The month of August is always an exciting month; spring is almost here and we can start seeing the first signs of the garden coming to life. Generally, there is more sunshine this month than in July, but be sure to keep an eye on the forecast, as August is notorious to have some surprise winter days.
Here is a list of things one can start doing in the garden for the month of August.
- Continue cutting or deadheading flowers from bulbs, annuals and perennials but allow the bulbs leaves to die down naturally. Feed your bulbs every week with an All Purpose fertiliser until the leaves yellow.
- Look at planning and prepare a new veggie bed.
- If you haven’t already transplanted deciduous trees and shrubs do so now while they’re still dormant.
- If you are wanting to plant dahlia tubers you can do so now, be sure to plant them into well-prepared soil, that are in sunny spots of the garden.
- Did you know Organic fertilisers can be used all year round, on all plants in the garden it also has other advantages listed below.
- Improves soil water and nutrient-holding capacity
- Improves soil structure
- Encourages earthworms and soil microorganisms
- Provides gentle, slow-release organic nutrients
- Be sure to feed your camellias and azaleas after flowering to encourage new growth with Wonder Colourburst Azalea.
- When planting new plants in your hanging baskets, mix some hydrated Waterwise Crystals into the soil or potting mix. These crystals can store up to 400 times their weight in water and release moisture back to the plants over time, making them very handy during the drier months. It’s a good idea to pre-wet the crystals before using them.
IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
- Continue planting Beans (dwarf, runner), broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chervil, lettuces, leeks, radishes, rocket, and spinach. We have a wide range waiting for you at Tuingenoot.
- When they are ready harvest your Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, celery, kale, leeks, winter lettuces, rocket, and spinach.
- If you havent already why not plant raspberries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, and blackberries they can all be planted now.
- It’s still strawberry planting time. To ensure a good strawberry crop, the plants needs to have a period of winter chilling. The cold temperatures help to stimulate the flower buds, which produce the fruit.
- Be sure not to fall behind on fertilizing your veggie garden with an All Purpose Organic fertilizer and compost, mixing it well into the garden beds prior to spring planting.
- Prepare beds by working soil over with a garden fork, and mix in with compost, kraal manure, and a slow releasing organic fertiliser like flower power before planting.
- Keep a close eye on your young seedlings and protect them from hungry snails and slugs with a light sprinkling of Snailban around them.
- Aphids can be a common pest on beans and peas, which feast on sugary plant sap and can cause leaves to curl and distort. To control aphids, spray your plants every ten days with Neem oil.
- Cutworm is still out and about, they can destroy seedlings overnight. Control them with Efekto Cutworm bait.
- Watch out for powdery mildew on your spinach. Initial symptoms are small powdery white spots on leaves, which can multiply and lead to leaves yellowing and dying. Control this by regular spraying of Neem oil.
- Caterpillars are known to decimate veggies during winter, particularly brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Take control of caterpillars on your veggies, by spraying the plants every seven to ten days with Efekto Eco Insect Control or Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide.
FRUIT TREE GARDEN
- Continue harvesting your lemons, limes, mandarins, kumquats, and avocados.
- You can continue planting all deciduous fruit trees in July, August and September taking advantage whilst the plants are still dormant. The widest selection is still available at Tuingenoot. Remember all fruit trees require full sun, and shelter from wind is preferable.
- Be sure to fertilise your fruit trees that are in containers with an organic fertiliser like flower power or gwano pellets.
- Feed your citrus trees towards the end of the month an All Purpose Fertiliser to help them recover from spent energy that went towards fruit production.
- To promote healthy growth and a lot of tasty fruit, feed your winter fruit-bearing trees with an organic fertiliser that says Fruit & Flower.
- Remember to spray Efekto Virikop onto your peach and nectarine trees when their new buds start to swell.
- In frost-prone areas, continue to protect your tender fruit trees with a frost cover and layer of mulch around the base.
- If you havent gotten around to it remember to spray your deciduous fruit trees with a winter clean-up spray using Efekto Oleum to remove any overwintering pests and diseases.
