1. Hedge cutting
- October is the best time to trim your hedges so that they are shaped and tidy for the winter months. Using a hedge trimmer or garden shears, cut back the growth to the width and height you’re happy with. Clear the brush and leaves away and if possible turn the first couple of inches of soil, ready for a feed in the spring.
- If you have areas of hedge to replace, October is the best time to replant too!
2. Plant prepared Hyacinths for indoor flowering
- Plant prepared hyacinths in vases to provide winter scent and a splash of colour to your home. For hyacinths that will flower around the Christmas period, make sure you buy bulbs that are labelled ‘prepared’ and plant them in early October.
3. Continue to plant spring-flowering bulbs
- Choose from our selection in the nurseries glasshouse.
- As temperatures start to fall (but before frosts are realistically possible) Autumn is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as Daffodils, Crocus and Tulips, preferably by the end of October.
4. Autumn prune Roses
- Prune rambling and climbing roses once they've finished flowering, and tie in the stems before autumn winds cause damage.
- Cut back shrub, HT and Floribunda roses by about half to protect from wind rock.
- Clear up fallen rose leaves to prevent diseases such as black spot from over-wintering. To avoid the spread of damaging fungi, don't compost the leaves.
5. Remember from last month...
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Autumn lawn care
Best done through September but can be done in to October. -
Rake your lawn (Scarifying)
To remove thatch (dead grass and moss), rake vigorously but carefully wit a spring-tined rake. -
Aerating (or spiking)
Using a digging fork, aerator or hollow tine tool aerate the lawns which allows better movement of air and water in the root zone. A well-aerated lawn will manage better in periods of drought or waterlogging. Small areas can be spiked with a garden fork, spacing holes 10-15cm (4-6in) apart and deep. On clay or waterlogged soils use a hollow-tine aerator every three to four years. This extracts plugs of soil from the lawn. -
Top-dressing
Top-dressing is the application of loam, sand and well-rotted organic matter to a lawn in order to correct surface irregularities (a bumpy surface) and improve the texture of heavy soils. The top dressing fills the holes created by aeration. This process encourages better rooting and thicker grass.
Ask in the nurseries for further advice on any subject to do with your garden 🍃