So as we begin another month-long lock down today, now is a great time to re-focus on your garden and really get it ready to face the Winter.
Here's my top five jobs for this month.
Plant Tulip Bulbs
A splash of colour in the Spring will never be more welcome than next year. November is the perfect time for planting tulips as this help reduce problems with tulip fire. Put a layer of grit in the bottom of the hole to prevent the bulbs rotting, plant at least two bulbs width apart and 2/3 bulbs deep.
2. Plant bare root hedging
Between Oct - Feb is the perfect time to plant a bare root hedge. Bare root hedge plants are usually much cheaper than container grown but have quite specific planting requirements. Before planting dig a 30cm trench either side of your hedge line, remove any weeds and enrich the soil with bone meal. It is very important that you keep the roots moist and soak the plants for an hour before planting. Dig a v-shaped trench for your bare root plant and lightly prune the roots to encourage vigorous growth. Apply Rootgrow to the trench and space the plants approx 45cm apart and ensure that the planting depth is the same as they were previously planted. Heel the plants in and cover the surrounding soil with a mulch.
3. Collect fallen leaves
See fallen leaves as an added bonus not a chore. Once collected, store in a bin bag over Winter and you should have some lovely leaf mould to use as a mulch on your borders next year.
4. Raise pots of the ground
Plants in containers don't like sitting in water or frost so it's a good idea to raise them off the ground slightly to help with drainage. Pot feet or bricks work well for this.
5. Prune apple trees
Now the leaves have dropped and the trees are in a dormant state, it's the time to prune your apple trees to ensure a good shape and productive fruiting for next year.
Here's some advice on how to do it.
So embrace your garden during lockdown. It will thank you for it next year.
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