Hello, and many happy returns!
Autumn is officially here, everybody, and it's time for you to tidy up and take care of your garden in preparation for the later seasons. This week, we thought we'd give you some tips on how you can do just that.
Let's do this thing then.
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Allotments
Autumn is the season of crops and harvesting, so if you've been growing fruit and vegetables in an allotment (or in a vegetable patch), then now is the time to collect from your last summer crop.
It is important to clear them, as plots will start to rot and welcome diseases otherwise.
Vegetables that should be ready now are courgettes, salads, and runner beans, to name a few. In terms of fruits, like apples and pears, be sure to monitor them, as they will soon be ready to harvest.
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Sowing and Planting
Autumn is a great time to sow hardy annual seeds like scabiosa, cornflowers, and ammi, as well as plant bulbs like daffodils and tulips. The latter can be planted in either flower borders or pots.
If you haven't already, be sure to check out our previous blog post 'Six Gardening Jobs to do in September' for further info on bulb planting.
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Removing Leaves
It's fine to leave leaves (pun intended) in certain parts of your garden, like hedges, where overwintering wildlife can stay, but having leaves elsewhere can lead to your borders and lawns getting damaged. They can also make your paths slippery and cause some of your herbaceous perennials to die.
Either rake your leaves or gather them with an extended metal grabber. The beauty of Autumn leaves, when they are damp, is that you can use them to make leaf mould, which improves your soil and can be used to feed next year's plants (gotta love a life hack!)
You should also remove leaves from around pest- or disease-prone plants like roses. Neglecting to do so will lead to diseases occurring in Winter.
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Cleaning Feeders
It's always a good idea to clean out your bird feeders and boxes.
Unfertilised eggs and other debris can carry disease, so you should make sure to clean them with hot water before they go back out again.
Bird baths also need to be cleaned and regularly refilled with water.
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Tidying Borders
Keeping your borders tidy is extremely important.
Clear any dead stems and foliage on perennials present within your borders. When your compost is ready to use, crack on with spreading it over your borders' soil. This will feed next year's growth and help insulate the roots when Winter frosts come into town.
In terms of lawn borders, you can maintain a neatly cut and edged lawn by mowing it one last time. Set your mower blades higher than what you would normally do so the grass will stay long during Winter. Cut your edges with an edging tool to keep their lines looking pristine.
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Removing Supports
Autumn is the time to remove canes and other plant supports.
Once you've removed them, wash or wipe off any soil and then let them dry off before storing them inside, or somewhere sheltered, where bad weather can't reach them and cause damage.
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Pond Cleaning
Fishing out (is this a pun?) dead leaves from your pond can't hurt.
Leaves that have fallen to the bottom of your pond reduce water quality and have a bad effect on wildlife. You should also remove any pumps or fountains, making sure to clean and drain them before storing them away for Winter.
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Removing Crops
Remove all crops and crop residues. This will stop pests and diseases from developing.
Should you decide not to replant the ground with any Winter crop, and if conditions are mild enough still, then sow a cover crop or green manure, or even cover the ground with organic mulch to protect it from the impending cold Winter weather.
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Planting New Hedges
Last but not least, why not plant a new wildlife-friendly hedge?
We need to support wildlife in all that we can, and planting bushes is a great way to do it. Berry-producing hedges like hawthorn or shrubs like pussy willow can help support insects like butterflies. And who doesn't like butterflies?
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And that's it for this week folks.
It's been a pleasure having you.
Stay tuned for more worthwhile content. Goodbye for now!