October

Gardening in October

Warm, balmy days…

Longer, warmer days mean plenty of time outdoors in the garden. Mid spring is the perfect planting time – the soil is warm, temperatures are not too high and there’s often good rainfall to encourage good plant growth. The lawn mower usually gets a good workout this month, following fertilising last month.

While the garden’s going well, so too are the weeds! It’s important to get on top of them now, before they take over completely. Remember when outside to wear a hat and slop on the SPF 30+ sunscreen to protect against damaging UV rays. Don’t let mild days fool you into thinking you won’t get sunburn.

What to plant now:

October is “planting month”! Conditions are optimal for everything from seeds and seedlings of flowers and veggies through to lawns, evergreen trees and shrubs and potted deciduous plants in full leaf. Garden centres will be bursting with stock now, so plan a visit next weekend.

Seasonal flowers:

Bloomer pots of spring flowering annuals can still be planted out this month for patches of instant impact colour – pansies, violas, Iceland poppies, cinerarias, calendulas are just a few. Plant seedlings of bedding begonias, marigolds, impatiens, petunias and nasturtiums.

Spring & summer vegetables:

Keep sowing and planting all the salad favourites as well as beetroot, beans, peas, and Asian greens. Tomato seedlings may be transplanted this month too!

The Vegetable Patch:

Harvest now:

Asparagus may still be producing new spears now, but don’t harvest past the first week or so of the month. After that, allow spears to grow on to become fronds, which will help build up the crowns for next year’s crop. Rhubarb should be growing well enough now for a first harvest. Pull and twist stems to pick – don’t cut them. Trim off the bases and leaves, which can be composted but not fed to animals or poultry because they are toxic.

What to plant now:

It’s full-steam ahead in the vegetable patch now, no matter where you live! Prepare the soil by hoeing to remove lumps and weeds, then rake level. Moisten well a few days before sowing or planting.

Sow or plant:

Asparagus
Basil
Beetroot
Bok choi
Beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Capsicum
Carrot
Celery
Chilli
Coriander
Courgette
Cucumber
Eggplant
Leek
Lettuce
Mesclun
Parsley
Parsnip
Potatoes
Pumpkin and squash
Radish
Rhubarb
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Spring onions
Sweetcorn
Tomatoes

Veggie patch tips for October:

Water in newly planted seedlings with a liquid fertiliser for vegetables and herbs or a certified organic fertiliser to give them a good start.
After sowing seeds, water them in then wait until shoots appear before watering again.
Hand pull or hoe out weeds as they appear – they compete for nutrients and moisture and may also harbour pests that could attack your crops.

Fruit & Flower Beds:

Fruits to harvest now:

Tropical fruits and citrus in warmer areas will be ripening now and ready to pick. There may also be some early strawberries appearing. Watermelons are in season now in warmer regions.

What fruit to plant:

Evergreen fruiting plants such as passionfruit vines and citrus can planted in warm to tropical areas. In temperate to cool areas, wait until the danger of frosts has passed. The range available may include:

Avocado
Raspberry
Strawberry
Blueberry
Blackberry
Boysenberry
Feijoa
Lemon
Orange
Mandarin
Lime
Passionfruit
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Tamarillo

What flowers to plant:

It’s time to plan, and plant, for the festive and holiday seasons. Dame Edna’s favourite flower, the gladiolus, should be planted during October if you want flowers for late December. Corms take about 60 days from planting to peak flowering. Staggered plantings a fortnight apart will ensure continuity of blooms well into January.

Sow or plant:

Alyssum
Lobelia
Foxgloves
Ageratum
Aster
Chrysanthemum
Calendula
Carnation
Cosmos
Dahlia
Dianthus
Daisy
Fuchsia
Gazania
Geranium
Gerbera
Gladiolus
Honesty
Impatiens
Marigold
Pansy
Viola
Petunia
Nasturtium
Phlox
Poppy
Queen Annes Lace
Salvia
Snapdragon
Statice
Sunflower
Sweet pea
Verbena and wallflower
Calibrachoa
Abutilon
Iris
Hibiscus
Canna
Anemones
Lavender
Lily
Felicia
Arctotis
Penstemon
Delphinium
Dampanula
Scabious
Nemesia
Diascia
Roses
Verbena
Rhododendrons
Daphne
Camellias
Azaleas
Wisteria
Clematis
Bougainvillea
Mandevilla.

Garden jobs for the month:

Keep flowering annuals and bulbs growing and flowering well with regular applications of an all purpose fertiliser.
The last of the spring blossom trees should be pruned now. Prune to encourage new growth that will flower next spring.
Keep up the regular copper-based fungicide sprays on deciduous fruit trees to combat fungal diseases like brown rot.
Most of the spring flowering bulbs, apart perhaps from tulips, may be past their best now but don’t cut the flowers or leaves off. Allow them to die down naturally.

Indoor Plants:

Plants inside the home assist in purifying the air as well as lending a touch of greenery to your living areas.

Natural light is important but don’t stand pots on north or west-facing windowsills where they will be exposed to direct sun through the glass.
As temperatures warm, make sure to humidify the air by regularly misting plants with a water atomiser.
Wipe leaves occasionally with a damp cloth to keep them clean.
Feed fortnightly with ready to use Osmocote Pour+Feed Indoor Plants – no mixing required. There are also Pour+Feed products for orchids and cacti.

Lawns:

There’s still time to get a new lawn in before the weather becomes too warm. Instant turf can be laid throughout the month. The key to success with any new lawn from seed or turf is keeping it well watered in the first six to eight weeks, until it is well established and has developed strong roots.

Regular mowing will keep existing lawns looking neat. Raise the cutting height to leave the grass a little longer and protect the crowns and runners of grasses from the increasing heat of the sun. A longer, thicker sward also helps keep the soil, and roots, cooler.

During dry spells, water the lawn well at least once a week. Don’t be tempted to lightly sprinkle the grass every day or so – not only does this waste water but it encourages the roots to the surface where they will be exposed to the hot sun.

Pest Control:

Slugs and snails can be active whenever there are young plants around – Garden Galore Quash Slug & Snail Stoppa in a bait trap will protect your plants and keep your pets safe.
Watch for aphids and other sap-sucking pests on young plants and the soft shoots of other trees and shrubs.
Roses and other shrubs are susceptible to a range of fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. A copper-based fungicide applied when first noticed, and repeated every couple of weeks, will control them.