October gardening checklist

This is a month of rapid new growth for the whole garden, so there is plenty of work to do. Spring is well underway, keep an eye on the weather, pay attention to weeding and feeding. A well fed plant will better survive diseases, pests and drought.

Key gardening tips for October:

• October is tomato planting time.
• Plant seedlings and seeds of salad crops.
• October is vegetable planting time.
• Finish planting the herb garden.
• Small fruits and berries should be planted now.
• Time to feed all fruiting crops, flowering annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs.
• Plan and plant perennials for summer colour.
• Plant to attract bees into the garden.
• Maintain hedges.
• Spray lawns for weeds.

What vegetables to plant in October

October is the perfect month to get your vegetable garden growing at full pace. The weather is warmer, the soil is ready, and almost everything can be planted now. Prepare garden beds by hoeing to remove weeds and break up clumps of soil, then rake level and water a few days before planting.

Vegetables to plant in October include:

• Asparagus
• Basil
• Beetroot
• Bok choi
• Beans
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Capsicum
• Carrot
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Leek
• Lettuce
• Parsnip
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Silverbeet
• Spinach
• Spring onions
• Sweetcorn
• Tomatoes

Key vegetable gardening tips for October

• Protect young cabbages and cauliflowers with Derris Dust, paying special attention to the undersides of leaves where pests often lay eggs.
• Tomatoes can go in this month as well. Work compost into the soil before planting, add stakes at the same time to avoid root damage later, and tie the plants regularly as they grow.
• Basil and coriander can also be planted now. Pinch the centres to encourage bushier growth and use the fresh tips in your cooking.
• Feed all vegetables every two weeks with liquid fertiliser while watering at the same time.
• For potatoes, keep mounding soil around the foliage as it grows and feed them blood and bone fortnightly.
• Asparagus and rhubarb can still be harvested at the beginning of the month. Stop harvesting asparagus after the first week to allow the fronds to grow and strengthen the crowns for next year.
• For rhubarb, pull and twist stems rather than cutting, and compost the leaves as they are toxic to animals. October is the best time to set your vegetable garden up for a productive season ahead.

What fruits to plant in October

October is an ideal time to plant fruiting plants, especially in warm and frost-free regions. Evergreen fruiting plants such as passionfruit and citrus can go in now in warmer areas.

Fruit ready to plant in October include:

• Passionfruit
• Blueberry
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Blackberry
• Boysenberry
• Feijoa
• Lemon
• Orange
• Mandarin
• Lime
• Grapes
• Kiwifruit

Fruits to harvest in October

In October, tropical fruits and citrus fruits will be ripening and ready for harvesting. Strawberries are also in season.

Planting flowers in October – Mitre 10 tips

• Keep on top of the weeds around your vegetables when they are small, use a torpedo hoe to nip them off at the roots. We’ve got some advice on how to deal with weeds here.
• Lavender makes a great low hedge, suits every garden and is perfectly happy by the seaside.
• Sow seeds; Alyssum, Californian poppy, marigolds, cosmos, nasturtium, Livingstone daisy, petunia, salvia and gerberas. Transplant to the garden as the weather warms and when they are showing at least two sets of true leaves.
• Plant seedlings: Ageratum, alyssum, aster, begonia, californian poppy, carnation, cosmos, dahlia, impatiens, marigold, and petunia. Your local Mitre 10 store will now be stocking a full range of spring annuals.
• Sunflowers can now be planted directly in to the soil.
• Plant for bees: Pineapple sage, bergamot, lemon balm, blue salvia, coreopsis, echinops, eryngium, gaillardia, alyssum, rosemary. They love these simple flowers.
• Plant new season perennials, Alstromeria, Geranium, Petunia, Hostas, Daisies and Heuchera. Prepare the ground with compost.
• Lightly prune roses to remove old flowers and encourage more, follow this with an application of rose fertiliser, water it in to the soil.
• Reduce the spread of pest and diseases by removing any dead leaves and clippings from around the base of the plant.
• Protect with an insect control product recommended for roses, spray later in the evening.
• Feed all flowering annuals and perennials, use an all purpose fertiliser.
• If hydrangeas are looking a bit pale, give the colour a boost. Sulphate of Aluminium will intensify the blue coloured flowers; add lime for your pink flowers.

Lawn maintenance & tips for October

• Spray for Onehunga weed, it comes in to flower in September and October now is the time to spray for it.
• Attack the broadleaf weeds in the lawn. Wait for a calm day before using any sprays.
• Sow new lawn; take advantage of the spring rain and warmth to germinate new seed. More on growing and caring for lawns can be found here.
• Fertilise your lawn for spring. Apply evenly across the whole lawn and water in