BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Gardening Planner 2021

AUTUMN GARDENING PLANNER 2021 AUGUST - NOVEMBER

Timely advice and simple projects for your best-ever results

Contents August 4

September 12

Give hedges a trim, collect seeds from your favourite plants, and keep your veg plants cropping

It’s bulb planting time, so create a pot display and spring meadow, and build a wildlife log stack

October 20

November 26

Admire the spectacular colours of the season and rake up those fallen leaves to make leafmould

Perk up your patio by planting a Japanese maple in a container and making a vibrant pot display

Every month includes

September September is the month of harvests, some to eat fresh, such as courgettes and kale, but plenty (apples, pears and chillies) to store for later too. The days can still be hot, so ripening is good, but they’re getting shorter and the nights are longer and colder, so growth is slowing down. As well as enjoying the crops and late-summer flowers that are at their peak this month, you can start preparing for next year. The soil is still warm, so it’s a good time to put in new plants and sow a new lawn, as well as plant up bulb containers for a burst of colour in spring.

Essential monthly jobs L Expert tips and advice L Quick and easy tasks L Wildlife know-how L

KEY TASKS

Sow

 Hardy annuals, such as pot marigolds and love-in-a-mist

As long as the weather stays warm, the harvests will keep coming this month 12

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 Japanese onions  Oriental leaves  Spinach

Plant

 Fruit trees and bushes

 Spring bulbs, including crocuses and daffodils

 Strawberries

Prune

 Blackberries  Hedges  Hybrid berries  Summer-flowering shrubs – after flowering

 Summer-fruiting raspberries

Harvest

 Autumn cabbages  Autumn raspberries  Chillies and sweet peppers

     

Courgettes Kale Maincrop potatoes Runner beans Tomatoes Tree fruit, including apples and pears

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August In August the days are still long, the weather warm and the garden is rich in colour and produce. It’s a delicious – and busy – time.

Regular deadheading, pruning and harvesting will help to keep everything productive and in good shape. But by the end of the month, the garden needs a bit of neatening up and nothing does that better than giving hedges a trim. There’s a huge range of crops to pick too, from tomatoes to courgettes, more lettuces than can be eaten, and bowlfuls of soft fruit. So have a go at making chutney and jam, or freeze your excess bounty to enjoy in winter.

KEY TASKS

Sow

Picking flowers to enjoy indoors or give to friends will encourage your plants to produce even more

 Corn salad  Hardy annuals  Oriental vegetables  Radishes  Rocket  Spring cabbages

Plant

Prune

 Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as colchicums

 Salad seedlings

 Lavender – after flowering

 Pyracantha – new shoots to reveal the berries

 Rambling roses  Wisteria – if not done already

Harvest

 Beetroot  Chillies  Courgettes  French and runner beans

 Herbs  Summer squashes  Sweetcorn  Tomatoes

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Clean up your pond

Clear algae, pondweed and dead leaves from the water to prevent de-oxygenation as they rot.

Cut back vigorous plants, thin out waterlily leaves, and remove floating weed. Also try to fish out debris that has sunk to the bottom. Leave everything piled beside the pond for a few hours, so any creatures can get back into the water, then compost it all.

August

What to do this month Enjoy a bountiful August, with our tips on the top jobs to do throughout the garden

Around the garden Trim your hedges

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Give your hedges the chance to thicken and harden up their new growth ready for winter by trimming them now. Birds will have finished nesting, so won’t be disturbed.  Box, privet, yew and this pittosporum are ideal candidates.  Lavender too can be cut now and will then stay compact for next year.

You may lose some of the last blooms, but it’s worth it not to have bare, sprawling branches in future.  Hand shears are ideal for small hedges, while a powered trimmer makes the job easier on larger ones.  Choose a day when the weather is mild and dry, as it will cause the least stress to the plants.  Lay down a sheet of tarpaulin to make tidying up the clippings easier.

Trim the sides first, from the base up. Keep the blades parallel to the face of the hedge. If using a powered trimmer, use long sweeping strokes. Stop regularly to check your work is even and aligned.

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Trim along the top of the hedge, sweeping off the clippings regularly as you go along.

For tall hedges, you may need a trestle or platform ladder – ensure it is stable and safe before using.

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Check the level along the top by eye, or use a line. Cut again if necessary to even up, then pick out any remaining clippings. Collect the clippings, chop or shred, then add to your compost heap.

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QUICK & EASY Strengthen your lawn grass by letting it grow longer, so it can better cope with the rigours of summer. Simply raise the height of your mower blades by a notch.

