We can all start to notice the dark nights getting longer and temperatures starting to take a turn, this is the month you will notice the leaves changing from green to orange in preparation for autumn.
Winter doesnt mean that your garden has to turn into a dull mess, Here is a list of tasks you can look at doing in your garden to prepare for that winter show:
- Prune and tidy up your daylilies, daisies, lavender, phlox, and other perennials that have finished flowering.
- Why not select and plant trees for autumn colour while you can see them at their best. Look at planting both trees and shrubs this month, as it’s the perfect time to do so. Start by removing all traces of weeds, then prepare the soil with an organic fertiliser and compost mix, there is plenty to choose from at Tuingenoot.
- Continue planting those winter bulbs in areas that need a burst of colour either in pots around the house or garden beds that need a bit of life.
- Plant out the rest of your spring-flowering bulbs, they will naturally activate when they feel the warmer months coming.
- Is your soil heavy and acidic under those conifer trees? Look at treating with Dolomitic Lime. Mixed in with some Organic fertiliser this will help restore the soil structure.
- If you see yellowing of mature leaves and pale green upper leaves, your plant may be begging you for a boost of nitrogen. Use a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen levels.
- April is a fantastic time to plant vegetables and flowers. Having nutrient-rich soil is key to healthy, productive plants and this is where a generous feed of compost and an Organic fertiliser can help.
- Start making your own compost by using fallen autumn leaves. Mix leaves, plus kitchen scraps lawn shavings and a Compost Activator together in your compost bin or heap, keeping it moist and let the beneficial composting microorganisms get to work turning it over once a month, you will have great compost ready to use in your garden in no time.
FRUIT TREE GARDEN
Harvest
- Harvest the last of your Grapes, apples, guava, pears, walnuts, passion fruit, and late cultivar peaches.
Fertilise
- When planting new fruit trees in the ground, mix in with a bag of Kainosis compost, Bone Meal and an Organic fertiliser of your choice into the bottom of the planting hole.
- Look at Feeding your citrus trees regularly this is key to promoting juicy fruit. Citrus are very hungry plants, and a lack of nutrients can lead to a decline in fruit quality. feed with an organic fertiliser that says Fruit & Flower it is a complete fertiliser that has been specially formulated to provide fruit trees with all the essential nutrients they need.
Prune
- Once nectarines, peaches and plums have finished fruiting, prune the plants to shape, remove any dead or diseased branches and treat with Efekto virikop
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Plant
- April is the perfect month to plant Beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale, celery, lettuces, radishes, rocket, Swiss chard, spring onions, spinach, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Harvest
- Look at harvesting what is ready or the last of your Beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, capsicums, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chillies, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuces, marrows, peas, potatoes, sweetcorn, and tomatoes.
Fertilise
- To give your newly purchased seedlings a great start, dig some Compost and All Purpose fertiliser like Protek Flower power into the soil before transplanting seedlings.
- Once you start seeing the seedlings are established, apply on a weekly basis a liquid plant food like Nitrosol or trelmix to help promote healthy plant growth and a great harvest.
- Liquid Kelp feed is a plant building block; it conditions the plant and improves root formation, which is essential for any plant.
- Feed your evergreen vegetables and herbs every four week with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser of your choice to promote fast and healthy growth.
LAWNS
- Your Lawn needs feeding during autumn to recover from the long, hot summer and the additional wear and tear from weeks of fun and games your family was having during the summer months. Feeding now also helps the lawn prepare for the cooler months ahead and encourages the grass to stay greener for longer. Fertilawn has the additional benefit of supplying the soil with valuable organic matter, promoting improved soil health and structure.
- If broadleaf weeds start to emerge across the lawn, early control will limit their establishment and spread. A quick and easy treatment is to spot-spray with any broadleaf weed killer. This will help control the weeds in your lawn.
- Are you noticing any circular brown or dying patch of grass? Moist and cool weather can lead to lawn diseases such as brown patch and dollar spot. Treat the area with Efekto Lawn Fungicide 500 EC.
