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October in the Garden
October is here! Garden Day falls on Sunday the 12th – the perfect excuse to gather friends and family for a little outdoor celebration of all things green and glorious. Spring is in full bloom, so take a moment to admire your garden, balcony pots, or patio planters. And did we mention? It’s Rose Month! Local GCA garden centres are bursting with breath-taking blooms, ready to brighten up your space.
There’s plenty to plant, grow, and sow this season, along with a few simple maintenance tasks to keep things thriving. So, grab your compost, pick up your spade, and let’s dig into October gardening magic!
Raging for roses
Your top 5 babes available at GCA’s now are:
- Double Delight: Pointed, cream colour buds unfolding delicately into shades of scarlet.
- Just Joey: A hybrid apricot/orange blend tea rose with a seductively sweet scent.
- My Granny: A spreading shrub with full rosette blooms in shades of soft pink and white.
- South Africa: SA’s top performer with huge clusters of large, golden-yellow double blooms.
- Zulu Royal: Large, symmetrical blooms in deep mauve with a silver-lilac dust.
Rosey tips: Avoid wetting rose leaves in the late afternoon as this may encourage black spot and powdery mildew. Plant living mulch between your roses such as erigeron, verbena or lobularia. Remember to feed with Flower and Fruit fertiliser every 4 weeks for max bloom power.
Rushing flower power
Plant and sow now
- For instant colour, go for calibrachoas with masses of miniature petunia-like flowers.
- Sun-loving annuals in seedling trays include: petunias, lobularias (allysum), gazanias,
- penstemons, Chrysanthemum paludosum and C. multicaule, Sunpatiens and celosias.
- Shade-seeking seedling trays include: New Guinea impatiens, begonias, impatiens (Busy Lizzie) hypoestes and coleus.
- Go-getter perennials for all regions are: agapanthus, gauras, nemesias, osteospermums and geraniums of all kinds. Also go for gypsophila and masses of pretty but tough angelonias. Star jasmine, penstemons, columbines and echinaceas are lovely too.
Top seedling tip: Give your seedlings the best head start in life by planting them in compost-enriched soil with a sprinkle of Bio Rock Root Builder. When transplanting, avoid pulling them out by their stems and rather push them out from the bottom of the punnet. Pinch out their growth tips as they mature for a bushier plant.
Top sowing tip: To prevent small seeds from sticking to your fingers and clumping together, mix them with some dry sand, then sprinkle over moist soil.
Bustling hunger busters
- Carrots: Sow seeds directly from spring to autumn to ensure a continuous harvest. The soil must be cultivated deeply to make it loose and friable.
- Cucumbers: Sow seeds directly into rich soil. Plants will need sturdy stakes to keep the fruit off the ground.
- Green beans: Plant bush-type seeds that are easier to manage if your space is limited.
- Lettuce: Try oak and loose-leaf lettuce seedlings, available in trays from your GCA Garden Centre.
- Radishes: Sow small amounts directly into the ground throughout summer.
- Squashes and baby marrows: As soon as new greens emerge, thin them out to allow ample space for trailing support.
- Tomatoes and sweet peppers are also available in seedling trays now. Pinch off lower leaves when planting for a bushier, abundant yield.
- Spinach: Plant or sow several rows every few weeks to ensure a continuous supply.
- Herbs: Parsley, chives and basil seeds and seedlings can be planted/sown in the veggie patch or in pots for your kitchen garden or sunny windowsills.
Edible encouragement: Feed young veggies every two weeks with Bio Ocean and keep a sharp eye on germinating weeds between rows. Set snail bait amongst strawberry plants and provide a mulch of straw, coarse clippings, or weed matting to prevent the fruit from touching the soil. Pick the fruit frequently to encourage more produce.
Board the maintenance train
- Lawns: Fix hollows and bumps by cutting out the turf in the affected area. Add or reduce soil as needed and gently replace the turf. Spray weedkiller to get rid of broadleaf weeds. Before treatment, fertilise your lawn with Bio Ganic Lawns and water well, wait two weeks before applying spray.
- Weed alert: Weeds compete with healthy crops for space, water, sunlight and nutrients, ultimately reducing your crop yield. They grow quickly and reproduce in large numbers. Seeds are easily dispersed by wind and animals, especially whilst mowing the lawn. Weeds are also hosts for pests and plant diseases, so make sure to visit your GCA for a variety of effective treatments to use.
- Succulents: Tidy up succulents like echeverias and Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, which have stopped flowering. Divide and replant into other parts of the garden.
- Fruit trees: Thin out peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums when they are about pea-size. Apply Flower & Fruit fertiliser to promote plump, luscious fruit. Continue spraying and baiting against fruit flies and codling moths.
- Pests: Put out snail taps and cutworm bait to protect all new seedlings.
- Anti-fungal: Encourage strong root systems and combat fungal disease by watering your garden early in the morning, instead of in the evenings.
- Re-potting: Ferns are ready for new homes! Repot and transplant all ferns now, followed by a feeding every two weeks with Bio Ocean or All Purpose.
There you have it – your October to-do list is complete. Your Garden Centre is fully loaded with all your compost, Atlantic fertiliser, and plant needs. Go snatch up some stunners for Garden Day and enjoy all the new blooms that have come out to play.
October Rose Care
October is a magical month for South African gardeners. With spring in full swing, gardens are bursting into colour, and there’s no better time to focus on one of the most cherished flowers of all: roses. Whether you have a sprawling rose bush or a few pots on your patio, now is the month to help your roses thrive and truly shine.
Feed your roses for maximum bloom
Healthy roses start with the right nutrition, and Flower & Fruit is the perfect choice for this time of year. Packed with nutrients that support strong growth and vibrant blooms, Flower & Fruit helps your roses produce bigger, more colourful flowers while keeping the foliage lush and green. Apply according to the instructions on the pack, and watch your roses respond with renewed vigour.
Rose tips & tricks for this month:
- Deadhead regularly: Remove spent blooms to encourage new flowers and prevent the plant from putting energy into seed production.
- Check for pests: Keep an eye out for aphids, spider mites, or black spot. Early treatment with organic solutions can save your blooms.
- Water wisely: Roses love deep, infrequent watering. Aim for a thorough soak at the base rather than light sprinkling.
- Mulch for moisture: A layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weeds.
- Support growth: Tie up long stems or provide trellises for climbing roses to keep them upright and looking their best.
Time to get plant shopping!
October is the perfect time to add a new rose to your garden. Pop into your local garden centre and pick up a blooming beauty that speaks to you – there’s nothing quite like selecting a rose and watching it grow into a star of your garden.
Happy gardening from Atlantic Fertilisers!