October Jobs

Ornamental Garden:

• Mulch borders to lock in soil moisture.
• Continue deadheading as required.
• Remove fallen leaves from roses to prevent blackspot.
• Continue to tidy borders of weeds and leaves.
• Transplant any plants that need to be moved.
• Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils etc. Except for tulips – wait until November to avoid tulip blight.
• Lift and divide perennials.  
• Plant up containers etc. for winter bedding displays.
• Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs while the soil is moist and warm.
• Sow sweet peas under glass.
• Lift summer flowering bulbs/tubers and overwinter in the greenhouse or heavily mulch and leave in the ground. E.g. gladioli, dahlia, canna.
• Cut back herbaceous perennials as they die back.
• Prune climbing roses to avoid wind rock.

Vegetable Garden:

• Begin planting garlic.
• Apply fleece to late season crops when frost is forecast.
• Lift and divide rhubarb.
• Clear away old foliage of strawberries to prevent pest and diseases.
• Pot up herbs and place in a frost-free greenhouse to continue cropping through the winter.  
• Complete planting onion sets and plant out spring cabbage.
• Harvest squash and pumpkin if not already done so.