Autumn Prep: A Five-Step Checklist

Cape autumn is short and busy. Five things done well now make every spring problem you'd otherwise have, disappear.

1. Top up the mulch

Apply a fresh 5-8cm layer of organic mulch over every bed before the rains. It locks in winter moisture, suppresses weeds, and slow-feeds the soil as it breaks down.

2. Plant your spring bulbs

Sparaxis, freesias, ixias, watsonias, daffodils, ranunculi - all in the ground by May. They need the cold winter to flower properly in spring.

3. Cut back perennials

Most perennials want a hard prune now. They'll regenerate over winter and explode in spring. Salvias, Plumbago, Lion's Tail (Leonotis), Felicia - all benefit.

4. Divide and replant

Agapanthus, dietes, daylilies, and other clump-formers can be lifted, split, and replanted now. Free new plants, healthier old ones.

5. Service your irrigation

Before the rains hit, walk every line and check for leaks, blocked drippers, and stuck valves. Switch to winter schedule (or off entirely if you're lucky).