This month gives you a great opportunity to try to steal a march on what usually needs doing early next year. Try these five tasks and you might well save yourself some valuable time next spring.
It’s often said that lots of people, possibly some seasoned gardeners included, don’t realise that a good autumn clean and tidy-up in your garden can be as important as a spring clean in the house. By sorting out a few simple jobs now, you’ll be able to give yourself a head-start for the next growing season, and with a bit of luck, ensure that your garden plants have the conditions they need to thrive throughout the winter.
In the greenhouse
My winter greenhouse is the cosy winter home for many of my vast succulent collection. But to get the best results from your winter greenhouse you need to prepare it, so your plants get the best home through the colder months. It is really important to get rid of spores and pest eggs by cleansing them with hot detergent and garden disinfectant, not forgetting to scrub over concrete floors. Light levels through the darker winter months are very low indeed and dirty glass will exclude much needed light if not given a thorough clean. Don’t forget to remove moss and algae from beneath overlapping panes too and in the corners. Caulk any leaks with clear silicone mastic and replace any cracked panes at the same time.
Aim to clean up both the inside and outside on a warm, dry autumn day, paying attention to the individual frames. This will let in more natural light to help your plants photosynthesise better and thrive through the colder months.
I start to fill my greenhouse as soon as the possible threat of frost is upon us and it is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, trying to squeeze everything in. I always choose the best succulent specimens and place them in the front and back porch of the house, leaving the balance to squeeze into the greenhouse.
Gardening essentials
Every gardener has a range of garden tools and October is a really good month to check them over and ensure that they are garden-ready for you to use next spring. If you have stainless steel tools, these may only need a scrape clean but those made of ordinary steel are very likely to rust, unless cleaned well and then oiled. Lawnmowers and power tools may also some TLC and October is a great time to do this. If your tools need sharpening and you don’t feel able to do this yourself, take them to a garden machinery workshop for professional sharpening and servicing. This month is also a good time to clean and store plastic and terracotta pots, seed trays and modules, so they are ready for action next year.
Garden hedges
Autumn is a good time to keep your boundary hedges in shape when they are dormant. Don’t prune them during very hot, dry weather, and always prune well before your first frost date. Try to prune on a cloudy day to avoid excessive leaf burn. I find that getting mine done at this time of the year, means that they will continue to look good throughout next summer, when I open my garden to the public. I find hand-held hedge pruners are the best way to trim smaller hedges for control, but I use an electric hedge trimmer for larger areas. Make sure whichever tool you use is as sharp as possible to avoid unnecessary damage and stress to the hedge. I have to confess though, as I approach 70 next year, I have employed a local landscaper to do mine each autumn for the last few years, I am fast realising my days of climbing ladders may be behind me.
Divide perennials
In the current financial climate, it’s always good to try and save yourself some plant money by dividing some of your summer flowering perennials. Not only will it generate new plants for you to fill up the garden, it will help to re-energise them, encouraging them to reboot, to grow back next year with more vigour and true to form once more. If any or all of the plants look as though nothing will restore them to their former glory, then be ruthless and take them out altogether and replace them with something else. I’m certainly an advocate of the latter. I’m afraid there is no room in my plot for poor performers. One I’m going to have to divide this autumn in a large clump of persicaria growing behind my railway sleepers.
Fleece and protect
Fleecing delicate plants to help them get through the colder months could be a wise move, especially if they are prized or sentimental plants. I sometimes fleece my palms, they don’t mind the cold but fleecing does help prevent really bad wind damage to the fronds and ensures the palms look fit and healthy again in the spring. A definite bonus if you open your garden to visitors.
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