Nursery

Water thoroughly once or twice a week rather than little and often to encourage plants to put down roots insearch of water rather than coming to the surface. Containers and hanging baskets still need watering everyday and sometimes even twice a day if it is hot and windy.

Hoe beds and borders to get rid of annual weeds.

Keep your pond topped up with fresh water.

Pests love warm weather, so watch out for caterpillar and aphid infestations can be dealt with by hand if caught early enough. If the situation gets out of control you may need to act with an insecticide.

Spray roses with fungicide to ward against black spot and mildew.

Deadheading roses and other spent flowers regularly.

Cut long lavender stalks, tie into bunches and hang upside down to dry.

Mow the lawn regularly, but raise the height of the blades if the weather remains hot.

Divide clumps of bearded irises and replant.

Chop poppies, lupins, delphiniums and geraniums right down to the ground once they have finished flowering.

Fill in any gaps in your borders with perennials.

Go for instant colour on your patio with a ready planted container.

Water veggies regularly in dry weather and keep harvesting.

Keep all fruit well watered especially during dry spells; mulching with organic matter will help reduce waterloss and keep down the weeds.

Sow winter and spring flowering bedding plants like primula, pansies, violas, and Iceland poppies.

It is also time to sow slow maturing perennials and biennials like foxgloves, delphinium, Canterbury bells, larkspurs, sweet William, and aquilegia (Columbine).

Sow winter vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage into seedling trays.

Sow or plant celery turnips, leeks, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, radish, lettuce, parsley, Swiss chard and spring onions.

Protect newly planted seedlings from the sun and try to plant in the late afternoon.

February is one of the hottest months and you should do everything you can to help your plants survive the high temperatures and drying winds.

Mulch your plants and water your garden regularly and deeply, either very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, allowing enough time for the leaves to dry off before nightfall.

Watering too late in the evening can encourage fungal diseases.

Shallow watering encourages lots of surface roots; deep watering encourages strong, deep roots.

Do not over fertilise your garden this month if you live in a very dry, hot region, as this could stress your plants.

Continually remove old flowers from your summer annuals to keep them blooming for longer and clean up your perennials as they finish flowering.

Mist spray your indoor pot plants regularly in hot dry weather and feed them regular.

Gardening in the cooler weather is a pleasure and if you do all your tidying, planting and sowing now; your seedlings will have a chance to establish themselves before the cold weather arrives, ensuring a beautiful winter show.

All you will then need to do is to water and maintain the garden; giving you ample time to snuggle up and enjoy winter

As the daytime temperatures drop you can expect the best quality roses of the season with the most brilliant colours, and if winter doesn’t arrive early you can have roses well into April and May.

Late summer to autumn is a perfect time to plant new rose bushes, as these will be well established by spring, giving them a head start when the summer rains return.

Shorter days are a signal to roses to prepare for winter dormancy and the plants start converting sugar to starches and storing it in their stems for their spring growth, so it is important to feed them regularly.

In very cold areas you should stop feeding by mid-March to harden them off against the cold.

Lower daytime temperatures and reduced evaporation mean that you can reduce the amount you water while still ensuring good moisture in the soil.

Prepare your garden beds for planting out winter vegetables, flower seedlings and bulbs by digging them over about 30cm deep and working in lots of compost, sprinkle with a general purpose fertilizer like 2:3:2 (one handful per square metre) and a generous dressing of bone meal or hoof and bone meal.

“Prick out” the seedlings that you sowed in February, transplanting them into seedling trays with individual compartments and feed with an liquid fertilizer Multifeed N (6:1:5.) Thin out seedlings that were sown directly into garden beds and feed them too.

Winter and spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips and hyacinths arrive in stores this month.

Buy them early and store them in a dry, dark and cool place until planting time next month; once the soil temperatures have cooled down.

Consider including some of our gorgeous indigenous bulbs like Babiana, Freesias, Sparaxis, Tritonia, Ixias, Gladioli, Ornithogalum and Lachenalias.

Once your summer flowering bulbs have died down you can lift and store them. If you plan on leaving them in the soil, mark the position where they are planted to avoid damage while they are dormant.

