Edible Garden

Protect vege seedlings from slugs and snails with Quash or Blitzem. 

Protect winter brassica crops from caterpillars, aphids and fungal disease with SuccessUltra + EnSpray 99 + Free Flo Copper. 

Protect citrus trees from sucking insects and disease with FreeFlo Copper + EnSpray 99.

It’s a great time to plant new citrus and feijoa trees. Prepare the planting hole with ican Premium Compost and ican Real Blood & Bone. 

Plant garlic now through to July. Use the cloves of corms from a certified supply, not from shop-purchased corms which have been treated to prevent sprouting. 

Plant shallots now – easy to grow and use little space in the garden.  

Rhubarb performs best when well fed so plant into free draining soil that is enriched with ican Premium Compost, Sheep Pellets, ican Real Blood & Bone, and top dress at regular intervals with ican General Garden Food. 

Plant early strawberries. Plant in a fertile soil prepared with quality ican Premium Compost and ican Real Blood & Bone dug through. Feed with ican General Garden Food and water in well.  

Prune the fruited stems of blackberries and raspberries down to the ground.  

Fill vacant garden beds, especially in the vege garden, with a green crop. Use lupin to fix nitrogen ahead of growing leafy greens; mustard is quick (40 days) if the space is required for the next crop.  

Apply thick layers of pea straw to bed down the garden for winter. Scatter ican Real Blood & Bone on the ground first which will replenish the nitrogen lost as the straw breaks down. 

Give stone fruit trees a clean-up spray with FreeFlo Copper + EnSpray 99 at leaf fall for future control of leaf curl and insects.

Ornamental Garden

For late winter and early spring colour, plant seedlings of calendula, cineraria, stock, pansies, violas, wallflowers, primulas, polyanthus and sweet peas. Liquid feed with ican Fast Food for quick results and plenty of blooms.

Seedlings of polyanthus, primulas and pansies respond to a teaspoon of dried blood in the planting hole. Rich in readily available nitrogen and iron, it promotes lush growth and plentiful blooms. 

Protect flower seedlings from slugs and snails with Quash or Blitzem. 

Prepare garden beds for planting new roses, deciduous trees and shrubs, and fruit trees, with ican Premium Compost and dolomite lime before the soil becomes too wet.

Autumn is ideal to plant new trees, shrubs and perennials. Help them along by planting with ican Premium Planting Mix and ican Slow Food.

Choose and plant deciduous trees while they’re in full autumn colour. 

New season’s daphne, camellias and rhododendrons arrive. Plant with ican Premium compost or Planting Mix and ican Slow Food for the best start. Position daphne in the garden or a container, by the front door or patio to enjoy the fragrance from the house. 

Sasanqua Camellias are coming into flower now. This is the perfect time to buy and plant - see the flowers and colours before you buy! 

Feed established daphnes, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons with ican Acid Food, to green the leaves and support flourishing flowers.  

Selectively prune back and thin out branches on trees and shrubs to allow more light and air to reach through. Pay particular attention to trees that overshadow the lawn where the winter shade may enhance the growth of moss. Where moss occurs, treat with sulphate of iron.  

Give hedges a final trim and tidy before winter. 

Give roses a clean-up spray with Free Flo Copper + Enspray 99 for control of fungal disease and insects. 

Mature rose bushes may be covered with lichen or scale. Spray with lime sulphur to defoliate the bush and kill off both lichen and the scale insects. 

New season roses will be in store late May /early June. Ask for a Rose Catalogue to choose your new varieties. 

Plant lilies from now to September in free draining soil enriched with compost and ican Real Blood & Bone or ican Bulb Food. 

Reduce watering of houseplants and move them into warmer, brighter positions for winter. Flowering cyclamen will add colour to the living space during winter. 

If it didn’t get done last month, give the lawn a makeover by spraying for weeds with LawnGuard and feed the with lawn fertiliser to encourage a stronger root system and new growth. Treat any moss with sulphate of iron. 

Purchase a supply of frost cloth for tender plants, to be ready at a moment’s notice of the first frosts. Check the weather online—if very little wind and temperatures 4 degrees or below are predicted, you need to cover. Completely drape the plants from top to toe and secure the frost cloth with weed mat staples or heavy objects such as stones or bricks. 

Do a garden makeover. Autumn is a great time to cut back and divide perennials, trim back trees from over-shadowing gardens, and put in new plants for winter and spring displays. If you’ve a garden that is looking tired, get stuck in and pull it apart, retaining only the plants that have done well and are worth keeping. Treat yourself to a visit to the garden centre for a few new shrubs and flowers.