Tackle bindweed Bindweed twines through other plants and you may not even notice it until the white flowers appear. It’s tricky to get rid of, as any bits of root left in the ground can shoot again. So trace its stems down to the base and dig out as much root out as you can. Be persistent – repeatedly removing it will weaken it. Inserting canes nearby for it to climb up can make spotting and removing it easier.

You can use weedkiller, but be careful to keep it away from nearby plants, as it will kill them too.

Cut back the sideshoots of rambler roses after flowering

Prune rambling roses Now that flowering is over, give these vigorous roses their annual trim.

This will help them to produce healthy new flowering wood and reduce the weight on the support structure. Simply thin out the branches that have flowered, selecting young replacements to tie in for next year’s structure. Then reduce all flowered sideshoots by half.

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In your flower patch

Harvest everlasting flowers

Collect seeds Harvest seeds from your favourite plants, so you have plenty for sowing next year. It will save you money on shop-bought seeds and it’s fun to see if the resulting plants have any unique variations.  Cut off whole seedheads when they are dry, just before they open.  If the seeds are ready to fall, just tip them straight into a paper bag.  Some seedheads take time to open. Place these upside down in a paper bag and keep them somewhere dry to release their seeds into the bottom of the bag.  Write the plant name and date on each paper bag, then store in a tin indoors. Sow the seeds in spring.

Plan any changes

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You may be pleased with the plant combinations in your borders this year, or you might feel they need some improvements.  Take photographs now for reference and make notes about what you’d like to do differently next year.  Insert in a short cane with a label next to plants you think need to be moved or given more space, to remind you once the foliage has died back and it’s unrecognisable.  Keep a notebook – it’s so useful to have a record for future years.

QUICK & EASY Weed little and often, so weeds don’t get a chance to set seed or strengthen their roots ready for winter dormancy. The more often you weed, the less time it takes, and the less competition your plants will have for nutrients, water, air and light.

Feed acid-loving shrubs

LOOK OUT FOR vine weevils

Vine weevils and grubs feed on plants in pots.

The grubs do the real damage, killing plants by eating their roots. Apply nematodes to your pots now to kill any grubs.

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Rhododendrons and camellias can do with a boost now, so apply a handful of ericaceous granular fertiliser around the base of these acid-loving shrubs.

Water the fertiliser in using rainwater, then mulch with a layer of well-rotted manure or garden compost. Keep these plants moist at this time of year, as the buds for next year are starting to form and will drop off if conditions are dry.

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The colourful papery flowers of helichrysum, bracteantha and statice are great for drying. Pick the flowers in dry weather, choosing the strongest and longest stems. The flowers must be perfect – any blemished ones should be discarded. Remove the leaves too, then group the flowers into small bunches. Tie each bunch by the ends of the stems and hang them upside down somewhere cool and airy. The stems will take a few weeks to dry, then can be used through winter to provide a welcome flower display out of season.

August

J O B O F T H E MO N T H

Prevent earwig damage If the petals of your blooms are being eaten, earwigs are likely to be the culprits. Chrysanthemums and dahlias are particular favourites of these pincer-wielding insects, which like to devour the soft tissue of petals, rather than tougher leaves or fruit.

Earwigs feed from late spring right through to late summer. After hiding in crevices or among debris during the heat of the day, they climb up flower stems at night to feast on petals. Their mixed diet also includes small insects and their eggs. If you spot earwigs on a fruit tree, they’re feeding on aphids.

It makes sense to trap problem earwigs and move them from your flowers into fruit trees instead, where they can do good by helping to control aphids rather than munching on your best blooms.

Check the traps every morning and shake any earwigs out of the straw.

Release them elsewhere in your garden, then repack the pot ready for the next night’s catch of petal nibblers.

Insert a cane into the ground among affected blooms, so the top is at flower level. Wrap string around the cane just below the top and knot it in place – this will stop the pot sliding down the cane.

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Using a knife, carefully pierce a small cross in the base of a 9cm plastic pot. Then stuff the pot with plenty of straw, ensuring that when the pot is held upside down the straw doesn’t fall out.

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Make a hole in the centre of the straw with your fingers, so that when the pot is placed upside down onto the cane, the straw isn’t further compacted.

It needs to be gappy enough to let the earwigs get right inside.

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Gently press the pot down over the cane top. The cross in the base should flex enough without splitting to allow the pot to fit firmly onto the cane. The pot should be held above the string buffer so it stays at flower height.

