Bright light and large beautiful blooms. Spicy microgreens and a trending indoor rubber tree. Allow your garden to shine in the crisp Winter air.
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
Veggie of the month
Make the most of a sunny room or windowsill to grow microgreens this month. They are delicious and nutritious as a garnish, salad topping or in sandwiches. There is spicy Old Mexico mix of coriander, radish, cabbage and pepper cress or a zesty Oriental mix of Asian greens. Microgreens are quick to germinate and are ready for snipping within 15 days. Sow in batches every 10 days for a continual supply of tasty leaves.
Grow the microgreens in a large seedling tray or in a Gusta Garden’s Harry Herb planter that can be used for cultivating microgreens using soil or a soilless planting mat with a lid to provide a warm microclimate.
To propagate in a seedling tray, use a damp seedling mix and sow the seed thickly. Cover with a thin layer the seedling mix, lightly press down, and mist with a spray bottle. Keep the mix moist during germination. When the leaves are 4cm to 5cm high, snip off with sharp scissors. Harvest them as you need them, as they don’t store well. Details: rawliving.co.za or buy online from gropak.co.za
