October Gardening Jobs - what to do this month?

October is one of the busiest months in the gardening calendar. New plants, bulbs and mulching all feature this month. Here's my guide to the top 5 October gardening jobs.

1. Plant Spring flowering Bulbs (but not tulips yet)

Bulb planting in my N16 Woodland Planting Design

Now is the month to plant Narcissi, Crocus and Fritillaria bulbs. Add grit to the bottom of the planting hole and rule of thumb is plant at a depth 3 x the size of the bulbs. I'm experimenting with chilli powder this year to see if it helps stop the squirrels digging up the bulbs.

2. Assess your flower beds

   
   

   

   Herbaceous border in my E11 Naturalistic Planting Design

   
   

   October is the perfect time to take a look at your flower beds and assess them. Are there gaps which need filling with either new plants or could you lift and divide congested perennials to create new plants for free? It's also the perfect time to move deciduous shrubs that have outgrown their space or are underperforming.

   
   

3. Lawn Maintenance

Aerate your lawn with a garden fork

If you lawn has suffered over the Summer, now is the time to nuture and repair it. Reseed any bare patches, aerate with a fork and feed your lawn this month to see the benefits in the Spring.

4. Mulch your beds

   
   

   

   Newly mulched beds in my E9 Romantic Garden

   Mulching does a fantastic job of breaking down heavy soils, suppressing weeds and holding moisture in the soil. I usually use fine composted bark at around 5cm depth around the plants, leaving plenty of room around trees and woody shrubs.

   
   

5. Rake up fallen leaves

   
   

   

   Rake up fallen leaves

   
   

   Rake up leaves from lawns and paths but leave on flower beds (except on the crowns of plants where they can rot the plant). Make leaf mould with the raked up leaves for use as compost in the future.