Sow or plant winter flowering seedlings:

Like Iceland poppies, pansies, violas, calendulas, snapdragons, foxgloves, cornflowers, lupins, dianthus, larkspurs, ornamental cabbages, cineraria, primula etc.

Do not plant the same seedlings into the same beds year after year as this can cause soil borne fungal diseases and will deplete the soil of nutrients.

This is especially relevant for seedlings like petunia, pansy and viola.

If the sweet peas you sowed last month are growing vigorously cut off some of their tendrils, continuing to do this until they bloom; to encourage larger blooms.

If you have not sown seeds yet you can still do so; soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting.

If some seeds don’t swell, pierce them with a sharp clean pin.

Plant 15 to 20cm apart into the trenches or beds you prepared last month. Birds love eating the fresh young shoots of sweet peas and other seedlings, so protect them with plastic netting or chicken mesh if necessary.

There is plenty to do this month in the garden as this is planting season. Keep weeding, but keep this to the minimum and leave seed heads for the birds and cover for wildlife.

Leave fallen leaves to rot down, but destroy any diseased plant material as soon as possible. Any other plant material can be composted.

Prepare the soil. Add plenty of compost, manure and organic matter as you can.

Keep watering pots and containers daily and check for wilting leaves before it’s too late. The soil should not be allowed to dry out completely.

Add plenty of mulch and make sure trees and shrubs are free of grass around their base.

Plant shrubs, trees, fruit bushes, perennials, climbers, annuals and bulbs in abundance now. Check if the root ball is moist before planting or plunge into a bucket of water before planting.

Stake young trees.

Prune tall shrubs and conifers making sure not to trim the old wood.

Remove any diseased or unproductive stems from roses and support new shoots in windy areas.

While the lawn is still growing, mow once a fortnight with the blades on high for the final few cuts. If you haven’t already done so, carry out the autumn lawn care programme of scarifying, aerating, repairing, top dressing and feeding with low nitrogen autumn lawn food.

Sow lawn seed after good preparation of the surface. Lay new turf at this time of the year.

Harvest everything left in the veggie garden. Any stringy veggies can be composted or left on the plant to harvest the seed.

Dig up root crops such as potatoes, beetroot and carrots and dry before storing.

Harvest pumpkins and squashes and leave in the sun for the skin to harden and dry for a few days before storing.

Once parts of the vegetable garden are clear, dig over and add plenty of compost as soon as possible. Leave peas and bean plants in the ground as they provide valuable nitrogen in the soil and act as a green manure. Cut the stems off for the compost heap and leave the roots. Earmark this space for leafy vegetables that need loads of nitrogen.

Plant winter lettuces, onions, cabbages and in mild areas broad beans and garlic. Cover with fleece or clear cloches for insulation and protection from birds.

Remove yellow leaves from brassicas such as brussel sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli to prevent disease.

Plant mint, parsley and chives for winter.

Plant strawberries and water regularly.

Tidy flower beds and remove collapsed plants and cut back anything that needs it. Clear remaining annuals and debris. Plant grasses to encourage birds in winter.

Prepare soil that is bare over winter by digging in plenty of compost, manure and organic material such as leaf mould and cover with a layer of mulch ready for spring planting.

Plant bare root trees, shrubs, hedges and roses. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting and protect against frost or wind if exposed.

Spray every 7 days for aphids on Conifers, this is a busy time for sucking on stems and leaves (Koinor, use as a spray on leaves or an systemic)

Once leaves have fallen on deciduous plants, it is easier to see their overall shape and pruning can be done accordingly. Leave tender plants and evergreens until spring to prune. Trim conifers to keep their shape being sure not to trim old wood.

Plant and transplant roses using plenty of compost and make the hole deep enough to cover the graft union.

Prune existing roses to about half their size and burn all the fallen leaves to help against fungal diseases.

Rake up any fallen leaves on the lawn and cut with the blades set on high when the grass is dry.

In areas of heavy frost, now is the time to get out the frost protection fleece and cover tender plants.

Raise containers off the ground to prevent them becoming waterlogged.

Brighten up your garden by planting winter bedding plants such as pansies, violas, petunias, primroses and cyclamen in your flower beds, containers and hanging baskets.

