October in your Tropical garden

Prepare your garden for future rainfall by applying SaturAid. This will help to make the soil more receptive of water and encourage deep soaking.

Remove spent spring flowers and prepare the soil for planting of summer annuals by adding organic material such as cow or sheep manure. Cleome, salvias, portulaca and torenia can all be planted now for summer colour – then use Phostrogen Plant Food to encourage vigorous growth and good flowering.

Plant a vegetable crop – capsicum, choko, cucumber, sweet corn and tomatoes can all be planted now in more southern areas but in northern tropical areas it is difficult to grow a lot of vegetables. Try snake beans and eggplant.

Plant a passionfruit in the garden for effective future cropping. Fertilise it well to encourage vigorous new growth. Your local nursery will advise you about the cultivar best suited to your climatic zone.

Lower the mowing height on lawn mowers as growth becomes more lush, but avoid scalping.

In tropical gardens the gingers and heliconias provide lush foliage and spectacular blooms throughout the year, as long as you can provide heavy watering and a consistent fertiliser programme. Avoid the use of phosphate-rich fertilisers.