Annuals:
Spray plants with a foliar spray every fortnight.
Fill empty spaces with fast-growing varieties like Alyssum, gazania's and cosmos to provide colour during autumn. Do the planting out during early evening to avoid sun scorch.
Protect all young seedlings against harsh weather and snails.
Cut petunias, Nicotiana and Salvia back, mulch and fertilise.
Place the seed of delphiniums in the fridge for a week prior to sowing.
Sow in colder areas for winter- and spring-flowering plants now.
Bulbs:
Divide and replant Arum lily clumps that need it.
Plant Amaryllis belladonna bulbs with the necks just protruding above the soil.
Look for Dietes and Day lilies and plant out.
Fertilise Lilium plants and deadhead.
Perennials:
Pinch out the growing tips of chrysanthemums.
Divide Irises that need it.
Cut back Acanthus and Delphinium stems.
Roses:
Fertilise with organic matter or compost, but avoid the stems.
Deadhead and de-bud, prune lightly towards the end of the month. Keep the centre open.
Spray black spot, bollworm and beetles.
Irrigation:
Keep the garden well-watered, especially those thirsty plants.
Lawns:
Mow the lawn regularly, keeping it at the height of 5cm.
Apply 3:1:5 in the middle of the month and water well.
Fertilising:
Fertilise shrubs and trees by applying on or two handfuls of a general fertiliser like 2:3:2. Water well in dry areas.
Fertilise autumn-flowering plants.
Pruning:
Remove the reddish brown suckers from Baougainvilleas.
Prune summer-flowering shrubs that haven't yet been.
Cut fuchsias back and make cuttings. Also pinch out growing tips.
Remove old and spent hydrangea flowers and cut to an outward facing bud.
Propagation:
Make 10cm long, semi-hardwood cuttings of evergreen plants. Remove all the foliage, leaving only the top 3, dip in rooting hormones and plant two thirds deep. Water well and keep in a shady place.
Herbs:
Sow for dill, parsley and basil.
Make cuttings of thyme, sage, dragon and rosemary.
Harvest and dry or freeze herbs for future use.
Vegetables:
Keep veggies moist and fertile.
Cultivate regularly between rows.
Plant the last beans, except in the subtropical areas, and harvest twice a week.
Mulch lettuce and keep well watered.
Lessen the amount of water given to onions.
If sowing for carrots in dry areas, water the planting area well prior. Apply a thin layer of mulching.
Fertilise seedlings of cabbage.
Support eggplants.
Fruit:
Prune deciduous trees by cutting back the top, heavy branches and thus opening the tree shape to let light in again.
Fertilise deciduous trees that weren't in December. Sprinkle organic matter or compost around the tree at the drip line. But lessen the amount if the tree start overproducing foliage.
Pick up all fallen fruit and remove them.
Treat and/or prevent the tree from fruit fly.
Lessen the watering on grapes towards the ripening of the fruit. Harvest grapes when ripe. Protect against birds and fertilise with organic matter.
Fertilise logan- and young berries and re-tie to support.
Thin the fruit of citrus out when necessary and water regularly in dry areas.
Fertilise strawberries, bananas, pawpaws and mangos.
Spray plants with a foliar spray every fortnight.
Fill empty spaces with fast-growing varieties like Alyssum, gazania's and cosmos to provide colour during autumn. Do the planting out during early evening to avoid sun scorch.
Protect all young seedlings against harsh weather and snails.
Cut petunias, Nicotiana and Salvia back, mulch and fertilise.
Place the seed of delphiniums in the fridge for a week prior to sowing.
Sow in colder areas for winter- and spring-flowering plants now.
Bulbs:
Divide and replant Arum lily clumps that need it.
Plant Amaryllis belladonna bulbs with the necks just protruding above the soil.
Look for Dietes and Day lilies and plant out.
Fertilise Lilium plants and deadhead.
Perennials:
Pinch out the growing tips of chrysanthemums.
Divide Irises that need it.
Cut back Acanthus and Delphinium stems.
Roses:
Fertilise with organic matter or compost, but avoid the stems.
Deadhead and de-bud, prune lightly towards the end of the month. Keep the centre open.
Spray black spot, bollworm and beetles.
Irrigation:
Keep the garden well-watered, especially those thirsty plants.
Lawns:
Mow the lawn regularly, keeping it at the height of 5cm.
Apply 3:1:5 in the middle of the month and water well.
Fertilising:
Fertilise shrubs and trees by applying on or two handfuls of a general fertiliser like 2:3:2. Water well in dry areas.
Fertilise autumn-flowering plants.
Pruning:
Remove the reddish brown suckers from Baougainvilleas.
Prune summer-flowering shrubs that haven't yet been.
Cut fuchsias back and make cuttings. Also pinch out growing tips.
Remove old and spent hydrangea flowers and cut to an outward facing bud.
Propagation:
Make 10cm long, semi-hardwood cuttings of evergreen plants. Remove all the foliage, leaving only the top 3, dip in rooting hormones and plant two thirds deep. Water well and keep in a shady place.
Herbs:
Sow for dill, parsley and basil.
Make cuttings of thyme, sage, dragon and rosemary.
Harvest and dry or freeze herbs for future use.
Vegetables:
Keep veggies moist and fertile.
Cultivate regularly between rows.
Plant the last beans, except in the subtropical areas, and harvest twice a week.
Mulch lettuce and keep well watered.
Lessen the amount of water given to onions.
If sowing for carrots in dry areas, water the planting area well prior. Apply a thin layer of mulching.
Fertilise seedlings of cabbage.
Support eggplants.
Fruit:
Prune deciduous trees by cutting back the top, heavy branches and thus opening the tree shape to let light in again.
Fertilise deciduous trees that weren't in December. Sprinkle organic matter or compost around the tree at the drip line. But lessen the amount if the tree start overproducing foliage.
Pick up all fallen fruit and remove them.
Treat and/or prevent the tree from fruit fly.
Lessen the watering on grapes towards the ripening of the fruit. Harvest grapes when ripe. Protect against birds and fertilise with organic matter.
Fertilise logan- and young berries and re-tie to support.
Thin the fruit of citrus out when necessary and water regularly in dry areas.
Fertilise strawberries, bananas, pawpaws and mangos.