October Jobs

October

[Pic: rose]

Roses should just about be in full bloom. Apply a fertiliser specific for roses and flowers once the first flush has appeared and water in well. Ensure you water well throughout the season, giving plants a good deep drink 2-3 times a week. Mulch with well-rotted cow manure or sugarcane mulch to help conserve moisture. Watch out for aphids and other sap-sucking pests and treat with Natrasoap. Treat powdery mildew and blackspot with eco-rose. Cut flowers often to display around the home and this will also help promote more blooms.

Prune camellias once they finish flowering to help maintain their size and shape. Feed with a complete fertiliser and spread a thick layer of organic mulch around the base of the plant, steering clear of the trunk.

Grow a bit of sunshine this summer by sowing sunflower seeds now. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and plant a couple of different varieties. Try ‘Giant Russian’, ‘Teddy Bear’ or ‘Yellow Empress’.

Look after your tools and they will look after you. If you haven’t already given them a good clean and sharpen, do so now (see our feature on page 20). After each use, make sure you wipe off any residue and dirt before storing in a dry spot.

Keep an eye out for unwanted guests in the garden. Spring is the peak period for all the little critters, including aphids, whiteflies, whiteflies and caterpillars. Treat with suitable organic sprays – Dipel is great for caterpillars and eco-oil targets most sap-suckers on vegies and ornamentals. Follow up sprays may be required, if infestations are particularly bad.

If you’ve always wanted passionfruit, now is a good time to get one in the ground. Train them to grow along a fence, over a pergola or similar garden support. Look for Nellie Kelly cultivars.

Feed vegies regularly throughout the season with an organic liquid fertiliser to give them a quick boost of nutrients. Sow successive crops to make the most of the harvest window.

November

[pic: hydrangea blue or pink]

Apply DroughtShield to tender shrubs and plants, like hydrangeas to help reduce sunburn, water loss and wilting on hot dry days.

Prepare the garden for summer. Check irrigation systems are running efficiently and clear any blockages. Make the most of every drop by scattering or watering in a soil wetter, like eco-hydrate or Ezi-Wet.

Prune wisterias back after flowering. Cut back hard, if required and feed with a complete fertiliser.

Encourage a profusion of blooms by feeding gardenias now with a fertiliser high in potassium. Black Marvel Rose & Flower Food or Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers are organic based, so help nourish the soil too.

Correct uneven surfaces in the lawn by topdressing with a suitable mix, typically an organic soil mixture made up of loam and sand. Ensure the tops of the lawn are still visible after dressing and water in well.

It’s time to sow sweet corn, melons, pumpkins, okra, beans (except the tropics), squash, carrots, eggplants and tomatoes. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew and spray with a suitable fungicide, like eco-fungicide, Lime Sulfur or copper-based treatments. Always check label before use and if in doubt, call our helpline.

Liven up the summer garden by potting up containers with colourful annuals and positioning them around the deck, patio or entertaining areas. Plant a single flower on mass (petunias, portulacas or impatiens always look great) or mix up the display by planting the ‘thriller, filler and spiller’ combo – a tall showy plant, a medium sized annual and a trailing plant.

Mulch beds thickly to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds. For any weeds growing near vegie beds, spray with Slasher, an organic weed killer.

Enjoy the sight and scent of star jasmine (Tracelospermum jasminoides) in full flower now. Lightly prune and feed after flowering and if you’re lucky, they may rebloom again.

Mow high and often to encourage healthy lawn growth. Mulch clippings and feed with a lawn fertiliser.