October in the Garden

Just When you thought that all was done in the garden for this year - out comes the sun, and there's loads to do again. Even if the sun doesn't shine, there is still much to do!

• Lay a new lawn - a great time for doing it, if you didn't do it last month! (Protect seed with fleece until it germinates)

• Scarify and aerate existing lawns. Brush sharp sand into the spiked holes.

• Last chance for a lawn autumn feed.

• Keep mowing - but with blades set higher.
  

• Still time to plant some bulbs - but soon.

• Out with the summer bedding plants when finished flowering.

• Clear up all fallen leaves and put them on the compost heap

• Keep dead-heading roses - they could flower until Christmas!

• Planting time for shrubs, conifers, perennials, roses and trees.

• Plant out your spring flowering plants. Pansies, wallflowers etc.

• Bring in your Dahlia tubers

• Carry on with shrub cuttings

• A good time for dividing your hardy perennials

• It is usually a good time to paint fencing and trellis. The plants can be moved back from the fence more easily now.

• Carry on picking fruit as it ripens

• Plant out your spring cabbage - but net them against hungry pigeons

• Plant out autumn onion sets and garlic

• Dig up your remaining potatoes - not much use after they are hit by frost!

• Grease bands on the fruit trees

• As soon as leaves have fallen, treat peaches and nectarines with copper fungicide to help control leaf curl.

• Spray cherries with copper as well - it helps prevent bacterial canker.

• Start digging in some organic manure into the veg. plot

• All of the Asparagus 'ferns' can now be cut down.

• Prune your blackberries - Simply cut out all of the growths that have fruited this year.

• Any tender plants need to be bought into the greenhouse now!

• Remove all traces of shading from greenhouse glass - wash down if dirty

• Line your greenhouse with bubble polythene - if you need to conserve heat for the winter.

• Make sure that heaters are working - before you need them!

• Reduce watering now, and only water in the mornings.

• Still keep an eye out for hot days, when your ventilators may need opening.