Remove dead, diseased or damaged wood in deciduous trees and shrubs. Avoid pruning birches, acers and vines, which are liable to bleed profusely if pruned after midwinter. Prune Wisteria this or next month (cut all stems coming off the main framework to 2 or 3 buds of the previous years’ growth). Leave evergreens and tender plants until spring or summer.
Check all recently planted trees and shrubs – if they have been lifted by frost, firm them down
ImprovingIn many colder areas, this month is the last opportunity to scarify, aerate and top dress lawns. Scarification removes layers of thatch and can be done with either a spring-tine rake or a powered scarifier.
Afterwards apply an autumn lawn feed; these are low in nitrogen, so discouraging lush green growth that would only succumb to cold and diseases over the winter months.
This is definitely your last chance to sow grass seed in mild areas of the UK. Cover newly sown areas with clear polythene to protect them from cold or fierce rain, if these are forecast in your area. Light to moderate rain will aid germination.
This is the last chance to mow recently sown grass areas, to neaten them up before the winter. Don’t cut lower than 2.5cm (1in). Top-dressing with the mower will also prevent weeds getting out of hand.
Rake fallen leaves off lawns before they block out light and air penetration to the grass. On large lawns a leaf-blower will make the job much easier, but only powerful models are capable of shifting leaves from damp lawns.
To assist walking over lawns plagued with worm casts or muddy areas, consider laying paths or stepping-stones across main routes of access, so that the lawn is not spoiled by treading in the winter weather.
Toadstools and fairy rings appearing in the lawn may be a sign that scarification and autumn lawncare is necessary.
It is too late to apply a weedkiller now – effectiveness will be much reduced. A final mow will keep weeds in hand until the spring, when weedkillers can again be used.
Once your veggie patch is clear, dig it over and incorporate compost. Dig over your kitchen garden as soon as possible so the soil can be broken down by the winter elements. This is especially important on heavy clay soils. If you are short of compost, it is better to treat a small area properly than spread it too thinly over a larger area.
Leave pea and bean plant roots in the ground. Cut off the stems for the compost heap but leave the roots in the ground – they return valuable nitrogen to the soil, acting as a natural fertiliser. In your crop rotation plan, plant leafy crops such as brassicas after beans or peas, as they have a high demand for nitrogen. (Clever!!)
Cut down jerusalem artichokes – The stems will be dying back now so cut them back to ground level. Make sure you harvest the tubers thoroughly as any left in the ground will grow into a plant next year and before you know it you will have a Jerusalem artichoke jungle!
Harvest everything left in the kitchen garden. If your runner beans are too stringy to eat, compost them or leave on the plant until brown for next year’s seeds. Dig up root crops (apart from parsnips which taste better after a frost) including carrots, beetroot and potatoes. Dry thoroughly before storing in boxes or paper sacks; remember to evict any diseased or rotten tubers or they will spoil the rest of your crop.
Pumpkins and squashes should be left in the sun, garage or greenhouse for a few days to harden the skin and dry them off before storing in a cool, dark place.
Plant crops such as winter lettuces, autumn onion sets, spring cabbages and, in mild areas, overwintering broad beans and garlic. Cover the trenches with fleece or cloches for insulation and net for protection from birds.
Remove yellow leaves from brassicas. Remove any tatty yellow leaves from Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli as they perform no useful function and merely encourage disease.
Herbs – pot up mint, parsley and chives for the winter. Lift a clump, remove any yellow leaves, divide and plant into smallish pots using multi-purpose compost. Stand on a sunny windowsill, water well and wait for your winter crop to flourish.
Harvest any remaining raspberries, apples and pears. If high winds are forecast, pick your crop straight away – birds will not mind bruised fruit on the ground, but it will not keep. Leave quinces until the middle of the month and store for a fortnight before using them… delicious baked slowly with wine and cinnamon or made into quince jelly to savour with real cheese!
Blackberry and apple pie must be one of Britain’s greatest treats – now is the time to make it! Apple jelly is easy to make too and a great way of using an apple glut. Make apple and mint or apple and sage jelly for a delicious supply to last through the winter.
Plant fruit trees and new strawberries; clear out old plants and weeds, position the newcomers a foot apart in rows wide enough apart to walk between, make sure the crowns just show above the soil, firm them in well and water regularly if dry.
Dig up and split old rhubarb crowns, replanting with a good dollop of manure under each plant.
Cut out the canes of blackberries, loganberries and tayberries which have fruited this year and tie in the new ones.
If you’re faced with huge piles of fallen leaves every autumn, you can make the sweeping and collection process a lot easier by using a combination of different tools. Learn different methods of gathering autumn leaves, below, then follow our video guide to creating leaf mould in a leaf heap.
Finish planting spring bulbs such as narcissi and crocuses – tulips can wait until November. Choose plump firm bulbs and plant within a week of buying in a location with good drainage. Add grit if the soil is heavy and ensure pots and containers have plenty of crocks at the bottom. Bury bulbs at three times their own depth, tip upwards and ensure there are no air pockets around them. Use them to fill gaps in beds and borders, in formal gardens, in pots and containers, under shrubs and trees or naturalised in grass or woodland.
