Your Garden in Winter
The sap flow in our plants is decreasing rapidly and most plants are growing slowly. Luckily winter solstice was already on the 20 of June with the shortest day and longest night of the year. Then the season starts turning back towards summer. Spring approaches and sap flow increases. So if you are wondering to do with your weekend, take your family to your nearest nursery and buy everything you could need to brighten up your garden for spring.
Although plants need less water during the winter, it is important to water our gardens regularly. The best time to wet plants in winter is in the middle of the morning so that they can dry and the soil can warm again before it is dark. Watering in the late afternoon can lead to the roots being damaged due to low ground temperatures.
To keep the soil warm and humid during winter, and especially to protect frost-sensitive plants such as Fuchsias and Kannas, roots can be sprinkled with coarse compost or bark. Loose leaves that waste from trees can also be used for this. However, it is important to remove the autumn leaves around succulents, from lawns and seedlings because too many leaves on these plants will suffocate and cause fungal infections, especially on succulents. Fungal is usually recognized by brown, black or yellow spots on lawns and succulents. A broad spectrum of fungal infections can be effectively treated with Protek’s Mycoguard or Tenazole.
Camelias and Azealias flower beautifully during winter, so it important to water them regularly. Be careful of too much otherwise the flower heads will drop. These plants need acid soil and enough nutrients. We suggest that you fertilize these plants with Protek NutriGreen Flower Power which is rich in nutrients that these plants require.
Most gardeners are under the impression that it is not necessary to apply fertilizers, or fertilizers, to plants during winter. However, this is a misconception. By regularly feeding plants with a water-soluble fertilizer rich in micro-elements, especially zinc, you can help your plants with better resistance to the low air temperature. Plants also store a lot of carbohydrates in their roots during the winter. Phosphate is a macro element that is important for healthy root growth to strengthen plants in winter. Protek’s Guanoflo is an ideal winter nutrition for all plants because it is rich in both zinc and phosphate. However, it is important not to apply a fertilizer such as KAN, which is very rich in N, during winter on ornamental plants because it stimulates leaf growth and easily leaves young leaves damaged by frost.
It also remains essential to rip-sensitive plants in the winter season with a rip-off cloth available at most nurseries or hessian. It is important not to tighten the ripening cloth too tightly as it can damage the stem. Also, make sure that the mats on your plants never get wet when you give up water, as this will cause the plant’s leaves to freeze at night.
If you have Cypress trees or Conifers in your garden, don’t forget to treat the plants with a systemic insecticide like Imidor 350SC now as the dreaded Italian Cypress aphid are most active on the leaves of the plants during June and July. Imidor 350SC is easy to apply to large plants as well, as you only need to drench the roots of the plants. Be on the lookout for ants around these plants as their appearance is a tell tale sign that the Italian Cypress Aphid is prevalent. The ants “milk” the aphids for honeydew, which is a food source for the ants. The honeydew can also cause a secondary fungus infection, ie. suity mould. Treat preventatively with, Protek Tenazole, a systemic fungicide. Unfortunately the damage done by these aphids is only visible in October and you are therefore advised to treat your plants preventatively.
Winter is the time to make those changes in your garden. Especially if you are looking to plant a few new fruit trees. Start by preparing the holes properly. Dig the hole nice and deep, and make sure they are large enough. Water the hole well. Add compost and also Protek’s Gwano Pellets to the soil that you are going to use to plant and fill the hole. After planting fill the hole to plant height but don’t get rid of the soil left over. Rather keep that soil for another day. It is also a good time to move trees in your garden. Prepare the holes in the same way you did for your new fruit trees. Remember to not remove too much of the soil around the roots when removing the tree.
Plant the trees at the same height as they were in your garden before to minimize strain on the tree. It is the ideal time to get rid of unwanted trees in your garden. Cut the tree up to knee height and treat the stump with Triclon. This will prevent the tree from sprouting new branches again. When it comes to pruning, start sharpening and cleaning your secateurs but please refrain from going cut crazy. In case of a warm winter plants may still be able to sprout and new growth can still be damaged by the cold.
To protect your sensitive plants from winter cold, cover them with frost cover for those cold winter nights. Feed the entirety of your garden with Guanoflo to strengthen the cell walls in the plants that will help protect them from winter chill. Pot plants must also not be place too close to windows in the shade. Rather move them to a nice sunny spot and fertilise them with Guano Pellets. Remember that heaters in the home will dry out the air, so pot plants require more watering.
