28/01/2015
January.
Things to do in the garden.
Do maintenance feeding, manage diseases and pests, and tame overgrown plants.
FOOD GARDEN
SOW
Beans, beetroot, carrots, leeks, sweetcorn, radishes, spinach, Cape gooseberries
FEED
• Mangoes, avocados, lemons and granadilla vines.
• Young root and leaf vegetables.
• Herbs in pots every two weeks with Efekto nitrosol or Multifeed.
• Apply the different specialised fertilisers for roots, foliage, and future fruit production - use slow - releasing fertilisers at this time of the year.
PLANT
Tomatoes, chillies, basil, lettuce, celery, parsley, brinjals, chives, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage, coriander, potatoes
PEST CONTROL
• Spray apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums against fruit fly. Use Efekto garden Ripcord or Eco fruitfly bait GF120.
• Spray apple, pears and quinces against coddling moth.
• Treat grapevines against downy mildew with Makhro Agro Orius.
ORNAMENTAL GARDEN
PRIME TIME FOR
Bougainvillea, Hemerocallis (daylilies), variegated and green foliage plants.
Sow Lobularia (alyssum), dwarf marigold, portulacas and zinnias directly.
PLANT celosia, salvias, petunias, impatiens, vincas, begonias and marigolds
PRUNE
• low branches of trees to allow in more sunlight.
• Overgrown shrubs, except those that that will flower and produce berries in winter and spring.
• Deciduous climbers like wisterias, Boston ivy and ornamental vines that need thinning out.
• Hedges and topiaries to keep their shape.
•Rambling roses to remove branches that have finished flowering - new growth will bring new flowers.
FEED
• Lawns with Neutrog sudden impact for lawns to maintain colour.
• All flower beds with Wonder 3:1:5 SR.
• Garden containers, young seedlings and indoor plants every two weeks with a liquid fertiliser like seasol or Nutrisol.
• Azaleas and camellias with Starke Ayres Acid loving Plant food and water deeply and regularly to help them set buds.
PEST WATCH
• Remove old flower stalks and dead material from around the base of spent perennials to curb red spider mite. Use Efekto Redspidercide.
• Spray roses against black spot, mildew and aphids with a product like Makhro agro rose protector or protek tenazole.
•Problems with scale and aphids? Spray against ants as they are attracted by the sweet honeydew and will spread the eggs of these pest everywhere. Products to use include Margaret Roberts organic insecticide, protek Complete or Makhro Agro koinor.
• watch out for hawk moth caterpillars feeding at night on impatiens, arum lilies and fuchsias - remove them by hand.
• Watch out for lawn caterpillar infestations and treat with Kombat Garden insects.
MORE TO DO
• Water tree ferns daily and feed them with a foliage fertiliser.
• Mist-spray houseplants like ferns and orchids on hot days to provide extra humidity.
• Rotate indoor and shady patio plants and hanging baskets regularly towards the light to ensure even leaf growth.
• Keep ponds and bird baths topped up.
• Take cutting of spring -flowering vygies.
• Pull out the old flowering stems of inca lilies with a firm tug. You can dig up some roots and new shoots and replant them in other parts of the garden.
•Cut long lavender stalks, tie them into bunches and hang them upside down to dry. Place them in your linen cupboard.
• divide overgrown clumps of bearded irises and replant.
• Cut spent lilium flowers, leaving the leafy stems to produce enough food for next season. Keep well watered and well fed until they die down.
• Flush stagnant water from bromeliads with your hosepipe to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching there.
• Nip out the growing tips of crysanthemums and poinsettias to encourage busy growth.
REMEMBER TO
Plant your first crop of seed potatoes for an early winter harvest.
