Dec 2019 - Middelburg

Garden tasks for December and January
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Water early morning or late afternoon, to minimise
evaporation.
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Lightly mulch beds to keep plants roots cool and
moist for longer
In hot, dry weather, don’t cut the lawn too low. Leaving
it longer shades the roots.
Trim off dead flowers to encourage new flowers.
Fertilise annuals and perennials with an organic
granular fertiliser in mid-December
Going on holiday?
If your garden will be watered less or not at all while
away, here are some survival tips:
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Don’t fertilise at all: you don’t want to encourage new
growth which needs more water.
Spread a 1-2cm layer of mulch over the soil to conserve
moisture.
Place pot and container plants in the shade or on saucers
so that they can use any excess water.
Pinch off all buds and new growth on the roses. This
also saves water.
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Spray the roses with Ludwig’s Insect Spray and
Chronos (a fungicide) to repel pests and prevent black
spot while you are away.
Check the automatic irrigation and unblock any spray
nozzles so that all the plants receive water.
After holidays away, don’t mow the overgrown lawn
too low. Reduce the height of the lawn gradually over
two or three mowing’s so that it doesn’t burn.