October is probably one of the busiest months in the garden - the jobs are endless but it’s also a fun time to fill up your garden with delicious treats such as cucumbers, basil, tomatoes and pops of colour.

General tidy up:

• Mulch your gardens to retain moisture and suppress weed growth
• Deadhead flowers to encourage more growth
• Clean up dead leaves and twigs as they may be harbouring disease
• Remove moss from paths and driveways
• Keep on top of your weeds
• Clean your tools – your garden tools will be getting a workout this season. Give them a good clean and apply some olive oil to prevent rust.
• Feed strawberries and passionfruit

Edible garden

Cucumbers, capsicums, chillies, pumpkins, tomatoes and zucchini – it’s their time to shine! If you’re new to gardening or thinking of giving it a go - now is the perfect time to dig in and get started. If you’re still experiencing cold snaps and frost in your area, we recommend holding off planting your tomatoes until the weather warms up.

Kumara, a kiwi favourite wouldn’t you say? If you’re planting kumara this year, make sure your soil isn’t too acidic. Kumara prefers soil with a PH level of around 6.0 to 6.5 – to get the best of your crop make sure that the base of your soil is solid as this will prevent the roots from growing all over the place and encourage more tubers. If this is your first time planting kumara check out “Henri’s Kumara Planting tips” on the homepage of our website (www.awapuni.co.nz).

Basil and Russian Tarragon are a must-have in any herb garden. Basil works well planted amongst your tomatoes to deter any bugs, apparently, it intensifies the taste of the tomato too! Russian Tarragon which is actually part of the lettuce family has quite a strong anise flavour, it works well with roasts and as a garnish.  

Salad planting, keep planting your lettuce, spring onions so that you have plenty in the warmer months.

If you’re after a berry-filled summer, start planting your raspberry, blueberry and blackberry bushes now.

Just remember that slugs are still about, try using a beer bait or Tui quash to prevent these little guys from eating all your hard work.

Flower Garden

Add some colour to your garden. Cosmos, dahlias, gazanias, Livingstone daisies and petunias are popular this time of year - these varieties are great for border, bedding and hanging baskets which is great for those that have smaller gardens. Plant some flowers around your vege garden too to encourage those little pollinators.

It’s also time to spray your roses to prevent any fungal disease, it’s also a good time to feed them as they’ll be growing like crazy at the moment. 

Lawn care

Your lawns will be growing at a rapid rate this month, keep them looking lush by occasionally applying some Tui lawn fertiliser is a blend of nutrients that your lawn will love, the high levels of nitrogen will encourage thick, healthy growth and prevent disease.

Keep an eye out for broadleaf – If you spot some make sure to spray them so that they don’t take over your hard work. We recommend using Tui Lawn force, weedkiller. Resow any patchy areas

Plant whatever takes your fancy! If you're a beginner gardener there’s never been a better month to start experimenting.