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August

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Harvest and store any gluts

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Growing your own Pick fruit and veg regularly so your plants continue cropping into autumn, even if your August harvest appears to be overwhelming. If you can’t keep up with eating everything, share some with friends or start to bottle or freeze it for winter. Water your plants after picking to keep them in growth.  Late varieties of soft fruit – use in summer desserts and preserves.  Courgettes and beans – pick when still small to keep plants productive.  Tomatoes – leave to ripen on the vine for the best flavour. Make sauce with any excess and freeze.  Carrots – lift with a fork when small and sweet. They will keep for a week in the fridge in a perforated bag.  Beetroot – harvest when no bigger than a cricket ball, for tender roots.

Dig up maincrop potatoes

Too many tomatoes to eat? Then cook up tasty pasta sauce to freeze

TOP TIP Stop mosquitoes breeding in your water butt by adding a little oil to the surface of the water. This prevents any larvae from breathing. Mix two teaspoons of vegetable oil into a water sprayer and spray it onto the surface.

Remove bolted veg plants Leaf and root vegetables are inedible once they have bolted or run to flower. A tough flower stalk replaces the tender edible tissue at the base and leaves become bitter. Some plants, such as beetroot, bulb fennel, chard (left) and onions, are more prone to do this than others. Cool night temperatures and dry soil are usually the main causes, although most will do it eventually as part of their lifecycle. Lift out plants as soon as they start to bolt and compost them.

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When the foliage of your potato plants turns yellow and dies back, the potatoes are nearly ready for lifting. Ideally, they’ll need a twoweek period of dry weather in the ground – this hardens them and sets the skin so they store better.

But if wet weather is forecast, it’s best to just harvest them.

Use a fork to loosen the ground, then lift the plant and pick out all the potatoes. Wash or rub off the soil, then select only the perfect tubers for storing. Put them in paper or hessian sacks and store somewhere cool and dark.

LOOK OUT FOR plum rust

This fungal disease forms orange spots on plum leaves, which turn darker as the season progresses. They may fall early too. Although rust looks unsightly, it’s unlikely to reduce the size of your crop, so isn’t worth treating. Feed and mulch your tree to keep it growing strongly.

And don’t forget to... n Check sweetcorn for ripeness n Water containers and hanging baskets daily n Cut back the tops of tomato plants to boost fruit ripening n Finish summer pruning apple trees

Lift onions for storage Onions are ready to harvest when the foliage fades and flops over onto the ground. Lift the bulbs, brush off the soil and check for damage. Use any imperfect ones straight away and dry off the rest.

Either lay them on a wire rack in the sun or bring indoors and space them out on a tray lined with newspaper. Once dry, remove the old foliage and store the onions in net sacks or hang them up.

n Top up bird baths daily during hot weather n Remove greenhouse shading to give plants more light n Prune summerfruiting raspberries after cropping n Net fruit bushes to protect from birds

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September September is the month of harvests, some to eat fresh, such as courgettes and kale, but plenty (apples, pears and chillies) to store for later too. The days can still be hot, so ripening is good, but they’re getting shorter and the nights are longer and colder, so growth is slowing down. As well as enjoying the crops and late-summer flowers that are at their peak this month, you can start preparing for next year. The soil is still warm, so it’s a good time to put in new plants and sow a new lawn, as well as plant up bulb containers for a burst of colour in spring.

KEY TASKS

Sow

 Hardy annuals, such as pot marigolds and love-in-a-mist

As long as the weather stays warm, the harvests will keep coming this month

 Japanese onions  Oriental leaves  Spinach

Plant

 Fruit trees and bushes

 Spring bulbs, including crocuses and daffodils

 Strawberries

Prune

 Blackberries  Hedges  Hybrid berries  Summer-flowering shrubs – after flowering

 Summer-fruiting raspberries

Harvest

 Autumn cabbages  Autumn raspberries  Chillies and sweet peppers

 Courgettes  Kale  Maincrop potatoes  Runner beans  Tomatoes  Tree fruit, including apples and pears

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September

What to do this month Make a wildlife hideaway

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A whole range of garden wildlife will benefit from this log stack. The wider gaps at the base will give sanctuary to frogs and toads, while small mammals and birds can find shelter in the drier sections further up. The pot at the centre makes a decorative feature and is packed with material that provides a haven for insects. These include a host of beneficial predators that will help to control various plant pests in your garden.

Plenty of creatures will take up residence as soon as your stack is built. Then, as the logs and carpet start to decay, it will teem with ever more life and develop a food chain that will continue to sustain wildlife.

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Around the garden

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With autumn arriving, check out our priority jobs for your garden this September

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Dig a shallow trench that’s deep enough to set bricks flush with the soil surface and long enough for two bricks either side of the flower pot. Position the terracotta pot on its side, with one edge slightly buried, wedged in place between the bricks.

