Top tips for winter gardening. A trending indoor rubber tree. Stay inspired throughout the cooler months with beautiful blooms.
Garden tasks for July
• Prune hybrid tea and other bush roses from mid-July.
• Winter flowering annuals and bulbs need evenly moist soil. Don’t overwater or let the soil dry out completely.
• Use frost cloth to protect tender shrubs, flowers and veggies.
• Strengthen plants to withstand the cold by feeding them liquid kelp fertiliser once a month.
Indoor plant of the month
Ficus elastica (Abidjan) is an indoor rubber tree with a difference. Unlike the classic Ficus elastica, it has olive green to dark chocolate brown leaves offset by a red midrib and new leaves that emerge in a striking coral-red sheath. It is a trending plant for contemporary interiors, edging out the popular fiddle -leaf fig (Ficus lyrata). It thrives in bright, indirect light and should not be overwatered, preferring evenly moist soil. To encourage new leaves, feed with liquid fertiliser, at half strength, once a month from spring to autumn.
Details: lvgplant.co.za
