The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 12 Autumn 2015 High res | Page 27
What to do
Start preparing for the dry season
With the rains coming to an end, the likelihood of water shortages should be on
all of our minds. As we look at our gardens and plan ahead for the coming dry
season, do not be despondent about your garden going dry, as you can keep it
looking lush and beautiful with little or no water by doing the following:
Zoning your plants
Plant things with similar water requirements together, and restrict thirsty
annuals to pots or areas that can be watered with grey water.
Plant
succulents
and aloes
together to use
less water
Not enough water to
keep your lawn green
through the dry season?
Collect indigenous grass
seed from the bush in April/
May and sow a meadow in
some areas of your garden.
Simply scatter wild grass
and flower seed on existing
grass or bare ground that
has been loosened with a
rake, scatter over with a fine
layer of river sand and let
nature do its trick in spring.
Soil conditioning
Add more organic matter (compost) to your soil all year round to increase water
retention. The more compost you add to your soil, the less watering you will
need to do.
Bare soil is your enemy
Cover all bare soil with mulch or water-wise ground covers, such as Hen and
Chicken grass, Plectranthus varieties and colourful succulents.
Go Organic
Preserve earthworms, beneficial soil fungi and other organisms, that all play
an important role in keeping the soil moist and aerated, which makes nutrients
available to plants and decreases the incidence of disease. Healthy plants need
less water.
Too much to remember? The Grow-It-Yourself Gardening Calendar is
available in leading nurseries now, with all the reminders and tips
you need to keep your garden looking its best all year round.
Lindsay
[email protected]
0772 573 489
Robyn
[email protected]
0778 025 742
www.thegardenclub.co.zw
PLECTRANTHUS