Gardening in January

With our warmer summer months coming up, flies will be an increasing pest. The main contributing factors are the breeding cycle of flies and the soaring temperatures. Insects are cold blooded and in summer, when their body temperature rises from the external heat, they become more active. In extreme hot weather the eggs can mature from larvae to adult fly in as little as 4 days.

Kombat Flies is a long-lasting suspension concentrate contact and stomach insecticide for the control of flies. Kombat Flies is a spray mixture that is colourless and odourless and can be used indoors and outdoors.

Many homeowners, faced with dying cypress hedges and trees, are being forced to uproot them and replace them with other greenery. The culprit is the cypress aphid, a 4mm bug which sucks the sap of leylandii and other conifers, turning twigs and branches brown. Efekto Insecticide granules controls aphids, mealybugs, thrips and scale insects as listed on conifers, flowers, ornamental shrubs and roses in the home garden. Effective against most sucking insects. Provides long term control between 4 – 8 weeks.

Neem Naturals concentrate and Calro, ready to use Neem oil. Neem oil is an organic pesticide, insecticide and fungicide. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds from the neem tree. It is yellow to brown, has a bitter taste, and a garlic/sulfur smell. It has been used for hundreds of years to control pests and diseases. Azadirachtin is the most active component for repelling and killing pests.

Continue planting small batches of vegetables to ensure a continued and manageable supply. Select from our wide range of Organic seedlings or seed packet to replenish your existing vegetable patch. Products such as Vermiculite, Perlite and Palm Peat will help with improving your soil structure and water retention capabilities. Use an organic fertilizer such as Talborne 6:3:4, Seagro, Bounce Back or Guano pellets for a slow release of nutrients to the plants.

Sudden brown patches can appear in your lawn. These patches tend to stand out against the green grass. The cause of these patches often confuses gardeners, who wonder if the problem lies in either lawn caterpillars or lawn fungus. Using the 3 in 1 Lawn Protector from Makhro Home and Garden provides a simple solution. It is a contact insecticide and systemic fungicides emulsifiable concentrate for the control of pests and diseases as indicated in lawns.

Starke Ayres, West Coast Village

Tel: 021 554 8450