Gardening in October

The garden guru’s at Starke Ayres, West Coast Village have some handy hints for gardening in October.

• Plant summer herbs and vegetable seeds or seedlings like Basil, Coriander, Beans, Baby Marrow, Chillies, Peppers and Tomatoes in containers making it easier to maintain and water. Did you know that you can collect as much as 2 – 3 litres of water from your geyser overflow.

• Apply Kelpak to the roots or the growth tips of your plants to boost and promote healthy root and leaf development. The growth hormones in kelp such as cytokinin aid the plant in processes like cell division and enlargement and development of chloroplasts. Kelp also stimulates soil bacteria which improves the soil fertility. Plants treated with Kelp develops a stronger resistance to disease and insect infestations.

• Add Palm Peat when you are potting and re-potting your indoor and outdoor plants. Palm Peat provides excellent water retention properties to your soil and enhances the aeration of the soil. It is a natural product produced from coconut fibre promoting seed germination and root growth.

• Did you know that 50% of irrigation water is lost due to filltration, evaporation and wind sucking moisture out of the soil. Treat lawn, pot plants or flower beds with Flo-stim to improve the soil hydration properties.

• Prevent plant losses this summer by taking care of proper soil preparation. Use Compost, Gold Dust, Vermiculite, Perlite, Stockosorb, Saturaid and a good layer of mulch, at least 5cm thick, to retain moisture in the soil. Adding water retention products reduces the frequency between watering allowing you to manage and maximise your water supply.

• Never stop fertilising. Bio Ocean from Atlantic Fertilisers is a soil and plant conditioner, manufactured from seaweed, fishmeal, humic acid and poultry manure. It is also known for its ability to retain moisture and increase the moisture level of the plant’s cell sap – in turn increasing the plant’s ability to
tolerate heat stress. Bio Ocean will retain up to 120% of its own weight in moisture – 
significantly increasing the soil’s ability to hold onto water. It is a premium non-chemical fertiliser, organic and environmentally friendly and will not burn your seedlings or plants.