots. Frequent watering encourages shallow roots, and these plants cannot reach the water deeper in the soil during dry periods.
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Soil
Add water retaining crystals to potting mixes to reduce watering by half
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Plant Choice
Indigenous plants need little watering, so grow these wherever possible. Indigenous plants also provide shelter and food for butterflies and birds.
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Lawns
Lawns are thirsty, so replace lawn in areas it is not needed with logs, sleepers, pebbles or gravel. Water can still seep into the soil through these.
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Tip:
To prevent the gravel and pebbles from sinking into the soil and getting muddy, first put down a layer of weed prevention fabric, which will allow water into the soil, prevent weeds from coming up, and will keep the gravel or pebbles clean. If you want to put plants in between the gravel or pebbles for a "dry river bed" look, simply cut an X into the fabric, fold the corners under, and put in the plant.
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Telephone:
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Landline: +27-11-957 2046 | Mobile: 083 997 614
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Fax:
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+27-11-957 3214
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Email:
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Wedding Information, Kiddies Parties, Workshops, Educational Outings:
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nursery@gardenworld.co.za
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Gardening Information:
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club@gardenworld.co.za
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Tea Garden, Supper Theatre:
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banquet@gardenworld.co.za
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Address:
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PO Box 1336 Honeydew 2040 |Beyers Naudé Drive Ext., Muldersdrift ,Gauteng, South Africa
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GPS Co-ordinates:
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S 26o 2.553' E27o 53.110'
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Breakaway self-catering
suites on Garden Route
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All Contents © 2010 Garden World | Webmaster: Celestine Ventures cc | Date of entry: May 2001 Latest Upload: 06 March, 2010
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