Make your life easier by investing in a strong good quality dibber and if you have a bad back, a long handled bulb planter.
For a natural look, throw handfuls of bulbs in the air and plant them where they land.
Frost is in the offing and some of us had a couple of nights below zero at the end of September…..no need to panic, as the odd light frost does little harm to plants that have been out all summer, but it is a timely reminder that winter is on its way…
Begonias – they hate frosts so lift tuberous begonias (the ones with enormous flowers) sooner rather than later. Keep in trays of moist compost somewhere cool and light and keep watered until the leaves turn yellow. Dry gradually by withdrawing watering, cover with a shallow layer of peat and store somewhere frost-free. Water occasionally over the winter to prevent the tubers shrivelling.
Dahlias – wait until a couple of good frosts have blackened them (hopefully not until next month) then cut stems back to approximately 10cm from the ground and label each plant as you lift it – it is amazingly easy to forget which is which! Be careful not to damage the tubers as you dig around them, remove all the soil and store for a couple of weeks in a dry, cool place upside down to allow any residual moisture in the stem to drain out. Once completely dry, bury them in peat free compost so the top of the tuber is above the compost level and keep them somewhere frost free over the winter. Meanwhile, keep deadheading and enjoy them!
Gladioli – if deeply planted in well-drained soil they should be alright in situ, but if you don’t want to risk losing them, lift the corms carefully with a fork sometime around the middle of the month, cut the stems down to 2cm, dry in a cool airy place and store somewhere frost-proof.
Tender container plants – oleanders and the like should be tidied up and moved inside to a greenhouse or conservatory. Keep watering to a minimum to keep them on the dry side for repotting next spring.
Others… lift cannas, geraniums and fuchsias before any proper frost. Trim back the soft growth on geraniums and fuchsias, pot into multi-purpose compost and keep them barely moist over the winter in a cool frost-free spot.
Plant new ones – while the soil is still relatively moist and warm, plant hardy perennials so their roots have a chance to become established before winter and do ensure you choose plants that are appropriate for your soil type!
Divide large ones such as daylilies and peonies once they have finished flowering. Cut them back and divide large clumps by lifting carefully and separating down the centre with 2 forks back to back. Replant with plenty of organic matter and water generously. Remember some perennials, such as peonies, do not take kindly to being disturbed so tread carefully! Late flowering perennials such as asters are best left until spring for dividing.
Cut back those that have died down – do not cut back the less hardy perennials such as penstemoms and hardy fuchsias – leave until they begin to shoot from the base in spring.
Lift and bring tender perennials inside before frosts cause any damage.
Support tall flowers – autumn can be windy so make sure any tall flowers are supported.
Collect seed heads – collect seed heads from perennials, alpines, trees and shrubs. Growing plants from seeds you have collected is fantastically rewarding, but be vigilant; seed heads have a nasty habit of ripening and popping whilst your back is turned. Collect when nearly ripe – just as they are turning brown. Snip them off, put them in a paper bag, label and hang somewhere cool, dark and dry.
Protect alpines from the wet and clear leaves from around them – leaves left around alpines will encourage disease, so clear dead leaves regularly. Whilst alpines, not surprisingly, don’t mind the cold, they do object to excessive wetness, so you may need to put an open ended cloche or something similar over your plants if you have a particularly wet spell of weather.
Be ruthless and turf out summer bedding even if it is still looking good – this will give winter and spring bedding a chance to get roots well down whilst there is still some warmth in the soil. Pansies are more likely to flower through the winter if they are well established before winter temperatures slow them down.
Plant winter bedding and spring bulbs in your pots, containers and hanging baskets now. Winter colour comes in all shapes and sizes; hardy cyclamen and heathers, dwarf conifers, variegated box, winter pansies, violas and trailing ivies all make wonderful displays. Our favourite combinations include dwarf conifers, bedding, evergreens and winter flowering heathers, with ivies to trail over the edge and a few clusters of bulbs for extra colour in the spring. Try heather, cyclamen and variegated ivy for a stunning look!
Stop feeding permanent plants and move any tender plants under cover before the cold sets in (if possible allow them to dry out partially before lifting them).
It’s important to lift containers that will be left outside over the winter onto pot feet – both for good drainage and to protect against frost damage.
Replace summer bedding with winter and spring bedding. Plant out violas, wallflowers and primulas now for cheery colour in the coming months (‘mini-cyclamen’ too if you are somewhere relatively mild – bear in mind that unlike hardy cyclamen, which are different people altogether, they do not like heavy frost). Clear old summer bedding, incorporate some organic matter into the soil and plant the newcomers in drifts for stunning effect. Remember not to grow wallflowers and ornamental cabbages in the same spot two year running; they are brassicas and need rotation to avoid the root disease ‘clubfoot’, which is not only infectious, but persists in the soil.
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