Things To Do In The Garden This Month

There’s a lot less to do this time of year in the garden – which is a good job with the days being so short! You can still give yourself a head start for next year by getting on with some of these jobs though…
Clear Up The Leaves
Not only will they block up your drains, fallen leaves will also block the light to patches of grass and can smother smaller plants. Use a garden rake to collect them up and either stick them in your composter or use 4 stakes with garden netting round the edge to create a separate heap to start making your own leaf mold. It’s a great soil conditioner and mulch but takes around a year to break down to a useable state
Cover Those Tender Plants
Make sure you move those potted tender perennials into a cool greenhouse to protect them against the winter weather. Also ensure that you add a layer of mulch or leaf mold to tender plants that are staying outside to protect them. Any exotic plants can be wrapped with garden fleece to protect them.
Take Hardwood Cuttings
As soon as the last of the leaves are gone, it’s the time to take your hardwood cuttings. Use a sharp pair of secateurs and cut below one bud and above another to get a piece of wood a similar size and thickness to a pencil. Then just push it half its length into some compost and it will be ready to pot next summer.
Clean And Sharpen Your Tools
Clean all the mud and sap off your garden tools and give any moving parts a drop of oil. If anything looks worn out or damaged, why not treat yourself to some new garden tools?
Check Stakes And Frames
Autumn and Winter are windy months, so check any stakes, trellis, frames and fruit or vegetable cages to make sure they are still in good condition. Replace anything that is broken or looks weakened.
Clear And Prune Roses
Make sure you clear up the leaves from any roses, especially if they look diseased or have fungus – don’t put them in your composter, bin or burn them! Also prune back any tall roses to avoid them being damaged by the wind.