October Gardening Tips

Autumn is well and truly uderway the birds are migrating and leaves turning colour and the first squashes are ripening October is a colourful month in the garden, as always there is a lot to do.

We are now entering a period during which gentle maintenance of the garden is key.

Start by regularly raking your lawn, specifically take care to remove fallen leaves from the lawn these can be saved and stored in a leaf bag this encourages the leaves to break down they can then be used as a compost called leaf mould.

When well rotted (Over two years) Leaf mould is perfect for sowing seeds, it can also be mixed with sand and garden compost to create a robust and useful potting compost.

October is the ideal time to cut your lawn for the last time this year. It is best practice to raise the blades slightly as a slightly longer cut will help to protect the lawn from frost damage throughout the winter months

Should any areas of your lawn be a little tired October is a perfect time to lay turf unlike the spring and summer months turf laid in October will not need regular watering less heat, and more rainfall creates the ideal conditions.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast during October and at the first sign of a frost move any tender plants from the garden into a conservatory or greenhouse if you need to move inside try to make sure they are in an area that is not too hot and receives an adequate level of light.

In Kent, it is likely to be November until you need to move tender plants indoors this is due to the slightly better climate in our corner of England.