After the winter solstice on June 20 the days gradually start getting longer, but very slowly at first so that you hardly realise it. And in the warmer regions of South Africa after about three weeks you will notice that many plants have begun to grow again - spring in Durban starts in late July!
If you live in the warmer subtropical regions of the country the temperatures are now perfect for gardening, so while the rest of us freeze why not get stuck into your garden and implement all those changes you planned on doing this summer but just never got around too.
In the cold interior the chilly nights and frosts will slow plant growth down dramatically making June a much quieter time for gardeners in these regions. The sap of dormant plants will also slowly start to rise after June 20 and many gardeners advocate delaying pruning until after this date, believing that their plants respond better afterwards.
In the winter rainfall regions the rains have arrived, but on the occasional sunny day there is no reason not to do some gardening. If the weather is extremely cold or the soil very sodden, making gardening unpleasant, why not cuddle up with us this winter to plan your dream summer garden.
Camellias start blooming in June
When we think of June we think about Camellias, and if you don't already have some of these beauties in your garden, or just want to add a couple more, take the whole family on an outing to your favourite garden centre, you will be surprised at the beautiful camellias and other plants available at this time of the year.
June is when the flamboyant early-flowering camellias come into bloom, and the best time to make your selection, but this won’t be easy as you’ll want to take them all! For an extended flowering period, select some varieties that will flower later in the season, in August and September.
Continue to water your existing camellias deeply and regularly and if you have not done so yet, mulch the soil with acid compost and bark chips. If you wish to trim camellias, do so only after they have finished flowering.
Members can click here to read more about Camellias
Lilium Asiatic Hybrid Picture courtesy F. D. Richards from flickrLiliums are traditionally planted in June
Lilium bulbs are available this month and must be planted immediately as they don’t have a long shelf life. Select only plump, healthy looking bulbs, and plant into well-composted garden beds, or pots, ensuring that the soil has perfect drainage.
After planting out, mulch the soil to protect the bulbs from cold, and once growth emerges protect the delicate new growth from severe frost with a plant cover. In very cold regions, put off planting until spring, or plant into containers and place in a warm and protected place.
Protect young plants from snails and slugs, and if mole rats are a problem plant in containers. Water your bulbs deeply about every four days. Established clumps growing in the garden, or in pots, can be can be lifted and divided now, but remember that they resent disturbance and can be left undivided for up to 5 years.
Members can click here to read more about Liliums
How to care for your Clivias in winter
Each spring and early summer these indigenous perennial plants bring splendorous colour into our shade gardens. To initiate flower spikes, keep your clivias a bit on the dry side in winter and spring. And if you live in a cold region, protect them with a frost cover and a thick mulch around their roots.
Members can click here to read more about Clivias
Aloes and winter flowering Red-hot-pokers
If you did not do so last month, feed and mulch your aloes and winter flowering Red-hot pokers (Kniphofia) for a beautiful show.
Members can click here to read more about Red-hot-pokers
Aloes planted in flower borders amongst other plants often receive too much shade and too much water, making them susceptible to rust, and if the days are still sunny and warm, powdery mildew can develop. Always position them in an open sunny position and avoid overwatering.
I have small, medium-sized, large, and tree aloes in the plant index, so members can search by size.
Image by Matthias Böckel from PixabayRose care for winter
In subtropical regions roses can produce flowers till September, but it is best to encourage a period of rest in June and July by reducing watering and not feeding.
In the summer rainfall regions water your established rose bushes deeply about every 10 days. Turn over the soil lightly around your roses to expose fungal spores and insects - the birds will relish any exposed insects and the frost will kill off the rest.
Every 2 to 3 years, lightly dig 1 cup of agricultural lime into the soil around your rose bushes and water it in well. This helps to strengthen the cell walls of the plant, making it more resistant to diseases like powdery mildew and black spot. The best time to do this is in June before the bushes are pruned.
Get all your pruning equipment ready to prune your roses next month. July is also traditionally the time to plant new roses and to transplant those growing in the wrong place. It’s also the best time to re-pot container grown plants. If you are planting or transplanting, prepare the planting holes this month, adding lots of compost and some bone-meal. Water lightly and allow the soil to settle before planting in July.
Deciduous fruit trees are traditionally planted and pruned in June and July
If you are planting or transplanting deciduous fruit trees, prepare the planting holes this month, adding lots of compost and some bone-meal. Water lightly and allow the soil to settle before planting.
In the warmer temperate, sub-tropical and winter rainfall regions you can start pruning your deciduous fruit trees and grapes this month. In other regions you can start pruning towards the end of June and into July.
