February in the garden
South Africa is experiencing sweltering temperatures this February. If you didn't manage to get your edible garden started yet, you can still get it going in most regions.
Replace wilting flowers with heat tolerant bedding plants. Pictures: Supplied.
Make sure you pay special attention to watering requirements and what will grow best by getting some advice from your local garden centre.
Eastern Cape
February is a great time for herbs like chives, parsley, thyme and marjoram to get established in the Eastern Cape. Plant green beans, mielies and spring onions. Trees are a wonderful addition – try and pick options that can be managed organically for pests and that grow to predictable heights. Three great options that provide both shade and something culinary are: Curry leaf tree (3m tall); Bay leaf tree (3m tall); and Tree tomato (3 to 5m tall), which produces tart tomato-like fruit.
Mielies. Image supplied
Free State
The Free State is one of our most extreme areas, climate wise. Mulching is still essential with the heat during February. In the southern part of the province, temperatures start to cool a little earlier, so prepare the soil for planting your winter seedlings in March and April. When it comes to planting, remember that some herbs like basil and stevia, and fruit like gooseberries and blackberries will have a shorter life because of frost. Tree options include apricots, prunes, quinces, grapes and any sort of citrus.
Gauteng
Surefire edible winners would be onions, spring onions, spinach, lettuce, rocket, coriander and parsley. If you’ve never had much success with parsley, it’s probably due to an issue with incorrect watering. Don’t overwater and ensure it’s in well-draining soil. Ahead of autumn, make sure your compost heaps are ready to receive a constant stream of leaves.
Kwa-Zulu Natal
It’s hot, it’s humid, and it’s time to watch out for those pesky bugs and to take note of your watering habits. Watering late in the afternoon is definitely discouraged because it encourages the growth of fungus and mildew.
It’s more important to maintain your gardens at this very hot time than it is to be planting. Plant up in the shade and ensure the hole you make for your seedling is wet before planting it and then water it generously until it has established itself properly.
Western Cape
The harsh, dry climate that the Western Cape offers up in February suggests that watering your plants more often with less water would be an effective and water-wise routine to adopt. If your garden is looking tired, replace old bedding plants with heat tolerant varieties like marigolds.
For more information visit http://lifeisagarden.co.za
