December Gardening Calender

December is a Busy Month so Get Started Early!

ANNUALS

Continue watering once or twice a week in dry hot weather.  

• Feed twice a month with a liquid fertiliser. 

• Dead-head regularly.   

• Be on the look out for the tell-tale signs of red spider. 

• Put out bait for slugs and snails.

 Sow the following seeds for colour in the late summer:

• Alyssum

• Bedding Dahlia

• Dwarf Marigold 

• Californian Poppy 

• Candytuft (Iberis)

• Portulaca

• Tagetes

•  Nasturtium 

 BULBS

• The Amaryllis Caterpillar is now active!  Watch out for them and treat your plants.
• Plant Nerine bulbs for Autumn coulor.
• Gladioli can still be planted.
• Split your overgrown Irises

PERENNIALS

We have the following plants in stock which can still be planted in your garden this month:

• Begonia

• Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum)

• Foxglove (Digitalis)

• Felicia amelloides

• Gazania

• Lobelia cardinalis

• Obedience plant (Physostegia)

• Viola odorata

 Cut back old leaves and flower stems of your Acanthus's.  Lift the bulbs and divide them if necessary.   Feed each group with 2:3:2 fertilizer, mulch with a 10 cm layer of compost and water weekly.


ROSES

• Continue with a regular spraying for fungal problems.  
• Feed with 8:1:5 fertiliser  
• Mulch with well-rotted, old manure around each plant, keeping it well away from the stem.
  

 LAWNS

• Mow  kikuyu twice a week. 
• Lift the lawn-mower blades to allow the grass to grow slightly longer as protection from heat and wind.
•   Feed your lawns with a high nitrogen fertiliser to enhance leaf growth.

  
SHRUBS

• Water every week during dry weather.
• Mulch the ground with compost.

 FRUIT

• Spray for fruit fly and coddling moth, being very careful to observe the necessary safety period. 
• Collect and dispose of all fallen fruit to prevent fruit fly breeding. 
• When the fruit has been picked, feed with a 6:1:5 fertiliser at the rate of about 100 grams for young trees and up to 200 grams for older trees. 
• Excessive leaf growth shades the tree causing poor fruit development. Reduce the amount of fertiliser if this occurs.
  
  

• Citrus - feed each tree with 3:1:5 fertiliser.   Mulch and water well every three weeks in dry weather.

• Strawberries - feed with liquid manure when the last fruits have been harvested.

PRUNING

• Prune spring flowering shrubs.  
• Prune climbers like. 
• Cut back Santolinas and trim Lemon Verbena after flowering.

DON'T FORGET YOUR GARDEN WHEN YOU GO ON HOLIDAY!!

The Team at Bloempark Nursery

082 518 1759

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