Divide perennials such as daylilies.

Cut back ornamental grasses and bamboos.

Do not cut back less hardy perennials such as fuchsias more than a third and add a layer of mulch around them to protect from severe cold.

Plant soft fruiting plants such as raspberries and gooseberries in well-prepared holes at the same depth as they are in the bag.

Prune established apple and pear trees to keep the centre open allowing for the air to circulate and the sunlight to penetrate the middle of the tree.

Plant garlic, shallots, broad beans, and peas.

Protect brassicas if necessary and continue to harvest carrots, leeks, brussel sprouts (from the bottom upwards) and parsnips.

Ensure that your gutters are clean and check that all your standard plants and young trees are securely staked and tied, and that old ties are not cutting into the bark of your plants.

Remember to water your winter and spring flowering shrubs and trees regularly.

Continue to water and feed your winter bedding plants and bulbs and apply thick mulch around their roots to protect them from excessive rainfall and frost. Pick your sweet peas regularly and feed every 2 weeks with organic 3:1:5 fertilisers.

Visit our Nursery this month to select your early-flowering Camellias and Azaleas as they will be in bloom.

For an extended flowering period, also select some varieties that flower later, in August and September

Continue to water your existing plants regularly and mulch the soil with acid compost and bark chips. If you wish to trim your camellias, do so after they have finished flowering.

Lilium bulbs are available this month and must be planted immediately as they don’t have a long shelf life. Select only plump, healthy looking bulbs.

Mulch their roots to keep them cool and protect the delicate new growth from severe frost with a plant cover.

In very cold regions, put off planting Liliums until spring, or plant them into containers and place them in a warm and protected place.

Protect young plants from snails and slugs; eggshells placed around the base of your plants will help to deter them.

If mole rats are a problem plant your Liliums in containers.

Water your bulbs deeply about every four days.

Plant hardy perennials now, as their roots keep on growing in winter and they will be well established by summer.

Keep your Clivias a bit on the dry side, as this will initiate flower spikes; and in cold regions protect them with a frost cover and thick mulch around their roots.

July is the best month to transplant roses that are growing in the wrong position; as well as deciduous shrubs or trees.

It is a good time to transplant Cycads and Cycas; remove any cones from your plant before transplanting and ensure that the new site has good, well-drained soil, adding some river sand to the new planting hole if the drainage is not good.

Do not overwater until the rainy season starts.

If you did not transplant conifers growing in the wrong place last month and lightly prune existing ones, you can still do so now.

If you did have not lifted and divided your dormant summer flowering bulbs yet you can do so now.

Store the harvested bulbs in dry sawdust or vermiculite and in a cool, dark, dry place.

If you plan on leaving them in the soil, mark the position where they are planted to avoid damage while they are dormant. They can be planted out again in spring once all danger of frost is over.

Keep your Clivias on the dry side to initiate flower spikes; and if you have not planted out Liliums, you can still do so this month.

August may be a windy month, and can still get miserably cold, but it is also the month when you really start reaping the rewards of your carefully planned winter and spring flower garden; and as the month progresses the displays will just get better and better – banishing even the worst of the winter-blues.

Because August is known as the windy month, ensure that all your standard plants and young trees are securely staked.

There are many different types of tree stakes and ties, and different staking methods are used, depending on the size of the tree.

Small trees can be secured to a wooden stake with a soft material like pantyhose or raffia, but larger trees will require very sturdy wooden or steel stakes and stronger ties.

When securing your ties, ensure that they are not too tight, or they will damage the bark.

Check the ties regularly during summer to ensure that they have not become too tight, causing damage to the trees.

To encourage the formation of new flowers continue to feed your winter and spring flowering annuals, and remove the spent blooms regularly.

The more you pick sweet peas and Iceland poppiesthe more they bloom, so pick them often to brighten up your home and office.

Try alyssum, ageratum, asters, amaranthus, cosmos, candytuft, celosia, cleome, bedding dahlias, gaillardia, lobelia, lavatera, phlox, marigolds and California poppies.

Grouping your seedlings together in the garden according to their watering requirements and mulching.

