September in the Garden Checklist

Spring Zing

The season that needs no introduction – it can only be spring! This is an exciting time for gardeners filled with blossoms, blooms, and renewed beauty after the winter. This month, we love the spekboom, and we’ve got some special varieties to share. The veggie garden is every home grower’s dream, so check out our edible zingers for September. Perennials and bulbs are also ready to crank up the heat in the garden, so let’s dig and plant right in!

‘n Spekkie for thought

Portulacaria afra (elephant’s food, elephant bush, or spekboom) is an indigenous superstar in our South African climate. They tolerate high humidity, high rainfall or drought, heat, desert sun or well-lit indoor spaces. They are frost-tender but will bounce back quickly. Not prone to pests or disease either, the spekkie boasts the following fabulous benefits:

• Environment: They help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by acting like a handy carbon sponge, thereby improving the quality of air we breathe.
• Firebreaks: This plant is used in fire-prone areas as a perimeter hedge – good to know!
• Food: Spekboom leaves are edible and add interesting texture and flavour to salads. They are high in Vitamin C with a juicy, sour taste – definitely worth a try!
• Soil: A good soil binder that helps to prevent soil erosion – wind and slopes beware!
• Versatile: With so many varieties available, spekkies are excellent groundcovers, look spectacular in hanging baskets, add a vibe to mixed succulent containers, are super hardy trees, cute bonsais, and are just overall an awesomely easy addition to the garden.
• Easy to please: Prune them to shape or let them grow wild, feed them or forget about them, mulch them or munch on them.

Did you know? Spekboom provides 80% of an elephant’s diet and can live up to 200 years.

Plant these Portulacaria afra varieties now in well-drained soil with a dash of Bio Rock Root Builder, available from your GCA Garden Centre.

• Tom Thumb: a small-leaved, compact variety that makes an excellent bonsai.
• Longstockings: also small-leaved but with a distinctly vertical growth form.
• Macrophylla: a giant-leaved variety, very sculptural in the garden or in pots.
• Also try: Limpopo (most common), Prostrata, Aurea, Foliis variegate, Medio-picta, Variegata, Tricolor, and Cork Bark.

Fired-up flowers

• Plant Asylum in garden beds or hanging baskets in full to partial sun. They tolerate dry soil and will flourish with frequent deadheading. Asylums are ideal as attractive edge borders, framing flower beds, as well as adding vibrancy and texture to window boxes.
• Also plant clivias, salvias, begonia ‘Dragon Wings’, verbenas, penstemons, camellias and azaleas for a splash of happy spring colour.
• Warm-season bulbs like tuberous begonias, dahlias and amaryllis can also be planted now. For summer bedding colour, include masses of petunias, dianthus, gazanias, and Zantedeschia
• Perennials to plant with your spring collection include columbines, angel wings (Gaura), bearded iris, Limonium perezi (giant statice), Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (cornflower) and Viola odorata ‘The Czar’ (sweet violet).
• Sow bold sunflowers, zinnias, and portulacas to reap the rewards in a few weeks.

In the bloom prune zone: Mayflowers, banksia roses, hibiscus and poinsettia are ready for a snip. Deadhead pansies and violas now too.

Edible spring zingers

• Plant strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, beetroot, spinach and chard.
• Sow seeds of tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, beans, beetroot, eggplants, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, mealies, pumpkin, dwarf beans, runner beans, maize and sweetcorn.
• Trees to plant are olives and almonds, yummy!
• Herbs to plant include dill, chervil, origanum, borage mustard, watercress, caraway, coriander, mint, Pennyroyal, rosemary, fennel, basil, anise and summer savoury.

Top tip: Remember to head over to your GCA Garden Centre for a bag of Bio Ocean fertiliser to help you get the most from your greens. Seed packets are the cheapest way to grow your own food and are widely available at nurseries and supermarkets.

Trees for your troubles

Wildlife-attracting, shade-providing, and spring-blooming trees to plant now are:

• Paperbark acacia
• Fever tree
• Pompon tree
• Forest elder
• Cape chestnut
• Dombeya rotundifolia (wild pear)

Our perfect pick: The indigenous Kiggelaria africana (wild peach) is a showy must-have for the critter-loving gardener. This beauty is drought-tolerant, evergreen, fast-growing, ideal for screening/hedging, costal safe (salt and wind), suitable for containers and small gardens, has minimal waste shedding, and the best part – this tree hosts the Acrea Horta butterfly and several other species too, including some stunning moths. Diederik and red-chested Cuckoos feast on these caterpillars, keeping the numbers in check and sustaining your garden’s essential food chain. The fruits are not edible but trees will reward your garden with colour, charm, and an abundance of life!