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Cut sections of bamboo cane, twigs, hollow stems and palm fronds to length and push into the pot. Incorporate a round log at the centre to hold the materials in place. Pack everything in tightly, right down into the end of the pot.

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Pile logs on top of the bricks and around the pot to make a stable rounded stack. Place a strip of old carpet or rug over the top, with the underside upmost.

Hold the ends in place at the base by leaning a couple of bricks against the stack.

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QUICK & EASY Dig up old, congested perennials and divide into smaller plants. As the soil is still warm, they’ll root back in quickly.

LOOK OUT FOR

Cut back stems, including any flowers, then bring indoors

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Overwinter pelargoniums Pelargoniums look wonderful outside throughout the summer months, but by mid- to late September the cooler nights (and even potential for frost) mean that they’re happier indoors. Put them in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill indoors.

Cut the plants back by about a third and remove any remaining flowers and damaged leaves. Gradually reduce watering down to a minimum, so that by November it’s once a month at most. In a cool but frost-free greenhouse they will go almost dormant and take a winter rest.

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slug eggs

Slugs and snails lay eggs several times a year, while it’s warm. Look for clusters of small gel-like, slimy balls near the soil surface, in leaf litter and under plant debris. Remove any you find and place on a bird table to feed winter visitors.

J O B O F T H E MO N T H

Propagate sempervivums

Let more light into your greenhouse

Cut off the baby rosettes with a sharp knife, close to the mother plant. Then shorten their stems to 2cm. The new rosettes may already have some roots.

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Fill several small pots with gritty compost. Press a baby rosette into the centre of each pot. Place in a warm bright spot, and allow to dry out a little between waterings.

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Use some of your new rosettes, once they’re well rooted, to fill out a larger display of sempervivums in a shallow terracotta pot.

Top-dress with grit.

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Sow a new lawn Now is a great time to sow a new lawn, while the soil is still warm. Seedlings will appear in about a week, and they’ll grow fast and thicken up enough to mow before winter. Growing from seed is much cheaper than laying turf, but you must prepare the ground well.  Remove the old turf, if necessary.  Weed the area thoroughly, taking care to dig out all deep roots.  Rake to remove any stones and lumps, creating a smooth, level surface.  Apply bonemeal fertiliser.  Weigh out the lawn seeds and scatter half over the whole area.

Then go back and scatter the other half, to ensure an even distribution.  Water with a fine rose or sprayer, taking care not to disturb the seeds.

Water again in a few days if it dries out.

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Select a mature sempervivum that has several small rosettes around its base. When buying a new plant, look for one with offsets, so you get more for your money.

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crimson or blushing pink, some laced with white cobwebs. Once mature, the rosettes send up a flower spike topped with starry blooms. Then the rosette will die, but not before producing new young plants (offsets) at the base.

Sempervivums can be susceptible to vine weevils – apply a biological control or repot into fresh compost. A good soak every few days in summer will keep your sempervivums plump and thriving.

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Sempervivums – or houseleeks – are among the easiest plants to grow.

These small succulents are happy in pots, so are ideal when space is limited.

They may look exotic and delicate, but if you make sure they get lots of sun and are never waterlogged, they’ll cope with whatever our weather throws at them.

There’s a wide range to choose from with leaves in various shades of green, some with maroon tips, others entirely

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Shorter days and lower natural light levels can hinder plant growth and crop ripening, so pull up blinds and take down shade netting. The last of crops such as tomatoes should ripen better with this additional light.

Keep vents open on warmer days to reduce overheating and increase air circulation, to deter fungal diseases.

But remember to close them at night.

Plant a spring bulb container Small daffodils, grape hyacinths and crocuses are all ideal for containers and can be combined with seasonal plants for vibrant, long-lasting displays.

Plant the bulbs now, at two or three times their depth in the compost, then plant winter bedding and heather on top, to enjoy over the coming months. The bulbs will start to sprout up among the other plants in the new year, and you can boost the colour by adding bellis and primulas.

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September

In your flower patch

Create a bulb meadow

Fill gaps in borders with new perennials

It’s easy to turn an area of your lawn into a spring meadow by planting bulbs now. There are lots to choose from, including snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, dwarf tulips, chionodoxa and camassias. Aim to create a natural-looking effect, using either a mix or just one type.

This is a great way to add spring colour to a dull lawn, and the flowers will provide valuable nectar for pollinating insects early in the year.

The longer grass around the bulbs will also create a useful habitat for other small creatures, too.

