The Garden Diaries: New South Wales in October

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October is here, it’s brilliantly warm in New South Wales. It’s a really good time for getting into the garden.

Hero plant this month: Palms

October is a great time to be planting in the garden. This month it’s all about palms.

Palms offer a tropical look to any garden and are really versatile. They work well as a screening plant, are brilliant grown indoors, plant in a pot, or put some in around the pool for an excellent accent plant.

The good news is, there’s a palm for most regions of Australia. A favourite in NSW is the golden cane palm Dypsis lutescens a popular landscaping plant that has lush, dense foliage and is multi-stemmed.

Plant in well-drained soil in the garden. Or if you’re planting in a pot use a quality potting mix.

Water deeply when it’s warm and dry. As a general rule, fertilise in spring, summer and autumn. If you’re not sure what to use, pop into store and ask the garden experts.

What else to plant

Other great options for the garden are natives. Kangaroo paws are a perfect addition to the garden. Look out for the newer varieties such as ‘Bush Gems’. Known for their compact growth habit, their sensational long flowering season and drought tolerance. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Remember, they don’t like wet feet.

Spring is a great time to put in some summer vegetables. Prepare the patch with organic matter and rotted manure before planting lettuces, tomatoes, capsicum, and eggplant. Beetroot and basil are also good options for planting this month, as are cucumbers. Let them grow as a ground cover or they work well as a climber, but you’ll need to install a frame or some trellis.

Maintenance

With warm weather, comes spring growth. After natives have finished flowering, remove spent blooms and prune to shape.

Fertilise other plants in the garden, to encourage growth. Citrus are always hungry, so give then some food too. Use a specialised citrus fertiliser.

And remember, don’t fertilise on a really hot day.

It’s a great month to give indoor pot plants a spring clean. Repot any that are looking tired. Use a quality potting mix. Add some slow release fertiliser. Water in. Finally, remove dust off the leaves with a soft, damp cloth.

Harvest

Pick for the table, the last of the winter vegies. Celery, carrots, Asian greens and lettuces will be on your menu.

There you go, make the most of the wonderful October spring weather and get out into the garden.

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