October gives all the signals of mid-spring and with that there is plenty to do in the garden. Spring flowers and crops will be starting to appear so it’s time to plant more to ensure a continuous supply of delicious veges, juicy fruit and fragrant floral displays that will last you into the summer months!
GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS
APPLES, CRAB APPLES, RHODODENDRONS AND MANY MORE SPRING-FLOWERING SCRUBS
ORNAMENTAL GARDEN
Plant
Plant or divide bedding begonias, chryanthemums, delphiniums, gerberas, pink and violets and, in frost free areas plant cannas and dahlias. Plant tuberous begonias, callas and nerines. Sow directly into beds – alyssum, eschscholzia, Canterbury bell, clarkia, cornflower, delphinium, godetia, hollyhock, linum, lobelia, mignonette, nemesia, phacelia, statice, strawflower, sweetpea, verbena, viriginia, stock and (at the end of the month) gallardia, morning glory, nasturtium, portulaca and zinnia. Move or plant azaleas, cammellias and rhododendrons as soon as flowers start to fade.
Fertilise
Feed established shrubs without delay, especially if they have been heavily pruned, using either manure pellets or blood and bone fortified with a little potash. Top off with an organic mulch.
Prune
Go over evergreens as they finish flowering, deadheading where necessary, removing unthrify wood and trimming to shape. To rejuvenate old, scraggy camellias and rhododendrons prune back to the major branches or main trunk.
Watch for
Aphids, slugs and snails, leaf spots and black beetles.
EDIBLE GARDEN
Plant
Beans (pole, dwarf – second half of the month), beets (red and silver), broccoli (early and mid-season), brussel spouts, cabbage (summer ballhead and savoy), carrots, cauliflower, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, lettuce, spring onions, parsnips, radishes, tomatoes (dwarf), and turnips.
Fertilise
For greedy veges, bury a dressing of manure between rows. Water new plantings with liquid feed. Feed and mulch all tropical fruit trees.
Things to do
Mulch beds with lawn clippings to control weeds. Cut back herbs hard, dividing or taking cuttings if necessary. Harvest most citrus fruit. Spray with copper, at green tip and at petal fall, any of the following which may have suffered with black spot last summer – apples, pears, quinces or crab apples. Grapes suseptible to mildew need to be regularly (two-weekly) applications of wettable sulpur until berries are fully grown. Watch for fireblight infections on pears and prune out immediately. As daffodils start to die down, dust around clumps with diazinon to protect against narcissus fly.
GARDEN MAINTENANCE
Watering
This may be needed in some areas for new plantings and heavily pruned shrubs.
Lawn Care
If you have not done so, apply a dry or liquid feed. Cut lush growth frequently, or use a grass box to avoid smothering the turf.
Rose care
If not already done, feed and mulch. Deal with any pests or diseases as and when they may occur.
Things to do
Stake out perennials before they become leggy, using canes and string or leafy twigs, Grass clippings may be put into compost, together with plenty of carbon material, such as sawdust or straw, Otherwise use them alone in thin layers to mulch borders, which act as an excellent weed suppressor.
Need assistance
Please get in touch with the team at Lawn King.
