As the season turns and we settle into Autumn, there’s an mistakable freshness to the air as temperatures begin to drop and the nights start to draw in. Now is a great time to get out into your garden and give it a good tidy up before winter sets in, especially if your planning putting your house on the market any time soon. With this in mind we thought we’d put together our recommendations of essential jobs to do in your garden during September and October. Read on for our 8 essential autumn gardening tips.
1. Clean out greenhouses and cold frames
It’s likely you’ll have been growing seasonal crops and flowers in your greenhouse during the summer months, so following your harvest, now is a great time to give it the once over.
2. Remove fallen leaves from ponds
As leaves start to fall it’s essential to ensure ponds are regularly cleared of falling leaves. If your pond is suffering from a build up of floating weeds or plants that have become overgrown, thin them back so they don’t take over and then use a simple net to keep your pond free of fallen leaves and in tip top shape throughout the autumn months.
3. Plant spring flowering bulbs
Give your borders the once over and then plant bulbs ready for spring. Things like daffodils, crocus, tulips and alliums are ideal for planting now, so make sure you plan ahead if you want to enjoy a riot of colour in your borders come spring. Take a look at the top 10 spring flowering bulbs here.
4. Pick up fallen fruits
If you have fruiting trees, particularly apple trees, you’re likely to have dropped fruits littering your garden. Don’t make the mistake of leaving them there and thinking they’ll provide food to wildlife and will quickly rot away. If you have a wild section in your garden, this might be an acceptable approach to take, but fallen apples left on your lawn to rot over winter will lead to unsightly patches of dead grass if left, so it’s best to pick up fallen fruit rather than leave it.
5. Take care of your lawn
Now is a great time to patch up any less than perfect areas of your lawn by sewing new grass seed. Make sure you rake up any fallen leaves first and that you prepare the ground accordingly for the best chance of it taking. Sowing a new lawn can be done as late as mid-October.
6. Make the most of, and enjoy your harvest!
From root vegetable to potatoes and cooking apples, if you grow anything in your garden now is the time of year to reap the rewards of your labour! If you’re lucky enough to have a bumper crop of anything in particular, consider preserving, freezing or gifting what’s left to ensure nothing goes to waste.
7. Give you lawn a final pre-winter cut
It’s likely that you won’t need to mow your lawn for a good few months so now’s the best time to give your lawn the once over with the mower. Early to mid October should be the last time you’ll need to mow your lawn here in the UK unless that is the grass continues growing through an unusually, and lets face it, unlikely mild winter.
Remember though you’ll need to wait for a fair day as it’s not a good idea to mow frosty or even wet grass which can cause damage to the turf.
8. Trim hedges
Now is a great time to trim hedges but watch it if you want to do any heaving pruning of shrubs at the same time. It’s best to ensure this is carried out as early as possible to avoid damage, however when it comes to evergreen hedges, a simple maintenance trim and tidy up is ideal for being carried out in Autumn when it’s still mild enough to enjoy spending time outdoors working in the garden!
For more great Autumn gardening tips, take a look at RHS monthly gardening tips.
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