Gardening – What to do in June

The experts at Starke Ayres share their gardening tips for June.

Winter is as good a time as any for setting out new shrubs from the nursery in pots or bags. Use this quiet time of the year to add more permanent shrubs to your Garden to create a back drop for the annuals.

Add some Winter cheer to your garden by planting Primula acaulis (Primrose). It will brighten the garden with their bold colours and can be taken indoors in pots when in full bloom. They grow best in dappled or light shade, protected from the noon day sun. Water regularly to prevent wilting and feed with Starke Ayres 3:1:6 water soluble fertilizer.

Many Aloes and succulents flower in early winter and it offers the perfect opportunity to select them from our Garden Centre whilst in bloom. New compact varieties such as Aloe Buschwacker and Twice as nice are perfect for pots and have the added advantage of being waterwise as well as a popular nectar source for birds in the Winter Garden.

Stake and tie up Sweet peas that need supporting. Keep feeding with fertilizers high in Potassium to promote flower formation, such as Talborne or Starke Ayres 3:1:5. Both are organic and beneficial to the soil bacteria.

You can select from our range of deciduous fruit trees to plant out during their Winter dormancy. Plums, apples, peaches,almonds, pears, figs, pomegranates and apricots are just a few you can choose from. Transplant them in a well prepared composted hole with Starke Ayres Sterilized Bonemeal and Talborne 6:3:4 which are slow release and ensure an excellent start.

Rosecare for June – Watering can be reduced to once a week or less. No more fertilising is necessary. Spray fortnightly against Black Spot with Kombat Fungi Rid and keep on removing dead blooms. Prepare and sterilize your loppers and secateurs (sharpen if required) and purchase fresh lime sulpher for application before and after pruning.

Plant Lilium bulbs. Planting time extends from May to August and new season bulbs are available at our Garden Centres now. They are fantastic in pots and containers. Feed bulbs regularly with Hadeco Bulb Food for the best results.

Your Cymbidiums orchids should be well in bloom, or if later varieties have spikes ready to pop into bloom, keep fertilising with Starke Ayres Flowering Orchid water soluble plant food twice per month at a teaspoon per 5l water.

Starke Ayres Garden Centres, Rosebank, and West Coast Village will be hosting Beginners and
Intermediate Gardening Courses this June, July.
Beginners Course: Cost R 350.00 p/p. Intermediate Course R 495.00 p/p.
Bookings is essential, enquire at information. Minimum of 10 people is required per course.