These are useful as tips on what to do in your garden this month -

Theses tips come from from Di-Di Hoffman, SA's Blogging Herb Man - they are equally vaklid for Zimbabwe gardens as well.  I follow these guidelines and have done so for years - and they work.  remember i only use organic products and NO Chemicals even for keeping insects at bay!
Planning and Recordkeeping

□ Now is the time to think about some colour in the winter garden. Consider winter flowering bulbs and Namaqualand daisies.

□ Consider sowing Calendula officinalis for winter skin ointments.

□ Prepare strawberry beds now. They do better in a slightly acid soil. Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure and/or compost. Scatter a cupful of 3:1:5 per square meter.

□ Keep weekly gardening diary and records up to date.

□ Compare actual results and actions with plans and make notes for next year where necessary.


Herb Propagation

Maintain the succession of seed sowing of:

□ Nasturtiums

□ Flat-leaf parsley

□ Chives

Start Sowing:

□ Coriander

□ Sage


Start taking cuttings of:

□ Lavender

□ Lemon Balm

□ Mint

□ Oregano

□ Rosemary

□ Thyme


Tip: When taking cuttings select healthy growth and cut just below a node or leaf joint. Remove the lower leaves. Many cuttings root better if the ends are dipped into a root-forming hormone before inserting the cutting in a rooting medium. Your local nursery will be able to advise.


Tip: If you have perennials such as yarrow, bulbine, echinaceae and bergamot now is a good time to divide them. Water the clumps the day before dividing. After lifting, do not let the roots dry out. For replanting choose healthy young growths from the outer edge of the clump.


Veggie Propagation

Maintain the succession of seed sowing of:

□ Cabbage - last month to sow cabbage

□ Spinach

□ Swiss chard

□ Lettuce

□ Rocket

□ Carrots

□ Beetroot

□ Radishes

□ Peas


Start sowing:

□ Green Beans


Planting and Thinning Out

Tip: If you don't like propagating your own herbs you can buy all herbs on our recommended varieties list and transplant into permanent beds or bigger containers. The same goes for veggies. Buy seedlings from your local nurseries.

□ Thin out beetroots, carrots, lettuces to the desired distances.

Watering

□ Check garden and containers daily during hot spells, especially salad crops and chili bushes.

□ Supplement rainfall (in summer rainfall areas) with thorough waterings.

Fertilizing

□ Fertilize once with a liquid fertilizer like Groweasier (Available and made in Zimbabwe)

□ Containers need a diluted feeding once a week.


Pruning

□ Give hedges a final clipping.

□ Expose the fruit of tomatoes to the sun by removing the covering leaves.

□ Prune all herbs to keep them in shape.


Weeding

□ Remove weeds regularly as they appear. Don’t give them a chance to flower and seed.


Pests and Disease

□ Note the occurrence of pest and disease, measures taken (if any), and results.

□ Be on the lookout for aphids, caterpillars and red spider mite.

Harvesting

□ It is a good month to start harvesting seed. Especially coriander and dill. Cut ripe seed heads and place in brown paper bags to dry thoroughly.

□ Harvest perennials and start making oils and vinegars.

□ Harvest herbs and veggies as required for daily use.

□ Harvest annuals as soon as they come into full flower by cutting back by about two thirds. Dry, freeze or preserve in oil or vinegar for winter use.


Clean-up

□ Remove unused chili fruit and either process or discard.

□ Remove debris to the compost heap, or use as a mulch elsewhere in the garden.

□ Dispose of any insect or disease infested plant material.

Using tin cans to replenish the soil

We have long been into recycling and have made our own compost for years but this is a new idea put out by Environment 2000 - if it works it gives us a better soil and stops pollution!

If one can remove the aluminium at the top of the can - the key that one has to pull to open the can -the tin can be used in pit beds in the garden as it puts the necessary nutrients back into the soil.

Vegetable gardening in Zimbabwe

A lot is being written about how people in Zimbabwe are turning their gardens into vegetable plots! We are managing to produce more than we can cope with in our garden. We have a modest garden and we make sure that we only grow as much as we, and our neighbours and staff, can cope with at one time. By careful planning this is possible.

We love spinach and this time of year is when we have rain - this means the spinach droops and dies off.

We have discovered that by growing it under the eaves of the house we can keep our spinach on the go almost all year.

Another discovery this year has been that the coloured spinach called 'bright lights' (actually kale) does not mind the rain - we now have green, red and yellow spinach on our table on a regular basis!

No Fungus this year!

At this time of year we usually have an abundance of fungus of many varieties.

This year - nothing!

Our rains have been good and our soil is ideal - but why no mushrooms?

Let us hope that later on in the seson we will see them.

The toad tree is so called as it's seed pods resemble a toad in shape and colour. this tree was grown from seed from the Chiredzi area. It is about four years old and has yet to produce seed - however it is a lovely tree in any garden

A new addition to the garden

This is a new stapelia in our garden.

It is Obea variegata. The very attractive flowers do not smell nearly as bad as the other varieties we have growing in our rockery.

The plany originated in the cape region of South Africa.

This variety has a flower that is yellow and reddish brown but the flowers, even on the same plant can develop differently.

When to Water Your Food Garden

These tips come from Timeless Herb Secrets and they are correct for our climate here in Zimbabwe:

Drying out of the soil (or water loss) begins at the top of the soil and works its way down. Because you cannot see inside the soil, you need to test your soil to see how wet or dry it is. This will tell you whether your plants need water or not.

Before you apply water, test how dry or wet your soil is by doing the 'knuckle test':
Press your finger (up to the first joint) into the soil. If you are checking a seedling tray, scratch the soil in the tray.
If your soil is dry at this level, the plants have used up all the available water, so you need to water.
If your soil is moist (damp) at this level, your plants are getting enough water and you are watering correctly.
If your soil is soggy at this level, your plants are in danger of 'drowning', and depending on weather conditions and other factors, you can miss a watering session or delay it till later in the day.

With experience you will be able to check whether your plants need water or not, just by looking at them and your soil. Whenever you are in doubt, do the knuckle test as described above.
Remember: your plants need to dry out slightly between watering sessions. Just like humans, plants do not like to have feet that are constantly wet.
Make checking the water condition of the soil part of your morning routine. When possible, water plants in the cool of the early morning because less water is lost to evaporation and this will give you the peace of mind that your crops are supplied with this vital nutrient for the day.
In very dry hot spells recheck the watering needs once more during the day. Water at any time of the day when plants show a need for it. Don't wait till the morning.