Perennials will settle in well at this time of year and there’s a wide choice available in garden centres and online. The soil will hold onto its summer warmth for several weeks, so plants can put down new roots before going dormant for the winter. Autumn rain and cooler days will also help them establish successfully. Water them well after planting and lay mulch around them to hold in moisture and protect the new roots.

Cut out a piece of turf using a spade, about 10cm deep.

Loosen the soil beneath with a fork.

Use a trowel to plant the bulbs, pointy end up, so they’ll sit at about three times their depth below the lawn surface. Firm back the soil, then replace the turf. Water well so the turf roots back in quickly.

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TOP TIP Keep snipping off faded blooms to encourage more. Tender plants and annuals should keep flowering for another month or so if you keep deadheading them.

Look after pots in autumn With the arrival of autumn, light levels are dropping, the weather is getting damper and cooler, and the nights can get chilly. But if you give your container plants the right care, they’ll stay healthy and keep looking good.  Reduce watering, as container plants are prone to fungal rot if they sit in wet compost while not growing.  Improve airflow by snipping off any old or damaged leaves and faded flower stems.  Look out for weeds hiding at the base of plants and remove those too.  Deadhead to encourage plants to keep on blooming.

Carefully tease apart the roots and pot up individually

Pot on rooted penstemon cuttings Cuttings taken in midsummer should be ready to pot up individually – check if you can see roots through the pot’s drainage holes. If so, gently tip the plants out of the pot.

Fill small pots with a 50:50 mix of John Innes No.2 and peat-free compost, with extra grit mixed in. Plant one penstemon in each pot, firm in gently and water. Then pinch out the soft top to encourage plants to bush out.

See p79 for how to take cuttings of penstemon

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September

Growing your own Ensure pumpkins ripen well

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It’s getting close to harvest time for pumpkins. If they’re hidden under foliage, clear some of this away to let the sun get at their skin. It’s important to ripen the fruits fully and harden the skin for storing into the winter.

If the ground is damp, place some straw or a brick under each fruit to stop the soil moisture rotting the ripening skin. Leave the pumpkins on the plant as long as possible, but harvest before any frost is due.

Do this by cutting the stem with secateurs, and leave 10-20cm of stem on each fruit.

QUICK & EASY Stake tall, top-heavy winter brassicas, such as kale and large cabbages, to stop them blowing around in autumn gales, which could loosen their roots or snap the stems.

Plant onion sets If you plant onion sets now, you’ll be able to harvest the crop a good month ahead of spring-planted ones.

These early onions are great for using straight away, as they won’t keep as well as later harvests. Don’t press the sets into the soil, as this can damage the base where the roots develop. Instead, dig a small hole with a trowel, spacing them 10cm apart. Cover with soil, leaving just the papery tip poking out.

Sow green manure It’s a good idea to sow green manure into empty veg beds, as a covering of plants will protect the soil over winter and deter weed growth. In spring they can be dug in, to enrich the soil.

Scatter the seeds evenly, at the rate given on the packet, then rake in and water if no rain is forecast. They should germinate quickly, as the ground is still warm, and grow well, standing all winter. In early spring, fork the crop into the soil to improve its structure and add nutrients back in.

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LOOK OUT FOR fallen apples

Apples on the ground means you can pick ripe ones from the tree.

Twist and support the fruits to remove them from the branch. Leave a few on the branch for wildlife, and compost any that are rotting.

Take cuttings of herbs Freshen up or expand next year’s herb bed by taking cuttings of your tender or shrubby herbs now. Lemon verbena (below) often doesn’t make it through winter outdoors, so cuttings are a useful backup. Sage, marjoram and thyme are also good candidates and will root readily, within a few weeks.  Cut several short, compact, non-flowering shoots.  Trim just below a leaf joint, then remove the lower leaves and pinch out the soft tip.  Fill a pot with gritty cuttings compost. Use a dibber to make holes around the edge of the pot and insert the cuttings.

Firm in and water well.  Place in a propagator or cool greenhouse to root, and don’t let the compost dry out over winter. Pot up singly in spring.

And don’t forget to... n Divide perennials that have grown too big and replant into gaps in your borders n Look after your lawn by removing weeds and raking out thatch n Trim back tatty perennials as they die down

Harvest brassicas Start picking autumn brassicas such as broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower and kale. Cut cabbages and cauliflowers near ground level, leaving a short stump, which should sprout more leaves to crop a few weeks later.

