JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
Ask the Experts on 0800 669 6325 Mon - Fri 9am-4:30pm or Contact Us
Buy a 48V product -get an extra battery for FREE!
How to choose the right lawnmower?
Why choose this premium delivery service
Discover features for 100% safety
Read Gerlinde’s robot mower story
Our gardening year moves into October and the daylength shortens as inevitably winter approaches.
There are however plenty of tasks that need our attention for this month, so let’s take a look at what we need to do in the various areas of our garden.
Your lawn will be approaching dormancy for the winter period, but there are still some useful tasks to tackle in dry periods!
A final mowing of the season can be made if a mild October has kept the grass growing (But keep the blades on the high side!).
Aerate any areas previously missed through lack of time (or energy!) by spiking the lawn with a garden fork.
Rake any accumulated ‘thatch’ from the lawn and likewise rake up and remove fallen leaves on occasion to allow light to enter the lawn ‘sward.’
Some annual flowers in the garden, be it in containers or in borders, will be looking a little sad by now and should be removed. However, flowers such as cosmos, begonias/geraniums which are more strictly perennials, may still be performing well. (Rember to throw a sheet of white garden fleece over them though if frost threatens!)
Cut back perennial plants when flowering is complete. You can put some on the compost heap some destroy any foliage exhibiting any signs of disease.
Perennial flowers can get very overcrowded in just a few years, so whilst the soil is still warm, lift affected plants and separate them to form new plants with more vigour. You can always offer surplus to relatives or the neighbours!
When your perennial plant borders are tidy, mulch with garden compost, well- rotted manure, or composted bark. This protects the plant roots from heavy frosts in winter.
If not already actioned, lift the corms of gladioli and tubers of dahlias and begonias. Dry them off and remove surplus foliage. They can then be stored inside in a cool, dry place until re-planting in the spring.
Prune climbing and rambling roses and tie in remaining shoots to fixing points on walls and fences for support during the winter.
Harvest and store squashes and pumpkins before the first frosts. You may be left with a ‘mushy mess’ otherwise, as the fruit thaws!
Remember you still have time to sow ‘baby’ salads. If you have cleared your greenhouse tomatoes, you can clean off and re-use your grow-bags which will still retain sufficient feed for the salads.
Protect the immature cauliflower curds by folding over a side leave on top of the curd for protection from early frosts. Alternatively, use garden fleece to cover the whole plants.
Should soil conditions allow, you can start to dig trenches to help the growth of runner beans/peas when planted next spring. Fill these trenches with garden compost or farm yard manure through the winter.
In the asparagus border, cut back yellowing growth to around 5ins high for the winter. You will see re-growth in the spring.
Cut down any remaining tomato and pepper plants left in the greenhouse and hang them upside down to speed ripening of the remaining fruit.
Later maturing apple varieties are still being harvested. Often, it can be difficult to know when individual apples are ripe.
Want to know when to pick?
Cup a fruit in your palm and gently tug on the stalk. A ripe fruit will separate fairly easily.
Remove any diseased fruit from trees and on the ground to prevent pests/diseases overwintering.
Cut back and destroy old foliage on strawberries to keep air movement around the plants and prevent disease through winter.
Maybe you have a large, congested clump of rhubarb?
Now’s the time then to lift and split the clump into a number of plants to be re-planted as required.
Your greenhouse may well be empty by now and if so, now is a great time to give it a thorough wash down and clean – inside and out!
This will rid you of any pests and diseases and result in a clean start for next year’s crops.
Winter approaches!
Hopefully we may get a late ‘Indian Summer’ to help with our work in the garden, but no worries if the weather is not so good, it’s time to look through your diary, or notes you have made during the year and prepare your plans for next year.
Time too to look through all the colour catalogues, full of gardening ideas, but also with new flowers and vegetables supplied as seeds or plants.
Don’t we all just love the occasional exciting new item to grow along our old favourites!
I’m going travelling next week to see some of the seed/plant trial grounds I have missed this year. Hopefully, I will have some news of new flower and vegetable varieties to try in our gardens next year.
Watch this space!!
