Autumn jobs for gardeners

Autumn Jobs in the Garden

Repair your lawns.

 On days when it is warm and dry and the lawn has not become sodden, you can repair and improve patchy lawns in a few easy steps.

Cut the grass and rake up the clippings using a lawn rake, this will also remove any thatch from the base of the lawn as well as gently scarifying the surface of the soil.

Lightly sow the area with a grass seed mix suitable for the area. Be sure to measure out the correct amount of seed for the area, using more is wasteful and can cause the grass seed to fail. Sow by broadcasting the seed so it slightly overlaps the edges of the patch and blends into the surrounding lawn. A good idea to aid successful germination is to chit the seed. Take a look at the weather forecast to find a suitable break in the weather, five days before you intend to repair the lawn, add the required amount of seed to a cup or so of fine compost and place it in a black bag with a small amount of moisture and store in a warm (not hot) place. On the fifth day the seed will have germinated in the compost and the entire mixture can be gently broadcast over the required area. The birds are unlikely to take seed that has germinated and it will root down quickly in the growing media you have supplied. If the lawn area is very dry, water it before sowing your seed as watering afterwards could wash the seed out of position. Try and stay off the area until the grass is getting established.

Protect tender plants

Some garden plants such as Cuphea and ferns like Pteris are not frost hardy and should be moved into a frost-free area before it gets too cold. This can sneak up on us quickly and cause terrible damage. Other plants like Dahlias need to be blackened by the first frost before being cut back and protected. In areas where the soil does not drain very quickly they may well need to be lifted, stored on their sides to dry out and then packed in a dry medium before being stored in a frost free and protected area.

If you soil is very free draining Dahlias can usually be left in situ but it is a good idea to mulch around the plant with free draining compost or straw. Last years’ incredibly harsh and changeable weather damaged a lot of plants that would otherwise most likely survived. If you can’t bear to lose a special plant, take cuttings quickly now and bring them on in a greenhouse as a back up option.

Penstemons and Southern hemisphere Salvias should not be cut back any more once the plant is no longer in active growth. To prevent wind-rock, some of the larger Salvia stems can be bent over, but they are hollow and cutting them will allow water ingress and subsequent rotting. As with most herbaceous perennials, the new seasons growth will emerge from buds at the base of the plant, so cutting back hard in Autumn will expose those delicate buds to the worst of the Winter weather. Leave them up and use a good mulch around the plant to protect the soil and prevent the buds being exposed by soil erosion.

Mulch, mulch and mulch

You can apply organic mulch in Autumn or Spring if the conditions are right (the soil is warm and moist) but applying in Autumn has the added benefit of protecting your existing soil from erosion by water and wind. It will also give protection for ground dwelling beneficial insects that will tackle the aphids that attack newly emerging, soft spring growth. Those same insects are part of the food chain and could help keep your garden animals and birds fed over Winter. A point to remember is always mulch around plants rather than over them. Even trees can succumb to rot if mulch is piled up against their stems.

Protect taller plants from wind damage

If you haven’t already provided staking for your taller, more statuesque plants, you may need to give them some support now if they are growing in a site that is exposed to the wind. We have a range of beautiful steel supports by Metal in Bloom available on the nursery but you can use bamboo canes or twiggy pea sticks if suitable. Tie in gently using twine or soft coated ties but allow the stem some movement to prevent it snapping. Our previous article on staking and plant supports could be of use if you need more information.

Plant Spring Bulbs

Most Spring bulbs can be planted now just make sure they are planted at the correct depth. Tulips can benefit from being planted later, after the first frost. This is to protect them from a soil born virus called Tulip Fire which should be killed by the cold. Bulbs planted in pots should always be in fresh compost (to avoid pests and disease) and the pots raised so they never stand in a puddle. Most bulbs like free draining conditions and standing in consistently sodden conditions will make them rot.  

Trim Hedges

This is the last opportunity to trim and tidy hedges, but try to avoid cutting plants that provide late season flowers for bees and Winter berries for the birds. In Spring the birds will be using those same hedges for their nests, so disturbing them by cutting in Spring is both illegal and highly unethical. 

Leave seed heads in place

Winter can be a terribly difficult time for our native wildlife so please forego the need to tidy your gardens and “put them to bed”. Birds will eat the seed heads and the stems of those same plants can provide shelter for our most beneficial insects. Leave fallen leaves in place on the flower beds to protect the soil and its inhabitants. As the leaves rot they will act like a mulch and be taken down into the soil by worms in Spring, improving it massively. If you need to collect fallen leaves on lawns and paths etc, gather them up and place in a cage to make leaf mould or allow them to break down in piles away from the wind. Pile up fallen twigs, bark and small branches to provide shelter for anything from hedgehogs to frogs, toads and insects.

Open up your greenhouses on warm days

Only water plants in your greenhouses that need it in the morning. This allows your greenhouse to dry out during the day. Whenever possible also open up the greenhouse during the day to encourage air flow and prevent diseases such as Botrytis and Mildew. Wash down pots, tools and benches as you go and clean and sharpen your tools ready for next Spring. Tools with wooden handles will benefit from a wipe with a rag soaked in boiled Linseed or Tung oils. These are used because they dry quickly but Coconut and Walnut oils work well too. You can significantly prolong the life of your wooden handled tools in this way.