Monthly garden maintenance
October
Flowers
Prepare ground and pots for October flowers planting. It is a good time to plant Wallflowers, Forget-me-not, Bellis, Primula, Viola (including winter pansies) and other spring bedding plants.
Sow hardy annuals outside in mild areas for a next year display and continue to plant spring- flowering bulbs.
If the soil is still warm and moisture you can plant new herbaceous perennials. Lily bulbs can be planted up in pots.
You also need to cut back faded herbaceous perennials and add them to the compost heap.
It is important to lift and divide poor flowering or overcrowded herbaceous plants.
For your garden flowers maintenance lift tender bulbs. Galtonia andTigridia bulbs also need lifting and storing over the winter.
Wait for the first frosts if you need to hit dahlias and cannas before lifting the tubers or rhizomes. They may overwinter if covered with a protective layer of straw or bracken but flowering may be poorer next year.
Clear and replace summer bedding plants in milder areas.
Hanging baskets also needs some care, so do not forget to deadhead, feed and water them.
Avoid patio containers sitting in water during the winter. Raise them on to bricks or pot feet.
Move alpine troughs and protect them from the rain. Pick over alpines regularly by removing any autumn debris and covering died-back patches.
Bring all tender plants into heated greenhouse or conservatory for the winter. Herbaceous plants will die down in cold weather so remove their stakes and other supports.
For your flowers pest and disease, watch check chrysanthemums regularly for signs of white rust and treat them where necessary. If you will find any discoloured leaves on herbaceous plants such as Chrysanthemum, Anemone and Penstemon it could be a leaf and bud eelworm.
Remove any grey mould (Botrytis) affected leaves and other parts as soon as possible.
If powdery mildew is still a problem cut back their fading growth. Avoid feeding plants late in the season to avoid fungal diseases.
Contact our landscaping team if you have a project in mind
Trees and shrubs
October is the perfect time for trees, shrubs, climbers and hedges planting.
Now you can trim deciduous hedges to keep them looking tidy over the winter.
Prune bush and climbing roses. These plants can become loose in the soil, reducing their height will prevent wind rock.
Shrubs pruned hard in the spring such as Buddleja davidii, Cornus alba, and Lavatera, can be cut back by half now.
Also take hardwood cuttings of Rosa, Cotinus, Salix and Forsythia.
Berries, fruits and seeds can be gathered from trees and shrubs, once ripe, for immediate sowing.
Keep watering early- flowering shrubs such as camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas in dry weather.
Use recycled or stored rainwater for watering. Do not forget to check tree ties and stakes.
It is really useful to place healthy fallen leaves on the compost heap.
For your garden shrubs and trees, disease watch rake up and destroy (do not compost) any affected leaves. It will be helpful to control black spot on roses, leaf blight on quince, and scab on apples and pears.
A Honey fungus can be a problem this month. There are also many harmless, saprophytic fungi appearing this time of year.
Watch out for fungal diseases such as grey mould (Botrytis) or powdery mildew.
Small cankers, die-back, and rotten, hollow stumps must be removed early on.
Lawns
This month is the last opportunity to scarify, aerate and top dress your lawn. Apply low in nitrogen autumn lawn feed.
It is also the last chance to sow grass seeds in mild areas. Rake fallen leaves before they blocked light and air penetration to the grass and mow recently sown grass areas but do not cut lower than 2.5cm.
Stepping-stones across main routes of access can be really helpful.
Don’t apply any weedkiller now.
Other garden works
Ponds
Place nets to prevent autumn leaves falling in. Rescue tender water plants and remove any dying foliage. Place plants in a conservatory or greenhouse, until the risk of frost, has passed.
Clear out any debris, weeds, and excess oxygenating plants leaving them on the side for 38 hours before composting.
Remove pumps or fountains, lighting systems. Clean them and store over the winter.
Waterlilies can be affected by fungal problems.
Landscaping
It is still a good time to prepare your garden for winter. Drain out irrigation lines in order to avoid damage caused by water freezing inside them.
Also repair any broken or rotted pieces of wood in the structures of the compost bin, or in wood garden furniture.
Fix or replace any shed roof leaks, broken glasshouse panes, etc.
