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GARDEN TIPS FOR FEBRUARY 2012
THESE ARE TIPS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PLEASE NOTE THIS INFORMATION IS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS, but some of this information could be used for other areas where the climate, soils etc., are very much the same.
Check with your local Garden Centre or Nursery first. ************************************************* SEED OF THE MONTH
PANSY GIANT SUPREME
Pansies had a humble start in life, but they have since gone on to far greater things. Once they had tiny flowers, and bloomed for just a few weeks in spring. Now they come in all sorts of sizes and colours and seem to flower endlessly – well, at least for a couple of months, and sometimes longer.  So the competition for the crown of best performer in the pansy world is really keen, with many contenders. Yates Giant Supreme is a favourite with pansy lovers because of the bright colours, large size and varying shapes of its blooms.
Pansy traditionalists hold firmly to the belief that true pansies should have “faces”, the darker markings on the flowers that look as if they are smiling right back at you, and Pansy Giant Supreme is liberally sprinkled with cheerful faces. But to prevent this sea of faces becoming too confusing, there’s the occasional plain-coloured pansy in the mix.
And, most importantly, Pansy Giant Supreme is unfussy and not at all difficult to grow. Sow seeds in trays of Yates Seed Raising Mix at any time throughout late summer and autumn. Keep the trays in light shade and make sure that they never dry out. Once the seedlings have emerged, start feeding with some Thrive Soluble All Purpose Plant Food and, when they’re big enough, transplant them into their permanent position.
Pansies are so versatile they can go into pots, hanging baskets, or can be popped here and there throughout the garden. The best way to grow Giant Supreme, however, is massed in a bed in sun or part shade where the mixture of colours and flowers shapes will have the opportunity to show off to the max!
For more information contact Judy Horton judy.horton@yates.com.au www.yates.com.au
DO NOT FORGET TO KEEP A DEEP MULCH AROUND THE GARDEN BEDS;- to keep the plant's root system from drying out. Your garden beds may need topping with fresh mulch.
IF YOU HAVE NOT ADDED A WETTING AGENT TO THE SOIL IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, IT WOULD BE WISE TO APPLY SOME NOW.
When applying liquid wetting agents to the soil during the hot weather:-
1/ Spray on the ground after the sun has gone down.
2/ Do not apply if the temperate is over 28deg c.
3/ Make sure the ALL the wetting agent is washed of the foliage of green life.
Remove all dead blooms from the rose bushes to ensure further flowering. Cut all dead wood right back to a healthy growth bud, but make sure that the growth bud is facing away from the centre of the bush. If the bushes have fungal or insect infestation, then spray with a Rose and Insect Spray to keep the bushes healthy and disease free.
Water the bushes in the morning so that the foliage will dry out quickly. This will help stop the spread of fungal disease.
When picking roses for cut flowers, select a flower with a long stem. The best time to collect your flowers is early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the sun is setting and then immerse the blooms in water immediately.
When planting out new roses, dig Coprapeat into the ground. This will not only help hold the moisture around the plant's root zone, but also help to encourage strong root growth.
Mulch around the plants with Pea Straw, Lucerne or an Organic Mulch to help retain the moisture and keep the roots cool. This also helps to suppress the weeds and improve the texture of the soil.
HAVE YOUR PLANTS SUFFERED WITH HEAT STRESS?
During the hot Summer months of January and February here in South Australia, sometimes up to mid to late March our gardens suffer greatly with heat stress. We are privileged that after a hot day to be able to go inside our homes and cool off. As each hot day attacks our plants the more they suffer. The plants become weak and are then more vulnerable to disease.
Most people pour on more and more water trying to compensate for the heat. This in turn causes the plant root system to become waterlogged. The air space in the soil diminishes and the roots slowly begin to rot then ground fungus sets in. The vegetable garden gives less produce and the leaf crops become tough and tasteless.
One of the best products that I use all the year around to help enhance my garden is Seasol. Just connect the hose onto the ready-to-use container and spray the whole garden every month. You may like to spray you flower and vegetable gardens every two weeks. My garden has never looked better and the Summer heat damage has been cut by 80% on all plants.
