Gardening in April

GROBEST Fish Hydrolysate (100% organic liquid fish fertilizer) is a natural way to supply an abundance of minerals and vitamins to your plants, whether you are growing roses, vegetables, fruits, ferns, or even houseplants. It has many benefits, but it is especially known for providing nitrogen and phosphorous which promote rapid and healthy plant growth. GROBEST also supplies complete fats and proteins which microorganisms need.  GROBEST is hydrolysate, processed with enzymes at cool temperatures so as to retain all the beneficial components.

Improve water retention in your soils by adding Hydrocache to your soil mix.  A moisture-retaining carbon enriched gel that one works into the soil to hold on to moisture, so the plant can absorb it as and when it’s needed. It retains microbes, elements and nutrients for sustained slow release to the plant roots. It promotes the structure, biological and physical health of the soil and acts as a buffer against harmful substances. 

Now is the ideal time for planting a variety of winter veggies like broccoli, peas, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, onions and turnips. While germinating, seeds require both oxygen and water to sprout. This means that your growing medium must provide a sufficient amount of both to the seed or it will not germinate. Porous mediums such as Palmpeat, Perlite, Rockwool, or Vermiculite will do this along with having great drainage capabilities.

Feed citrus trees with Magnesium Sulphate and a healthy dose of Talborne 3:1:5. Yellow leaves can also be due to a lack of micro-elements. Apply Trelmix either as a foliar feed or soil drench to correct the imbalance.  

Plant cool-season grass seeds such as Shady Mix, Evergreen, 4 Evergreen to cover bare patches before winter sets in. Prepare areas with Starke Ayres Bonemeal/Superphosphate, Golddust, Stockosorb, or a fertilizer high in Phosphate to promote root development. For an established lawn, apply Talborne Organics 3:1:5 or a chemical alternative as the last application before winter.
African daisy seed can be sown directly into the garden from now until mid-May for a mass of blooms in late August. If you have a bare patch of sunny garden, now is the time to sow African daisy seed.  Flower seeds that also need to be sown now are Mesembryanthemum (Bokbaai vygies), Poppies and Sweetpeas Multiflora(Tall), or Bijou(short).

Tired of using chemical pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides? Organic options are available in the form of ready-to-use Caltro Neem Oil plant spray or Cold Pressed 100% Neem Oil. What we love about it is that it is safe to use: it will not harm you, your kids or your pets. It targets bugs that chew or suck on leaves. It doesn’t harm beneficial insects as they don’t ingest plants. 

Starke Ayres, West Coast Village

Tel: 021 554 8450