Story: Garden Highlights Autumn
Episode: 6
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Air Date: 12 April 2025

Autumn is a bountiful harvest season, with pumpkins, tropical fruits like strawberry guavas and bananas, and the start of citrus season, making it the perfect time to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce.

• Autumn is a great time for harvesting pumpkins and squash, which store well through winter and are perfect for hearty dishes like pumpkin soup.
• A unique harvest, the Chinese Jujube has a sweet, crunchy texture like an apple and is delicious fresh or dried. Be sure to pick them before the birds do!
• Tropical fruits like strawberry guavas are ripening now. They taste like a mix of strawberry and guava, and are fantastic fresh or made into jams. The plants also make great hedges.
• Homegrown bananas are incredibly sweet and easy to grow. Monthly feeding with high-nitrogen fertilizer and plenty of water will yield large bunches. Harvest them when they’re slightly yellow for maximum sweetness.
• Paw paws are a garden treasure, ripening through autumn and winter. For cooler climates, try Babaco, a cold-climate papaya relative that grows from cuttings and produces abundant fruit.
• Autumn marks the start of citrus season. Japanese mandarins are ripening and will be ready to harvest soon. Make sure to pick them before fruit fly attacks! The sweet, seedless variety is a delight, but the Imperial mandarin is a personal favorite.