Gardening Tasks for October

Just because it is October, it doesn’t mean that you should stop taking care of your garden. Even though you may not be spending a lot of time in your garden, the autumnal and winter weather will mean there is more to do. In fact, if you leave it to itself over the winter, you will give yourself a much harder job when Summer comes back around.

Clear Away The Leaves

Autumn means that the trees  and flowers will be shedding their leaves and petals- a lot. It is vital that you clear these leaves regularly because, if they are left on the grass they will begin to rot, especially if they become damp. You can put these into your compost bin to recycle them, but you should not if they have already started to rot. Rotting leaves in compost could damage other plants when to compost is applied to them.

Harvest The Last Fruits

You should harvest the last of your apples, pears and nuts before the damp weather ruins them. Even if you have too many for personal use, bake and cook them into pies and cakes to give friends, family and neighbour as an autumnal present.

Mow Lawns For The Last Time

Ideally, you should only mow your lawn when it is dry to avoid damaging it. The beginning of October is probably the last time during the year at which it will be dry enough to do so. You may want to cut it a little shorter than usual in order to prevent it from becoming too long in the time that you are unable to mow it.

Trim Trees, Shrubs and Branches

Given how unpredictable British winter weather can be, you will want to prepare in case you are unable to get out into the garden for a while. Trimming back trees, shrubs and branches in October will prevent them from becoming unruly over the winter months and keep access ways in the garden clear.

Clean Your Greenhouse

October is when you will be moving a lot of your plants or flowers into your greenhouse. However, before you do this, you will want to insure that it is in the best condition possible to provide plants with the best protection over winter. Clean the glass (inside and out) with hot soapy water to allow as much light in as possible, and scrub all benches and containers to rid them of potential pests.

Leave Food and Water for Birds

It is at this time of year that birds will begin to build up their food supplies for winter. You can help them out with this by regularly putting our fresh food and seeds in feeders for them to collect. You should also refresh their water supply weekly ( at least) so that they have a reliable source of fresh water to drink from, where other natural supplies may become dirty with autumnal debris.

Do you have any more tips on what should be done in the garden in October? Share your ideas in the comments!