4 minute read
Gardening Diary
‘ For every fog in October, a snow in winter.'
Rain, wind and cloud often characterise our weather in October, though we may hope for an Indian summer about the middle of the month when a short spell of mellow anticyclonic weather often occurs. We should be taking full advantage of these gentle spells to finish up our autumn digging.
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Deadline Trafalgar Day.
Weeds make a strong showing in autumn, so that hoe should be doing brisk work; for great mischief they will do if left unchecked at this late season.
We may now make a start with tidying up the perennials in the herbaceous border, some gardeners prefer to leave the old topgrowth on the plant for winter protection whilst some like to clear away the old growth once flowering is finished, leaving to leave a more shipshape and tidy border. A tidier border feels healthier and less prone to harbouring disease and mould over the winter and also allows the soil to be more effectively forked over, though this removal of the top cover give less protection from frost.
Dahlias may be lifted once the foliage has blackened, there is little point in leaving them in beyond the end of the month as tuber growth will be completed by then.
Around the middle of the month we can may start planting out wallflowers, polyanthus, forget-menots, Sweet Williams, Canterbury bells, foxgloves and other similar plants which are grown as biennials or for a spring bedding display. Before putting these in, the soil should be dug to a spade’s depth. Fertiliser may be added but only of the slow releasing types, i.e bone meal and not a quick release nitrogen based spring or summer fertiliser.
The last cut of the lawn will now take place, the blade height may be lifted; no golfing green cuts in
October.
The vegetable plot. Push ahead with autumn digging. We dwelt on dung and his cousins at length in the last issue but it is worth reminding ourselves again that September and October are the months to dig in old horse droppings or compost, especially important for brassicas, not too much for the root crops or you may end up with amusingly shaped vegetables next year. Bastard trench heavy ground, throwing in newspaper, Christmas jumpers, gossip magazines, sharp sand, compost and rats; anything to improve the texture and workability of our clay. Only after a morning of bastard trenching may we, without guilt or self-reproach, indulge in that long pipe in the potting shed. Make the most of the last of the Runner and French beans by picking all sizeable beans daily, especially if frost is forecast. Autumn sown broad beans are a must, a sturdy two inch bean plant seen pushing through at Christmas makes a happy sight and bodes well for an early and black fly resistant crop in spring. In anticipation of rain and gale, it is very important to firmly stake Brussels sprouts.
All brassicas need to be firmly planted; they greatly resent any movement or looseness around the roots. Top growth of Jerusalem artichokes can be cut down but no need to lift the roots as they may be dug as required. Beware of a surfeit of this root in polite company.
Sites for November planting of fruit trees may be thoroughly prepared now by digging in plenty of old manure with a handful of bonemeal. It pays to do this well in advance of planting to allow the mix to fester down and the air to escape, likewise new rose beds should be thoroughly prepared, especially so on our clay soil. Rambler roses may now be pruned and trained, the aim is to cut out as much of the growth that has already flowered, those that make strong growth from the base should have the old stems cut out at ground level whilst those which make little basal growth should have the old growth cut back to a point just above that at which the strong new growth starts.
Now that the cricket season is over we may bestir ourselves to switch off the wireless set, knock out our pipes, end our ruminations over the onions drying in the shed and get out into the garden, there are jobs to do wherever we look and we are losing three minutes of light a day, so we can ill afford any tardiness in the garden.
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