Winter is waning and August marks the last stretch until spring. You might think winter means you won’t be able to plant much fruit and veg – but surprisingly, there are many plants that thrive in this chilly weather!
Interested in finding out what plants need tending in winter? Take a look at our advice on caring for your fruit and vegetable gardens in August, below.
Fruit garden
August is citrus season! So, if you’re a strawberry lover, now is the time to plant them. A good strawberry crop needs to spend winter chilling because the cold helps stimulate the flower buds, which produce the fruit.
This is also the best time to plant deciduous fruit trees (aka plants that shed their leaves and fruit during winter) as the plants are dormant from July – September. You’ll find the most variety of deciduous fruit trees in stores this time of year. So, happy shopping!
It’s the perfect season to plant:
Raspberries, currants. Gooseberries, blueberries, boysenberries, black berries, lemons, limes, mandarins, kumquats and avocado.
Caring for winter fruits:
- Winter fruits need full sun and must be shielded from wind as best as possible.
- Spray your deciduous fruit trees with a winter clean-up spray, like our Efekto Kumulus WG or Efekto Oleum. (Please hyperlink to both product pages) This will ensure any overwintering pests and diseases are removed.
- Pruning promotes new growth and increases fruiting power and capacity. Be on the lookout for dead and diseased wood, and remove immediately. If you’re growing peaches, plums and almonds, do not prune until it is summer or you risk spreading the silver leaf virus.
Vegetable garden
In comparison, winter vegetable gardening is not nearly as exciting. It’s relatively low-key. But one thing you should definitely do is fertilise garden beds to ready them for spring planting.
Before you put your feet up, remember that August is the best time to harvest certain vegetables:
Brussel Sprouts, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, kale, leeks, winter lettuces, rocket and spinach.
It’s the perfect season to sow:
Beans (dwarf, runner). Broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chervil, lettuces, leeks, radishes, rocket and spinach.
Good luck with your gardening, green thumbs! And if you’re interested in purchasing the products we mentioned above, visit http://www.efekto.co.za/depots-distributors/
