Harvest the last summer crops as it’s time to plant your winter staples including cabbage, broccoli, celery and silverbeet. Freshen up the flower garden with pansies and polyanthus and don’t forget feijoas in the fruit garden.
GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS:
NERINES, CHRYSANTHEMUMS, COLCHICUMS, SASANQUA, CAMELLIAS AND AUTUMN LEAVES.
ORNAMENTAL GARDEN
Plant
In the warmest gardens only bedding plants for w nter and spring colour, such calendulas, primulas, pansies and cinerarias, may still need to be set out. The following seeds can still be sown in open ground anywhere: alyssum, aquilegia, calendula, cornflower, russell lupin, statice, stock and sweetpeas. Lift any overcrowded clumps of lilies and replant. Start to plant new lilies. Plant out hybrid Clematis and most hardy evergreen shrubs. This is a suitable time to re-locate many evergreens, especially conifers and rhododendrons. Small plants may be moved immediately, but large ones will need to be wrenched first.
Prune
Most climbers, remove dead wood and shorten shoots that have flowered. In frost-prone areas leave bougainvilleas until spring. In all but the frostiest areas start pruning hydrangeas, remove dead and weak shoots, and cut others to a pair of fat green buds. Trim back bush marguerites and perennial wallflowers to get strong growth for winter flowering. Thin camellia buds, leaving no more than two on each shoot. Hard cutting can be taken from many deciduous shrubs as they go dormant, especially currants, grapevines and roses.
Spray
As leaves begin to fall give a cleanup copper spray to roses and any ornamental trees or shrubs that have suffered leafspots during the year. Spray under as well as on the tress to cover leaves that have already fallen.
EDIBLE GARDEN
Plant
Broad beans (second half of the month), cabbage (Chinese, spring hybrids), onion (PLK seed), spinach (prickly seeded and hybrid).
Things to do
As leaves begin to fall apply clean-up of copper spray to all deciduous fruit trees and soft fruit bushes. Gather up fallen leaves and any diseased fruit. Apply copper sprays also to citrus trees with leaf and fruit spots. Put row covers over young citrus trees for protection. Harvest late grapes and late-maturing apples. Pick passionfruit as they change colour. Prepare for feijoa harvest by spreading straw under bushes.
GARDEN MAINTENANCE
Watering
Watering may still be necessary in many areas, especially for new plantings.
Lawn Care
Complete renovations and new plantings without delay, especially in cold areas. On new lawns delay in cutting grass is 7-8cm high. Set the mower high and do not cut if the ground is very moist or soft. There is still time to dress established lawns with sifted compost at one-half bucket to the square metre. Give very poor, weedy lawns a dressing of dolomite lime.
Rose care
Deadhead lightly or leave hips to ripen. Continue watering if necessary.
Things to do
Lift summer gladioli when dry, clean corms and store, after dusting with fungicide/insecticide (do not use plastic bags).
Need assistance
Get in touch with the team at Lawn King.
