Gardening in December

Hints and tips from the garden gurus at Starke Ayres, West Coast Village.

• Water tomatoes and cucumbers, squash and pumpkins early in the morning to avoid blight and mildew from developing on them. Treat Powdery mildew with Kombat Dithane when the first signs are noticed.

• Add water retaining products to container plants or flower beds. This will increase the water holding capacity of the soil. Look out for products marked with waterwise signs, such at Stockosorb, Palm peat, Vermiculite and Gold Dust.

• Plant Hydrangeas for summer in shady areas in the garden. Feed your Hydrangeas with Starke Ayres Hydrangea Food. To change their colour from pink to blue, use Starke Ayres Acid Loving food.

• Plant compact annuals in pots, hanging baskets and foreground beds that need a little facelift: Calibrachoas, Alyssum, Portulaca, Marigolds, Hypoestes phyllostachya and Dianthus. Feeding with Talborne 6:3:4 organinc granules will ensure that they flower throughout summer.

• Plant culinary herbs right outside your kitchen. Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage and Perennial Basil can be planted in containers and will provide a constant supply of fresh herbs that can be used in the kitchen. Use Stockosorb as the water retaining agent in the pots.

• Enjoy the positive energies in the home from plants such as Peace lillies, Ficus Elastica, Monstera deliciosa, Sanseveria spp., Philedendron and Chlorophytum Comosum. Feed indoor plants with a liquid fertiliser such as Seagro, Nitrosol or Sea Secret.
• Decorate your Christmas table with a Poinsettia, which can be transplanted in the garden afterwards.

• Spend some time browsing through our stores and discover our wonderful range of Christmas gifts and décor items. Our stores have something for every member of the family.