With broccoli, harvest the main head, then smaller spears should develop lower down. With kale, take the outer leaves first, picking a few from each plant.

n Plant hardy bedding in pots for winter colour n Protect brassicas from pigeons with netting n Clear spent crops from the greenhouse n Trim your evergreen hedges n Store undamaged apples in a cool, dark, airy place Autumn Gardening Planner 2021 • gardenersworld.com

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October There’s a lot to enjoy about October – it can be full of soft light, with midday sun warm enough for short sleeves, and lots of colourful autumn foliage, but as the month passes you can’t avoid the fact that the garden is heading towards winter. So it’s time to get the garden ready for colder weather, harvesting the last crops and sowing hardy veg such as broad beans. You can make leafmould, which can be used as a mulch or soil improver, and tidy up your borders, as well as investing in the next growing season by planting tulip displays to look forward to.

KEY TASKS

Sow Outdoors:

 Green manure  Hardy broad beans  Hardy peas Indoors:

As temperatures drop, Japanese maples turn up the heat with fiery displays of autumn leaves

 Sweet peas – in a coldframe or greenhouse

Plant

 Conifer hedges  Garlic cloves  Onion sets  Spring cabbages – if not done already

 Spring-flowering bulbs, including bluebells, daffodils, fritillaries, tulips and snowdrops

Prune

 Blackberries  Blackcurrants  Roses – to avoid windrock

 Summer-flowering jasmine

Harvest

 Autumn cabbages  Beetroot  Carrots  Potatoes  Pumpkins  Swedes  Turnips

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What to do this month Discover our easy ways to keep your garden on top form through October and beyond

Around the garden

Give borders a tidy As border plants start to fade, it’s very tempting to cut them all down. But plants with strong upright seedheads, such as echinaceas, monardas and rudbeckias (left), retain their structural interest and provide food for birds. Faded growth can also help to insulate less hardy plants from severe cold and give shelter to insects over wintering.

Still, plants that fade less attractively, such as hostas, are worth clearing. Also tie back climbing plants that could get battered by the wind, and trim the softest growth of deciduous shrubs like roses.

Birds need fresh water to drink and bathe in, so refill bird baths and water bowls regularly. Water is as vital as food, especially in cold weather. Later in winter, if temperatures fall below freezing, use hot water to melt the ice.

Put up nest boxes too. Choose sheltered sites, out of the prevailing wind and at least 2m from E FRI the ground, where cats can’t get at them.

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Look after birds

October is a good time to do a pest and disease clean-up. If you act now, you can reduce next year’s invasion of unwelcome visitors and improve the health of your plants.  Hoeing or lightly forking the soil will expose the eggs of slugs, snails, vine weevils and sawflies for birds to forage.  Look for slugs under leaves and pots, and for hibernating snails at the base of walls, in other hidden corners, and in old pots and debris.  Put grease bands on fruit trees to stop pests such as codling moths crawling up to finish their lifecycle.  Destroy all spotted and diseased leaves of fruit trees, quinces and roses, to get ride of fungal spores that could reinfect plants next year.

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Reduce pests

October

In your flower patch Plant tulips in pots and borders

Tulip bulbs don’t start to root quite as early as daffodils, so it’s best to plant a little later, in October or November. This can also help to prevent tulip fire disease. They are available now in a glorious range of colours, ideal for borders and containers.

 Plant

in pots: fill a large container with multi-purpose compost until 20cm from the rim. Space the bulbs 10cm apart – this gives them room to grow yet ensures they are dense enough to provide impact.

Plant colourful bedding on top (see below left), to provide colour through winter.

 Plant

in borders: dig a wide hole 10-15cm deep, set the bulbs 15cm apart and backfill. Then, six to eight weeks after flowering, dig them up and pick out the largest bulbs. Dry these off, to replant next autumn. If you want to leave them in the ground all year, plant at 20cm – this greater depth will help them survive.

Get winter bedding in early If you plant bedding now, it will last through to spring, so is great value. There’s a huge choice in most garden centres – as well as traditional cheery pansies and polyanthus, you’ll find an array of perennials, ferns and even ornamental cabbages. There are small shrubs too, such as heathers and berried skimmias and hypericums. Most can then be moved into permanent positions in spring. Wallflowers can also be planted now, but won’t flower until March.

Put mulch on your soil A surface layer of garden compost, bark or gravel will hold moisture in the soil and reduce weed germination. Compost will also slowly decompose to improve the soil’s structure and add nutrients. Leave a gap round the base of plants, especially woody stems, to avoid rot.  After your autumn clear-up, weed borders thoroughly, then spread a 5cm layer of mulch after rain.  Bark chippings are ideal under trees and shrubs, but don’t work them into the soil as they take years to decompose.  For soft-stemmed perennials and veg plots, use garden compost.

