SEPTEMBER GARDENING
COUNTRYWIDE:
a) Sow seed of all summer annuals like amaranthus, begonias, coleus, cornflowers, cosmos, dianthus, impatiens, lobelias, marigolds and nicotianas.
b) Plants summer-flowering bulbs such as arum lilies, flame lilies and others that were not planted last month.
c) Lift and divide perennials like cannas, dahlias and day lilies
d) Feed, mulch and water hydrangeas well.
e) Water irises regularly
f) Repot container plants that have become pot-bound.
g) Replant Window boxes and cavity walls with ivy-leaved geraniums, trailing petunias, nasturtiums, lobelias and fuchsias.
h) Prune marguerites.
i) Feed Camellias.
j) Clean the fish pond and divide overgrown water lilies and other aquatic plants.
k) Take softwood cuttings of chrysanthemums and geraniums.
l) Keep a look-out for garden pests early in the season, especially the amaryllis caterpillars.
n) Give conifers a last good treatment of metasystox against the cypress aphid.
m) Feed the lawn once a month; also mow and water regularly.
o) Sow seed of annual and perennial herbs.
WINTER-RAINFALL REGIONS:
a) Ensure that roses are well mulched.
b) Spray apples and pears against codling moth, and start spraying peaches and nectarines every 10 days against fruit fly.
c) Start thinning out peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
d) Sow vegetables like asparagus, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, dwarf beans, brinjals, leeks, lettuces, melons onions, parsley, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, runner beans, spinach, swiss chard, squash, tomatoes, turnips and vegetable marrows.
DRY CONTINENTAL AND HIGHVELD SUMMER-RAINFALL REGIONS:
a) Spray apples and pears against codling moth, and start spraying peaches and nectarines every 10 days against fruit fly.
b) Water cherries well once a week.
c) Start thinning out peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
d) Sow vegetables like asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, dwarf beans, dwarf spinach, brinjals, globe and jerusalem artichokes, lettuces, melons, parsley, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, runner beans, swiss chard, tomatoes and vegetable marrows.
SUBTROPICAL REGIONS:
a) Water, feed and cut the lawn regularly to cultivate a thick mat, apply a light cover of lawn dressing if required.
b) Fertilize the garden with 3:1:5 or 5:1:5 at a rate of a handful per square metre, once a month.
c) Make sure that your container plants are damp before feeding otherwise the roots may suffer from fertilizer burn.
d) Remove suckers from bromeliads and transplant them.
e) Feed bananas, water citrus, litchis, mangoes and papaws thoroughly.
f) Sow vegetables like dwarf beans, brinjals, globe and jerusalem artichokes, parsley, peppers and radishes.
TEMPERATE SUMMER-RAINFALL REGIONS:
a) Spray apples and pears against codling moth, and start spraying peaches and nectarines every 10 days against fruit fly.
b) Thoroughly water all shrubs, climbers and trees.
c) Feed fig trees.
d) Sow vegetables like asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, dwarf beans, dwarf spinach, brinjals, globe and jerusalem artichokes, leeks, lettuces, melons, parsley, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, runner beans, swiss chard, tomatoes and vegetable marrows.
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Annuals
