Follow our guide on what fruits, veggies and flowers to plant, harvest and maintain in your garden in December.

General

  • Watering in the morning will reduce risk of fungal disease. Efekto Rosecare 3 controls disease in roses and other ornamentals.
  • Train plants to develop good water habits by watering deeply and infrequently.
  • Harvest strawberries regularly and make sure they’re protected from snails and slugs with Efekto Snailban pellets.
  • Raise the mower height during warm weather – longer grass means cooler soil at root level.
  • Control whitefly, which is a nuisance on tomato plants. Spray with Efekto Cypermethrin 200EC.
  • Cut back and fertilise fuchsias with Wonder Shake ‘N Grow Special Fertiliser.
  • Feed mangos with Wonder 3:1:5 (26) SR to encourage production of healthy fruit.
  • Control hibiscus flower beetles with Efekto Karbaspray.
  • During summer, black beetles emerge from holes in the lawn. Treat with Efekto Cypermethrin 200EC.
  • Add Stockosorb water-storing crystals to pots before going on holidays.
  • Scale insects breed at this time of year. Inspect plants carefully, especially susceptible varieties such as gardenias,roses and citrus, and treat with Efekto Malasol.
  • Two-spotted mite (also known as red spider) can be kept in check by regularly mist-watering over leaves. Efekto Eco Fungimite or Efekto Kumulus WG also helps with their control on roses, ornamentals and vegetables.
  • Amaryllis/lily borer starts to make an appearance in summer. Control the caterpillars with Efekto Eco Insect Control SC or Efekto Cypermethrin 200EC.

Fruit garden

Pick
Cherries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, mulberries and strawberries.

Plant

  • Plant lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges and grapefruit.
  • Plant strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, boysenberries, blackberries, cranberries and avocados.
  • Remember, fruit requires a position in full sun. Shelter from prevailing winds is preferable.

Water

  • Keep the soil moist, and water fruit trees throughout dry periods.
  • Add Stockosorb to help soil retain water and distribute to where it’s needed most.

Protect
Spray pip and stone fruit with Efekto Virikop to prevent and limit the spread of fungal diseases.

Prune

  • Prune citrus, to open up the framework of the plant to allow more light into the centre.
  • Fertilise with Wonder 3:1:5 (26) SR around the drip line after pruning.

Flower garden

Pick
Roses, cornflower, hydrangeas, carnations, delphiniums, lilies, gladiolus, sweet peas, gypsophila, agapanthus, sunflowers, geraniums, cosmos, daylilies, poppies and scabious.

Sow
Snapdragons, poppies, sunflowers, petunias, cosmos, gazanias, dianthus, stock, salvia and hollyhocks.

Nourish

  • Encourage longer blooming of calendulas, delphiniums, nemesia by liquid feeding with Wonder Colourburst Rose and removing faded blooms.
  • Fertilise roses with Wonder Vitaliser Rose & Flower 8:1:5 (17) SR* to give the last blooms of the season a boost.
  • Fertilise pots and containers as well as hanging baskets with Wondersol All Purpose.

Protect
Insects can be a real problem now, particularly sap-sucking aphids. Be vigilant and drench with Efekto Plant Protector as soon as they appear.

Chores

  • Prune roses and hydrangeas after flowering to encourage blooms for following season.
  • Cut back roses before Christmas to re-bloom for Valentine’s Day. Roses take six weeks to re-flower once pruned.
  • Deadhead delphiniums and hanging baskets to encourage new flowers.
  • Take this last chance to cut back fuchsias to allow the new season’s growth plenty of room.

Vegetable garden

Sow
Beans, beetroot, capsicums, carrots, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, lettuces, parsnips, radishes, rocket, spinach, sweetcorn and tomatoes.

Fertilise

  • Sprinkle Wonder Organic Granular Fertiliser Vita-Boost + C (8) on the soil at planting time and around crops once a month in gardens with poor, dry soil.
  • Apply Seagro every two weeks to give plants a boost for the season.

Protect

  • Scatter Efekto Snailban granules for the control of slugs and snails.
  • Control cutworm when they re-appear once the weather warms, with Efekto Cutworm Bait.
  • Powdery mildew may begin to appear on courgettes and cucumbers; spray plants with Efekto Eco Fungimite to control it.

Harvest
Asparagus, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, lettuces, rocket, spinach and spring onions.

Take note
Allow for regional variation. There will be a difference between crop timings depending on where you live, and the variety of vegetables grown. Always factor in climatic differences when sowing, planting and harvesting.

Credits

Referenced from Efekto , Green Fingers : Your gardening and product guide from Efekto

shopping cart

Browse 1000’s of products available to you. Select your country to Shop Online.