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As March begins, we seem to be enjoying a ‘second summer’ – but we all know it won’t last. Autumn is not so very far away now, and savvy gardeners will be starting their colder weather preparations in good time. If you live in a summer rainfall part of South Africa, it’s important to think water conservation, as you could be in for a wait of several months before the next time it rains.
Give your mood a lift as autumn arrives, by spending more time in your garden. While you’re there, you might want to lift and divide your Agapanthus and irises. If you replant them – using lots of fertiliser – you’ll get an even more vivid purple display next summer, and on an even grander scale.
If you don’t want to wait until September, you can also do the same thing with many of your perennial flowering plants.
As we mentioned earlier, summer rainfall areas will soon be heading into their driest time of the year. That makes mulching (to conserve water in the soil) an important March garden task. If you have camellias or azaleas, be sure to water them well.
Be on the lookout for the dreaded cypress aphid – a fortnightly treatment with Metasystox will help keep your conifers safe.
While peonies, alstroemerias and oriental poppies are delightfully obvious when they’re in flower, they’re much less conspicuous in winter. It can be a good idea to mark out their positions so that you don’t accidentally dig them up during winter. As well as not being disturbed while they hibernate, they’ll also appreciate an extra helping of mulch.
Help your roses to harden up any new growth before winter by spraying them and applying Vita Fruit & Flower 3:1:5 (18). Be on the look-out for any fungal problems, too. Last but not least, don’t neglect your lawn - continue feeding and watering it, but be conscious of the cooler temperatures and shorter days that autumn brings, and adjust any automatic irrigation systems and sprinklers accordingly. This will also help to conserve water.
Are you ready to do your early autumn planting? You’ll be glad once it’s done, as the rewards can be spectacular! If you’re a fan of organic produce (and who isn’t?), choose areas that you know will stay frost-free and sow those veggies. If your garden needs a splash of colour, now is the ideal time to plant a whole array of lovely blooms. And when you’re planting, always think indigenous!
Fresher, darker mornings seem to do wonders for the appetite, and happily early autumn is a wonderful time to plant all manner of delicious veggies. Do give some thought to where you do this, as frost can (literally) be a killer, and you’d hate to see all your hard work get nipped in the bud.
Many of these vegetables (and yes, we know tomatoes are a fruit – but we also know not to put them in a fruit salad!) will also liven up your vegetable patch with their lovely colours and shapes. So, get busy planting peppers, cucumbers, aubergines, tomatoes, beans and marrows!
You can also start to prepare the soil for planting deliciously tart strawberries (always smaller but more flavourful than shop-bought ‘strawbs’), as well as lettuce, baby spinach, swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, kale, celery, beetroot, carrots, radish and cauliflower. This is the cheapest way to ensure a healthy supply of leafy greens for your juices and smoothies.
Many flowering plants give of their best when you put them in the soil in March. Have fun sketching out colour plans, but don’t wait to long. Alliums, anemones, aristeas, babianas, bulbinellas, chincherinchee, freesias, gladiolus, hyacinths, ixias, irises, muscari, narcissus, ranunculus, sparaxis and tritonias are all impatient to be planted!
As a water-wise gardener, you’ll know that indigenous plants are particularly thrifty when it comes to drinking. Intersperse them throughout your beds of Namaqualand daisies, nemesias, felicias, heliophila (blue flax) for an interesting – and eco-friendly – display.
The best place to buy all of the plants mentioned above – and to get friendly, expert advice - is of course your local garden centre or nursery. You can also check out the seeds and seedlings at your closest Builder’s Warehouse store.
There are some wonderful gardening events coming up this month – the perfect opportunity to share your passion and learn more about how to get the most from being a horticulturalist.
The 2019 IPPS SA 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE will be taking place in the beautiful Western Cape town of Stellenbosch. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Plant propagation: Into the Future’. Delegates will be focusing on the challenges – both commercial and environmental – facing the horticulture industry, and how we can all work together to overcome them. For more details, visit the event webpage: https://bit.ly/2SIGeZg
The South African Nursery Association (SANA) will be holding their annual Trade Fair in mid-March, in Knoppieslaagte (Midrand). If you’re a grower or a trade supplier, this is the perfect opportunity to build your business by exhibiting your products and services. This is SA’s biggest green industry fair, with last year’s event attracting over 125 exhibitors and more than 1 000 visitors.
The SANA Cape Green Trade Day will take place at Sun Exhibits, Grand West, Goodwood, Cape Town in the fourth week of March. If you live in the Mother City or indeed anywhere in the Cape, this is a must-visit event. Meet fellow green industry professionals and catch up on all the latest horticultural trends, news and developments – and come home with new ideas to reinvigorate your business.