October gardening jobs

Plant tomatoes

We all love home-grown tomatoes! In most regions, October is a great month for planting but if you live in a colder area, be wary of surprise late frosts. Have some shadecloth or other night-time covering to hand, ready to be spread over your bushes if below-zero temperatures are predicted. Small-fruited varieties that produce grape-like clusters are the easiest varieties for beginners. For advice on growing flavoursome heirloom tomatoes, see our story in the October issue of the magazine.

Prune early bloomers

Shrubs and blossom trees that bloomed in late winter or early spring should be pruned as soon as possible after their flowering period, before they start to make new growth. Here are some guidelines:

• Check secateurs, shears and saws are sharp and clean before your start.
• Begin by removing dead, diseased or crossing branches, and any that are growing towards the centre of the bush.
• Shorten shoots that have flowered, cutting just above an outward-facing bud. Reduce plants by about one-third if desired.
• Plants that produce thick clusters of stems from the base will look and perform better if the oldest branches (three years or more) are cut back to ground level. Examples include weigela (pictured), forsythia, May bushes (Spiraea spp.) and mock orange (Philadelphus spp.). Younger shoots can be shortened slightly.
• Prune roses that only bloom once a year in spring (banksia roses, for example) immediately after flowering.
• Deadhead rhododendrons and lilacs, making the cut above new leaf buds.
• Trim hedges and bushy shrubs such as diosma by giving them an overall haircut with shears. Don’t cut back to bare wood.
• As new growth begins, tip prune bushy shrubs by pinching out the central buds of new shoots; this will encourage thicker growth.
• Avoid pruning deciduous magnolias, if possible, as they tend to send up a forest of unattractive vertical shoots after being cut back.

Sow beans

Bean season is here! Mid-spring is perfect for sowing beans – both climbing and bush types. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot and prepare your soil by adding a little compost. For climbers, install a simple teepee, trellis or string frame about 2m tall. Direct sow seeds into damp soil, spacing bush beans by 10–15cm and climbing types by 15-20cm. Bean seeds rot easily, so if a few days’ rain is forecast, sow in small pots undercover and gently plant out once seedlings are established. Let the soil dry out between waterings and you’ll see shoots in 7–10 days. Spring beans grow quickly! For subtropical growers, see our story on alternative bean crops, in the October issue of our magazine.

Love your fruit trees

A little extra TLC now will help your fruit trees produce a bountiful harvest. Water deeply and consistently, especially during dry spells. Spread an organic mulch, such as straw or wood chips, under the canopy to retain moisture, suppress weeds and enrich the soil – just keep it clear of the trunk to prevent collar rot. Apply a balanced fruit tree fertiliser around the root zone to promote healthy growth and fruiting. Regularly check for pests and diseases, and if you’re in a fruit fly-prone area, protect developing fruit with pest exclusion bags or by covering the entire canopy with a net. If you’re interested in growing fruit trees but don’t have the space, read our online article on dwarf fruit trees.

Pest Alert

Watch for the leap in insect pest populations that accompanies rising temperatures and new spring growth. Super-fast-breeding aphids mostly gather together on plant tips, making them easy to squash. Caterpillars – especially the dreaded cabbage white – attack all kinds of cabbage relatives. Codling moth is another damaging spring grub, as is grapevine moth larvae. Applying an oil spray to the trunks of apple trees can help kill codling moth eggs, and traps catch the adult moths.

Find more spring gardening jobs in the October issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine – on sale now!

Words by Judy Horton