- It is the ideal time to break the life cycle of a range of common pests and diseases lying in wait on deciduous plant stems during winter, ready to infect the new spring foliage and flower buds. Spray leafless stone fruit and apple trees, grapevines, roses, and other deciduous shrubs like hydrangeas with Efekto Kumulus.
- Pruning is known to promote new growth and increases fruiting power and capacity. It also allows for more light to enter into the plant or tree. Always remove dead and diseased wood.
- Prune your grapevines before the sap starts to move. In warmer areas, this may be your last chance to prune, but in colder parts, it can be done over the next month or so.
- Now is the time to cut back and shape your prunes, apples, pears and apricot trees.
- Expert tip: Avoid pruning peaches, plums and almonds in winter, as it can aid in spreading the silver leaf virus. These fruits should be pruned in summer to limit its spread.
FOR THE FLOWERING GARDEN
- Add some color to your home and pick your proteas, azaleas, daffodils, tulips, camellias, viburnum, winter roses, dianthus, and ornamental kale.
- Wanting to add colour to your garden? Why not plant poppies, lupins, aquilegia, sweet peas, pansies, calendula, petunias, and violas they will brighten up any spot.
- Look at applying a Fruit & Flower fertiliser to your existing bulbs.
- Don’t forget to apply a side dressing of flower power fertiliser to plants that are in pots and planters, they rely on you to feed them more than you think.
- At the end of winter and as early spring starts to set in, Your roses will start to wake from their winter slumber and need to be fed with specialised rose food. Try and use Wonder Rose & Flower – this product is specially formulated to provide roses with the nutrients they need to grow healthy foliage and lots of heavenly flowers.
- Despite being hardy, succulents will be much healthier when they’re fed regularly. Their feeding doesn’t need to be complicated. A sprinkle of flower power will provide a balanced blend of slow-released nutrients.
- Be sure to be on the look out for aphids as they may begin to appear on fresh new shoots. Control them with Efekto Aphicide.
- Slugs and snails are still the main problem at this time as they munch through tender shoots and leaves of newly planted flowers. Control them with Sluggem or sluggit.
- You can start to prune to tidy up the garden before the new growth starts to appear in spring.
- Protect your young seedlings against cutworms by sprinkling Efekto Cutworm bait around them.
- Keep on top of weeds to prevent major invasions in spring, if you are not sure what to use come and ask our knowledgeable staff.
- Protect your azaleas from petal blight. In late winter, you can start spraying the azaleas with Efekto Virikop.
- Are you seeing leaf silvering or mottling on your leaves? Spray for thrips by using protek complete.
- Monitor for tender leaf growth in late winter and protect plants from red spider mites, which causes leaves to bronze and mottle. To control, spray plants with Oleum, including the undersides of leaves where insects often hide.
FOR THE INDOOR PLANTS
- Gnats are pesky little flies commonly found around plants in compost and potting soil. You can treat them with Efekto Malasol and by letting your plants dry out between waterings.
- Pamper your indoor plants with a liquid Kelp fertiliser. It is made from 100% naturally derived ingredients, and is applied to the growing medium or foliage to help your indoor plants flourish.
- Expert tip: It’s important to regularly feed your indoor plants! For as long as you see active growth one should feed. This will provide your indoor plants with a complete and balanced blend of nutrients to promote lush, healthy growth.
FOR THE LAWN
- What goes on in the soil beneath your lawn is just as important as the leafy green growth we see on top. The health of the soil and lawn roots play a significant role in how well your lawn looks and performs. Prepare your soil with Super Phosphate and Fertilawn.
- A strong root system promotes a healthier lawn, even during periods of drought and stress. Wonder Kelp improves soil, activating soil microbes, it also assists in nutrient uptake, and stimulates deeper lawn root development.
- Don’t let weeds sneak up on you during the cooler weather. Get them under control with careful spot sprays of Efekto No Weed Lawn or Protek lawn versus weeds.
