October is the month you’ll notice the leaves changing to orange in preparation for autumn, as the nights become longer and the weather begins to change. This is a fantastic time to start generating leafmould by adding to the compost pile.
In order to protect delicate perennials from frost damage, bring them indoors when there is a chance of frost. When planting trees and shrubs in October, make sure to remove any weeds first and then amend the soil with organic matter or tree and shrub planting compost. In October, there is a chance for both higher rainfall and strong winds, so it’s important to monitor the forecast.
Ornamental Garden Job List for October:
- Lock in soil moisture by mulching borders
- Continue deadheading as required
- Remove fallen leaves from roses to prevent blackspot
- Continue to tidy borders of weeds and leaves
- Transplant any plants that need to be moved
- Continue to plant spring bulbs such as daffodils etc. (except for tulips)
- Lift and divide perennials
- Plant containers for winter bedding displays
- Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs while the soil is moist and warm
- Cut back herbaceous perennials as they die back
- Prune climbing roses to avoid wind rock
Vegetable Garden Job List for October:
- Begin planting garlic
- Lift and divide rhubarb
- Clear away old foliage of strawberries to prevent pest and diseases
- Pot up herbs and place in a frost-free greenhouse to continue cropping through the winter
- Complete planting onion sets and plant out spring cabbage
- Harvest squash and pumpkin
General Garden Job List for October:
- Install insect hotels/log piles
- Apply autumn lawn feed
- Add garden waste to your compost heap
Garden Machinery to get you through the month (click to see our selection)
Hand tools to get you through the month (click to see our selection)
We are dealers for Mountfield, Stiga, and Stihl garden machinery as well as Spear and Jackson and Draper Tools.
