Anna's October Garden Journal

October in your edible garden

This is the month when a lot happens in the garden, so strap yourselves in and get ready for the growing to begin. It’s the most divine time of year, but it can also be a busy time in the garden with lots of jobs to do. Putting the effort in this month will help set you up for a terrific season.  

It all starts on the growing front, from regularly sowing seeds to transplanting seedlings from seed trays into bigger containers to keep plants growing until they can be transferred outside.

Labour Weekend is traditionally a spring garden calendar milestone when many Kiwis plant their vegetable gardens. It’s also the date when it’s deemed safe to plant tomatoes. I tend to wait a little longer to plant mine as, living in Wānaka, it’s likely we’ll get frosts for a while yet.

Let’s gear up for an abundant growing season.  

In this issue:

  • Weeding – check out our tip on how to manage October’s workload so it’s not overwhelming.
  • Sow seeds
  • Feed the garden
  • Protect from the birds

Weed, feed, sow, protect

Weeding. As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, weeds start appearing, at times rather quickly. Now is best to dedicate a little time to weeding regularly. Turn your back, and it can suddenly feel daunting.

Select one spot in the garden and focus solely on that. The soil should be soft from recent spring rain, making the weeds easy to pull.

Giving 10 to 15 minutes to weed regularly will make a big difference. I spread mulch over the freshly tended area to help suppress weed growth—bare soil = weeds. Mulching can reduce the rate at which the soil heats up, but I prefer this to more weeding.

Sow the seeds. If you haven’t already started, dedicate some time to gathering your seeds. These may be the ones you have collected from your garden in autumn or carefully selected and sourced for edibles you would like to grow and eat this summer.

I use my glasshouse for seed raising while patiently waiting for the soil to warm up. After one very mild week, we had three heavy frosts in the next week, so the weather fluctuates a lot. As hard as it is, try to hold back on planting out just yet.

Some of my seedlings germinated in trays are now ready for bigger containers, so I have been transplanting them.

If you live in a more temperate or sub-tropical area, you can be less protective about your seed-raising location.

Remember to stagger your sowing, as the goal is to have a continuous supply of plants to harvest over the coming months. Succession planting not only provides an even supply, but it is also a really good way to keep the weeds down by continuously planting into the gaps in your garden, underneath and beside the more established older plants.

Keep feeding the garden. Depending on how much you were able to do last month, continue feeding the garden. It’s so worthwhile and sets you up for a successful growing season. With all the planting this month, you will most likely use a lot of compost, so if you make your own, make a conscious effort to keep preparing more. You may have to source ingredients from elsewhere, if you don’t have enough at home. Keep adding to your supply, as there is nothing like using nutritious compost from your own garden.

What seeds to sow in October

I sow in seed trays only. The weather is so changeable and my soil is still cold. In your own garden, trial both tray sowing and direct sowing as your climate may well be different to where I live.

Tray sowing ideas for October

  • Lettuce, pak choi, mesclun, mizuna,
  • Snow peas and any other peas
  • Kale, fennel, beets
  • Coriander, basil, parsley
  • Tomatoes, basil, chillies and green and runner beans (later October)

Direct sow

Spinach, beetroot, rocket and chards

I like my edible gardens to look as gorgeous as they taste. Now is also the time to sow bee-attracting and edible flowers. I have sown cornflowers, echinacea, lemon balm, calendula, borage, chamomile, and other divine flowering annuals, such as my favourite cosmos.

Protect from the birds. This year, I am protecting all my seedlings after losing them last year, when they were kindly eaten by a few resident birds. If you have greedy birds, I suggest covering the gardens with cloches to avoid this problem. It will also help to warm the soil. When I plant out my raised beds, I will cover them for 4 to 6 weeks to protect the young plants from not just the weather, but also the birds. 

Happy growing. Enjoy every minute of this month.

 Until next month.

Anna xxx