It feels like a bit of a false start to spring, a bit of warm sunny weather and pleasant days outside and then the chill returned and brought with it a healthy dose of rain. Rain, of course, is always welcome at this time of year in the garden and a good chance to throw down some fertiliser or weed and feed on the lawn. A bit of other organic material like compost, manure or the leaf mould that’s been left to percolate in a neat pile over winter are excellent additions to your garden beds and scattered around established trees and shrubs.
October is a month where there’s always plenty to do in the garden, especially if you’re a late starter to the spring season. Lawns in particular will need regular mowing for the next few months and the advice is usually to cut less off but mow more frequently. Don’t fret too much if you cut it lower though because it can help remove a bit of that winter thatch build up if you haven’t had the time to rake it out just yet. Be more mindful of the grass length when the hot summer weather arrives as roots can easily get scorched if you cut the lawn too short.
The rest of the garden will also need some love this month. Spent flowers from your early spring bloomers can be trimmed back and deadheading might even encourage a further flush on some varieties. Hedges can have their first cut of the season if they haven’t already been trimmed and tidied, but for taller hedges requiring a skilled eye, you might like to get someone in to make it look its best. Keep an eye on all your trees and shrubs as they begin to grow this time of year, any stunted or unusual growth may indicate a problem with pest and disease that should be dealt with as soon as it’s discovered.
With the recent rains supplying us with a welcome bounty in the garden, it’s a good idea to put down a fresh layer of mulch to lock in all that moisture while you can. The retention of moisture in your garden beds is crucial going into the warmer months, so it is best to start on it now and, coupled with a spring feed, your garden will be soaring right through to Christmas. It’s also the time to plant, so get out there and add something new to the garden while the growing season is in full swing!
October jobs to do now:
- Top up mulch
- Repot container plants
- Check/install irrigation systems
- Feed and aerate lawns
