One of summer’s least welcome critters are houseflies, which can spread dreadful diseases. Rotting fruit, uncovered cooked food and dirty dishes in the kitchen will attract hordes of them. So will overflowing garbage bins with lids that don’t close tightly. Keep your kitchen clean and wash all fresh produce properly before eating it. Empty garbage bins regularly, and wash them every time with a strong disinfectant to kill off lurking maggots.
Read More
Now is the time to take cuttings which will be well-rooted and already strong enough to plant out before winter comes around again. Plants to propagate are all the vygies, pelargoniums, daisy bushes and lavenders.
Read More
Top up ponds regularly with fresh water, as well as bird baths and other water features. Clip evergreen hedges neatly. Keep the area under them clean as it can be a hiding and breeding place for pests.
Read More
Prune jasmines, banksia roses, deutzias and spiraeas after flowering. Keep emerging summer bulbs moist and start feeding them with bulb fertiliser as soon as their leaves begin unfolding.
Read More
Add colour to balconies and patios with potted amaryllis bulbs. Use good-quality potting soil that drains well and pots that are just a little bigger than the bulb’s girth. Keep the pots in a warm, well-lit position and the soil moist.
Read More
Keep an eye out for invasions by lily borers with their yellow and black stripes in plants like clivias, arums and agapanthus. These can cause huge damage and even kill off the plants. Catch them by hand to kill them or use a contact insecticide.
Read More
