Page 14 - FWG July Issue 2023

Gardening

July in the garden

Winter gardening for herbs and veggies
If you want a good crop of herbs and
vegetables in winter, raised beds are a good
idea as their soil temperature is higher.

Only grow vegetables that do well in cooler
conditions.

Preparation
Plan and prepare beds for spring vegetables.
Enrich the soil quality by spreading a thick
layer of good quality compost throughout
the vegetable patch. If space allows, add to General tips
the nitrogen content by planting a green • Water the garden early in the day to
manure like lucerne or clover now and allow for the soil to dry out and warm
digging it into the soil when it starts to up a bit before nightfall.
flower. • Plant more colourful winter flowering
annuals to fill gaps instantly and
Plant another batch of cabbage, Asian effortlessly in garden beds, plump up
greens, Swiss Chard, carrots, radish and hanging baskets or pots and generally
lettuce, and do a last sowing of peas. liven up the garden.
• Choose from the many winter annuals
Pruning available, for example, calendula, viola,
Prune roses towards the end of July or the pansy, primula, primrose, petunia,
beginning of August. Treat bare stems with Bellis perennis, snapdragons and the
a fungicide/insecticide cocktail to kill insect stunning, frilly Ornamental kale.
eggs and fungus spores. Feed with a rose • Pick flowers and deadheads regularly to
food of your choice. Top up the mulch layer, encourage continuous flowering.
keeping stems free of mulch, and water • Apply a foliar feed fortnightly. Winter
weekly early in the morning. flowering aloes will add instant colour
and attract nectar-feeding birds. Aloes
Deciduous fruit trees, bushes and vines can be prone to white scale that, if not GARDENER OF
must be pruned earlier this month during controlled, will spread rapidly. Check THE MONTH
their dormant season. Semi-hardy and regularly and treat with an appropriate
tender shrubs should rather be pruned in product. Silverstere Chichava has a very
September after the danger of frost has positive attitude and always has
passed. This includes plants like Hibiscus, Feeding and mulching a friendly smile on his face. He is
Gardenia, Solanum and Duranta. Do this right after pruning. Remove the punctual and neat. His garden
annuals that have finished flowering, then beds around the estate office and
Don’t prune spring-flowering shrubs until work compost and organic pellets into clubhouse are always neat and tidy
they have finished flowering, or you will the beds. If the soil drains well, work these when inspected.
remove most of the flowering buds. lightly into the top 3-5cm. If the soil is clay Well done, Silverstere!
or rocky, dig in compost to at least a fork’s
Trim and cut back woody bits on autumn depth, but take care not to disturb the roots
flowering climbers. of plants.

To purchase natural gardening products, or for more information about how to be eco-friendly, contact Turfnet on
Tel no: 011 469 5051/4 or Mobile no: 073 935 9754. Alternatively, email: Jerida@mweb.co.za, or visit www.turfgreen.co.za
Address: Plot 17, School Road, Diepsloot. 2187

Fourways Gardens • 12 • July 2023