Fill your bird-feeders with a mixture of fruit and seeds to bring birdlife into the garden.

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1 MAY 2018 WEEK 1 WEEK 2 Start your forward planning for changes you want to make in your garden. This includes deciding on which plants/trees need to be moved as well as making a list of the plants /herbs/trees to plant for summer. Also prepare planning your veggie and herb garden, winter/spring flowering plants and fruits so you can start planting during the upcoming weekends. Water/ change your irrigation system to go between 10am-2pm to give your garden enough time to dry before evening, preparing for Jack Frost s return as wet plants will freeze! Spray day! Check your newly planted veggies and existing plants for pests such as Lily Borers. Give your plants a good dose of organic plant food/fertilisers like Seagro to help keep pests away and to keep your plants strong and healthy through the autumn/winter seasons. Also have a close look at your indoor plants for signs of pests and diseases. Spray for scale and mealy bug. Rake up any fallen leaves on the lawn and cut it back allowing more surface area for the blades to catch light for photosynthesis, keeping the grass alive and encouraging deeper roots. Cut with the blades set on high when the grass is dry and don t cut too short. Remember to feed the lawn with a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen. Fill your bird-feeders with a mixture of fruit and seeds to bring birdlife into the garden. planting your veggies tomorrow! It s time to plant your veggies! - Broad beans - True Spinach/ Kale - Other: peas, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, celery, cabbage, carrots, beetroot, turnips, onions, leeks, pumpkin, squash, baby marrows, eggplants, asparagus etc. Check our May tips for planting, Remember to check your bird feeders and bird baths and refill when necessary to keep your garden teeming with birdlife! planting your herbs and fruit tomorrow! It s time to plant your herbs and fruits! -Herbs: angelica, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, sweet marjoram and thyme, dill, garlic, wild garlic etc. -Fruits: Raspberries and Gooseberries. Check our May tips for planting,

2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 Start preparing for pruning your fruit trees and roses by sorting, sharpening and cleaning your Lasher secateurs, loppers and pruning saw. Take time out of your day to check on your indoor plants. Remember to check your bird feeders and bird baths and refill when necessary to keep your garden teeming with birdlife! planting your veggies tomorrow! Plant bare root trees, shrubs, hedges and roses. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting and protect against frost or wind if exposed. Start pruning those rose bushes and fruit trees for the new season. Spray the trees and roses with lime sulphur once you have completed the pruning process. Leave other hardy plants/ trees and more tender plants and evergreens till Spring to prune. Rake up any fallen leaves on the lawn. Cut back the lawn allowing more surface area for the blades to catch light for photosynthesis, keeping the grass alive and encouraging deeper roots. Cut with the blades set on high when the grass is dry. Don t cut too short. Feed the lawn with a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen. Remember to check your bird feeders and bird baths and refill when necessary to keep your garden teeming with birdlife! planting your winter annuals and flowering plants tomorrow! Have your hand fork and trowel set, watering can/hose, fertiliser and It s time to bring some colour into your garden during this cold season! - Winter annuals: poppies, pansies, primulas, nemesias, bokbaaivygies and Namaqualand daisies. - Winter/Spring flowering seedlings: Iceland poppy, cineraria, stocks, snapdragons, lobelia, delphinium, gazania, foxgloves, cornflower and larkspur. - Roses & Tulips: When soil temps have dropped a bit. - Fynbos: Proteas, ericas, leucospermum etc. Check our May tips for planting,

3 WEEK 5 Start preparing to protect your garden from frost. Mulch all your beds, wrap up/ support the plants that will require more protection against cold winds and temps and get out the frost protection fleece and cover tender plants, especially at night. Prepare soil that is bare over winter by digging in plenty of compost, manure and organic material such as leaf mould and cover with a layer of mulch ready for spring planting. Get your lawnmower serviced. Last plant pest check and spray. Ensure to clean up before winter really sets in. Remove yellow leaves from brassicas such as brussel sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli to prevent disease. Prune those deciduous plants and trees which have shed their leaves, leaving tender plants and evergreens until spring to prune. Tidy flower beds and remove collapsed plants, cutting back anything that needs it.

