Paint The Town Red: Autumn Gardening Tips You’ll Fall For

Autumn gardening in Australia isn’t just a good excuse to prepare plants for winter  — it’s the perfect time to refresh your yard, give it a good cleaning, and sow a fresh batch of plants.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a gardening newbie or enthusiast, youautumn know why plant lovers fall for this season.

Why autumn is a great time to plant

Autumn heralds the start of cool weather, and along with it are plenty of opportunities to rejuvenate your garden and start a vegetable patch or two. Enjoy a cornucopia of leafy greens, gourds, root crop, and flowers when you propagate these autumn-friendly botanicals:

The vegetables

Farm-to-table dining is within your fingertips when you plant any of these vegetables in your garden:

• Broccoli
• Capsicum
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Tomato

The gourds

Thesegourd-geousedibles are the perfect excuse to tend to your garden throughout autumn:

• Bottle gourd
• Cucumber
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Zucchini

The roots

Cosy up with homey soups and stews made from these winning autumn crops. You’ll be rooting for these plants once you see them sprout!

• Beetroot
• Carrot
• Onion
• Radish 
• Potato 

The florals

Sweater weather sets the vibe for swoon-worthy Insta photos, epic food and wine tasting events, and colourful flower gardening. When it comes to propagating blooms, autumn is the bee’s knees. 

• Chrysanthemum
• Daisy
• Sunflower
• Sweet Pea
• Tulip

The greens

Autumn’s cool weather is these leafy greens’ best frond.

• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage / Chinese cabbage
• Herbs
• Kale
• Lettuce, cabbage / Chinese cabbage, kale, herbs, Brussels sprouts

Gardening tip:Autumn is a welcome time tomake those pun-ny plant labels that are so darn bad…they’re good. A ‘Gourd Of The Rings’ post on a squash patch, for example, will definitely win hearts all over. When it comes to getting creative with cheeky autumn messages, the sky’s the limit!

Autumn gardening checklist

Before you start sprucing up your outdoor space, it’s important to prepare the necessary materials for successful autumn gardening. Get your grounds ready for chilly weather with these must-have gardening supplies:

• Compost
• Mulch
• Fertiliser
• Seeds and seedlings
• Plant cover or bed sheet

Gardening tip: If you’re unsure where to source the items above, aone-stop shop that offers gardening supplies is your best bet. Look for agardening store that offers an extensive range of soils, mulches, fertilisers, and seeds and seedlings — this way you’ll have everything you need to jumpstart your gardening!

Gardening tips for autumn

Make the most out of your yard this season with these tried-and-tested gardening tips. Our Australian autumn planting guide will have you achieving your #squashgoals in no time!

Prepare the soil

Before you can start using your garden soil for planting, it’s important to loosen and aerate it. Soften the soil by digging gently — doing this allows air to enter into the soil and breaks down any patches that may be too dense for planting.

Get some elbow grease on and remove any fallen leaves that have accumulated on the ground to prevent mould from forming. You’ll also want to pull out the weeds peeking through your lawn or vegetable patch — weeds compete with your plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight, which are essential for your plants’ growth.

Mulch your garden

Mulching is a proven gardener’s trick to regulate soil temperature. Protect vulnerable flower beds with a good layer of mulch to keep them healthy and nourished during the cold season. 

Well-aged wood mulch applied lightly on the ground works best for flower beds. A cover 5-10cm deep will help keep your plants warm and hydrated throughout winter.

Apply fertiliser to the soil

Take this opportunity to enrich the soil before the cold spell sets in. Use an organic fertiliser to add much-needed nutrients to your garden — this will nourish your plants while they rest during autumn and winter.

Prune and trim plants 

Like any nice haircut, a good prune and trim keeps unruly branches and leaves at bay. But that’s not the only reason why pruning is important. 

Pruning off dead or sick plant parts prevents infection from spreading among your plants. Cutting back also conserves your plants’ energy resources — less leaves and branches means your plant will spend less energy sustaining itself.

Gardening tip: It’s important to dispose of diseased leaves and branches by burning them properly. Make sure you don’t include them in your compost pile to avoid contamination.

Treat pest infestation

Borers are the bane of any deciduous tree’s existence — these insects can’t help but dig tunnels into woody branches. Luckily, falling leaves during autumn make holes in branches more visible. You’ll know from the sawdust accumulating around the entrance of the hole if your tree has a borer infestation. Don’t worry, though, as this pest problem is very easy to treat.

To nip a borer infestation right at the bud, simply insert a wire in the hole and remove the borers. You can also apply wood glue to seal the hole if you’re not keen on getting up-close-and-personal with these critters.

Keep plant babies covered

Make sure to cover your vulnerable plant babies with a porous frost cloth, bed sheet, or a screen to protect them from the incoming winter season.

It’s not advisable to use plastic for this purpose, as plastic is a non-porous material that traps moisture in. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture for plants as trapped moisture can lead to mould infection. 

Get your cuttings ready

This is your chance to turn your garden into a floral oasis come spring and summer. Frangipani cuttings, in particular, can be prepared by drying them during autumn before propagation.

Provide shelter for garden animals

Keeping your garden fauna-friendly is a great way to keep your outdoors brimming with life during the colder months.

Show your love to garden animals by leaving some bird feed and overripe fruit for birds to feed on. You can also build a DIY bird shelter out of conifers where tiny birds can roost on.

For butterflies, shaded stone formations become makeshift resting places when the weather gets chilly. Having these colourful animals around will brighten your garden during autumn and make it look as festive as ever.