Gardening Calendar – September, October

Gardening Calendar

When Arthur Yates started his seed business in 1883, little did he know that his name would become synonymous with gardening more than two hundred years later. Yates has become an integral part of Australian and New Zealand gardening history with its Garden Guide book considered the bible by green thumbs everywhere. Here, Yates horticulturalist Judy Horton helps Gardening Central members celebrate the start of spring with some essential jobs for September and October.

September Gardening

• Feed Azaleas as they finish blooming with Thrive Azalea , Camellia & Rhodendron food.
• Hydrate indoor plants that need more regular watering as the weather gets warmer. While you’re there, check for infestations like mealy bug with Confidor.
• Continue watering bulbs that have finished flowering with Thrive Soluble or Aquasol until leaves die down completely.
• Sow seed or transplant runners into bare patches in lawns. Topdress hollows.
• Visit open gardens in your area for inspiration.
• Plant some natives to bring birds like honeyeaters and wrens into the garden.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs as soon as they have finished flowering.
• In warm areas plant crotons , caladiums and coleus to brighten shady parts of the garden.
• Feed all established fruit trees with citrus food.
• Spray hibiscus with Confidor to control hibiscus beetle .
• Separate young bromeliad suckers from the mother plant when they’re about one-third mature size.
• Use a garden fork to aerate the lawn (pushing and pulling the fork in and out of the soil) then follow up by feeding with a good quality lawn fertiliser

October Gardening

• October’s a wonderful month for planting as shrubs that go in now will make maximum growth over the next few months.
• Fertilise potted plants with Thrive Once A Year Feeder. Re-pot if roots look crowded.
• Continue spraying Lebaycid Fruit Fly & Insect Killer every two weeks to protect apples and pears from codling moth. Place a band of corrugated cardboard around the trunk to trap wandering caterpillars.
• Prune frost-damaged parts of plants now that frosts are finished for the year.
• Divide and re-pot congested clumps of cymbidium orchids into fresh Thrive Orchid Potting Mix.
• Feed lawns with an organic-based lawn food like Dynamic Lifter for Lawns.
• Prune tired old citrus trees, renewing mulch and feeding with Thrive Citrus Food. Remember, though, if cut back severely, the plant may not fruit again for a couple of seasons.
• Plant all the summer vegies such as beans, sweet corn, tomatoes and cucurbits ( zucchinis, melons etc.) now that soil is warm.
• Plant mandevilla, allamanda and bougainvillea. Climbing plants are at home in warmer climates.
• Plant basil, which grows well with tomato plants. It repels pests and promotes healthy growth.
• Water hydrangeas with soluble Thrive Flower & Fruit to encourage larger blooms.
• Prune spring-flowering and heritage roses after flowering. Rose Gun will protect their new growth.
• Sow or plant tropical fruits such as lychees, mangos and custard apples .