As the heat fades and mornings grow softer, autumn arrives as a season of opportunity in the garden. The soil remains warm from summer sun, allowing roots to establish quickly, while cooler air reduces stress on plants. This combination makes autumn the perfect time to reset, replant, and prepare for the months ahead.
Start by assessing the vegetable patch. Remove spent crops like tired tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers, adding them to the compost unless diseased. Refresh beds by forking through compost and aged manure, then let the soil rest for a week or two before replanting. However, if summer crops are still producing, let them continue and tuck quick-growing fillers like loose-leaf lettuce, rocket, baby spinach, or radish into gaps for fresh harvests.
For long-term winter crops, focus on brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Sow seeds in trays or directly into prepared beds, staggering planting every two to three weeks to ensure a steady harvest. Also consider broad beans and peas, which thrive in cooling soil. Enrich soil well beforehand, as brassicas are heavy feeders, and protect young seedlings from caterpillars with netting if needed.
Beyond vegetables, autumn is prime time for planting native species, especially those that flower in winter to support birdlife. Grevilleas like Grevillea Pink Midget are compact, hardy, and bloom prolifically in cooler months, attracting honeyeaters. Other excellent choices include Adenanthos sericeus (woolly bush) for its silvery foliage and nectar, and Anigozanthos Bush Pearl or disease-resistant kangaroo paw hybrids for bold winter colour. Planting now allows roots to establish while tops rest, making natives more resilient to summer heat.
Don't neglect the lawn. Raise mower height as growth slows, rake away thatch and debris, and apply a balanced lawn fertiliser with slow-release nitrogen and iron. Water well to encourage steady growth and repair thin patches. Early autumn is also ideal for topdressing or minor repairs, as soil is warm enough for recovery.
Finally, consider growing medicinal herbs. One reader recalls a 94-year-old friend giving them a plant claimed to help with prostate problems, prepared by washing, boiling with white barley, and adding rock sugar if desired. While the plant's identity remains unknown, autumn's conditions support herb cultivation.
