Gardening in September

Our favourite garden gurus from Starke Ayres, West Coast Village give some expert hints and tips on gardening in the month of September.

This month at Starke Ayres Garden centres we celebrate Arbour week. Every year, two trees are named as Tree of the Year in the lead up to Arbour Week. One common and one rare species are chosen to raise public awareness about the diversity of trees significant to the country. In 2017, South Africans will celebrate the Ebony tree (Euclea pseudebenus) as the rare tree and Buffalo thorn (Ziziphus mucronata) as the common tree.

Plant summer vegetable varieties in your veggie patch such as Chillies, Peppers, Tomatoes, Patty Pans, Cucumber, Squash, Pumpkin, Beans and Brussel Sprouts. For the seed enthusiast we offer a wide range of Starke Ayres Vegetable Seed to choose from such as the Low Carb Mix. Germinate seeds early in the season in Palm Peat for the best results.

To help you manage the ideal growing conditions for your plants you can now call on technology to assist. Growing and tending to your plant has never been easier! Garden Geek is a unique 4-in-1 sensing device that allows you to monitor your plants’ specific growing requirements in real-time through your smartphone. Connect to the Garden Geek App for access to your plants’ needs as well as professional growing tips. This amazing techno-savvy device can help you grow anything! NOW available in both stores from only R349.

Deadhead your pansies and violas, so that they can continue to flower right into summer. Continue feeding with an Organic Liquid fertiliser such as Sea Secret or Starke Ayres Nutrifeed.

Clivias, commonly known as bush lilies, bring spectacular colour to any shady area of your garden during the month of September. They are not just easy to care for but are indigenous and waterwise. Rhaphiolepsis is a tough, wind resistant, low maintenance shrub and prolifically blooms in late September and October. Start feeding Clivias and all other spring flowering shrubs with Atlantic Fertiliser Flower and Fruit or Talborne 3:1:5.

Plant a fruit tree during Arbour month. Fruit trees not only offer shade, but will reward you with fruit during season. A Lemon or Olive tree is a 12 month asset to all gardens and are easy to grow in containers. Feed your fruit trees and general garden with odourless Just Organic Kraal manure pellets or crumbs. Just Organic Pellets are a blended fertilizer of predominately Cattle fertilizer. Just Organic, in Pellet form is a perfect slow release or Crumble as a faster release for healthy flower and vegetable gardens. Just Organic Fertilizers are environmentally friendly and have no added chemicals, this making it both child and pet friendly when applied to your garden or lawns.

Lawns require a boost into spring, Talborne 5:1:5 fertilisers are organic and slow release and only needs to be applied 3 monthly. All other chemical options should be applied 6 weekly. If your lawn is sparse now is a good time to plant grass plugs and lightly top dress with one of our weed free lawndressings. Starke Ayres Lawn Seed is easily sown to thicken your stand of turf, please download our brand new lawn care brochure from our website which will assist you with all aspects of lawncare or ask our knowledgeable staff in store.

Ants are very busy now and can be controlled by a sprinkle of Ant bait around their nest which they shall take into their nest or for ease of use the Ant RTU (Ready to use) refillable hand applicator which you apply around window or door frames to keep them out or onto their trails to reduce their numbers.

NEW !!! TAG Ant and Roach Bait Station from Kombat is the only indoor and outdoor bait station for ants and roaches on the market. The bait will be carried back to the nest, which will help control common species of ants, cockroaches and cockroach nymphs and allow you to relax after all the gardening.

Starke Ayres, West Coast Village
Tel: 021 554 8450

16 September 2017
FREE TALK
Design your summer
Garden Wed, 20 Sept at
West Coast
10 am – 11 am