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October in the Garden

By David Maher

Depending upon climatic zones and the vagaries of the weather, gardens in diverse areas will present contrasting images of development and colour in October. In my garden, spring-flowering bulbs have peaked, azaleas and bearded irises are in full bloom and camellias have completed their flowering except for a few late flowers. The seasonal pattern may be far more advanced or retarded in your garden, depending upon where you live. Regions truly do have variant seasonal patterns. Clearly, this phenomenon underlines the horticultural interest and diversity of gardening across the Country.

PLANTING

October is synonymous with the planting of alyssum, dianthus, lisianthus, marigolds, petunias, portulaca, Californian poppies and snapdragons in the flower garden and for the sowing of bean seeds in the warmer localities. Beans planted in early October will be ready for harvesting before Christmas.

Cucurbits such as rock melons, melons, Jap pumpkins etc., and egg plants, can be planted in the warmer areas, too. Some cucurbits such as rock melons and Jap pumpkins require a long growing season and are not really suitable for some highland areas.

Dahlias can be planted in October – in very warm localities, they may have already been planted. If you are dividing existing clumps, make certain that each section has some stem and one eye as this is the bud from which the growth bud will emerge.

Sweet corn can be planted in sunny, spacious vegetable gardens. Planting in parallel rows or blocks maximizes the chances of pollination.

Plant a passionfruit vine in a warm sunny, well-drained position, preferably facing north or east. Grafted varieties such as ‘Panama Red’ and ‘Panama Gold’ are recommended. ‘Nellie Kelly’ is a great cropper but it suckers generously and hence I do not recommend it for most gardens.

SOME EXAMPLES OF PRUNING IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

The timing of pruning activities will vary across the State & Country according to altitude, to topography and to soil temperatures. Hence, adjust the timing to suit your locality.
Prune behind the flower heads before the new leaf growth emerges, e.g. in the case of camellias, prunuses and other spring flowering trees.
Regular tip pruning at the appropriate time helps plants to retain their shapeliness and to increase flower production.
Perennials require two types of pruning, that is, hard pruning after flowering and light trims during the non-flowering periods but not as the flower buds are forming.

Plant	Pruning Time and Type of Pruning
Acacia	Cut back by one-third – early flowering cultivars should have been pruned earlier.
Azaleas/Daphne	Trim behind the flower heads of late flowering plants to achieve a compact, dome shaped plant.
Bauhinia	Prune after spring flowering
Boronia	Tip prune
Brunfelsia	Prune in late spring
Burchellia bubaline	Prune heavily
Callistemon/Melaleucas	Prune heavily behind the spent flower heads
Ceanothus	Prune whenever it finishes flowering but especially in mid to late spring
Citrus	Skirt prune
Deutzia	Prune in late spring – cut back old wood just above ground level and tip prune new growth
Diosma	Prune lightly continuously and particularly after flowering.
Eremophila/Grevillea	Remove spend flower heads continuously and give a heavy pruning after the main flowering. Reduce the plants by one-third.
Geranium/Pelargonium	Tip prune in autumn and again after all frosts have passed. Tip prune again after spring flush, generally early to mid November
Hebe	Prune back by half after flowering
Iberis (candy tuft)	Clip lightly after flowering
Jasmine	Prune in late spring to early summer
Lavender	Tip prune continuously – gentle, regular pruning applies to lavenders and silver foliaged plants – cut back only the soft growth. Never cut back into old wood, as it will not re-shoot.
Nepeta	Give a heavy prune at the end of autumn and tip prune regularly.
Penstemon	Tip prune regularly and cut back heavily after flowering.
Philadelphus	Remove old canes
Prostanthera	Trim after flowering
Roses	Cut flowers to vase length – non-recurrent flowerers should be pruned after spring flush, that is, in late November/December Prune back Banksia roses after flowering.
Rosemary	Trim but do not denude stems of all foliage
Salvia	Remove woody growth after each flush of flowers
Spring Flowering Trees, e.g. prunus	Prune after flowering, that is, in October generally, and NOT at any other time of the year.
Thryptomene	Prune behind flower heads
Tomatoes	Remove the laterals above the first cluster of flowers and restrict the plant’s development to one main stem.
Viburnum	Prune back by one-third after flowering in late spring
Wisteria	Prune long growth and trailing branches and side shoots to 20 cms in late November/early December

Product of the Month:

Yates’ Dynamic Lifter concentrated Seaweed Plant Tonic enhances the colour, health and vigour of leaves and improves root growth. I use it on leafy plants such as gardenias, gerberas and roses, at regular intervals. Like Seasol, it is not a fertilizer; it is a plant conditioner.

Growing Beans – An Abbreviated Summary

Site – a well-drained, sunny site in which the seeds can be planted in a north south direction to attract maximum sun.

Variety – my preference is Gourmet Delight but there are many other great varieties such as Pioneer and Brown Beauty. ‘Blue Lake’ is a proven climber.

Fertilizing at Planting: I place Croplift 200, a CRT product, in the drills because it contains a lot of potassium which assists to produce great beans. Alternatively, Multigrow and blood and bone and potash are suitable.

(I MANURED MY BEAN BED FOR A LATE SEPTEMBER PLANTING BACK IN JUNE.)

Happy gardening!

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