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Growing your own Transplant spring brassicas

Young plants of cabbages, spring greens, kale and sprouting broccoli, sown in summer, can all be transplanted into their final positions. They can also be bought now as young plants. These hardy brassicas will settle in before temperatures really drop, then grow strongly in spring.

Plant them into firmed ground right up to the first set of leaves, so the stems sends out additional roots, ensuring plants are well anchored.

Be sure to give them plenty of space too, as they will form large plants.

You can then look forward to picking these tender greens by March.

Harvest root veg

MINUTE S

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Dig up carrots, parsnips and beetroot as you need them. They’ll keep in the ground for a bit longer yet, but you may want to get the ground cleared and manured for next year. Use a fork to lever them out, then wash off the soil and allow to dry, before separating any damaged ones.

Used damaged ones first and store unblemished roots somewhere cool and dark. Use shredded paper or sand for long-term storage.

QUICK & EASY Sow hardy broad beans now while the soil is warm. Autumn-sown plants will produce an earlier crop of pods next summer, and blackfly are less likely to be a problem.

Pick chillies and dry them Fresh chillies are delicious used straight from the plant, but they won’t stay fresh into the winter, so it’s time to harvest them all before they get frosted. Use them fresh in cooked dishes, freeze them, or try pickling them in vinegar. You can also string them up to dry them.

Check fruit tree ties Young fruit trees will have put on a lot of new growth this summer, and their trunk will have expanded too. So check that the tie securing the trunk to its stake isn’t too tight, worn or broken.

Loosen it slightly to stop any constriction, as it’s vital not to damage the tissues under the bark that transport water and food. Young trees still need support to withstand the ravages of winter, so make sure the tie and stake are both secure.

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 To

dry chillies: Harvest your chillies with a short length of stalk. Thread a large needle with strong cotton, then push it through the green cap, at the base of the stalk, on each chilli in turn. Hang your string of chillies somewhere warm and dry. It makes a colourful decoration, and the dried chillies can be snipped off the string whenever you need one in the kitchen.

October

J O B O F T H E MO N T H

Make leafmould compost LOOK OUT FOR frost

Prepare for frosty weather by bringing tender plants indoors now. If you have no space indoors or can’t dig up the plant, try covering it with fleece or a cloche. A thick layer of mulch also helps to insulate the roots.

And don’t forget to... n Plant dwarf irises in terracotta pots outdoors n Neaten up privet hedges with a last trim of the year

Pure leafmould is the finest type of soil conditioner. It takes up to two years to produce the perfect batch, but it’s a great long-lasting mulch and can also make good-quality potting compost.

It’s made entirely from autumn leaves, which are rotted down by fungal moulds and microbes. These need air and moisture to thrive, so make your leaf

bin open at the sides and ensure the leaves are moist. To speed up the process, put the leaves through a shredder or mow them. Finally, lay thick landscape fabric on top of the bin to hold in the heat.

If you’re short on space, place the leaves in bin bags, pierced to let air in, instead of in a leaf bin. Then store the sacks in a hidden corner for a year or so.

n Finish clearing out the pond and net the surface to prevent leaves falling in n Prune late-flowering climbing roses after they finish flowering n Plant amaryllis bulbs indoors n Clean the greenhouse and check the heaters are working n Bring tender plants into a frost-free greenhouse or indoors n Plant garlic between now and December

Make your leaf bin by driving four pressure-treated posts into the ground in a square, using a mallet.

They should stand vertically, about 1m tall.

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Wrap wire mesh, with holes no bigger than 50mm, around the posts. Pull it taut and secure to the posts with galvanised staples or cable ties.

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Fill with leaves and moisten them as they go in. Tamp down as you fill, then cover the top with porous landscape fabric, tied on or weighted down.

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Check it in a year’s time. It can shrink to about a quarter of its original mass once composted. If it’s ready, it will be brown, crumbly, sweet-smelling compost.

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n Move pots so they’re sheltered from excess rain, to avoid waterlogging n Remove smothering autumn leaves from borders and lawns

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August

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November In November there’s still a lot to enjoy in the garden – the last autumn leaves, glossy berries and bright winter stems bring colour as the days shorten. In the veg garden there are harvests of root crops and brassicas to bring in. You can still plant too, whether it’s tulip bulbs or bare-root shrubs and trees.

But this is also a time to put the garden to bed – tidying up, storing tender plants, clearing the greenhouse – before the inevitable wet, cold weather of early winter arrives.

