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April in the Garden
Happy second month of autumn, gardeners! Although it’s getting colder, the landscape is truly warmed up by the rich colour pallet around us. With many plants going into hibernation, cool-season flowers are only just waking up and getting ready to treat us to their colourful charm. It’s time to sort out some pre-winter maintenance and prep the veggie patch for soups and stews.
Awesome flowers to plant
- April is the perfect time to plant striking indigenous bulbs like watsonia, freesia, ixia, chincherinchee and Sparaxis. For non-indigenous bulbs, try daffodils, irises, tulips and hyacinths.
- For colour and charm, go for primula, poppy, pansy and gazania seedlings, as well as perennials such as lupins, Shasta daisies, and aquilegias.
- Planting new roses now will allow them to ‘settle in’ during winter and gain a head start in spring. Continue to spray your roses against fungal diseases such as mildew and black spot.
Awesome plants to sow
- Flowers that can still be sown are osteospermum, mesembryanthemums, winter scatter packs and the indigenous scatter pack mix. Individual varieties include Virginian stocks, calendula, and Felicia.
- Veggies to be sown now include peas, parsnips, carrots, onion Texas Grano (short day variety), beetroot Bulls Blood, and broccoli.
- For a winter production of healthy herbs, start sowing seeds in windowsill containers. High light is all that’s needed for a good crop with a reasonable indoor temperature.
Top tip: Guard against leaving containers on windowsills overnight as cold glass may harm plants.
Awesome to spray
- Aphids will still be around this time of the year, although their numbers will be less than in spring. Give your flowers a close inspection and if there are still a few around control with Plant Protector.
- Snails and slugs devastate leaves on plants and ruin their appearance. Snailban and Snailflo are just two of the products which you can purchase from your GCA Garden Centre as a solution.
- Scale is a sap-sucking insect that can cause severe damage to many types of plants in the garden. They can be eradicated by spraying with Malasol or Oleum in the cooler months.
- Autumn is the peak season for leaf miners, causing twisting and curling on new leaves. Control with regular applications of Eco Insect Control SC.
Top tip: Watch out for ant movement – the main culprits for transferring disease around the garden. Sprinkle Ant Dust around their holes and along their trails.
Awesome feeding
- Feed your winter-flowering plants such as hellebores with Bio Ocean to encourage a dramatic winter show later in the season when little else is brave enough to flower.
- When cyclamen buds start to appear on last year’s plants, start feeding them every second week with Bio Ocean.
- Add fertiliser to aloes and flowering succulents now. We recommend All Purpose or Bio Ocean.
- Help your lawn along by feeding with Bio Ganic Lawns.
- Give sweet peas a boost with Bio Ocean and train them up onto a net or lattice.
- Feed citrus trees with a Flower & Fruit and a handful of Epsom salts per tree.
Awesome maintenance
- In frost-prone areas, remember to grab some protection from your Garden Centre and be ready to cover up before you’re caught off guard.
- Mulch up to the max with living groundcovers and plant materials.
- Containers are ready for a new layer of potting soil. Remove about one third from the top and replace it with the new soil.
- Any container plants that need repotting can also be done now. Help them adapt with a liquid fertiliser after transplanting.
If you’re unsure about which fertilisers or sprays to use, remember to ask your knowledgeable garden centre advisors for help. Any other plants that need transplanting can also be done now, giving them a chance to adjust so that come springtime, they are blooming with life.
Bodacious Bulbs
Show off your gardening skills with bodacious spring-flowering bulbs. They might not look like much now, but you can certainly bank on their beauty come September. Now is the perfect time to plant bulbs as the cooler months allow roots to settle in and new growth to develop.
Top tip: Garden centres supply packaged bulbs with instructions for time of planting, depth, height of growth and light requirements. Be sure to choose the right bulb for your space.
Get the best from your bulbs
- Location: Choose a place where you can enjoy their glorious display to the fullest. Plant shorter blooms in the front of a border and medium to tall ones behind them. Also try large groups, drifts, and interspersing bulbs with spring annuals such as pansies and primulas.
- Containers: Enjoy your bulbs on the patio in pots. A depth of 10-15cm will suit most bulbs, but ranunculi, ixias, daffodils and tulips need a deeper container. Ensure your pots have adequate drainage but never allow the bulb roots to dry out. Remember to water daily.
- Soil preparation: Prepare beds or containers at least a week before planting to allow fertilisers time to dissolve, otherwise they may burn bulbs. Before planting, dig in a generous amount of compost followed by a handful of Bio Roc Root Builder and water well. For pots, add water-retaining granules to help the soil retain moisture during the dry months. Feed throughout the growing season and after flowering with Bio Ocean or 2:1:1 Bulb Food.
- Depth success: Always read planting instructions carefully. Usually, bulbs should be planted at a depth of three times the actual height of the bulb. Space large bulbs 10-15cm apart and small bulbs 3-5cm apart. Never press the base of the bulb hard into the soil as it will compact. Place a tablespoon of river sand under the bulb to ensure a secure but not too tight base.
- Watering: Start watering as soon as your bulbs are planted otherwise, they may fail to flower. Even though no foliage is showing, activity is taking place. The bulb establishes itself by putting out its root system and for this it needs moisture. Add a layer of mulch to the soil to help retain moisture.
Remember that spring-flowering bulbs don’t like areas with excessive heat radiation as they prefer cool soil. Avoid areas along driveways, paths or sunny walls unless some form of protection is provided. Also avoid using fresh manure as this may burn bulbs.
Bulbs to befriend
Plant these at the end of April: anemone, babiana, fressias, hyacinths, ipheion, ixias, muscari, Ornithogalum, ranunculus, sparaxis, tritonias, waterblommetjies, andDutch iris.
Grow for success: Anemones, ranunculus and indigenous bulbs (except freesias) like full sun, while daffodils prefer morning or partial sun, and freesias, hyacinths and grape hyacinths enjoy semi-shade.