NOVEMBER GARDENING IN GAUTENG

The holiday season is quickly approaching and whether you’re planning a trip to the coast or staying inland, don’t let your garden suffer while you’re away. Prepare your holiday garden by weeding flowerbeds, using a general fertiliser, watering the garden well and mulching. Staying home for the season? Here are our top gardening tips to help you spruce up your summer garden.

Spotlight on: Acid-loving hydrangeas

November is the best month for hydrangeas, or ‘Christmas roses’, to bloom. If your hydrangeas are not in bloom, use an acidic foliar feed and mulch around the plant with bark chips. Hydrangeas are considered the ‘mood ring’ of the garden, and the colour (or mood) is determined by the soil in which they grow. Read more about the hydrangea colour code to find out how the hydrangea changes colour.  If you want to plant some hydrangeas in pots to celebrate our annual Going Potty promotion, follow these top tips:

• Potted hydrangeas should be well-watered, as the potting mix in which they’re planted can dry out quickly. To keep them hydrated, place the whole container in water for a few hours. Implement these handy water-saving ideas for pot plants if you live in a water-sparse area.
• Place your hydrangeas in bright but not direct light.
• Feed every two weeks with a pot-plant mix.
• Once the flowers fade, place in a flower-bed or large container in a shady area on your patio.

ON YOUR TO-DO LIST FOR NOVEMBER

Plant & Sow

• Plant summer bulbs such as begonias, liatris, Zantadizia, crocosmias, dahlias, nerines, Polianthes, sprekelia and Daubenyas.
• Plant landscape grasses that are hardy and low-maintenance, and which add to the texture of your garden.
• Sow vegetables such as beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, pumpkin, radishes, spinach, sweetcorn and turnips.
• Grow a herb garden. Add celery, coriander, dill, lavender, linseed, various mint varieties, origanum, rocket, sage, parsley and thyme to the list.

Feed

• Flowering plants should be fed with a flower and fruit fertiliser or a 3:1:5 fertiliser.
• Lawns require a 5:1:5 fertiliser.
• Fruit and veg require a 3:1:5 fertiliser.
• Herbs should be fed with a gentle, organic fertiliser such as Seagro.

 Prune & Trim

• Deadhead rose bushes and inspect for aphids.
• Mow lawns regularly and fertilise and water well.
• Use a layer of compost as a slow-release fertiliser and mulch for your garden. This will retain moisture in the soil and allow you to water less frequently.

OTHER FRESH IDEAS

Become a Garden Club member

The upcoming summer is a busy gardening season! Sign up to be a Stodels Garden club member to save on all your purchases, and to get season-appropriate tips and advice from our garden experts delivered to your inbox. These are the benefits members receive:

• Exclusive monthly discounts on selected products and plants
• A free gift with a purchase once a month
• A birthday voucher
• 5% cashback on selected purchases
• Exclusive monthly specials at any Stodels café