Check all your bulbs, but especially your clivias, agapanthus and amaryllis, for early signs of lily borer.

Tell-tale signs are clusters of tiny eggs underneath the leaves.

Later the voracious zebra-striped caterpillars appear and start eating the leaves, working their way right down to the heart of bulbs themselves.

Spray regularly with garden Ripcord insecticide.

Watch out for lily borer and spray regularly with Garden Ripcord if necessary.

Your hydrangeas should be shooting so continue feeding yours with a general-purpose fertiliser and water regularly.

To enhance colour of pink blooms, dust the soil around the plants with lime, and to enhance blue blooms sprinkle some aluminium sulphate around the roots of your plants or spray it onto the leaves by diluting 25 grams of aluminium sulphate into 5 litres of water; repeating every two weeks until January.

Once your clivias start to bloom you can rest assured that spring has finally arrived. In the winter you need to keep them a bit on the dry side but now you can start watering more regularly.

To keep them looking at their best, apply a layer of compost and a dressing of bone meal to the soil in late winter, or once they have finished blooming.

Pinch back the young growing tips of fuchsias regularly to encourage them to bush out.

Mulch your Azaleas, Camellias and Gardenias with acid compost, water regularly and feed with a food for acid loving plants.

Camellias also make their annual flush of new growth in spring when they have finished blooming, so feed them with a slow release nitrogen fertiliser and water it in well.

Early summer is also a good time to sow both warm and cool season grasses and to lay instant lawn before it gets too hot, but do not take short cuts you will regret later.

Your winter and spring flowering annuals will start dying down as the weather warms up and it is time to start planting your summer beds.

Try alyssum, aster, cleome, cosmos, dianthus, gaillardia, sunflower, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, zinnia, bedding begonia, celosia, New Guinea impatiens, petunia and vinca.

Feed your young summer vegetables with a liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks and make sure the beds are mulched and weed free.

Thin out seedlings to the correct spacing and use the thinning’s of carrots, spring onions and beetroot to add to salads.

Tomatoes can be planted right up to their lowest leaves and the soil should be mounded up against the stems as they develop.

Once all danger of frost is over, start sowing or planting; asparagus, maize, sweet corn, bush beans,  climbing beans, eggplant, broccoli, cucumber, cabbages, carrots, celery, lettuce, leeks,  peppers, pumpkins, potatoes and sweet potatoes, radish, turnips, tomatoes, squashes, baby marrows and melons.

Always harvest your vegetables when they are young and tender, because the more you pick the more they will produce. Spring is also a good time to divide large clumps of rhubarb.

Add water retention granules and a good layer of fresh potting soil to your pot plants as well as a mulch like bark chips, rooibos tea, peach pips or even pebbles to your hanging baskets and potted plants and remember to water and feed regularly.

Repot overcrowded potted ferns with fresh potting soil and start feeding with half strength liquid fertiliser every two weeks.

October is also a good time to re-pot orchids when they have finished flowering.

Continue to feed your hydrangeas regularly with hydrangea food, to intensify the colour of the blooms.

Fuchsias can also look at their best in December if they are well cared for now.

Continue to feed and water regularly, but do not overwater.

On very hot days your fuchsias may wilt even though the soil is still wet; try moving them to a cooler position or simply spray the leaves down with water and they will quickly perk up again in the evening.

Spraying underneath the leaves often with water will also help keep red spider and whitefly at bay. Spray early, so that the leaves are dry before evening, otherwise they will be more susceptible to powdery mildew, especially on overcast evenings.

If your hydrangea, gardenia, brunfelsia (yesterday-today and tomorrow) or citrus tree has yellow leaves, water them with Magnesium Sulphate (Epson Salts). Dissolve 5 tablespoons into 10L of water and drench the soil around the plants. For fully grown citrus trees, sprinkle 1kg directly onto the soil and water it in very well. Never apply fertiliser near the stems of trees and shrubs, as this can burn them. Hibiscus plants often show yellow leaves at this time of the year, but this is usually caused by cold weather, waterlogged roots or lack of nutrients.

It’s midway through summer. Take a break and enjoy the holidays but remember to water your plants!