Your Garden in October 2023

Enjoy the warmth and colour of a spring garden!

By mid-spring days are warm and plants are thriving. With extended daylight and the advent of daylight saving in some areas, there’s plenty of time to enjoy the garden. Wind down for the day watering or get in an early start with that morning cuppa in hand as you take a stroll in the garden.

Take a look at what gardening tasks need to be done and plan your day for some time in the garden – your plants will love you for it.

Increase watering and check watering systems

All the new spring growth and flowers that’s abundant in gardens needs regular watering. It’s time to get back into the habit of watering the garden thoroughly paying particular attention to containers, plants underneath eaves, new plantings, plants in flower and fruit and vegetables.

Lawns also benefit from regular deep watering, which is best achieved using a sprinkler (water restrictions permitting). Water your lawn less often but for a longer period to ensure roots grow down into the soil in their search for moisture and nutrients.

Where the garden is watered with an irrigation system, regularly observe that all parts are getting well-watered and there are no blockages or leaks. As surrounding plants grow they can stop the even spread of water from sprayers.

Be prepared to prune growth that’s blocking the water or add extra sprayers or drippers to the system to accommodate changed garden conditions.

Check that the soil is absorbing water

As days get warmer, increase watering. Make sure water is soaking into the soil or potting mix so the water is reaching the roots.

If the soil has become water repellent and is running off, pooling on the surface or running quickly through the pot, apply a soil wetting agent such as Seasol Super Soil Wetter & Conditioner to help.

For larger areas, use the Seasol Super Soil Wetter & Conditioner hose-on applicator. To check for water repellence, feel the soil below the surface layer, the finger test will help here. Put your finger down into the soil to the second knuckle.  After watering it should feel moist and dark in colour, if it’s still dry apply a soil wetter and re-apply water to ensure the soil is moist.

Planning for summer colour

If you want your garden to look its best in summer for outdoor entertaining, mid-spring is the time to get planting. Seedlings are available now to plant for months of colour. Plant them into garden beds or containers.

For bold colours that last until autumn, start planting petunia, calibrachoa, marigold, salvia or zinnia seedlings in sunny spaces or use impatiens or vinca in more shaded areas. All are available either as mixed or single colours allowing gardeners to colour coordinate floral shows.

If you are unsure of what to plant in your area, check out your local hardware or garden centre, which will give you some great plant ideas for your area.

When planting your annuals water them in with Seasol to help reduce transplant shock and aid plant development. Regular applications of Seasol every two weeks will help promote healthy growth and a strong root system.

Beautiful summer bulbs and flowers

To add height and fragrance, plant liliums. These elegant bulbs produce large trumpet shaped flowers in summer. They can be grown in the garden or in large pots.

It is also planting time for dahlias. These sun-loving flowers bloom right through summer and autumn and provide generous blooms for picking. Dahlias are grown from tubers or can be bought as potted plants. Tall varieties need to be staked or supported with frames. Keep dahlias well-watered and fed for best results.

For long-term summer colour from shrubs also plant geranium, hydrangea, gardenia, hibiscus and rose bushes. All are available as potted plants ready for planting. Read the plant tag to select the ideal planting location and allow room for the plant to grow both in height and width.

To keep your flowers blooming all summer, deadhead spent flowers and liquid feed them regularly every two weeks with PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Roses & Flowers.

Five important jobs for mid spring

1. Water gardens twice a week and more frequently as the weather warms. New plantings, containers and vegetable gardens may need daily watering.
2. Regularly deadhead flowering plants as their displays come to an end. Removing spent blooms not only neatens the garden, it helps encourage new growth, removes seeds and may lead to more flowers
3. Service the lawn mower ready for more frequent mowings as lawns get back into full growth and liquid feed with Seasol for Lush Green Lawns. Available in a hose-on pack or concentrate for watering can or spray applicator for a more specific application.
4. Keep on top of weeds both in garden beds and in lawns. Removing weeds before they begin to flower and set seed helps reduce future weeding. Always cover bare soil with mulch. If the infestation gets to much to handle, apply a natural weedicide such as EarthCare Organic WeedKiller spray.
5. Make sure you have a bushfire plan. Keep gutters clean and removed flammable debris around your property.

Planting vegetables for summer salad meals

Vegetables planted now will be ready to harvest in summer. Plan for easy and healthy summer meals fresh from the garden by planting salad vegetables including lettuce, cucumber, tomato and herbs such as basil and parsley.

For quick and easy results, grow soft-hearted lettuce, snacking cucumbers and cherry or other small varieties of tomato. Start with seedlings and allow plenty of space for the plants to fill out as they grow and mature.

To keep the crops coming, plant a few more every six weeks, regularly harvest produce when ready and liquid feed every week with PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Tomatoes & Vegetables. It not only feeds your plants but the soil as well.

Passionfruit tips

Early flowers on passionfruit sometimes fail to produce the expected fruit often due to a lack of pollinating insects such as bees. Help nature along by hand pollinating flowers. Use a small dry paintbrush or a cotton bud to move pollen from one flower to the stigmas of other flowers.

Passionfruit also like plenty of extra feeding and watering so apply a fertiliser such as PowerFeed with Troforte for Flowers, Fruit & Citrus and water regularly to get the microbes working. The root system is extensive so spread fertiliser under the plant, but not too close to the trunk or main stem.

Overgrown plants can be pruned to remove some stems (but take care not to cut through the main branch structure). Keep grassy areas around the vines well mown and clear of competing weeds. Regularly remove suckers (shoots from the root system or below the graft). To learn more about growing passionfruit, check out our passionfruit guide.