WHEN: 6 Feb to 19 February 2024, 9h00 -16h00 Monday to Saturday.
WHERE: Visit the nursery at 336 Vine Ave, Ferndale, Randburg. South Africa

HOW: Let us know when you would like to visit us, to make sure we are available. E-mail [email protected] or Telephone/Whatsapp Antoinette 082 801 0881 or Leo 082 824 0664.

We can also courier plants – send us your wishlist for a quote.

Aloe plants are amazing living creatures! In the Southern-Hemisphere they have not taken a break since the growing season started in early summer. In fact some plants may have already replaced nearly all of the previous season’s leaves. This is great, particularly for our hybrid aloe cultivars, as the aloe plant produces its flowers from the new season’s growth. It is therefore still a good time of year to plants aloes.

Be on the lookout for Pests and diseases

It is always a good idea to clear your garden of all the baddies before new plants are introduced. Of course there will be organisms that will do their best to prevent a winter full of aloe flowers. The most destructive of these is the aloe snout beetle because it is not easy to control. The larvae spend their lives inside the aloe stem where enemies and chemicals cannot reach them.

So, if you have not been out recently to inspect your aloes, now would be a good time to do so. You will be looking for tell-tale signs of snout beetle presence – the mature beetle loves to drink aloe sap and leaves a conspicuous pea-sized mark (see image1) on the leaf surface. It is easily separated from other leaf spots by the perforation in its centre.

Please read more on how best to deal with these critters and other pests and diseases like white scale (image 2), aloe cancer or gall mite (image 3), mealie bug (image 4) and many others on the Aloe Care/Pests and Diseases section of our website.

Planting Time

As with most other plants, aloe hybrids benefit from a full growing season – be it in open ground or a pot/container. This means that, for countries like South Africa and Australia, August/September is an excellent time to plant the Sunbird Aloes of your choice. However, don’t despair if you find yourself in mid- or late-summer before you get a chance to plant or replant. Your aloes will still love you for it.

How to arrange Aloe Hybrids In Your Garden

When designing an aloe garden, it is important to select a suitable sunny spot, preferably north facing in the Southern Hemisphere, south facing in the Northern Hemisphere. Prepare the soil very well, as you cannot “fix” it later. Like any other garden plant, aloe cultivars enjoy a bit of pampering – plant in a sunny spot in soil with lots of compost (no manure) and good drainage. Water during dry spells in the growing season (summer). A top dressing of composted manure or fertilizer during the growing season will result in a stunning flower display lasting through all of the winter months.

There are diffirent ways of arranging your plants:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Plant in groupings of the same variety as it creates a visual impact when they flower together.
            2. You can also create a focal point by picking a superstar plant that you love as the focus of your garden bed.
            3. Another way is to weave plants in and out of Rows : Create a foreground, middle-ground, and background with your plants, then weave the plants in and out of each row. Some medium-sized plants can be pulled forward to the front row and smaller plants can be pushed back into the middle row, looking from the sunny side. You can also experiment by bringing larger plants from the back row to the middle row and putting middle row plants in the background. Akin to the technique of braiding hair – mixing 3 different rows of plants into a “braid”, to tie the garden together. This will give your garden a more natural and casual look.

We have something very special for your plant-loving Valentine – Aloe ‘Cupid’. Visit this page to see what this amazing little plant looks like. Contact: Antoinette Thamm
Email: [email protected]
Telephone or Whatsapp: +27 82 801 0881

WHEN: 29 to 31st March 2024
WHERE: NU Driving Range · Hilldene, KZN
WHO: Ruthe Gray, Ndundulu Aloes will have a stall at the Garden Fair.
EVENT BY: Garden Fair KZN

Contact Person: Ruthe Gray,
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +27 82 727 2075,
Address: Ndundulu Aloes, Ndundulu Farm, cnr R34 and R66, Nkwaleni, Eshowe, KZN, South Africa. 3816
Website: www.ndundulualoes.com