Sunny days and mild evenings tempt you to spend every waking minute outdoors in October! So much needs doing in the garden, though, that it can be a bit overwhelming… see the handy hints below.
Why not get some of the hard yakka off your hands, so you can enjoy the lovely, warm weather? A professional Top Cut gardener is just a call away!
Touch of the Tropics
Want your very own piece of tropical paradise? Just a few, well-placed palms will do it! These hardy beauties do well through long, dry spells, so no worries, they’ll be fine even with any water saving rules in place.
If your area comes in for heavy frosts, consider Chinese windmill (Trachycarpus fortunei), Mexican blue (Beahea armata) or a Jelly palm (Butia capitata). Varieties like the Dwarf date (Phoenix roebelenii) and the gracious Bismarck (Bismarckia nobilis) will thrive in milder micro-climates.
Banish those Blighters!
Everything is growing… including those annoying weeds! Better get the pesky fellas out, quick. This is a good time to get at toughies like Onion weed (Asphodelus fistulosus) and Oxalis (Oxalis corniculata or pes-caprae), with underground bulbs just waiting to spring up again. Herbicides containing Glyphosate are generally effective with these – be sure to choose a dry day with no wind, to minimize health risks!
There are those who swear by a home-made weed-killer: a cup of salt dissolved into a litre of vinegar, then brushed onto these pests each time they crop up, will do it.
Insider Info
You might think that it’s a great time for those indoor plants to get all the sunshine they need… But mind you don’t leave your gorgeous greenery to face full-on sunlight, directly behind a glass pane. This can cause severe sunburn! Place your plants where they can get filtered sunlight for an hour or two, instead.
Don't forget, we at Top Cut are always here to assist with your gardening needs