April gardening: Rooted and ready

We’re planting … Dianthus (Dart) for its sweetly scented flowers in shades of light and bright pink, raspberry, purple and red. It is a lovely cool-season flower for garden borders and beds with good drainage or in containers. The upright, vigorous plants form a neat bush 30cm tall and 20cm wide. The pickable flowers are carried on strong, short stems and attract bees and butterflies. Dart is heat and cold resistant and also drought tolerant. Feed and water plants regularly until established. Deadhead faded flowers to encourage new flowers. Details: ballstraathof.co.za or buy seed from gropak.co.za

Garden tasks for April

• Plant pansies, violas, petunias, Iceland poppies, primulas, and snapdragons this month for a bright and cheerful garden that keeps the Winter blues away.
• Flowers that grow easily from seed are Namaqualand daisies, alyssum, lobelia, Virginian stocks and the winter scatter pack mixes.
• Water camellias and azaleas regularly so that they set good buds for spring.
• This is the last month to fertilise the lawn before winter. Use a lawn fertiliser or a general fertiliser like 5:1:5 or 3:1:5.
• Vegetables that can be sown are broad beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, leeks, peas, oriental vegetables (Pak choi or Tatsoi) parsley, spinach, Swiss chard, spring onions, turnips, and radishes.
• Keep watering and feeding perennial herbs. Use a diluted liquid fertiliser once a month for herbs in the ground and twice a month for herbs in pots.

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Veggie of the month

Beetroot is a cool-weather crop that grows best in a sunny bed during the cooler months of Autumn and Spring. For something different sow Beet Red and Gold. It is a mix of the super sweet Detroit Dark Red and Golden Detroit, which has a slightly honeyed flavour.
Both are good for roasting or can be grated into salads. Detroit Dark Red is best harvested young, and Golden Detroit keeps its golden colour when cooked. The leaves can also be prepared like spinach and have a milder flavour. The best way to harvest the leaves is to twist them off. Do not cut from the crown.

Being a root crop, it requires a finely prepared soil in which to form well-shaped roots. Dig over the soil, break down any clumps and rake out any sticks and stones. Beetroot takes about a week to 14 days to germinate and is ready to harvest within 60 to 65 days of sowing. Mulch when the plants are large enough and thin out if sown too thickly. Water regularly otherwise the roots become woody, tasteless and cracked.
Details: rawliving.co.za or buy seed online from gropak.co.za

Indoor plant of the month

Areca Bamboo Palm is a graceful indoor plant that likes bright, indirect light. It grows into a good-sized specimen, so give it space so that you can appreciate its graceful fronds. Plants do best with regular watering, letting the soil dry out slightly between watering.

Overwatering turns the leaf tips yellow, while under-watering results in brown leaf tips. If mites are a problem, clean the leaves with a mild soapy solution. Clean dusty leaves by wiping them with a damp cloth. This keeps the pores open and maintains healthy leaves. Details: lvgplant.co.za

For more on gardening, visit Get It Magazine.