Durban - After a mild but very dry winter, gardens here are crying out for rain as the warmer weather has meant that spring is bursting out all over.
Days are longer and this has a huge effect on growth. Plants are waking up and raring to go. This makes for a very busy time in the garden.
A good “spring clean” might be a good idea. Clean out old dead matter from your garden beds, rake up all the fallen leaves and add them to your compost heap. Cut back, or prune to shape all your hedges and screen plants.
Apply compost or kraal manure to your beds and shrubs, as well as a handful of fertiliser per square metre to all plants and beds. A slow release fertiliser such as 5:1:5 (SR) will not burn, does not need watering in, and will boost growth and stimulate flowering.
If your lawn is looking anything like mine is, there is plenty to do now to get it looking good again.
My grass is looking rather dry and brown – even the mondo grass on my verge has gone brown.
Water as much as you can to revive the grass.
Apply a light dressing of compost or lawn dressing to the worst areas, to recondition the soil.
An application of 2:3:2, or 2:3:4 fertiliser will supply a much needed “wake-up” feed.
Do not be in a hurry to mow – rather let your grass grow and spread – the more leaves it has to do this, the better. As your lawn begins to grow, so will the weeds – ask your nurseryman to recommend a broadleaf weed killer, that will not kill the grass.
It is not a good idea to hand-weed your lawn – it is expensive, time-consuming and if you do not remove all of the weed, the bits you leave behind then grow into more plants, so you end up with more weeds.
Weed killers are cost-effective, quick to apply and destroy the whole plant when applied correctly. Get good advice before application, as mistakes cannot be easily rectified.
Roses should now be growing out strongly after pruning.
Feed and water well to encourage as much growth as possible. A fertiliser formula with a high last number (potassium), such as 3:1:6, or 5:1:5 will result in solid growth and large, colourful blooms. Vigorous growth is a treat for aphids, so spray regularly with a recommended insecticide – also add a fungicide to the spray, as new growth is susceptible to mildew, which distorts the leaves.
I am often asked how to water plants in pots – be they indoor pot plants, or plants in tubs on the patio.
At each watering, apply enough water to wet the entire rootball completely. This will ensure that any impurities in the soil, and excess fertiliser will be flushed out the bottom of the pot. As the water soaks through the potting mix, it will suck air down to the roots – this is very important for the health of the roots. Put your indoor plants in the sink or shower when watering them, so that the excess water can safely drain away.
The water that drains out of the pot contains impurities and excess salts and should be discarded, and not left in the saucer to be re-absorbed by the potting mix as it dries out. I am not a fan of saucers – use them to keep water from spoiling your carpet or table, but never allow old water to remain in the saucer.
Do not water the plant again until one day before it dries out. This might be after three days, or a week, or longer. Test the potting mix with your finger – if it is moist, the bottom of the pot will still be wet. If it is dry, the mix at the bottom could still be moist, and it might only need watering the next day.
By far the majority of potplant problems are due to incorrect watering so remember, complete saturation each time, then test the potting mix before watering again. If in doubt, leave it out.
In most cases it is better for the plant to dry out for a day occasionally, rather than to be watered too soon. (Ferns are an exception to this).
Pot size, plant size, sun or shade, summer or winter, will all play a part. Remember, too, that each time you water, you flush nutrients out the pot, so you will need to feed regularly.
Nurseries are bursting with colourful plants for spring planting. All your old favourites are there, as well as many new hybrids.
The trend towards “Urban Farming” or “Grow your Own” continues to gain momentum.
Vegetables can be grown in beds, tubs, troughs, window boxes and pots. Do not plant too many of each plant at a time so that they all mature at once, but rather plant a few every fortnight to give a steady supply over a long period.\
The Mercury