October the time of year when I notice more change in garden than at any other time. The days are getting cooler and shorter, we’re waking up to delicate autumn mists and the ground is moist and cool. It’s time to start getting your garden into shape to weather the winter and spring back into life next year.
Pruning
If you’ve got plants that need deadheading, now’s the time to get stuck in, cutting back to create healthy growth for next year. You can also cut back shrubbery to keep it in shape.
Lawn care
Grass growth is slowing down, so raise the height of your lawn mower blade and only cut around once a fortnight so you don’t over-trim. Watch out for damp patches as you mow – you should avoid mowing wet or frosty grass as it can damage the turf.
It’s a good idea to use a specialist autumn lawn feed that encourages healthy, green growth and prevents moss build up over the winter.
If you don’t want to take on an unruly lawn yourself, it’s a good reason to call in a professional gardener for a final mow, reseed and feed.
Rake up dead leaves from lawns and borders as they start to fall to prevent too much build up. You can either compost them or leave them in piles in quiet areas for wildlife such as hedgehogs.
If you’ve got apple trees, pick up the windfalls as soon as you can as rotting fruit can easily damage your lawn if left where it is. If the apples are in good condition you can store them, or of course eat them! Add broken or rotting fruit to your compost heap and cover with grass and leaves to keep rodents and insects away.
To attract birds to the garden without spending anything on bird feed, chop your windfall apples in half, push a string through the apple with a skewer and hang from tree branches or a bird table.
[box type=”bio”] Top tip: Don’t have a compost heap? If you’re gardening in Oxfordshire, the county council have special discounts available for garden composters. Check out this website for details.[/box]
