Garden with us this Winter

Winter is a busy time in the garden with the change in season and plants need to be set up to keep them going through the colder months. Here are some great tips to deal with important garden tasks with ease.

Managing your compost effectively

Making your own compost has many benefits including using up debris from the garden and saving money. Compost is one of the most important additions we can make in a garden and its ongoing. As the weather cools down, the process of making compost for the garden takes longer, which is where a good compost activator comes in. Wonder Organic Compost Activator is an all-natural microbial-based product designed to speed up the natural decomposition of garden waste.

1 packet of Wonder Organic Compost Activator is enough to make 2 tons of nutrient rich humus to enrich the soil for a garden and its plants. The normal process of decomposition in a compost heap may take 4 – 6 months, depending on the season, but with a compost activator, this can be reduced to just about a month which makes composting that much easier.

Time for winter veg

Once you have your compost ready, it’s time to sow seed or plant seedlings for vegetables that prefer growing in the cooler seasons. All the brassicas, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale, do better in the winter months and will even taste a bit sweeter with the occasional mild frost. Other veggies to grow are the root vegetables like carrots, beetroot, radishes and turnips that stay warm under the soil, and leafy vegetables like Swiss chard and Asian vegetables like bok choy, mizuna and tatsoi.

All these vegetables need soil that is well-draining and enriched with plenty of compost and added fertiliser when planting. This is just about the only time they will get a boost of nutrients before the veg are harvested so it’s an important step in the process.

Wonder Organics Veggie Garden is a balanced, naturally enriched and nourishing feed, specifically for boosting and supporting vegetable and herb health. It’s available in a handy 1 kg pack, but you only need 25 – 50 g per m2 when planting so it goes a long way. Water in well and re-apply every 4 – 6 weeks for the best results.

Winter Checklist

Make sure all your garden tasks are done and winter ready with this Winter checklist:

• Rake up autumn leaves for compost and mulch. Mulch beds that will be left empty over winter. Mulch protects soil microorganisms from the cold.
• Check that you have enough frost cloth.
• Remove small unripe fruit (tomatoes, brinjals, squashes etc.) so that the plant can put its energy into ripening the larger remaining fruit.
• Don’t delay planting the final winter veggies and green manures
• Mow your lawn with the lawnmower blades set on high and water your lawn when dry
• Feed spring-flowering bulbs with bulb food and water them well

The Wonder range of expert plant care has a variety of products that will help nourish your garden and are available at your local garden centre or retailer.  Check out the full range of Wonder plant care online at https://wonder.co.za/