Because of the combination of acidic soils, north-western winds which bring winter rains and drying south-eastern winds, gardening here is very different from the rest of the country. Also, believe it or not, one side of town has very different growing conditions to the other side, so what grows near the mountain, does not grow near the sea; what grows in the wetlands, does not grow on dunes. Very frustrating! When deciding what to plant, start with what is already in the garden, and then observe the dominant vegetation in the area.
Some very general pointers, and wherever possible:
* Don’t rush your garden layout. If you can, live through all the seasons before making final plans. The best time to plant is in the autumn months, in time for the winter rains. Generally, plants in loamy soils will need watering two to three times per week, those in sandy soils every second day, both for at least two years.
* When replacing existing vegetation, don’t clear a huge area. The wind is in charge and loves a good vacuum, so try to only clear the area that you will be immediately working on.
* You CAN successfully move fynbos. If the plants are quite young, dig out as much of the surrounding soil as possible. Besides typical plant roots, fynbos has micro-rootlets snaking through the soil and whole populations of micro-organisms that hate to be disturbed, so avoid digging around the base of plants. As for leaves, leave them around plants – that’s why they are called leaves!
* Plants coming from the protection of a nursery, need to get used to living here, so remember the concept of the “step-down facility” – use rocks and branches to form an enclosure against the wind, or plant them near existing ones. If the plant dies, leave it – you never know. As a rule – if it’s going to grow short, plant it in front, if it’s going to grow tall, plant it at the back!
* To fertilise, or not to fertilise?
Soil here is generally acidic, but, as most commercial fertilisers are alkali, they ‘burn’ the fine rootlets, so don’t use fertiliser. However, organic fertilisers derived from fish or seaweed can be used. Mulching, on the other hand, is good. Use decayed organic matter like shredded pine bark or wood chips. But remember the wind? Lay some thickish branches over the mulch layer, for better retention. Happy gardening!
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