October Gardening Tasks

October 1, 2026 · 6 min read

October is an exciting month in the garden. Daylight saving is underway and the longer evenings give you extra time to plan and plant the summer vege garden, feed the garden and, towards the end of the month, pick the first strawberries.

Sow and plant the summer vege garden

This is the month the vege garden really takes shape. Plan carefully, rotate crops where you can, and leave room for larger, spreading crops such as pumpkins, melons and courgettes that go in later.

Starting a new garden? Choose a spot with plenty of sun and shelter from strong prevailing winds. Our How to Start a Garden from Scratch guide walks you through it step by step.

Before planting, mix fresh Daltons Compost through the existing soil, or top up beds with Daltons Garden Mix. If you grow in pots, refresh the mix first.

Harvest: asparagus, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, silverbeet and spinach.

Sow or plant: beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, sweetcorn, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, silverbeet and spinach. For quick crops like lettuce and radishes, sow a little every 2–3 weeks to spread the harvest.

In cooler parts of the country, hold off on other warm-season crops such as beans, melons, pumpkins and courgettes until late October or early November, when conditions are warmer and more settled.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes love warmth, and it's the soil temperature as well as the air that matters, so there's no advantage in rushing them in. In many parts of New Zealand, mid-to-late October is a good guide, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed. Until then, keep growing seedlings indoors or under cover.

Plant kūmara once the soil warms

If the kūmara slips you started in September are ready, October is the start of the main planting window. Only plant them out once frost risk has passed. Kūmara spread as they grow, so give them plenty of room. If space is tight, grow them in a large container or grow bag filled with Daltons Garden Mix.

Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with free-draining soil.
Mix Daltons Compost through the soil and add chicken and sheep pellets following the pack directions.
Build mounds about 30cm high to help the soil warm up and drain.
Plant each slip in a 'J' shape, burying about two-thirds of the rooted shoot.
Water in well.

Plant for summer colour

Get summer annuals underway now for colour through the warmer months.

Sow indoors: arctotis, asters, cosmos, marigolds, petunias, phlox, salvias, sunflowers and zinnias.

Plant out: alyssum, cornflowers, hollyhocks, nemesia, portulaca, statice, sweet peas, verbena and zinnias, where conditions suit.

Prepare flower beds as you would the vege garden, or refresh pots with Daltons Potting Mix. For more ideas, see How to Create a Cottage Garden in New Zealand.

Take softwood cuttings

Fresh spring growth makes October a good time to take softwood cuttings from plants such as geraniums, petunias, salvias, fuchsias and herbs.

Use clean, sharp secateurs and choose healthy, pest-free new growth.
Plant cuttings into a free-draining cutting mix. Keep them somewhere warm and bright, out of strong direct sun, and keep the mix moist but not wet while roots form.

Strawberries

In warmer areas the first strawberries may start ripening towards the end of October, though the main harvest usually starts in November.

Feed with a strawberry fertiliser following the pack directions.
Keep the soil evenly moist as flowers and fruit develop.
Spread fresh mulch such as Daltons Cambium Bark around plants to keep fruit off the soil and hold in moisture.
Protect ripening fruit from birds if needed.

Fruit tree care

Fruit trees are in active spring growth. If they haven't had their spring feed yet, apply a controlled-release fertiliser such as Landscaper Pro Flora 5/6 Months Fertiliser, following the pack directions.

Spread fertiliser around the drip line (the area under the outer edge of the canopy, where most feeder roots are) rather than against the trunk. Water in well.
Mulch around young trees with Daltons Mega Mulch to hold moisture and reduce weed competition, keeping it clear of the trunk.
Check new leaves, flowers and young fruit regularly for pests and disease.

Grapefruit, lemons, oranges and tangelos may also be ready to pick this month, depending on variety, region and season.

Refresh herbs and containers

Plant more herbs as it warms up: parsley, chives, coriander, dill, thyme, oregano, mint, sage and rosemary. Basil needs reliably warm conditions, so in cooler or frost-prone areas wait until November.

Refresh pots with Daltons Potting Mix, and give the pots a clean while you're at it.
Choose larger containers where you can, as small pots dry out quickly as temperatures rise.
Water storage crystals can be mixed through the potting mix where extra moisture retention would help.
Mint spreads everywhere, so keep it contained in a pot.

Feed roses

Roses are putting on plenty of fresh growth, and early flowers may open towards the end of the month.

From mid-to-late October, feed bush and climbing roses with a controlled-release fertiliser for flowering plants such as Landscaper Pro Flora 5/6 Months Fertiliser, following the pack directions.
Check new growth and buds for aphids, and watch leaves for black spot or rust.
Mulch with Daltons Compost or Daltons Mega Mulch to hold moisture as temperatures rise.
Deadhead finished flowers to keep new ones coming.

Give hedges a spring trim

Evergreen hedges such as buxus, laurel and pittosporum can be lightly trimmed after their spring flush to keep them tidy and encourage dense growth.

Avoid cutting hard into old wood unless you're renovating an overgrown hedge.
Feed established hedges if needed with Landscaper Pro Flora 5/6 Months Fertiliser or Landscaper Pro All Round Fertiliser.
Mulch around the base with Daltons Black Mulch or Daltons Mega Mulch to protect roots from summer heat.
Water young hedges during dry or windy spells.

Get lawns growing

Lawns are coming back to life, so it's time to do repairs, sow new areas and start feeding existing turf.

Feed established lawns with Landscaper Pro Maintenance Lawn Fertiliser and water in well. A Handypro Compact Rotary Spreader helps you spread it evenly.
Mow little and often with sharp blades, and don't cut too low.
For bare or thin areas, remove dead grass, loosen the soil and level with Daltons Lawn Soil.
Sow grass seed suited to your site, feed with Landscaper Pro New Grass & Renovations Fertiliser, and keep the surface consistently moist while it germinates.
Windy spring weather can dry new lawn areas quickly, so check them often.
For small patches, an all-in-one lawn patching mix combines seed, fertiliser and growing media.

Quick answers

What vegetables can I plant in October in New Zealand? Beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, sweetcorn, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, silverbeet and spinach, where conditions suit. Warm-season crops such as beans, melons, pumpkins, tomatoes and courgettes should wait until the soil is warm and frost risk has passed.

Can I plant tomatoes outside in October? In many areas, yes, from mid-to-late October once the soil has warmed. Cooler or frost-prone areas may need to wait until November.

When can I plant kūmara? Generally from October through December, once the soil is warm and frost risk has passed.

Is October a good time to mulch? Yes. Mulching while the soil still holds spring moisture reduces moisture loss, suppresses weeds and protects the soil as temperatures rise. See Understanding the Different Types of Mulch.

Can I sow lawn seed in October? Yes, once the soil is warm enough. Prepare the area well and keep newly sown areas consistently moist.

Want the whole year at a glance? Download our free Edible Garden Calendar.

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