THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
WITH spring around the corner, this is the best time to do some pruning of overgrown shrubs and trees. Cut back all Brachylaena discolor (coastal silver-oak),
Tecoma capensis (Cape
honeysuckle), Plumbago auriculata, Dombeya burgessiae (pink dombeya), Leonotis leonoris (wild dagga) and hypoestes aristata (ribbon bush).
Make sure you have a sharp pair of pruners or secateurs so you don’t tear the bark where you are pruning. Make the cuts at a slight angle so that when it rains, the water runs off the cut area.
● Fallen leaves must be raked and placed around the base of trees and within shrub beds. This keeps the soil warm, prevents weed growth and provides some organic matter to the exposed soil area.
● Lift, split and replant your ground covers. I do this every year and I find the growth on those plants far superior to many of those not divided. Plants that respond best include: Anthericum
saundersiae (weeping Anthericum), Chlorophytum bowkeri (hen and chicken),
Tulbaghia violaceae (wild garlic), Dietes grandiflora (wild Iris) and Crassula
multicarva (fairy crassula) . Once you have lifted the plants remove any dead or diseased leaves, cut off dead roots, cut back some of the leaves especially on the
Chlorophytums to reduce the water loss from the plant. Prepare the soil well with lots of decomposed compost and add superphosphates to strengthen the root systems of the plants. Replant the ground covers and water well. I would water twice a week till you see the new growth appearing.
● Compost and fertilise your lawns and flower beds in preparation for spring. For lawns, it’s best to use a high nitrogen fertiliser such as 5.1.5 and flower beds 2.3.2. A general rule of thumb is to spread a handful of fertiliser per square metre. Water well after application to prevent the fertiliser from burning the plants. Compost must be well decomposed and can be mixed into the soil or placed as mulch around the base of the tree or shrub.
● Cut back your grassland grasses, especially Aristida
junciformis (Ngongoni grass) and Melinus nerviglumis (Natal red top). Once cut back, they will produce a new flush of green leaves as the days lengthen and the rains begin in spring. In many of the grasslands these grasses get burnt once every few years which rejuvenates the soil.
● Repot your indoor plants. Remove the plants from the pot, remove any dead or dying roots. Remove old soil from around the roots and wash the roots with a fungicide (Dithane m45). Buy new potting medium and compost from any of the soil suppliers. Mix 50.50 compost with potting medium and repot your plant into the pot with the new mix. Press down the soil so the plant is straight and secure in the pot. Water well for the next few weeks. You can add osmocote, which is a slow-release fertiliser.