Jobs to do in October

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Jobs to do in October – from our from the September 2000 Newsletter

  • Increase mulches as weather becomes hotter.
  • Take softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings.
  • Water mangoes, citrus and lychees for good fruit development.
  • Give indoor plants a dose of slow-release fertitiser and wipe the dust of large leaves with a soft damp cloth.
  • Fertilise fruit trees.
  • Plant dahlia tubers in rich compost.
  • Deadhead roses, spray for scale with pestoil, rub or hose off aphids, and fertilise.
  • Liquid feed annual flowers and vegetables.
  • Check gardenias for scale, thrips and magnesium deficiency. lf leaves are yellow spray with a solution of Epsom Salts.
  • Check azaleas for signs of lacewing and red spider infestations. lf necessary, spray with Confidor. Prevent fungal disease by removing spent flower heads. Fertilise, water deeply and mulch. prune lightly after flowering.
  • Boost strawberry production with an application of sulphate of potash. Fruits increase in size and number the more they are picked, so harvest regularly. Remove mouldy fruits from the plant to reduce fungal spread.
  • lf bandicoots are a problem in your garden, sprinkle around some blood and bone in their favourite digging areas to discourage them.
  • Tidy up spent spring perennials such as red hot pokers, by removing dead flower stalks and foliage.
  • Put out bowls of water in protected, shady areas of your garden for birds and insects.
  • Destroy weeds before they flower to limit dispersal.