You’ve plotted and planned all winter, now it’s spring – time to do it! Here’s what to plant in October in each zone, so ask at your local nursery which zone best matches your conditions.
Get the key to climate zones here.
Flowers
All zones
- Alyssum
- Amaranthus
- Aster
- Begonia
- Cosmos
- Dahlia
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Petunia
- Portulaca
- Salvia
- Verbena
- Zinnia
Zones 1-3
Zones 4-6
- Aster
- Californian poppy
- Candytuft
- Carnation
- Lobelia
- Snapdragon
Vegetables
All zones
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Cabbage
- Capsicum
- Celery
- Choko
- Carrot
- Eggplant
- Green onion
- Lettuce
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Shallot
- Silverbeet
- Squash
- Sweetcorn
- Sweet potato
- Tomato
- Zucchini
Zones 1-3
- Taro
- Okra
- Water chestnut
Zones 4-6
October gardening jobs
- Deadhead already-bloomed spring roses to encourage new ones – but only after bulbs die down.
- Pep up house plants with an application of half-strength liquid fertiliser fortnightly until summer’s end.
- Cut away dead leaves and old root growth on cymbidium orchids – and divide or repot if their roots have become overly cramped.
- Treat gardenias suffering leaf yellowing due to a chilly winter by soaking soil with a dose of Epsom salts mixed in water.
- Give native trees a trim to keep them in shape.
- Plant pots of showy annuals; set up beds of already-flowering salvias, snapdragons, pansies, marigolds, nasturtiums and lobelia.
- Paint timber furniture in joyous colours, spray tired paling fences grey or green to create exciting backdrops for plants and revitalise old pots in spring tones.
- Fertilise fruit and ornamental trees to encourage spring growth.
- Take semi-hardwood or tip cuttings of favourite evergreen shrubs to increase numbers.
- Treat Aussie shrubs to a seasonal trim.
- Lift height of mower blades a few centimetres in drier areas – extra leaf blade length gives protection from sun and drying winds.
- Establish new turf lawns in time for Christmas
- Give your soil a healthy boost by digging in organic matter, including compost and well-rotted manure.
