What to do in the garden in October

October is the month for Halloween, garden maintenance and planting winter-flowering bedding plants. Get gardening!

Plants and Flowers

• Once the frosts have blackened their foliage, lift Dahlia tubers, Gladiolus corms and Begonia tubers and store them somewhere dry, cool but frost-free for the winter.
• Lift and divide your herbaceous perennials to create vigorous new plants – it’s also a chance to rearrange your borders!
• Plant your daffodil bulbs, allium bulbs and tulip bulbs now! For help with planting spring bulbs take a look at our ‘How to plant bulbs, corms and tubers’ article.
• Re-plant spent summer containers with winter bedding plants. Winter violas and pansies, Bellis perennis and primroses (Polyanthus) will provide a welcome splash of colour during the dreary months of autumn and late winter when little else is happening in the garden. Combine them with the earliest of spring bulbs such as Iris reticulata and Crocus for a showstopping display that will bridge the gap between the end of winter and the start of spring.
• Now is also the ideal time to plant winter hanging baskets to brighten up walls and fences. Keep warm with a basket full of glowing winter pansies such as Pansy ‘Frizzle Sizzle Orange’. Hang it by the door where it will give you a warm welcome, or by a window where you can appreciate the colour from indoors. If you are running out of time, opt for a pre-planted basket.
• October is the perfect month for planting bare root wallflowers. Planting now gives them the chance to establish a healthy root system, creating strong plants that will be some of the first flowers to appear in March. For a really dazzling display, combine your wallflowers with tulips. Plant the wallflowers first, about 30-40cm apart, firming them in well after planting. Then plant tulip bulbs between them, ensuring that you plant them at least 3 times their depth.
• Prune your climbing roses and rambling roses once they have finished flowering and tie in any new growth.

Fruit and Veg

• Plant your garlic now for bigger crops next summer. If you don’t have the space for growing garlic at the moment consider spring-planting garlic or try growing garlic in containers.
• Prune any fruited raspberry canes on your summer raspberries if you haven’t done so already. Cut the canes right back to ground level and tie in the new green canes to support wires or fencing.
• Tidy up around your strawberry plants, removing dead leaves and old straw. This improves air circulation and reduces the risk of pests and diseases building up over winter.

Tree, Shrubs and Grasses

• October is the ideal month for planting new trees, shrubs and perennial plants. For help with planting trees and shrubs take a look at our ‘How to plant trees and shrubs’ article. For advice on growing perennial plants click here.
• Plant bare-root fruit trees as this gives the trees time to establish roots whilst the soil is still warm, resulting in vigorous growth next spring.

Garden Maintenance

• Autumn is the best time of year to improve your lawn. Trying aerating it with a garden fork, raking dead plant material (thatch) from the surface and repairing bare patches. Clear up fallen leaves regularly in the autumn to allow light and air to the grass.
• Re-use the compost from your annual container displays as a soil improver, or to mulch around your perennials plants, trees and shrubs.
• Install compost bins in your garden ready to fill with autumn leaves, dead plant material and woody prunings. Make sure you layer these plant materials with grass clippings or vegetable kitchen waste to aid the composting process.
• Protect your half-hardy plants by packing the crown with shredded paper or straw and securing it in place with a layer of horticultural fleece or hessian sacks. Alternatively bring your plants into a greenhouse or conservatory.

What’s your top priority for October? Let us know in the comments below, or share them with us over on our Facebook page.