GARDENING
AUTUMN
GARDENING : HOW TO PREPARE FOR SPRING
Happy Autumn ! It ’ s maintenance time in the garden and time to prepare those beds for some annual autumn planting . Here ’ s some handy tips to get you started .
Annette Willemse Communication Specialist
GET YOUR MULCH ON
As the season moves forward , the growing cycle slowly starts to reset and everything that was once green now shrivels away . This is the perfect opportunity to prepare your grow areas for the next season . Mulching is a way to preserve your soil during the harsh winter ahead . Mulch also adds nutrients to the soil so choosing the right mulch is essential . Top choices would be manure , tree bark or grass clippings .
UPCYCLE , UPCYCLE , UPCYCLE As the leaves turn from green to auburn to brown don ' t just rake them all up and toss them into the bin . Start a compost heap . This goes for all yard clippings . Empty the cut grass from your lawn mower ' s bin straight into your designated compost spot .
MAINTAIN YOUR TOOLS
Just because we grow a tad slower during colder days should not be an excuse to stop doing what we love . Plug in that grinder , grab your shovel and sharpen the bevel on your spade and shovel . Another top trick would be to remove all gunk and soil build up on the prongs of your garden forks . This makes a huge difference when spring shows itself in September .
FRUIT TREE TIME
Autumn is the best time to plant fruit trees . Dig a hole one and half shovels deep , mix in some compost , soil and bone meal into the hole and plant a fruit tree . Make sure you mulch the soil around the tree very well .
RELOCATE YOUR HERBS
Carefully dig up and replant your basil , thyme , rosemary and so forth into small containers . These will adapt very well to in-house growing situations . Just make sure you place them on windowsills that receive ample light .
BULB UP DURING COLD TIMES
Bulbous plants can grow through cold times . Plant a couple of onions , leafy beets and potatoes in heavy manured areas .
GREENHOUSE BUILDING Why not build a small greenhouse ? It ' s very simple and quite rewarding . Build it knee height - that should do it - and get a super leap on the growing season . Pop down to your local hardware and purchase PVC piping and piping joints and design and use this as your frame for the greenhouse . Grab some plastic wrap - the kind you used to cover your school books with - and staple that as cover to your frame . It ' s fairly simple and light weight . You can build this as small or as large to suit your specific growing needs .
SENWES SCENARIO | HERFS � AUTUMN 2022 27