Planting in October

Here’s an extensive list of seeds that you can plant in October.

Amaranth

  • Sow in situ.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 50 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 7-8 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Onions, corn, peppers, egg plant, tomatoes.
seasonal
AMARANTH

Asparagus

  • Easy to grow.
  • Plant as crowns.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 20 – 40 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 2-3 years.
  • Plant ‘crowns’ to harvest earlier.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Parsley, Basil, Nasturtiums, Lettuce.
  • Avoid growing close to: Garlic, Onions, and root vegetables.
ASPARAGUS

Sweet Basil

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 20 – 25 cm apart
  • Harvest in 10-12 weeks. Pick before flowering.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Tomato
Herb Basil Sweet Large Leaf
HERB BASIL SWEET LARGE LEAF

Borage

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: 20 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Use leaves before flowers appear, otherwise they will be ‘hairy’. .
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Strawberry, tomatoes, zucchini/squash. Deters pests from many plants.
Borage
BORAGE

Burdock

  • Easy to grow.
  • Sow in situ.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 20°C.
  • Space plants: 60 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 17-18 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best grown in separate bed.
BURDOCK

Cape Gooseberry

  • Easy to grow.
  • Sow in situ.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: 100 – 150 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 14-16 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Will happily grow in a flower border but tends to sprawl over other plants.
CAPE GOOSEBERRY

CAPSICUM – also bell peppers and sweet peppers

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 20 – 50 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 10-12 weeks. Cut fruit off with sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Egg plant (Aubergine), Nasturtiums, Basil, Parsley, Amaranth.
CAPSICUM

Chicory

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 20°C.
  • Space plants: 25 – 30 cm apart
  • Harvest in 16-24 weeks. Will need forcing before final harvest.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, onions, Florence fennel, tomatoes.
Chicory
CHICORY

Chives

  • Easy to grow.
  • Sow in situ.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 5 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 7-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, Tomatoes, Parsley, Apples.
CHIVES

Choko/Chayote

  • Easy to grow.
  • Plant whole mature fruit when one produces a shoot at one end.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 100 cm apart.
  • Harvest in approximately 17 weeks. Best when fruit is light green and not more than 6cm long.
  • Compatible with: Cucumbers.
Choko/Chayote

Coriander

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: Thin to 45 cm
  • Harvest in 30-45 days.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dill, Chervil, Anise, Cabbages, Carrots
  • Avoid growing close to: Fennel
Coriander
Coriander

Cucumber

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 40 – 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes
Cucumber
Cucumber Marketmore

Dill

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 20°C.
  • Space plants: 15 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 8-12 weeks. Use leaves before flowering.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cabbage, Coriander, Fennel, tomatoes, broccoli.
Herb Dill
Herb Dill

Eggplant

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 24°C and 32°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 60 – 75 cm apart
  • Harvest in 12-15 weeks. Cut fruit with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beans, capsicum, lettuce, amaranth, thyme
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes
Eggplant Aubergine Florida Market
Eggplant Aubergine Florida Market

Fennel

  • Easy to grow.
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: Thin to 30cm.
  • Harvest in 14-15 weeks.
  • Avoid growing close to: Best grown away from vegetables.
Fennel

French Tarragon

  • Plant cuttings or root division.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: 40 – 60 cm apart.
  • Harvest in 30-40 days. Pick leaves when young for best flavour.
  • Compatible with: Aubergine (Eggplant) and Capsicum (Peppers).
French Tarragon

Leeks

  • Easy to grow.
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 8°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 10 – 20cm apart.
  • Harvest in 15-18 weeks. Loosen with a fork rather than pull by hand.
  • Compatible with: Carrots
Leeks

Lemon Balm

  • Easy to grow.
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: 25cm apart.
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut back tall stems to prevent flowering.
  • Compatible with: Winter and summer squash, Melons, Tomatoes, All members of the cabbage family (kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.), Apples, Kiwi, Onions, Fennel.
  • Good to attract bees
Lemon Balm

Luffa

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 20°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 45 – 75cm apart.
  • Harvest in 11-12 weeks. Use as a back scratcher.
  • Compatible with: Peas, Beans, Onions, Sweetcorn.
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes
Luffa

Mustard Greens

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden.
  • Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 35 – 60cm apart.
  • Harvest in 5-8 weeks.
  • Compatible with: Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, camomile.
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chilli, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry.
Mustard Greens

NZ Spinach

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 45 – 60cm apart.
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Pick the tips.
  • Compatible with: Does better if alone.
NZ Spinach

Okra

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 20°C and 35°C.
  • Space plants: 35 – 60cm apart.
  • Harvest in 11-14 weeks.
  • Compatible with: Peppers (Capsicum, Chili), Eggplant (Aubergine).
Okra

Oregano

  • Sow in garden, or start in seed trays. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 25°C.
  • Space plants: 15cm apart.
  • Harvest in 6-8 weeks. When flowers appear.
  • Compatible with: Broccoli.
Oregano

Parsley

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 20 – 30cm apart.
  • Harvest in 9-19 weeks. Cut stalks from outer part of plant.
  • Compatible with: Carrots, Chives, Tomatoes, Asparagus.
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes.
Parsley

Potato

  • Plant tubers.
  • Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
  • Space plants: 30 – 40cm apart.
  • Harvest in 15-20 weeks. Dig carefully, avoid damaging the potatoes.
  • Compatible with: Peas, Beans, Brassicas, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans, Nasturtiums, Marigolds.
  • Avoid growing close to: Cucumber, Pumpkin, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Rosemary.
Potato