Seasol stimulates root development, promotes healthy growth in ALL plants and enhances flowering and fruiting. Seasol is a dynamic growth stimulant and plant tonic. It is not by definition a fertiliser. Scientific trials over many years have proven its value as a means of promoting healthy vigorous growth in plants, improving resistance to insect and fungal attack and reducing the symptoms of stress from excessive heat, frost damage and transplanting. Seasol is 100% organic Seaweed concentrate and complete garden health treatment. Seasol is a 100% Australian liquid seaweed extract made from a unique species of kelp which grows only in the unpolluted waters around Southern Australia.
Seasol is non-toxic to animals and children. Although Seasol is highly alkaline and if ingested in large quantities it is not poisonous and will have no long lasting toxic effects.
SEASOL is a tonic for the plants, but you still need to feed the plants. During plant growing season I add to my Seasol , PowerFeed fertiliser with fish and liquid compost which is a Protein & Amino Acid booster.
is organically based and provides nitrogen and amino acids that exceptionally boost the plant's growth. Nitrogen is an essential element responsible for vegetative growth and shoot development, as well as for the "greening" of the plants. PowerFeed contains trace-elements and also incorporates highly active soil improvers in the form of liquid compost which increase the friability of the soil and stimulate beneficial microbial activity.
These compounds are an 'active' part of humus and are exceedingly powerful in the soil.
Just 4ml ( not even a teaspoon ) of PowerFeed fertiliser can increase the soil friability ( i.e. loosen up clay soil ) equivalent to applying 1Kg of Gypsum.
Buy a Seasol "ready-to-use spray-on container" and spray your garden today.
GIVE YOUR GARDEN A HEALTHY LIFE WITH A MIXTURE OF Seasol & PowerFeed.
Once the container is emptied then make up a mixture of 1.5 Litres of Seasol mixed with 500mls of PowerFeed and pour it into a SEASOL Spray-on container.(see photo of spray-on container above).
This 2 Litre spray-on container will then cover approximately 200 square metres.
Remember only use PowerFeed fertiliser during the growing months.@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
ORCHID CARE.
This is normally the hottest and driest month of the year, so it is important to keep the humidity in the Orchid House. Make sure that the hot, dry winds are prevented from getting in and drying the plants out.
The best height to have your benches are about 12 inches off the ground. Spread a good depth of ground mulch underneath the benches. This will collect the moisture that drains through the bottom of the pots and in turn will help to raise the humidity.
Materials such as wood chips, pine bark, wood shavings and seaweed are all good moisture collectors. Watering in the late afternoon is beneficial especially when there is a breeze as this will cool the plants down after a hot day. If the weather is cool, you may only need to water every two to three days. But if it is hot, then watering may be needed every day.
Most important, keep the snail bait around the plants when the flower spikes appear to prevent damage to the buds.
ARE YOU PREPARING TO PLANT OUT BULBS?
Buy early, plant late, is the mantra for bulb growers. At this time of year there are ample supplies of spring bulbs available in the shops but, in all but the coldest districts, the soil's far too warm for planting. So buy your bulbs now and keep them somewhere cool and dry until April or May planting time.
This gives the bulb grower a good opportunity to store their hyacinth and tulip bulbs in the fridge.
"The fridge" Why this peculiar custom?
To answer this question it helps to look at the origins of these bulbs and appreciate the cold conditions in which they've evolved.
Hyacinths, with their perfumed spikes of starry flowers, come from cold mountainous regions of southern Europe, although they're often called Dutch hyacinths because much of the breeding work to develop modern varieties has been carried out in Holland. Putting hyacinth bulbs in the fridge replicates the cold winter temperatures they experience in their native habitat and helps them to perform better in our relatively warm climate. Hyacinths will also give better results if the plants are gradually introduced to more heat and light once they've started to grow. This, again, is easy to understand because spring comes very timidly in their cold native habitat. Often it's easier in warm areas to grow hyacinths in pots filled with Bulb Growing Mix.
Refrigerate the bulbs first then, after planting, cover the pot with another of similar size to exclude the light. Next, put it into a cool, shaded spot (preferably sinking the base down into the soil). After the hyacinth shoot has emerged, take off the cover and gradually move the pot into more light. The more slowly the hyacinth encounters increased heat and light, the better it will perform. If the flowers emerge from down near the base, or the leaves and stem are floppy,it usually means that the hyacinth has developed far too quickly for its own good.
