Makhro Soil Ph Test Kit 100 Tests R 360
GARDEN
fertilising ashes . Besides that , the seeds will only germinate after exposure to smoke .
Other fynbos plants survive fire by resprouting . These species have perennial rootstocks or corky barks that keep living tissues safe . Once the fire has passed , they rapidly produce new shoots . Resprouters respond well to pruning in the garden .
Fynbos plants are seldom longlived . You can expect eight to 15 years for the larger shrubs and less for herbaceous perennials . But they compensate for a short lifespan by relatively fast growth . Some of the larger shrubs will reach their mature size in as little as three years . And you can look forward to flowers throughout the year — whether it rains or not .
You can tell whether your soil is heavy by taking a handful of moist earth and squeezing it . Clay and silt form a ball that holds together , whereas loam falls apart . Sandy soil is , well , sandy — think of the beach . Telling acidic from alkaline soil is trickier . You can either buy a test kit from Agrimark , like the Makhro Soil pH Test Kit , or find a laboratory offering soil analysis .
Soil analysis may sound like a lot of hassle and not nearly as much fun as buying plants . But it can save you from costly and discouraging plant selection errors . Fynbos has many fantastic attributes , but an easy-going , forgiving attitude to soil type is not among them .
FROM THE GROUND UP
Most fynbos plants grow in sandy , acidic soils derived from weathered quartzite sandstone . Don ’ t worry , you don ’ t have to be geologist to have a fynbos garden , but you will need to know something about your soil . If you have heavy soil like clay or silt , you will struggle with fynbos plants . Some are happy on loam , as long as there is excellent drainage . Sandy soil is best , but if it ’ s alkaline you should consider strandveld fynbos rather than plants from mountainous habitats . See the list of easy-growing species at the end of the article .
Makhro Soil Ph Test Kit 100 Tests R 360
Products available at your nearest Agrimark and online at www . agrimark . co . za
64 MARKtoe ! Julie 2024