Good day Greener Tidings Gardeners ,

With winter on our doorstep make sure you have frost guard to protect your tender plants from the cold. Winter is always associated with dullness and the term winter blues comes up now and then. No need to despair, you can colour your garden up with planting winter annuals and loads of colourful perennials like daisy bushes, geraniums and osteospermum 

For sunny spots  try bright pink and white petunias with ornamental kale with their frilly purple, white and pink leaves. Calendulas with their bright yellow or orange flower will brighten up a dull corner or a pot in the veggie garden.

Don’t forget about the Aloes! Many of them will start flowering in the winter and will carry on until August. Their flowers attract humming birds and bees. 

Coming back to winter annuals, pansies(big flowers) and violas (small flowers) like to grow in a sunny or semi shade position in your garden. They are available in many colours to suite your taste and will reward you with colour until summer.  

 Primula's with their dainty flowers are perfect for a shady area in your garden and will re-seed themselves each winter.

For those of you who have veggie gardens you can probable start harvesting your beet root about now. Check if they are big enough by removing a centimeter of soil off their crown(were the leaves begin) with your finger.. You can do the same with your turnips, horseradish ,radish and carrots. It is not too late to plant broad beans, leeks, mustard , green peas. In your herb garden you can still plant Pak choy, thyme, mint and kale and give them a good dose of Organic Bio-Ocean.

In winter plants don’t need a lot of nitrogen as they are dormant or growing at a slower pace however most plants roots are still growing .We normally try give our gardens a resting period from May – July. If you wish to fertilize , apply a fertilizer low in nitrogen like 2:3:2 or 2:3:4 .

With the colder weather you can reduce your watering schedule accordingly . Instead of twice a week maybe only once a week is needed and remember the best time to water now is early in the morning. Do not water after 15:00 as your plants and the soil need time to dry before night time and the cold.

Happy Winter Winter gardening, From The Best Garden Centre in SA!!