WHAT TO DO THIS MONTH?

The days are getting shorter and colder, well they should be, but there’s still jobs to be done in the garden. You can still prune and even do some planting. Here are some things to do so that your garden is ready to go when spring arrives next year.

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General Maintenance

1. Continue to mow the lawn in mild spells if the grass is still growing but don’t cut it too short. Raise the height of the blades so that you just trim the tops.

2. Give evergreen hedging a final trim.

3. Cut up faded old bedding plants, annuals and crops and add to the compost bin.

4. Wrap insulation around outside taps and pipes.

5. Wrap larger pots in hessian or bubble-wrap to protect from freezing.

6. Sweep up and tidy paths and steps to clear dead leaves, dirt and muck before they freeze and get slippery.

7. Put up a bird feeders and fill with high energy feed such as suet balls and nuts.

 

Flowers & Shrubs

1. Plant Tulip bulbs and cover with at least twice their depth in bulb fibre or soil.

2. Lift Dahlia tubers, Gladiola corms and begonia tubers and store in a dry place for winter.

3. You can still plant trees, shrubs and conifers while the ground is still warm and before it gets too cold.

4. Sow sweet peas for earlier flowers next year. Soak the seeds in water overnight before sowing, then place the pots in a cold frame or greenhouse to overwinter.

5. Cut off the old leaves of Hellebores at ground level. This helps to see the winter flowers and stop hellebore black spot.

6. Lift and divide perennial clumps that have become too big for their spot.

7. For tender plants that you can't over winter in a frost free place wrap them in fleece now.

 

Fruit & Vegetables

1. Take hardwood cuttings from currants, blueberry and gooseberry bushes.

2. Prune autumn fruiting raspberries to the ground level after harvesting.

3. Prune fruit trees, such as apples and pears, and shrubs that have lost their leaves as it's easier to see broken and crossing branches. Apply grease bands to fruit trees to deter moths.

4. Support Brussel Sprout plants as they become top heavy. Build up the soil around the stems to help support the plants.

5. Tidy up strawberry plants. Cut back old foliage, congested runners and remove any weeds.

6. Keep harvesting carrots, cabbages and celeriac but wait until after the first frost to harvest parsnips as they will then have a sweeter flavour.

7. Plant onion, shallot and garlic sets. Hard neck garlic is best for the north.

8. After harvesting your veg, spread well-rotted farmyard manure on the beds so that it has time to work into the soil over winter.

  

Whatever you chose to do enjoy the cold crisp days and the artistry of nature with the frost on the spiders’ webs, grasses and flower heads. If you find you need spring bulbs, fleece, pot feet or anything else for the garden come and see us at Thorp Perrow Garden Centre and see how we can help. We look forward to seeing you. 

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