Daffodils There are hundreds of daffodils but the most popular is still the traditional yellow. Others varieties come in shades of cream, pink, white and orange. Daffodils grow happily in a well-drained garden bed in semi-shade or full sun. Dig in Yates Bulb Food before planting (mix well with the soil to avoid direct contact with the bulb) and feed
growing plants with soluble Thrive Flower & Fruit.
Bluebells These tolerant flowers can adapt to all but tropical regions. Their spikes of blue or pinkish flowers look wonderful growing below established trees.
Jonquils A loose term for daffodil relatives. Jonquils grow well in pots and garden beds and are some of the least demanding of the spring bulbs. They require a minimum of care and will flower year after year.
Freesias Freesias come from South Africa so they adapt happily to Australian conditions.
Tulips come from similar cold, hard climates and cool growing conditions are important for good results. Put the bulbs into the fridge for about eight weeks before planting. Tulips need excellent drainage and prefer alkaline soils. This means that in acid-soil areas (where hydrangeas are naturally blue-flowered) it's best to add some Garden Lime to the soil before planting, together with some Yates Bulb Food and some old organic matter. Tulips have very deep roots so make sure they are planted into well-dug, deep garden soil.
BEGINNERS' BULB GUIDE
Spring bulbs make their appearance in the shops at this time of year, which is particularly goodnews for beginning gardeners because bulbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. Mother Nature has set up each bulb like a little computer that's pre-programmed to produce a flower of a certain type and colour. Most importantly, the swollen part of the bulbs carries a store of food for the growing plant. In most areas it's still a bit early to plant bulbs but it's by far the best time to buy them. Choose stock while it's freshest and store bulbs in a cool dry spot until planting time, which in most areas will be in April or May. May planting in warmer climates.
Best bulbs for beginners
Freesias are some of the hardiest bulbs for beginners. Their South African origins mean that they're well suited to most parts of Australia. Freesia leaves are rather floppy, so they aren't really suited to formal gardens. But pretty, perfumed freesia flowers come in a wide range of colours and are very good for picking. Other good bulb choices for beginners are jonquils, snowflakes and babianas. These love the cold. Pictures of European bulb gardens inspire Australian gardeners to try and produce similar displays but in May. But results can be disappointing unless the bulbs are refrigerated before planting. Bulbs from cooler climates, such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, will all benefit from six to eight weeks in the fridge during autumn. This tricks the bulb into thinking it's been through a long, cold winter, and it responds by producing a much improved flowering display.
Choose bulb varieties with care, especially if you're in a frost-free area. Most bulbs prefer very cold climates but certain varieties will cope better with less-than-ideal conditions. Strong, tall-growing Monet tulips, for example, have been bred to need fewer hours of winter chill to induce flowering. Then there are the bluebells that are sold in packets. These are Spanish bluebells, not the cold loving English versions that are difficult to grow in our climate.
Bulbs for pots
Bulbs are fantastic in pots because they can be moved into prominent positions when they're in full flower and taken out of sight when they start to look untidy. Yates Thrive Bulb potting mix has been developed to give the bulbs that extra-good drainage they require. Mix some Thrive Once-A-Year Feeder in at planting time and water over the leaves with Thrive Soluble Flower & Fruit every couple of weeks before and after blooming.
Succulents the great survivors
February is a tough month for potted plants and some of the more vulnerable may not survive this month's heat. But if you're after plants that are great survivors, then you'll find the currently trendy succulents to be ideal. Succulents are wonderfully forgiving plants that will tolerate lots of neglect. The greatest risk for succulents is that they'll be killed by kindness in the form of overwatering. Despite this, succulents that are potted into a well-drained mix into a pot that has plenty of drainage holes will cope with the occasional flooding. Because they need minimal root room, the choice of containers for growing succulents is almost endless. Some suggestions are baskets lined with plastic mesh, old shoes, light fittings and terracotta drain pipes. You can even make a vertical succulent work of art by wiring small plants onto a framed backing board. Sphagnum moss around the roots will hold sufficient moisture for the plants. A more traditional option is to choose a well-drained pot as a home for your succulents. Yates Tuscan bowls are just about perfect because they have plenty of drainage holes, and because the wide tops display the plants at their best. Fortunately Yates has a specially formulated plotting mix - Thrive Cacti & Succulent Mix which has been designed expressly for these plants.
