Jobs around the gardening
- This is the best time to tidy up beds & borders. It’s a good idea to tackle any problems in your garden now to ensure that next year, your plot is in tip top shape!
- Spring flowering bulbs should be planted this month as well as any winter bedding.
- Pansies, Violas & Primroses all carry beautiful petals that will add colour to your garden. Remember to dead-head them so they will continue to flower into the winter months.
- Water your plants less regularly as the weather becomes cooler & the days shorter.
- Bring potted tropical plants like bananas & brugmansias inside.
- Apply lawn feed to revive your grass.
- Clear away any old crops & vegetables to ensure they don’t harbor diseases.
- Put pots on pot feet to avoid them getting waterlogged in winter.
Vegetables to grow in October
Sow under cloches or in a greenhouse for winter crops:
- Winter lettuce
- Pak choi
- Mizuna
Sow outdoors for spring crops:
- Pea ‘Meteor’
- Pea ‘Pilot’
- Broad Bean ‘Aquadulce Claudia’
- Broad Bean ‘Imperial Green Longpod’
Plant out:
- Autumn onion sets e.g. onion ‘radar’ and ‘electric red’
- Garlic
- Spring cabbages
- Asparagus crowns
Flowers to grow in October
For winter colour:
- Violas
- Heucheras
- Carex
- Brunnera
- Hellebores
- Primulas
Sow directly outdoors to flower next year:
- Wildflower seed mixes
- Poppies
- Nigella
- Cornflowers
Wildlife Gardening for October
- Help birds through cold nights by giving them high energy feeds such as suet, dried meal worms & peanuts.
- Leaving seed heads on plants, such as sunflowers & thistles, provides food for birds & insects.
- Flowering ivy is a great source of nectar for any late-flying pollinators, such as butterflies & bees. It also provides shelter for birds & small mammals.
- Create habitat piles from logs, twigs & leaves to help hibernators. Hibernation boxes are also great for hedgehogs!
