Winter has tightened its grip and even the plants are feeling the chill. Although the selection of bedding flowers and vegetables is wide, we will have to wait a while for the weather to warm up before we reap the benefits of everything we plant now. Don’t let that deter you though. Plant cabbage, lettuce, beetroot, spring onions, Pansies, Peas, Delphiniums, Larkspurs, Lobelias, and much more. Ward off colds and flu with fruit from your very own Guava and Lemon trees. Leafy vegetables and salad plants grow well in the winter sun and will help provide the healthy vitamins one needs at this time of year.
Mid July is pruning time. Most roses can be pruned from mid-July to August, with some exceptions. Wait to prune Spring-flowering Heritage roses, Dog roses and Banksias until they have finished blooming in spring and then give them a light trim.
Climbing roses should be untied from their frames, remove the old or damaged wood and reattached the younger canes back onto the frame. When pruning anything, ensure the secateurs are sharp and clean. After pruning wash them well and dip in alcohol or Jik to sterilise them. Oil them to prevent rust developing. If plants are diseased it is a good idea to sterilise before moving on to another plant to avoid spreading the pathogen. Cut the stem slightly above a node, at an angle of roughly 40°. Trim out branches that are rubbing against each other. Spray the pruned plants with Efekto Kumulus to control powdery mildew and pernicious scale.
As for other plants, bear in mind where and when they flower to determine how to prune. For example, do not prune Magnolias in winter as the buds that will flower in late winter will be lost.
Leucadendrons, or Pincushions, are a part of the Protea family that is looking especially eye-catching at this time of year. They are great garden subjects and are easy to grow, requiring well drained soil, full sun and good air movement. They can reach a good height so allow enough space for that. When planting do not tease out the root ball, as the young roots are exceptionally sensitive. The roots of established plants should also not be disturbed and will need a good layer of mulch to keep the hot summer sun from burning them. This will also discourage weed growth. Fertilise sparingly with a low phosphate plant food like Talborne Vita green 5.1.5. Never use Bonemeal or Superphosphate on Leucadendrons.