YOUR FEBRUARY GARDEN – OUR 5 TOP TIPS
It’s February, and it’s HOT! For us humans, it’s still relatively easy to escape the heat, with airconditioning, shade, a quick swim in the ocean. Our South African gardens unfortunately can’t escape and they need all the help they can get. We offer you our top 5 tips for your February garden.
1. WATER! WATER! WATER!
Our South African gardens are very thirsty in the February heat. Be sure to water daily, but remember not to water in the midday heat. Best time is to water early in the morning, allowing the plants to drink long and hard throughout the hot day. Afternoon watering is discouraged for vegetable and herb gardens as it encourages mildew growth.
2. SNIP THE DYING FLOWERING ANNUALS
Your garden needs some maintenance and cutting back in February, with some annual flowers needing to be removed as they come to an end of their flowering season. It would be useful to keep and prepare the seeds for the next flowering season.
3. START ON A FIRST CROP OF WINTER VEGETABLES
With Autumn around the corner, we can certainly start planting some vegetables which take longer to grow. Planting them in late February early March means that they will be mature before the colder months of June & July arrive. You can read more here about which vegetables to plant now.
4. APPLY FERTILISER
Larger shrubs will often have a growth spurt towards March and April. Be sure to make the most of this opportunity by applying Fertiliser now. Fertilising helps supplement your garden with added nutrients essential for plant growth and flowering. These nutrients are often lost due to flushing rain and irrigation. This makes fertilizer a super food for your garden.
5. HEAT MEANS BUGS & MOSQUITOS!
Keep any watery areas like ponds, water features and bird baths neat and trimmed of excessive foliage, to avoid cozy spaces for too many bugs to collect. They thrive in our moist, humid climate and you don’t want to encourage infestations.
If you’re not a keen gardener and this is all a little intimidating, feel free to call the experts!
Happy Gardening.