Autumn Gardening

With the nights drawing in, clocks going back and colder nights afoot your garden does not have to suffer. Many flowers, fruits and vegetables thrive during the colder months.

With the nights drawing in, clocks going back and colder nights afoot your garden does not have to suffer. Many flowers, fruits and vegetables thrive during the colder months.

Top Tip

October is a good time for digging over vacant areas of the vegetable plot, as the approaching cold weather may help to improve the soil structure by breaking down large clumps into crumbly particles.

Flowers

Now is the time to think about how to light up the garden when it wakes after hibernation. Bulbs are incredible value, for they have instant impact, but it is always better to buy few varieties and larger numbers of each.

Fruit

  • Plant cranberries and lingonberries.
  • Take cuttings of blueberries, currants and gooseberries and dig up rooted layers of black- and hybrid berries.

Vegetables

  • In mild areas you can sow overwintering broad beans in situ (mild regions only). Cover broad beans with fleece or cloches to provide insulation in colder areas, as well as protection from pigeons.
  • Carrots and peas can still be sown in cold frames, but only in mild areas.
    Plant out spring cabbages if not already done. Remember to net them for protection from pigeons.
  • Finish planting autumn onion sets for a crop in early to mid-summer next year.
  • Plant garlic cloves.
  • In the south of England, green manures can still be sown until the middle of the month.

Read more about general care during October from RHS.

See all of our personalised planter crates and crate planting kits here on our site.