Gardening jobs for October
After decent weather in September, including some cooler days and rain, which has really greened up the garden, the borders are still looking good with plenty of late season colour from the perennials.
Jill recently started growing carnivorous plants, mainly sarracenia, which need rainwater, so over the summer months we’ve been rationing the last water butt to be able to water them. It did get a bit smelly at one point, but since the rains returned, everything has now had a flush through of fresh rainwater and we’ve plenty to go at.
The flowers shows have now finished for another year and we are already planning what shows we will be at next year, but more of that when everything is confirmed at the end of the year.
For now, it’s time to get some work done in the garden so I’m hoping for some dry, fair weather through October, although at the moment it’s throwing it down! This work includes creating the final two borders at the front of the house and widening some of the existing ones to get in more plants. I also want to work through all the borders and tweak them a little as some things are growing better than others. I also want to create some planting holes by the cottage to plant a few climbers. This will mean lifting some of the existing path and breaking through the concrete, but it will be worth it.
The aim is to get all the work done over winter ready for planting in spring, in readiness for out opening for the National Garden Scheme in early July, so watch this space!!!
Jobs for October
Although there’s still lots of interest in the borders, we can gradually start to do a little tidying and cutting back any plants that have gone over.
All green waste from pots, borders and the veg plot can be composted. Any long stems are best chopped up or passed through a shredder first to help them rot down.
There is still plenty of time to get your spring flowering bulbs planted and the golden rule when planting in the soil is to plant three times their depth.
When it comes to tulips, it fine to plant now in containers, but if planting in borders, wait util November when the soil is cooling down.
If you want some early blooms of sweet peas next year, now is the time to start sowing. I start mine off in 9cm pots or compost, with around 10 seeds per pot. In a cold frame or greenhouse, they will germinate and over-winter.
Although lawns have greened up after the dry summer, they will benefit from scarifying to remove dead grass and encourage new basal growth, followed by an autumn feed. This will help to build up your lawn for next year.
October is also a great time to plant container grown trees and shrubs so that they can start to establish their root system before winter.
Plant up autumn containers with a selection of plants to provide colour and interest on your patio for several months ahead.
Plant garlic now while the soil is still warm. Separate the bulb into individual cloves and plant around 6in (15cm) apart with the tip of the clove about an inch below soil level.
Lift any maincrop potatoes still in the ground as soon as possible before the slugs start to cause damage.
Finish picking the last of the late cooking and eating apples and store them in as cool a position as possible.
For delicious spring cabbages, now is the time to plant out young plants. If you’ve not grown them from seed, look out for young plants in garden centres.
There’s still time to sow some flowers and vegetables and Kings Seeds are offering a 10% discount on seeds purchased from their web site www.kingsseeds.com by quoting the code PT2025. It’s valid until the end of 2025. (T&Cs apply)
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Happy gardening
Martin