October in the Garden

October sits at the heart of autumn for gardeners. Harvesting is in full swing, with slicing, dicing, freezing and storing all on the go. There are also those general jobs to keep on top of: tidying up, preparing for winter, and, yes, even sowing a few seeds now. 

We’ve pulled together a handy list along with some thoughts on mulching. Add in our special offers, and you’ve got everything you need to keep enjoying your garden and home-grown goodness. 

The full list for October Sowing can be found in the easy seed planner

Sow with protection (cloches, coldframe, unheated greenhouse): early summer cauliflowers, winter lettuce, cut-&-come-again crops such as cress, oriental salads, salad rape, rocket, texel greens.

Tip: reuse this year’s old growbags from your tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  There’s still plenty of goodness left in them for winter lettuces and other leafy crops.

Plant under cover: endive, remaining salads and orientals from earlier sowings.

• Earth up leeks for longer pale shanks

• Cut back and earth up any chicory you want for outdoor forcing

• Mulch celeriac and parsnips with straw, it makes the parsnips easier to find later in the winter.

• Use straw, cloches or fleece tunnels to protect red chicories, salad plants and oriental greens as the weather cools and frosts become more likely

• Thin out swedes, corn salad and winter lettuce if needed.

• Take off any dead or yellow leaves from winter brassicas and add them to your compost heap

• Check you are protecting your brussels and broccoli from hungry pigeons

• Pick those green tomatoes and store them in a dark, frost-free place to ripen, or turn them into green tomato chutney.

• In cold areas, lift and store carrots and beetroot.

• Bring in pumpkins, squashes and marrows before the first frost.

• Harvest your last runner beans before the cold weather finishes them off

Harvest fresh: Basil, Borage, Chervil, Fennel, Marigold, Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Winter Savory, Sorrel and Thyme 

• Collect herb seed as it ripens.

• Tidy up and compost dying foliage and stems.

• Cut back mints and trim winter savory & hyssop.

• Give remaining herbs a dressing of leaf mould if you can.

• Reduce watering & move container herbs under protection (coldframe, greenhouse or conservatory).

• Dig up and remove the annuals, but pot up a few favourites to bring indoors.

• Sow sweet cicely, lavender, cumin and others – look at the October herb list for more

• Mulch as plants die back

• Dig out any weeds that have been hiding underneath your ornamentals 

• Sow sweet peas to overwinter for early flowers next year

For more options filter the flowers by sow in October 

• Transplant strongest seed-raised rhubarb plants

• Tidy up your existing strawberry patch and add leaf mould or a mulch.

• Sow alpine strawberries.

• For your fruit bushes and trees…check for pests, diseases and dieback.  Top up sticky bands.  Protect ripening fruit from the birds.

• Tidy up pea sticks, canes and netting.

• Dig and manure on heavy soils.

• Start your bean trench: dig a spade deep and add compost and veg scraps, covering each addition with soil.  By the spring you’ll have a rich planting area for your runners and climbing beans.

• Mulch bare areas in your garden to preserve nutrients and support the soil structure.   More about mulches below.

• Give your greenhouse a good clean and clear-out – but leave the spiders to deal with the bugs you don’t want!

• Wash out pots and trays so they’re ready for the spring rush.

• Time for the last lawn cuts, raising the blades a little.  Use the clippings for mulch.

Good mulch helps lock in nutrients, protect soil and keep weeds down.

Try:

• wetted autumn leaves (wet so they don’t blow everywhere)

• Make a mix of straw, grass clippings and autumn leaves.  

• Use cut back and chopped up runner/French bean and sweet pea plants.  

• Newspaper covered with damp grass clippings is an excellent weed suppressant.

A straw mulch is the greener option for protecting plants. It looks lovely too, though a full bale can be heavy to move and may bring in a few weed seeds. In small gardens, cloches or fleece tunnels can be an easier alternative.

On the allotment, straw is tougher for vandals to damage and less tempting to pinch. Use ground netting to stop it blowing about and keep weeds in check with regular hoeing. It’s my top choice for paths and around veg beds – practical, natural and satisfying to use.

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🍂A little time spent now will make all the difference later. Tidy beds, mulched soil and a few protected crops mean you’ll step into winter relaxed and ready for the next round of growing. Check the Easy Veg Planner and our October offers for ideas to keep your garden productive.