With warmer days and plenty of new growth underway, there are a few October garden jobs worth ticking off now. From preparing your lawn for the heat to supporting climbing crops and protecting developing fruit, a little attention now can help keep your garden thriving as summer approaches.
Feed the lawn and lift the mower
Spring lawn care is one of those October garden jobs that can make a big difference as temperatures rise. Give your lawn a spring feed now to support healthy new growth and raise your mower height slightly as the weather warms. Slightly longer grass helps shade the soil and reduce moisture loss during hotter weather.
Water deeply rather than little and often to encourage roots to grow further into the soil and help prepare your lawn for the warmer months ahead.
Get supports in early
Tomatoes, beans and other climbing crops can take off quickly once the warmer weather arrives. Another important October garden job is getting stakes, trellises and supports in place while plants are still small, rather than wrestling with sprawling stems later.
Tie plants loosely as they grow, leaving enough room for stems to thicken. While you’re there, top garden beds with The Garden Family Sugar Cane Mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds as temperatures rise.
Thin and net developing fruit
Protecting developing fruit should also be on your list of October garden jobs. Fruit trees can sometimes set more fruit than their branches can comfortably carry, so thin crowded clusters while the fruit is still small to reduce the load and give the remaining fruit more room to develop.
With birds and flying foxes also taking an interest as fruit ripens, now is the time to protect developing crops. Use wildlife-friendly netting with a mesh size of 5 mm or less at full stretch and make sure it’s secured correctly so animals can’t become caught or trapped.