Some things to remember at succulent planting time:
Just because succulents are drought tolerant, they don't necessarily like to be grown in the full hot sun. Many prefer semi-shade, so read labels carefully and select an appropriate position. There are many different succulents and they don't all necessarily look right with each other. Experiment with placement before making final decisions. Succulents can be combined with other plants but they won't look comfortable with those, such as ferns, from vastly different natural habitats. Most often it's the leaves of succulents that are the interesting features. Many succulents have coloured leaves or fascinating leaf shapes.
Feeding succulents
Because many succulents are relatively slow growers they don't need strong fertilising. A special formulation like Thrive Liquid Concentrate for Cacti & Succulents is ideal.
Pests
Pests are usually minimal. As already mentioned, overwatering is the most common cause of problems. Fungal rots can be treated with Yates Anti Rot. Mealybugs can be troublesome pests that can infest the root system. Spray with Confidor and, if the problem persists, repot into fresh potting mix.
THINGS TO DO
AUTUMN is not to far away and you may be thinking of planting out your Winter seedlings while the summer flowering plants are near completion of their life. I would suggest that you at least wait until towards the end of this month before you start planting again and even longer if this hot summer weather persists.
Blossom end rot causes large brown patches at the base of tomatoes and other fruiting crops. This is caused by poor uptake of calcium, either from unreliable watering or, occasionally, because of a shortage of calcium in the soil. Mulch plants well, water regularly and, in areas with acid soils, sprinkle calcium-rich Garden Lime at planting time.
Summer-blooming lavenders can be trimmed back after flowering. When pruning lavender never cut into the old woody plant material because it's reluctant to re-shoot. Confine your trimming to the outer sections of the plant where there's an abundance of leaves. Sprinkle some Thrive Once-A-Year Feeder pellets around the base of the bushes and, after pruning, follow up a couple of weeks later with a light dressing of dolomite.
REMOVING DIRECTLY FROM THE GARDEN BED
It is important to have the ground well prepared before planting out the new winter stock, so when you remove your summer plants, sprinkle 100gms (0ne adult handful) of Blood & Bone per square metre over the ground surface. Dig the fertiliser well into the top 6 inches of top soil and then follow up with a good soaking to help the fertiliser dissolve and disperse quickly into the soil.
Leaving the grass catcher off, run the lawn mower over the old seedlings which are still growing in the ground so the plants are chopped up into small pieces. Then dig them back into the ground and add some cow manure as well to help speed the break-down of the old plant foliage into compost. Give the ground at least three to four weeks to settle in and make sure to water regularly.
Do not use this method if the plants are covered in disease as it will spread onto the newly planted seedlings.
CITRUS TREES
Citrus trees will need plenty of water at this time of the year to ensure a good crop of fruit later on. Good heavy mulch should be kept around the root zone, to conserve moisture and keep the root's cool. It is best to give them a feed of Citrus Food or Complete Mineral Mix this time of the year to keep the trees in top performance.
PLEASE NOTE. Always read the directions on the packet before application
TIME TO MAKE A CHECK LIST
Check the tomatoes and capsicum daily for fruit fly, and remove any diseased fruit from the bushes to prevent an outbreak of fungus' diseases.
This is a good time of the year to cut and dry out your herbs on those warm days, but keep the drying bundles out of the direct sunlight. They can then be stored for future use.
It is time at the end of this month start preparing the ground by digging into the soil compost mix and organic fertiliser for planting out your new bulbs.
Watch out for thrip on the roses and spray if needed.
Compost all garden clippings that are free from fungus disease and insect pests.
Soon as the native trees and shrubs have finished flowering, prune them back to strengthen the growth.
WATERING SYSTEMS
Make sure all drippers and water control systems are working. Check the dripper pipes for ant nests, they might become blocked with dead ants or ant eggs. I have learnt this problem from past experience when turning on the system after we had a long break. Place plenty of deep mulch around the plants to keep in the moisture and help control the weeds.