- Be on the look out for Lawn caterpillars which are the young of night-flying moths, which chew through grass foliage and stems, causing rapid expanding dying and dead patches in your lawn. You may also see birds pecking at the lawn. They’re after the caterpillars. Apply knox worm from Protek as soon as symptoms are noticed.
- Is your lawn browning and then being carried away? If so, you have harvester termites – apply Kamikaze from the mid-morning onwards as harvester termites emerge to feed.
- Expert tip! If you have planted lawn seed. One week after germination, look at applying Wonder Kelp over the new lawn to help stimulate healthy root and plant growth.
FLOWER GARDEN
Pick
- Pick flowers from your garden and make your own flower bouquet using Scabious, poppies, statice, roses, dahlias, lilies, sweet peas, gypsophila, cosmos, zinnia, agapanthus, and hydrangeas.
Sow
- Now is the perfect time to sow Bellis, violas, primula, pansies, ornamental kale, poppies, wildflowers, gazania, and dianthus.
Fertilise
- Camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons prefer a slightly acidic soil. If your soil is alkaline, look at applying Colourburst Azalea to reduce the pH of the soil along with a bag of acid compost.
- For gardeners that prefer to use a liquid solution to feed their garden, Gwano boost includes a rich blend of natural ingredients, and is highly recommended.
- After seeds have germinated, give them a gentle watering with Wonder Kelp.
- To help promote healthy growth and lots of flowers, feed flowering plants with flower power from Protek.
- If you are looking at planting some roses in your garden, a great start is to mix compost and an All Purpose fertilser into the soil for the new roses. If your soil is acidic, mix in some Dolomitic Lime to correct the pH levels.
- Feed established evergreen shrubs and trees with an All Purpose fertiliser, and Super Phosphate mix, this will help your plant through the months of winter.
INDOOR PLANTS
- Do your orchids need a feed? Use a liquid orchid feed every two weeks to improve overall growth and encourage flowering.
- Indoor plants make a home a more welcoming and happy place. Remove any old or yellow foliage and stems, dust the leaves regularly or take them outside and rinse in the midmorning. Add a few drops of Efekto Oleum to the leaves and wipe with a damp cloth to promote a glossy appearance. And help fend off pest.
- To encourage lush, healthy green growth, feed your plants with every watering. Dilute a weak salutation of either kelp, Nitrosol, or trelmix as they have very little to no odour, and wont stink up your home.
- After repotting, give the plant a gentle but thorough watering with Wonder Kelp. This will settle all the new potting mix around the roots, helping reduce transplant shock while stimulating new root growth. Keep the plant moist as it establishes itself in the soil.
PEST AND DISEASE PROTECTION
- Are your seedlings being cut off at night? Cutworms cut the stems of seedlings at night just above or below the soil surface. Treat with Efekto Cutworm Bait or Protek knox worm.
- Watch out for hungry caterpillars! Treat with Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide – a natural product.
- Have you noticed a white-grey powder that spreads over the upper-surface of your leaves (usually the older ones)? Treat powdery mildew with Neem oil.
- If you notice distorted and chewed foliage or petal spotting, treat for thrips with Efekto Oleum.
- Aphids and whiteflies cause leaves to yellow and distort and your plant health will start to suffer. Cypermethrin 200 EC is very effective against insect pests. Spray over foliage every few days to keep your prize plants protected.
- Preventing a slug and snail invasion can be tricky especially around your newly planted seedlings, treat with sluggem after watering.
- Are green, brown or black insects causing young leaves to twist and curl under? That is commonly caused by aphids treat with Aphicide plus.
- If you start seeing small white, brown, pink or black raised bumps on leaves, stems and fruit, you may have a Scale problem you can treat with Efekto Malasol.
- Poorly drained soil or prolonged wet weather can lead to the development of root rot diseases. Citrus and avocado trees can be particularly susceptible. Efekto Virikop can be applied onto the stems of trees and soil when the diseases appear.
