Durban - June is an interesting gardening month. The shortest day was June 21, and then the days start getting gradually longer – slowly at first so that you hardly realise, but after about three weeks the plants would have started to notice and they begin to grow. Spring in Durban starts in late July.
Short days are important to plants for a number of reasons. Some plants are day-length sensitive and need the short days to flower. Examples of these include poinsettias, kalanchoe, zygocactus and chrysanthemums.
Short days also mean colder weather, and many plants need these cold periods to “trigger” their flowering ability. Many bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, need quite a lot of winter chilling to get them to flower, or even to initiate an embryo bud.
Most bulbs you buy from a nursery have come from growers in colder parts of the country and these bulbs come already primed with embryo buds ready to burst forth as soon as the soil temperature and moisture levels are right. This is why bulbs normally perform well in their first year, but fail in subsequent years.
If you plant your bulbs too soon, when the soil is not cold enough, then, even though bulbs may sprout, this happens too quickly and the tiny buds get left behind – so you get leaves but no flowers.
A similar thing happens if the soil does not get cold enough – the bulb starts to grow as it thinks spring must be here, but the tiny buds get left behind waiting for winter to come.
So buy fresh bulbs every year if you want good results in the warmer KwaZulu-Natal areas. The Natal Midlands are normally cold enough for bulbs to grow well from season to season.
Deciduous fruit trees such as peaches, plums and apples also need more winter chilling than our coastal conditions can supply, which is why they are not recommended for the warmer areas, but do well in Pietermaritzburg and inland.
All citrus varieties do very well in the warmer areas and bear their heaviest in winter, and this is now the time when most gardeners think of planting oranges, lemons, grapefruit and mandarins.
Many plants that normally find our coastal weather too warm at other times of the year do really well in winter – Iceland poppies, pansies, violas, primula, calendula and stocks are all “winter” seedlings that supply a welcome burst of colour to your garden, and are a welcome change from the normal summer seedlings.
Your favourite nursery will have a fine selection to choose from.
Remember to feed and water well for best results, and to “dead head” (tweak off dead flowers) often to encourage more flowers.
Pansy flowers are biggest when the difference between day and night temperatures are greatest, so we get the best blooms when nights are clear and cold, and the days sunny and warm – in other words, a typical winter’s day.
As night temperatures increase towards summer the flowers get smaller – so get planting right now.
Most of the winter seedlings are ideal for hanging baskets and window boxes, and will provide a colour well in to spring.
Hanging baskets take up little space, yet are so rewarding. They are a delight to the eye, and so easy to care for at this time of year.
Homegrown vegetables are popular with many gardeners. Again, winter is a season when we can plant varieties that do not do well at other times – these include green peas, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and broccoli.
A lemon tree is essential for any garden, and can even be grown in a large pot. Roses are also popular gifts, as are bonsai.
June is normally quite a dry month as far as rain is concerned, so your garden will still need watering, although growth is slower.
A good way to conserve water (and keep soil temperatures constant) is to apply a pine bark mulch to your plants. This “ground blanket” helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, stabilise soil, maintain even temperatures and filter nutrients – all in one application. As the mulch breaks down, it becomes a compost so it carries on working right to the end.
Roses do not need a lot of attention this month. They will need to be pruned in July, so do not do anything to stimulate growth until then.
It is possible that they will still make flowers, but I normally hold back even with the watering, to encourage them to go semi-dormant before pruning time.
Your lawn will also benefit from occasional watering. Weeds will not be growing too strongly now, so let your lawn grow longer so that it can make the most of the reduced growing conditions – it is the leaves that are the food factory, so the more leaves the better!
If your lawn in the shade has been overrun by a weed with small round shiny leaves, then now is the time to take a sample of the weed to your nursery and ask them to sell the best weedkiller. Ask them how to apply it too.
Hand weeding only helps to spread the weed as all you will be doing is removing the mother and encouraging the babies. - The Mercury