October

Gardening Jobs in October: Preparing for the Cold and Planting Ahead

October is a month of vivid autumn colors, chilly mornings, and preparation for the imminent winter. As leaves turn and days shorten, the garden requires a different kind of attention. This is the time to get ahead, preparing the ground and sowing seeds that will ensure a fruitful spring. Here's a guide on what tasks you should prioritize in October and which seeds to plant during this autumnal month.


Gardening Tasks for October:


General Maintenance:

  • Leaf Collection: Gather fallen leaves and add them to compost bins or create leaf mold.
  • Winter Protection: Move tender plants to greenhouses or indoors. Invest in frost protection like cloches or horticultural fleece for sensitive plants.
  • Mulching: Continue mulching beds and borders to insulate plant roots and improve soil quality.

Lawn Care:

  • Mow the lawn for the last times before winter but raise the cutting height.
  • Continue reseeding any bare patches and apply an autumn lawn fertilizer.
  • Keep the lawn clear of leaves to prevent dead patches and diseases.

Preparing Beds & Borders:

  • Dig over empty plots in your vegetable garden and incorporate compost or well-rotted manure. Perhaps consider whether covering them with a green manure, or even just some carboard or a tarpaulin will help minimise weed growth and help the plot stay manageable for when you do want to plant into it.
  • Cut back faded perennials and divide any overgrown clumps.
  • Remove annuals that have completed their life cycle.

Fruit & Vegetables:

  • Harvest remaining fruits such as apples, pears, and nuts.
  • Pick autumn raspberries and the last of the beans.
  • Plant rhubarb crowns and winter garlic.

Pruning & Training:

  • Prune climbing roses and secure them to their supports.
  • Cut back on old fruiting canes in raspberry and blackberry bushes.


Seeds to Sow in October:

Vegetables:

  • Broad beans: Sow varieties like 'Aquadulce Claudia' for an early spring harvest.
  • Winter lettuces: Varieties like 'Winter Gem' can be grown under cloches or in cold frames.
  • Peas: Sow round-seeded varieties in a cold frame or under fleece.
  • Spinach: Opt for winter-hardy varieties that will provide leaves in early spring.

Flowers:

  • Sweet peas: If not sown in September, these can still be sown now in pots and placed in a cold frame.
  • Hardy annuals: Direct sow for blooms in early spring. Some options include larkspur and winter pansies.

Herbs:

  • While most herbs are best sown in warmer months, you can still plant chervil and coriander under cover for a winter supply.


October might be a time when nature starts slowing down, but for gardeners, it's a month filled with preparation and foresight. Ensure your garden is protected from the winter frosts, and make the most of the last of the milder days. By sowing seeds now, you're planting hope for a vibrant and colorful spring.


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