It's time to: October

All areas

Feed indoor plants with a weak liquid fertiliser mix.

Lightly prune natives that have finished flowering.

Feed gardenias and increase their watering.

Tip-prune passionfruit each month to encourage lateral growth and more fruit.

 

Cold

Plant cress, chicory and lettuce for summer salads.

Plant autumn-flowering salvias and Easter daisies.

 

Temperate

Prepare the vegetable patch for summer vegies, remove tired plants and dig in manure or well-rotted organic matter.

Remove any weed before seed sets: ‘one year’s seeding is seven years’ weeding’

 

Subtropical

Plant broccoli and rhubarb crowns.

Pot-up bromeliad pups in course orchid mix.

Grow snake and Madagascar beans.

 

Tropical

Plant new shrubs and trees now, so they are established before the heavy rains of the wet.

Fertilise in two applications four weeks apart.

 

When you have 10 minutes

Tend to the roses. Feed roses with a slow-release fertiliser or try Dynamic Lifter Advanced for Roses or Sudden Impact for Roses. Roses also like a thick layer of lucerne or pea straw mulch. Enjoy the blooms as they begin to emerge in October and deadhead when spent to encourage further flowering. Control any black spot or mildew with a spray of Eco Rose and Eco Oil in a 50:50 mix. Remove the infected leaves and throw them in the garbage.