Place any smaller indoors plants in a well-lite cool room close to the floor to protect them from heat stress, due to the house being shut up. To stop cold draught damage on foliage keep indoors away from refrigerated air conditioner's direct air flow.
Fuchsias originated in a cool climate, so they need to be kept cool at this time of the year. After having hot days spray the leaves with water just as the sun is setting to cool the plant foliage down. The warm air will dry the leaves and refresh the plant.
HANGING BASKETS
On hot days unhook all your hanging basket plants down. place them on the ground where it's cooler and in the shade. Protecting the hot sun shining on the sides of the hanging pots will help prevent the internal soil from heating up. Black polythene pots can easily reach 40-50 C.
Add a wetting agent to the potting mix to stop the moisture from draining to quick.
SELLING A HOUSE
When selling your house, try to think as if you yourself could be buying this home. Set up a drip watering system, one that has a tap timer that is simple and easy to use. This day and age most people prefer to have a very low maintenance free garden.
Spread Bark or Red Gum Chips over the ground to cover up unsightly areas.
A garden that is clean, tidy and full of lush growth gives a relaxing atmosphere.
Here are a few tips to enhance the look of your garden around the home.
If you have a barbeque area, place some terra cotta pots around planted with herbs (fresh grown herbs are the latest trends.
Place large potted tubs around areas that look drab. Make sure colourful spring annuals is covering the top soil of the pots. Autumn onwards is the time to plant your spring flowering annuals (Pansy, Primula, Calendula etc.).
Hang colourful hanging baskets (planted with trailing Lobelia , Pansy or Bedding Begonia ) along the verandah or under the pergola.
To cover up the next door's unsightly shed or clothes line, plant out some advanced shrubs. They may cost a bit but add value for money onto your house. If the back yard is open with very little shade, plant a advanced, large fast-growing shade tree in the middle of the back lawn.
Plant the area where the lawn has died out under large trees with small colourful shrubs, clumps of perennials and annuals.
Along the driveway or main path leading up to the house plant borders of spring flowering annuals to highlight these areas.
Most important of all prune back any dead branches of trees and shrubs and remove all weeds from the garden and driveways.
Nowadays you can buy flowering seedlings (called six packs) in full flowers ready to plant out in the garden or potted colour ready to place on a table inside the home.
FLOWERS TO SOW THIS MONTH
CORNFLOWERS
Sow now for a late winter/spring display.
Starship Cinerarias will produce an array of jewel-box coloured daisies in the frost-free winter/spring garden. In cooler areas grow cinerarias in containers, keep them in a protected spot (even a glasshouse), and bring indoors when in full bloom. Cineraria seeds need light to germinate, so press seeds gently into the top of the mix and water with great care to avoid dislodging them.
CALENDULAS can also be sown this month. Their orange and yellow flowers bring warm colour to the winter and spring garden and, as a bonus, the plants have many traditional uses. Calendulas, which the Europeans call marigolds, are mentioned in many old recipes and therapies.
Their petals can be tossed into winter stews to add extra colour and a small amount of flavour.
HOLLYHOCKS
Give a lovely cottage effect and they are perfect plants to grow against a wall or fence. They' need to be protected from the wind so they can reach their full potential – which could be up to two metres! Hollyhocks are in the same plant family as hibiscus and are just as pest-prone. Keep a Yates Rose Gun on hand for instant treatment of pests like red spider, aphids and fungal diseases like rust.
DELPHINIUMS
They are short-lived perennial plants that are usually grown as annuals in warmer areas (where they're really only at their best in the first year). But, where winters are cold and summers mild, delphiniums last for a number of seasons. Mulch them well and feed every couple of weeks with Thrive Flower & Fruit during summer. The tall, blue, white and purple flower-studded spikes of Delphinium Blue Pacific are invariably described as stately and, when you see them standing upright in garden beds or in a vase, it's easy to understand why they merit this description.
ZINNIAS are near-perfect flowers for the summer garden. They stand up well to heat (even tropical mugginess), are great for picking and have the cheerie strange of flower colours imaginable. Now that the soil is warm Zinnia Gold Medal seeds can be sown straight into garden beds. Start zinnias now and they'll be decorating the summer garden well into the New Year.
