October – Gardening Diary
KITCHEN GARDEN
Plant passionfruit, rhubarb and tamarillos.
Now that the danger of frosts is over, seeds of tender vegetables can be safely sown directly into your garden beds. Sow your favourites such as beans, peas, carrots, radish, beetroot and spinach. Eggplant, lettuce, cauliflower, cucumber, courgettes, peppers, pumpkin and tomatoes can also be sown now into trays or directly into the ground.
Plant new herb plants, including parsley so that new plants are established before existing plants go to seed.
Transplant any vegetable seedlings from trays into your garden. Prepare the soil by digging in generous amounts of compost and a dressing of a Fish, Blood & Bone Fertiliser..
Control slugs and snails, by removing low leaves that drape on the ground, set up snail hotels by placing an upside-down pot (propped open by a stone so they can crawl under); and don’t water late at night as slugs and snails are most active at night and particularly love damp places (it can help decrease snail activity by as much as 80%).
Liquid feed all plants with a seaweed liquid fertiliser which gets absorbed by plants quickly giving instant results. Repeat every 10 to 14 days as liquid fertilisers don’t last in the soil for long.
Feed all citrus trees with a Citrus Fertiliser or a seaweed liquid fertiliser.
Spray potatoes, fruit trees, grape vines and vegetable plants with Champ DP or a Copper Oxychloride to prevent fungus diseases. Spray citrus trees just before blossoms burst open with Champ DP to control verrucosis, melanose and brown rot.
To prevent white butterfly caterpillar plant nasturtiums near your brassicas, it draws Cabbage white butterflies away from your plants, they will lay on the nasturtiums that can then be removed and composted along with eggs and caterpillars.
Herbs and vegetables in pots need a water drip feeder. A cheap and handy way is to use old bottles that have had small holes punched in the throughout the bottle sides, leaving the top on, and the bottom cut off, turned upside down and fill with water. This is perfect for watering cucumbers who need regular and deep watering, remember to keep the leaves dry to avoid fungal infections due to moisture. Additionally, you can also use a light layer of mulch around the base of the plant to improve moisture retention.
FLOWER GARDEN
Plant out seedlings of flowering annuals for cheerful summer displays.
Plant perennial and summer flowering bulbs such as Dahlia, Begonia, Gladioli and Calla Lily.
Plant up hanging baskets and terracotta pots with flowers for summer.
Plant new roses and use compost and a long term slow release fertiliser like fish, blood and bone at planting time.
Spray roses to prevent fungus diseases and pest damage on your blooms.
Sow seeds of your favourite flowering annuals directly into the ground such as Alyssum, Marigolds, Cosmos, Nasturtium and Sunflowers. Sow into trays for transplanting later; Carnations, Dahlia, Petunia and Gerberas.
Feed all roses with a rose fertiliser now as they start on their biggest growth period.
Prune back spring flowering shrubs after flowering and remove dead blooms from rhododendrons.
Feed acid loving plants such as camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons after flowering with an Acid fertiliser.
Add a layer of mulch around all plants to conserve moisture and check that your watering systems are working.
Liquid feed all flowering annuals and perennials with a seaweed liquid fertiliser, and feed flowering shrubs with a side dressing of a general fertiliser.
Increase watering of all plants in containers or pots as the weather warms up, adding a water drip feeder will help.