Check out our latest gardening reminders for October 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs and fruit bushes, lift and divide rhubarb crowns when the leaves have died away.
2) With only 50-65mm of rain expected in October in the north, together with a number of sunny days, try and make a start on some of the winter jobs completed before the real winter weather sets in. Dispose of fallen apples as they will not store and may carry over disease if left outside.
3) Collect seeds of those plants you wish to increase. Store dry seeds in paper bags in an airtight container on the bottom shelf of the fridge. If unsure when to sow, sow half the seed on the collection and the other half in spring.
4) Frequently collect fallen leaves from around the garden and store in a wire-netting mesh bin using four wooden posts at the corners. Filled in October and November you should have a rich compost by next autumn. Do not leave fallen leaves on the lawn.
5) Clear leaves from around all alpine plants. If they are to be left outside, provide the protection of a cold frame, or even a glass or plastic cloche, to prevent plants becoming waterlogged.
6) When the foliage is dropping from tall shrubs such as Buddleias and Lavatera, cut them back to half the height to which they will be pruned in the spring, which will prevent winter gale damage.
7) It is fine to plant Daffodils and many other spring-flowering bulbs this month, but leave tulip bulbs until November to reduce the incidence of Tulip Fire disease.
8) Move non-hardy plants grown in containers e.g figs, olives, bay trees and palms, under the shelter of a greenhouse or sunroom.
9) Apply grease bands around the trunks of apple trees as a barrier to winter moths. Apply the correct grease the trees with rough or smooth bark. Rake up leaves around rose bushes to prevent Black Spot being carried over to next year.
10) Berries are popular with birds in winter, but they dislike yellow ones such as viburnum, Holly and Pyracantha.
11) Remove any shading applied to glasshouse roofs and fit bubble insulation to the sides.
12) Plant up containers with winter bedding such as pansies, violas, polyanthus, variegated ivy, bulbs and Conifers etc.
13) Clean out ponds and remove water pumps for the winter.
14) Give conifer hedges a final trim, and finish planting evergreen shrubs whilst the soil is still warm.
15) Raise the blades on the lawnmower a little now that growth has slowed significantly.
Posted 6th Oct 9:55am