Things to do this month
If you have a borehole with water then water your plants, but if not, then refrain from watering as we are in one of the worst droughts in living memory.
Many plants will struggle to survive unless the rains come early. Best to prune shrubs back and mulch the soil with leaves from your garden or compost from a nursery. This will reduce the amount of transpiration and protect it from dying.
No need to cut your lawn until spring. Most lawns will recover quickly after the first rains and when the days get longer.
Lift and split ground covers. This includes Chlorophytum bowkeri (Hen and Chickens). Divide the plants by breaking off some side shoots. Cut the leaves in half to reduce the surface area for water loss. Remove only dead and rotten roots. Add compost to the soil and replant. This can be done with many of the ground covers including Tulbaghia violacea (wild garlic), Agapanthus praecox, Crassula multicarva (fairy Crassula) and Dietes grandiflora (wild iris, pictured).
Leave old aloe flower spikes on until the seed pods split. Plant seeds in a seedling tray.
Take cuttings of the shrubs you prune. Soft tip cuttings work best. Cut just below a node and place in a tray of river sand. Keep moist but not over watered. In about six weeks new roots will appear. Plant in a plastic packet with potting soil. Water well. Once you see lots of new growth you can then plant this shrub.
If you notice insects on your plants you need to first identify them and what they feed on. Remove the infected part. Encourage beneficial insects – such as ladybird beetles that feed on aphids – to breed in your garden. If you keep spraying with an insecticide it will also kill the beneficial insects.
Do all your structural work such as pathways, pergolas and water features.