Gardeing jobs for Autumn
After the long hot summer, the weather has finally broken and though we’re not quite there yet, Autumn is fast approaching.
It’s a busy time of the year so working smart rather than hard will take a lot of the pressure off.
Plan: Review your pictures of the garden through this year and make a note of any plants you wish to move and to where. Those you intend to split and re-plant and add any plants you want to beef up to your autumn planting. See the link below for Rosy’s recommendations for Autumn planting. Decide where and when you will be mulching, remember to mulch around but not touching your plants.
Get your mulch ready – do you need to turn the compost heap or buy in what you need? Our Melcourt Farmyard soil improver is great or you can purchase mulch from suppliers who process plant material through an anaerobic digester. Buy it as early as possible so you can open up the bag and let the smell of alcohol evaporate off before you need to use it.
Think about your local wildlife and make sure there are plenty of safe spaces to provide shelter for insects and small mammals. Piles of logs, twigs and leaves for hedgehogs, frogs, toads and ground dwelling beetles etc. Holes drilled in wooden posts for solitary bees and where possible leave as much foliage in place for beneficial insects and pollinators to over winter. If possible let the leaves that fall in the beds stay where they are to protect the new buds of your perennials as they emerge. This will also improve and protect your precious organic soil layer from erosion by the worst of the winter weather. Adding a feeding station or two for the birds now, will give them time to get used to it before you need to start feeding.
Plant spring flowering bulbs, but tulips should be planted after the first frost to avoid a soil borne virus called Tulip Fire.
Clean out any outdoor pots that are no longer in use and store them upside down in a sheltered space. Lift pots, that still have plants, off the ground on pot feet or brick so they don't end up sitting in a puddle. Standing in water could cause your plants to drown and rot out. If stacking empty pots, a layer of fleece between each pot will stop them sticking together and help prevent cracking.
Give your herbs a final cut down now and they will regrow some tender new shoots that can be chopped later and frozen for winter use. Harvest fruit and veg that is not to grow on through the winter. Chop and prepare as much as possible for freezing and preserving. Even if you’re not able to eat it all, some prettily labelled jars of food you’ve grown and made, make great presents. Tomato gluts can be made into jars of Ragu or Passata which are always useful for comforting winter dishes.
If you plan to be over-wintering plants in a green house, now is the time to clean it out and wash down the glass. Compost any dead plants and add the used growing media to your compost or mulch. Wash out all the greenhouse pots and trays, using a warm solution of vinegar and water to remove all pests and diseases, and let the pots dry in the sun before storing them away. A solution of warm water and dish soap will get the glass clean and let in more light during the winter. Make sure you use up all bags of compost or use them to improve your beds. Try not to keep even unopened bags of compost over winter as they deteriorate and open bags can become winter homes for all manner of pests.
If you are storing very tender plants then it’s a good idea to line the inside of the greenhouse with fleece or bubble wrap but remember to open up the greenhouse during the day, whenever possible to keep the air moving and prevent disease.
Remove any leaves or moss build-up in gutters and wash out your water butts ready for them to refill over the winter. No soaps or chemicals are needed just water and a pan-scourer. You can clean out watering cans too.
Finally chose a particularly inclement bout of weather sit down and make a list of all the changes you would like to make next year. Our website, seed catalogues and garden magazines, that you didn’t have time to read in the year just gone, can be great sources of inspiration.
It’s very easy to walk around the garden and be overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do. So, by making a list you can prioritise and tick off the things that need to be done quickly and take your time over the rest.
Perfect perennials in September