CINERARIAS are some of the few flowering plants that flourish in light shade, so they're good news for people with tree-filled gardens. Yates Cineraria Star Ships, a compact variety with medium-sized daisy flowers, can be sown now into pots of seed-raising mix and transplanted carefully into garden beds or larger pots when the small plants are big enough to handle. By then the weather will have cooled down, which will suit these winter-flowering annuals. Cinerarias don't like heavy frosts, so in cold areas it's best to grow them in containers that can be kept in a protected spot
FUNGAL DISEASES
POWDERY MILDEW is one of the curses of the summer vegetable garden. It loves to attack cucurbits such as pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, zucchinis and their relatives.
Yates Lime Sulfur is a low toxic control for this disease and, importantly, it has no withholding period which means that crops can be picked, washed and eaten straight away. This is particularly helpful for fast-growing varieties like zucchinis that can change from pencil size to giant marrow almost overnight.
Late summer roses, dahlias, vegetables and lawns can all become infested with fungal problems. Look out for powdery blotches, leaf spots and rust. Use a general-purpose fungicide such as Mancozeb Plus, Baycor or Yates Rose Gun for ornamentals. Feed susceptible plants regularly with Thrive Flower & Fruit. This soluble plant food is rich in potassium, which helps prevent plant disease.
NOW IS THE TIME TO RE-POT CYCLAMEN
If you're one of those clever gardeners who managed to save last year's cyclamen, now's the time to repot into fresh potting mix. Yates has a Thrive Concentrate Liquid Plant Food for African Violets and Cyclamen that can be applied every couple of weeks to encourage the repotted plant to flower for another season.
TIME TO START SOWING AUTUMN VEGETABLE SEED
February is an important month for sowing those vegetables that prefer to grow through the cooler months. This list includes members of the cabbage family, such as cabbages, Chinese cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, rocket and broccoli.
Kohl rabi is a vegetable that's made a sensational comeback from obscurity. Recent appearances of these swollen, purple, cabbage relatives in the shops has re-kindled interest in growing them in the garden.Sow kohl rabi seed straight into beds that have been pre-prepared with fertiliser and organic matter. Thin seedlings after they've emerged so that there's plenty of room for the swollen bases to develop.
Early Purple is a good home garden variety which can be harvested over a number of weeks.
CABBAGES
Home gardeners used to be very enthusiastic cabbage growers but interest in cabbage production seems to have waned in recent years, possibly because large varieties like Savoy produced heads that were big enough to feed a family of ten! Modern families, which tend to be much smaller, will find Sugarloaf cabbage a much more appropriate size.
Sugarloaf's sweet, slightly crunchy leaves are very versatile. Shred the leaves for stirfrying, chop them into coleslaw, or wrap the leaves around savoury mince to make cabbage rolls. Whole leaves can even be used in place of lettuce cups for San Choy Bow.
Earliball is a compact cabbage that suits smaller families. Cone-shaped Sugarloaf
cabbage is slightly bigger, while Eureka is a traditional, large-headed variety.
CAULIFLOWERS
Cauliflowers are very closely related to cabbages but they take far longer to mature. Sow cauliflower seeds in the same way as cabbage seeds. Cauliflowers will only develop their heads during cool temperatures so feed them well to get as much growth as possible before the winter slowdown. Yates Phenomenal Early cauliflower is classed as a fast grower, but it still takes at least four months to mature.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts are even fussier about temperature and will only produce sprouts in cool areas. Even there, the earliest sprouts will often be open and fluffy and should be discarded. Tighter heads come later, as temperatures drop.
BROCCOLI
Broccoli is much more tolerant and grows in a wide range of climates. It's best to sow only a few broccoli seeds at a time so that the crop can be staggered over a longer period.
Rocket
Rocket is the cabbage relative for non-gardeners. It can be sown straight into the garden or a pot and, even if it goes to seed, the seeds will find their own home in the garden and start the cycle all over again. Plenty of nitrogen-rich Thrive Soluble Plant Food is the secret to success.