Apple Dwarf 'Royal Gala' Picture courtesy www.justberryplants.co.zaDeciduous Fruit trees and Roses require dormant sprays
Traditionally, gardeners and growers alike sprayed what is called “Bordeaux mixture” - a mixture of water, copper sulphate and slaked lime - invented in the Bordeaux region of France in the late 19th century. Bordeaux mixture was extensively used as a fungicide in vineyards, fruit-farms and gardens to prevent infestations of downy mildew, powdery mildew, potato blight, and other fungi. It is now banned in many countries, due to the copper in it, which, if it is applied in large quantities annually, and for many years, eventually becomes a pollutant.
Today chemical controls still include the use of copper sprays like copper oxychloride and copper sulphate, as well as Lime Sulphur, which are used once or twice during winter. The key difference between copper oxychloride and copper sulphate is that copper oxychloride is an organic compound of copper, which is useful as a fungicide and bactericide, whereas copper sulphate is an inorganic compound of copper, which is useful as a fungicide and herbicide.
The copper is applied either after leaf drop in late autumn, after winter pruning, or in early spring at bud swell, but before bloom. The use of copper based chemicals helps to prevent or control common diseases such as bacterial canker, brown rot, coryneum blight, and peach leaf curl. Adding a 1 percent horticultural spray oil to the application mix, helps in controlling overwintering pests like aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and mites.
Another traditional deciduous winter spray is Lime Sulphur. It is both an insecticide and fungicide wrapped into one product and is used almost exclusively on deciduous plants like roses and deciduous fruit trees for the treatment of overwintering pests and diseases. The dormant plants are sprayed, usually after pruning, and if the mixture is also sprayed lightly over the soil and mulch around the trees after pruning, it will sterilise the soil against any pests below root level and potential fungal infections. Although Lime Sulphur is only used once a year on totally dormant plants, it cannot be stored for longer than six months and should be bought fresh every year, so share a bottle with a friend.
The practice of disinfecting pruning equipment and sealing large pruning wounds with a tree seal also helps to prevent diseases like bacterial canker.
Members can click here to find an in-depth spraying programme for deciduous fruit trees
Transplant Conifers in winter
June is the best month to transplant conifers and to prune and tidy them up. If you are transplanting, spray them with ‘Wilt-Pruf’ before moving as this helps to prevent transplant shock. Dig the new holes first and make sure that you plant them at the same depth that they were growing before transplanting. Add generous amounts of compost and a good dressing of bone meal to the planting holes to encourage new root growth. Ensure that the transplants are firmly planted in their new positions and staked if necessary. Water the plants thoroughly after planting, and moderately thereafter.
Winter care for Conifers
Continue to treat your conifers for aphids. Regular applications of insecticide granules or a similar product around the roots of your conifers will keep the aphids at bay. Prune your plants lightly - this should be done every year to keep them looking neat and to retain their shape. Shake out most of the dead material from the centre of the plant and mulch the soil around the root zone with a good layer of organic material. In the summer rainfall regions give your plants a very good soaking every 10 to 14 days through winter.
Cyclamen 'Friller' Scarlet Picture courtesy Ball StraathofWinter care for Indoor Pot Plants
Move indoor pot plants away from cold glass windows and doors and keep them away from cold draughts, as well as heaters. Mist spraying their leaves often with tepid water and placing them in drip trays filled with damp pebbles will help to increase humidity around the leaves. This is especially important in dry inland areas and in heated rooms. Water with lukewarm water and feed your winter flowering pot plants regularly with water soluble 3:1:5 fertilisers.
Winter Lawn Care
In the warm subtropical regions, water and mow your lawn when necessary but do not cut the blades too short. In the winter rainfall regions mow kikuyu lawn once a week and buffalo grass about once every 14 days. In cold regions Kikuyu lawn will be dormant and only needs to be watered every three weeks.
Remember to water your shade or evergreen lawns weekly as they continue to grow during winter.
Remove winter grass (Poa annua) from your lawn and beds before it sets seed.
June is also a good month to service your lawnmower.
Care for the Birds in winter
Feed the birds this winter by setting up a bird feeder in the garden and catering for the needs of fruit and seed eaters. Ask your butcher to give you a bag of bone meal for the birds, divide it into smaller quantities and freeze the excess – many birds, including robins and thrushes will appreciate this treat when food is scarce in winter.
In the summer rainfall regions, keep your bird bath full, and in frosty gardens remember to crack the ice in the mornings.
Winter care for You
Winter is also the time to sometimes just put on those winter woollies, grab a hot cuppa and escape from the rat race for a while into the peaceful and fascinating world of plants. Gardening in South Africa was designed with just this in mind, no matter if you are a beginner gardener or an experienced one, you are sure to find my plant info and articles very helpful.
Good planning is vital for your gardening success and selecting the correct plants for each situation will also save you a lot of time and money in the long run. My plant section will enable you to make informed decisions on which plants are the most suitable for your region and particular situation.
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