Lets Get Ready For The Colder Months

October is a beautiful month of autumnal colours and first frosts. Crisp, blue-sky days are the perfect time to tidy up and cut back in the garden.

Lift dahlia tubers, begonia tubers and gladioli corms to store over the winter months. 

Remove any dead foliage before storing them.

You can take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs now.

Prune rambling and climbing roses once they’ve finished flowering, and tie in the stems before autumn winds cause damage.

Clear up fallen rose leaves to prevent diseases such as black spot from over-wintering. To avoid the spread of damaging fungi, don’t compost the leaves.

Clear overhanging plants from pathways to maintain access around the garden. 

Cut back perennial plants that have died down. Alternatively leave the dead foliage in place to shelter friendly wildlife.

After tidying borders, mulch with bark chips, well rotted manure, leaf mould or spent mushroom compost to insulate plant roots for the winter and keep weed growth in check.This month is the ideal time to plant hedges, edible hedging, and move trees and shrubs.If you haven’t done so already, remove any greenhouse shading to allow as much light in as possible.Move tender plants into the greenhouse to protect them from early frosts.Check any plants which you’re bringing inside for pests like aphids.Continue to remove any fallen or dead plant material to keep the growing area free of fungal diseases.Set up your greenhouse heater in case of early frosts.

A last mowing can be made this month before leaving your lawn for the winter.