Get your lawn lush

Plant new lawn grass seed or grass plugs now. September is the best time for establishing new lawns as conditions give roots the perfect opportunity to settle down before the summer feet come rolling in. Fertilise with Bio Ganic Lawns and begin watering the lawn regularly and fix bare patches with a top-dressing of fine compost or commercial lawn dressing. Your GCA Garden Centre is fully stocked with all your lawn essentials, go check it out.

Pesky pest alert

Watch out for these nasty guys that are as excited about spring as we are. Charge down to your nursery for eco-friendly pesticides that’ll make quick work of these pesky pests.

• Leaf gall on azaleas (small swellings or knobs on the leaves, stems, and flowers).
• Thrips on gladioli (spottings on flowers and yellow speckled areas on leaves).
• Citrus psylla on lemons (raised, pocket-like swelling on leaves).
• Impatient fungus (yellow-green discolouration of leaves, often curling downwards).
• Snails and slugs around newly planted seedlings.
• Cutworms on the roots and foliage of new growth.

Maintenance incoming

• Refresh, top-up or replace pebbles and gravel around the garden, especially between paving stones where dust and mud accumulate to spoil the effect.
• Check for algae and moss on paving. Scrub down with a solution of copper sulphate or use a moss killer.

Enjoy your zesty, zinger of a spring and plant your heart out. The rains will soon be coming to give all your new babies some TLC, followed by warm, early wake-up calls for the sun. September is a party in the backyard when your garden filled with blooms, edibles, and trees like these.

Spring planting with Bio Rock Root Builder

As the chill of winter fades and our gardens begin to stir with life, spring offers the perfect opportunity to refresh, replant, and reinvigorate your outdoor space. Whether you’re cultivating vegetables, nurturing ornamental beds, or reviving your lawn, the secret to a thriving garden lies beneath the surface – starting with healthy, resilient roots.

Why spring planting matters

Spring in South Africa (September to November) marks a season of renewal. Warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours, and increased soil activity create ideal conditions for planting. But to truly harness this seasonal momentum, gardeners must focus on building strong foundations—especially in the root zone.

Healthy roots mean:

• Faster plant establishment
• Improved nutrient uptake
• Greater drought tolerance
• Stronger resistance to pests and disease

That’s where Bio Rock Root Builder comes in.

What Is Bio Rock Root Builder?

Bio Rock Root Builder is a premium soil conditioner designed to stimulate root development and improve soil structure. Packed with natural ingredients like soft rock phosphate, beneficial microbes, and humic acids, it enhances root growth while enriching the soil with long-lasting nutrients.

Key Benefits:

• Boosts root mass and depth for stronger, more resilient plants
• Improves soil aeration and water retention, especially in sandy or clay-heavy soils
• Feeds soil biology, creating a thriving ecosystem for plant roots
• Slow-release nutrients support growth throughout the season

How to use Bio Rock Root Builder in spring

Whether you’re planting seedlings, bulbs, or shrubs, Bio Rock Root Builder is easy to incorporate into your routine:

For flower beds & veggie gardens:

• Mix Bio Rock into the top 10–15cm of soil before planting
• Use approximately 100g per square metre for general application
• Water thoroughly after planting to activate microbial activity

For potted plants:

• Blend a handful into potting mix before transplanting
• Top-dress existing pots and gently work into the soil surface

For lawns:

• Apply before overseeding or laying new turf
• Rake in lightly and water well

Spring planting tips

To make the most of your spring garden, pair Bio Rock Root Builder with these seasonal strategies:

• Start with soil prep: Remove weeds, loosen compacted areas, and add compost
• Choose spring-friendly plants: Think tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, petunias, and indigenous favourites like gazanias
• Mulch generously to retain moisture and suppress weeds
• Feed regularly with Atlantic’s Bio Ganic range for ongoing nutrition

Ready to grow?

Spring is your garden’s moment to shine—and with Bio Rock Root Builder, you’re giving your plants the best possible start. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for the first time, strong roots lead to spectacular results.

Visit Tulip Garden Centre to stock up, and let’s grow something beautiful together.