A Seasonal Shift, Mallorca's Second Spring
MallorquÃns say that Sant Joan turns up the heat on the 23rd of June, and Sant Bartomeu turns it off again on the 24th of August. We’re a little late, but the weather is finally cooling down. In northern countries, people put their gardens to bed when the temperatures drop. Here, we look forward to our second spring.
With the coming of rain, this delightful season will now slowly unfold. During summer, plants go into stasis. Most stay green and simply stop growing. Others turn brown and seem to die, but with the coming of rain they bounce back, green and fresh.
There’s a temptation to get out and start pruning. This is not the right time. Wait. Pruning now can stress plants, expose inner branches to sun-scald, and lead to insect attacks. But do continue deadheading regularly. This will prolong the bloom time for many flowering plants.
Depending on the variety, some roses will start blooming again. Eden climbing rose, Chrysler Imperial rose, and the old-fashioned Peace rose, amongst others, can put on a spectacular display if treated well. Start feeding with low doses of fertiliser until November. If rain continues for days on end, look out for leaf fungus. The best fungicide I’ve found is Potassium bicarbonate. It’s organic and beats out other harmful products. I use this on any fungal issues, not just roses. Mix one tablespoon into a gallon of water with half a teaspoon of natural liquid soap. Spray on both surfaces of all leaves in the early morning.
If you’re interested in planting autumn-blooming roses this winter, take a wander around your neighbourhood and see what beauties other people have in their gardens. If you can’t identify the varieties you’re impressed by, take photos. Someone is bound to know what they are called. Make a note of which compass direction they are facing and whether they have afternoon shade. You can do this for any plant that catches your eye. This is the best way I know to create a garden with year-round interest. September is not the time to plant, but it is the time to plan.
If you stopped using fertiliser during August, now is a good time to start again. Go lightly and avoid any product that is high in Nitrogen. This would cause abundant green growth which encourages aphids. Use natural fertilisers that are higher in Phosphorus and Potassium as these stimulate root growth: the hidden key to healthy plants.
The quality of rain will determine what our second spring will be like this year. Ideally, we will have days of endless soft rain. During the summer, the top layer of soil becomes hardened. Gentle rain can penetrate this layer, breaking it up and moistening the soil below. Our island is basically limestone which stops most lakes from forming but allows water to make its way downward. Prolonged rain eventually reaches the groundwater and replenishes the vast underground water systems far below our feet.
Heavy rain, on the other hand, doesn’t penetrate the top layer. Instead, it strips off dirt and carries it away. This is a photo I took of the entrance to my neighbour’s driveway after last night’s storm. When the storm was at its worse, a river of muddy brown water rushed out to the street and down the drain. The remaining silt you see is about four inches deep. This happens every time there is heavy rain. My neighbour has an almost bare slope on his property that is gradually being stripped away due to erosion.
One of the reasons you see so much terraced land on the island is that terracing prevents this sort of runoff. If you also have bare sloping ground, consider either terracing it, or planting it with long-rooted plants like Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) to hold soil in place.
The rain may be curse for tourists, but it is a blessing for us gardeners. Enjoy it, and may it endure for weeks to come.