SILVER BEET Sow silverbeet seeds straight into garden beds at this tme of the year and be sure to keep the soil moist throughout the germination period. Start picking the outside leaves as soon as they are big enough to be used.
SPINACH Now that baby spinach leaves are used so much in trendy salads, growing your own spinach is very much back in favour. The great advantage of growing spinach from seed is that you can sow a few seeds every week and maintain a continual source of leaves for harvest.
SPRING ONIONS are wonderfully versatile plant. You can use them in salads, dips, stirfries, soups and a host of other dishes. Most cases they are often only needed to be used in small quantities. The seeds can be sown directly into garden beds and the plants can then be picked as needed.
BABY CARROTS are tops for growing in shallow soils or pots. This month is a good time to sow carrots in order to have them established before the lower temperature arrives, especially in cooler climates.
AGAPANTHUS 'SUMMER ACCENTS'
One of the favourite accent plants of summer is the Agapanthus. With its South African origins, agapanthus does well in Australian gardens where it's a popular choice for lining paths and driveways, or for creating mini hedges. Agapanthus grow in a wide range of situations and climates. Some are frost sensitive, however, so in heavy frost areas it's best to seek out and grow the deciduous varieties that will be completely dormant in winter. Although their striking foliage would be enough to ensure them a place in the garden, Agapanthus really come into their own in early summer when their flower spikes appear. Blue or white balls of tubular bells with flared tips balance on top of bare stems. These can reach up to 1.5m or more, but there are increasing numbers of dwarf varieties available.
Gardeners often accuse Agapanthus of changing their flower colour, but it's impossible for an individual plant to do this. What's likely to have happened is that new plants have grown from seed amongst the existing ones, and these are subject to the vagaries of genetic colour variation.
Hence, to preserve flower colour, it's best to reproduce Agapanthus by division. Do this in autumn or spring when the weather is mild. Before you start, choose well-drained new positions and mix in some Dynamic Lifter pellets. Use a spade to dig out clumps, then break them apart with gloved fingers or the help of a garden fork. Make sure some of the thick, fleshy roots are attached at the base of each section. Plant each rooted piece into its new home and water well to settle it in. Don't be surprised, though, if it takes a couple of years to reach flowering size again.
AGAPANTHUS PROBLEMS
No flowers?
One of the main reasons for plants failing to flower is that, in time, the plants become overcrowded or shaded. Hence, dividing and moving are the obvious solutions. Make sure, too, that nutrient levels favour flowering by feeding Agapanthus plants every couple of weeks from early spring through to flowering time with Thrive Flower & Fruit.
Snails and Slugs
These pests love to shelter amongst cool Agapanthus leaves. While they don't necessarily
attack the aggies, they'll often use them as a base to make night-time forays out to other plants. So, as well as protecting plants that show obvious signs of snail and slug damage, sprinkle Blitzem or Baysol pellets into the bases of agapanthus clumps.
SULPHATE OF POTASH (also called Potassium Sulphate)
This product is a rich source of potassium, the major plant nutrient that encourages flowering and fruiting and also improves disease resistance in plants.
Late summer is one of the worst times of year for fungal problems (many diseases flourish when the weather's warm and humid) so this is a particularly good reason for giving plants a treat with Sulphate of Potash at this time of year.
Yates Sulphate of Potash comes in a 750g pack. It can be applied in two ways: either by sprinkling ten grams of dry powder over each square metre of garden bed (then watering in well), or by dissolving twenty grams of the powder into nine litres of water in a watering can and applying over two square metres. This should be repeated every four weeks during the growing period (usually spring, summer and autumn). Apply as closely as possible to plants so that the nutrient liquid will move into their root systems.
Sulphate of Potash is often recommended as an additive to Blood and Bone. This popular organic fertiliser contains nitrogen and phosphorus, but is notoriously deficient in the third major plant nutrient, potassium. As a result, if Blood and Bone is used to feed hungry plants like vegetables, it's important that the crops are also supplied with some added potassium.
Roses particularly appreciate regular applications of Sulphate of Potash. This encourages rose growth and flower production and, most importantly, improves the ability of rose plants to stand up to common diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew. Sulphate of Potash is like an extra shot of vitamins that boosts the rose at the time of year when a bit of extra help can be most beneficial.
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