4 TIPS FOR MAY - Planting/Sowing: Autumn is the perfect season for planting because the weather has cooled down enough that there is less watering and maintenance involved with ensuring that new plants develop strong roots and healthy growth. Autumn is also a good time to plant a variety of new trees in your garden as it will allow the roots enough time to develop through winter before they experience a flush of new growth in spring. In certain regions bare root roses, fruit trees, and shrubs can also be safely planted during autumn (i.e., May to July). May in particular is a great month to plant/sow the following: o Vegetables: - Broad Beans: Throughout the country, May is traditionally the month to sow broad beans because they germinate easily and grow quickly. They should be sown directly into well-drained, slightly acidic soil during the first week of May or just after the last spring frost, planting them in either rows or blocks cm deep, apart and 60cm between rows, in an area that has direct sunlight. It is advised to plant them out every 3 weeks in autumn. When they are in full bloom and the first pods begin to swell, nip out the growing tips to encourage fruit set. They tend to grow into tall, upright bushes with stems reaching 1 to 2m tall. Since they grow to such a height, they will need some support in order to grow and should be put in place when the seeds have been sowed. The pole bean plants may need a little help with climbing in the beginning and should be watered regularly and the roots kept mulched to ensure they stay moist, strong and healthy. The harvesting will depend on what type of broad bean you have. - Kale/True Spinach: Spinach: Spinach in general is an easy-to-plant, hardy and cool-weather leafy vegetable which tends to thrive during this season as it prefers soil that is cooler, continuously moist and well-drained to germinate. Spinach is shallow rooted and so seeds should be sown 1cm deep into the soil, 3cm apart and in rows that are cm apart. The soil should be kept moist by watering regularly and mulching well-after the plant has been established to suppress weeds. Spinach should be harvested as soon as the leaves are an edible size and before they start going yellow. Kale: Kale is known as a very hearty vegetable which prefers cold weather but provides plenty of leaves throughout the year if cared for correctly. Kale also prefers well-drained, highly fertile and organic soil which is consistently moist in order to ensure a more balanced flavour of the leaves. Find an appropriate area to plant where the plants will have full sun or part shade. Set in and plant the seedlings 3cm apart, 4-6 weeks before the first frost. Frost actually enhances the taste of kale, and can be harvested immediately after the first frost or as soon as the plant begins to grows its leaves. The longer you leave them, the more flavourful they become. Remember to keep removing the outer leaves as it matures and to protect your Kale with a thick layer of mulch to ensure a continuous cycle of growth and that it survives through the winter. - Other Veggies: In the summer rainfall regions (which includes most of Gauteng and Limpopo Province, the Free State highveld, Mpumalanga highveld, North West and Northern Provinces, and the KZN Midlands), May is a good month to sow other vegetable seeds such as collards, horse radish, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, pak choy, rocket and salsify. Globe artichokes, leeks and shallots should be transplanted as seedlings rather than sowed directly as to ensure that the plants reach maturity and produce harvest. In the dry summer, subtropical regions (confined to the South Western Cape and western part of the Southern Cape), cauliflower, celery, horseradish, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, peas, potatoes, radish, rocket, swedes/rutabagas and turnips. Beetroot, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, shallots, spring onions and Swiss chard should be transplanted as seedlings rather than sowed directly as to ensure that the plants reach maturity and produce harvest. Vegetables such as baby marrows and other squash and pumpkin varieties as well as cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, Swiss chard, carrots, beetroot, turnips, onions, leeks, asparagus, yarrow, shallots, broad beans, peas, lettuce and celery should have been planted before May, and if not should be planted in early May as a matter of urgency to ensure the veggies are reasonably well established before the bitter cold arrives in June and July. Start sowing broad beans, peas and lettuce. Water your lettuce regularly to prevent it from going bitter. o Herbs: If you have had the urge to start your own herb garden, May is the month to do it! There are so many options to choose from, but choose wisely. Herbs that are ideal for this time of year include: - Summer rainfall regions: Sow herbs like angelica, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, sweet marjoram and thyme. Transplant seedlings of dill and French ginger. - Dry summer, subtropical regions: Sow herbs like angelica, chives, mint and thyme. Transplant seedlings of dill, oregano and sweet marjoram. o Fruit: Plant soft fruiting plants such as raspberries and gooseberries in well-prepared holes at the same depth as they are in the bag. o Flowers: If you want to bring colour into your garden and ensure it stays through the upcoming colder months, the following tends to be ideal to plant in May. - Winter annuals: Poppies, pansies, primulas, nemesias, bokbaaivygies and Namaqualand daisies, - Winter- and spring-flowering seedlings: Iceland poppy, cineraria, stocks, snapdragons, lobelia, delphinium, gazania, foxgloves, cornflower and larkspur. - Fynbos: Attract birds to the garden by planting winter-flowering fynbos like proteas, ericas and leucospermum in combination with other indigenous species such as agapanthus, crassula and plectranthus to create a stunning display all year round.

