Garden tasks for March
• Encourage good autumn blooms by feeding with a granular fertiliser and water well afterwards.
• Fertilise shrubs with 5:1:5 or 8:1:5 to strengthen them for winter. Water camellias and azaleas regularly to encourage the development of spring buds.
• Start planning and preparing beds for winter and spring annuals and bulbs.
• Keep your lawn green during winter by fertilising now with Ludwig’s Vigorosa and water regularly.
• Sow cool-season veggies like lettuce, Swiss chard, baby cabbage and broccoli.
We’re planting … Crazytunias for their wow factor, their crazy multi-colour blooms featuring stars, stripes, and contrasting petal edges, and their fuss-free nature. These neat and tidy petunias are fast growing, heat tolerant, and the flowers drop off cleanly so there is no need to deadhead. Plant in full sun, in ordinary garden soil that drains well or in containers and hanging baskets for brightening outdoor living areas. Popular types include Cosmic Violet and Cosmic Pink, Moonstruck and Black and White. Details: ballstraathof.co.za
Herb of the month
Is celery a herb or a veggie? Officially it is a herb Apium graveolens but it is so popular in home cuisine, that you could be excused for thinking it is a veggie. It adds crunch to salads, flavours stews and soups , and is often sautéed with onions and carrots as a base for mince and other meaty dishes. Celery has the reputation of being finicky to grow, but that is if you want to ‘blanch’ the stems by planting in a trench and slowly topping up the soil so that the stems stay white.
A simpler way is to simply plant it in a garden bed and harvest stems when needed. The secret is to keep the soil consistently moist so that the stems are always crunchy and full of flavour.
To grow: sow the fine seed in seed trays and keep moist during germination. When the first two true leaves develop transplant into small pots. This allows the celery to develop a good root system and leafy top growth. When ready, transplant from pot into fertile soil that drains well and lightly close the soil around the stem but don’t press down hard or tramp it down. Space plants about 15 cm apart. Keep the soil consistently moist throughout its growing season because it doesn’t tolerate drought. Feed with a liquid fertiliser once a month and harvest the outer stems.
Kirchhoffs celery Tall Utah has thick, crisp medium green stalks. It grows up to 15cm and takes 80 to 90 days to harvest. The leaves are also edible and fresh harvested seeds can be used as a spice. Details: kirchhoffs.co.za or buy seed online from gropak.co.za
Indoor plant of the month … The Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) is grown as a small, slender-stemmed indoor tree, that earned its name from the Feng Shui belief that it brings luck to its owner. It thrives in bright, indirect light and should not be overwatered.
Water until the water runs out of the drainage holes and let the soil dry out between watering. Feed with a diluted liquid fertiliser once or twice a month; once it is happy in a position, try not to move it because plants dislike being moved and can drop their leaves. It is a lovely tree for a small space and its plaited stem makes it a feature. The only pruning it needs is the removal of dead leaves or stems. Details: lvgplant.co.za