5 o - Roses: This is a great time to plant new roses as it will give them a kick-start in spring. Plant and transplant roses using plenty of compost and make the hole deep enough to cover the graft union. - Tulips: May is also tulip planting time in South Africa and you can find an assortment of different varieties at your local garden centre. Plan them en-masse in your garden or in pots to bring some vibrancy and colour to your garden. Other plants: Aloes and succulents will warm up your garden with their reds, yellows and oranges and will also help to attract all the nectar and insect loving birds to your garden! E.g. Kalanchoe - Pruning: May is a bit too early to be pruning, but you can still prepare by sorting, sharpening and cleaning your Lasher secateurs, loppers and pruning saw. Once leaves have fallen on deciduous plants and trees, it is easier to see their overall shape and pruning can be done accordingly, but this usually falls in June and July. Leave tender plants and evergreens until spring to prune. Trim conifers to keep their shape being sure not to trim old wood. Prune existing roses to about half their size and burn all the fallen leaves to help against fungal diseases. - Watering: Water should always be used sparingly and only when needed. The following should also be kept in mind: o Reduce watering of pot plants that like to rest during the winter (i.e. tuberous plants and ferns). Also be mindful of heaters in the room, as plants will not enjoy this artificial heat. o Lawn can get particularly dry during winter with the lack of rain and persistent sunshine and heat, so continue watering as needed. o Water citrus deeply once a week to prevent bud drop. - Feeding & Spraying: Give your plants a good dose of organic plant food/fertilisers like Seagro to help keep pests away and to keep your plants strong and healthy through the autumn/winter seasons. The following should also be taken into consideration: o May is definitely a good time to take a close look at your indoor plants for signs of pests and diseases. Spray for scale and mealy bug. Scale insects on potted palms can be treated with insecticide granules. o This is also a good time to get control of weeds in the lawn and garden. Spread lime and mulch the lawn to help balance the ph of the soil, as weeds prefer acidic soils to thrive in. o Watch out for fungal diseases like rust and black spot on your roses, pelargoniums and geraniums. Spray the entire plant (under the leaves too) with a fungicide like Dithane M45. o Keep spraying conifers with koinor or organic insecticide. o Feed garden plants and winter annuals regularly with a nitrogen-rich foliage fertiliser such as 3:1:5. Remember that green, leafy vegetables also require a nitrogen rich fertiliser so your 3:1:5 fertiliser will also work a treat. o Feed your roses with a rose fertiliser rich in potassium which will help harden soft wood before the cold weather. - Frost: Although frost is normally only a real danger in June and July, protect your plants from frost, you never know what Mother Nature has in store. o Mulch: Mulching will always be important, especially now, as the extra layer will provide extra moisture and will act as a blanket to protect your plants from the cold. Mulching the roots of your vegetables will also keep the soil warmer. Mulch your open garden beds or cover them with a creeping groundcover such as indigenous Geramium incanum or Arctotis to prevent the soil from drying out. Prepare soil that is bare over winter by digging in plenty of compost, manure and organic material such as leaf mould and cover with a layer of mulch ready for spring planting. Make sure that you keep your roses mulched too. o Cover and wrap-up: Winter is coming and so to protect your garden from the winter cold, you should invest in some frost protection. Especially in areas of heavy frost, wrap-up the plants that need some extra care during the colder winter months and get out the frost protection fleece to cover tender plants and crops. - General Maintenance: o Tidy up: Clean flower beds and remove collapsed plants and cut back anything that needs it. o Collect fallen leaves: Rake up any fallen leaves on the lawn and clear plant beds to prevent mould and disease. Water features should also be cleaned out regularly of fallen leaves. o Fill-up: Fill your bird-feeders with a mixture of fruit and seeds to bring wildlife into the garden. In areas with no winter rainfall, make sure your birdbath is filled with fresh water. o Get your lawnmower serviced: Before putting away your lawn mower for winter give it a thorough clean and take it to a specialist lawnmower shop for a general overhaul and to have the blades sharpened. Ask them to sharpen your secateurs, long handled loppers and hedge clippers while you are at it. o Start a compost heap: If you start now, your compost should be ready in a few months, just in time for you to use in your spring garden! Please note that this planting guide has been put together from many various sources and thus, Lasher does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. This planting calendar is for informational and educational purposes only.