KEY TASKS

Sow

 Cyclamen – for blooms next winter

 Hardy broad Orange pods with red seeds hang among the evergreen leaves of Euonymus myrianthus

beans – under cloches

Plant

Prune

 Bare-root hedging,

 Autumn-fruiting

roses, trees and shrubs

raspberries

 Garlic  Tulip bulbs – if you haven’t already

 Deciduous trees and shrubs

 Fruit bushes – once dormant

 Grapevines

Harvest

 Cabbages  Carrots  Cauliflowers  Jerusalem artichokes

 Kale  Leeks  Parsnips  Spinach

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What to do this month Temperatures may be dropping, so wrap up warm to tackle our gardening jobs for November

Around the garden Create a colourful winter container

This structural display provides an instant colour boost. The fiery stems of the cornus will shine through winter, while a burnished copper carex and ruby-leaved heucheras are the perfect foil for crocuses in early spring.

Half-fill a large container with multi-purpose peat-free compost.

Add the largest plant – the cornus – first.

Tip it out of its pot, tease out the roots if congested, then position in the centre.

Split the grassy carex into two or three smaller clumps by easing it apart with your fingers. Plant these at the back edge of the pot, behind the cornus. Position the heucheras and cyclamen around the front edge.

Pop crocus bulbs into the gaps between plants, so they’re roughly three times their depth in the compost.

Then fill all the gaps with more compost, firm in well and water thoroughly.

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 Spruce up bird boxes every winter, ahead

of the new nesting season. Brush out the old nesting material, then sterilise the inside with boiling water (don’t use cleaning chemicals).

It’s important to get rid of any pests, such as mites, that can build up and harm young chicks.  Check the structure is sound and perches are secure, as the wood can rot or warp. Make sure the roof is watertight too, before fixing the box back in place. Birds explore potential sites early, so do this now to tempt residents in spring.

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Build an insect home

E FRI IF

DLY EN

Clean out nest boxes

WILDL

TOP TIP Avoid walking on lawns that are either waterlogged or frosty. If you need access, make a temporary path across it using planks covered in chicken wire.

Build refuges with nooks and crannies to provide the insects in your garden with shelter over winter. Lay large stones over a shallow dip in your soil to create a safe spot for invertebrates and amphibians. Make a pile of dead wood and leaves to create habitats for beetles, spiders, centipedes and woodlice.

November

J O B O F T H E MO N T H

Plant a Japanese maple in a pot This is a great time of year to plant trees, and a compact Japanese maple is ideal in a large pot, suitable for even the smallest gardens. In fact, no garden should be without a tree – they add stature, structure and a year-round presence, and offer habitats for various tiny creatures.

Japanese maples come in all sizes, so choose a compact variety such as this beautiful Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’.

It offers attractive foliage from spring to autumn, starting out pink, turning green, then finishing off golden-orange before falling. In winter, the bare stems show shades of green and red.

Stand the pot in a sheltered spot in light shade. Water and feed regularly while in leaf.

Take hardwood cuttings Winter cuttings are known as hardwood cuttings, because although you use the newest shoots, they have hardened ready to survive winter. These cuttings generally need little attention or cosseting after planting.

Select thick, healthy shoots as cuttings, with a bud at the top and bottom. Blackcurrants and gooseberries root readily, as do shrubs such as philadelphus, buddleia, cornus and weigela.

Plant the cuttings in a sheltered spot in free-draining soil outside, or in a pot in a cold greenhouse.

Insert two-thirds of their length in the soil or compost. They will root slowly and be ready to transplant or pot up by next autumn.

LOOK OUT FOR tree seedlings

Place your container in its final position before you start planting, as it will be very heavy to move. Water your tree thoroughly to soak the rootball, then loosen or tease out the roots to encourage them to spread out.

1

Use a mix of peat-free and John Innes No.3 compost.

Position the tree in the centre of the pot, at the same level it was previously growing. Fill in around the rootball with compost and firm gently. The surface should be at least 5cm below the rim.

2

Water thoroughly, ideally using rainwater, to settle the compost around the roots.

If the surface level drops, top up with more compost. Then make sure the compost never dries out totally. Apply liquid feed monthly while the tree is in leaf.

3

Pull out any self-sown (or squirrel-sown) tree seedlings as soon as you spot them. When small they’re easy to remove, but deep roots grow quickly, making the job much harder later.

Check under shrubs and perennials to find them.

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In your flower patch

Prepare borders for winter

MINUTE S

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Now that most herbaceous plants have died back for the winter, it’s a good time to tidy up and mulch your borders.

First, clear any fallen leaves and unwanted debris. Cut back anything that flops over as it dies back or where leaves are decomposing. However, some seedheads are worth leaving in place for their structural shapes over winter. They also provide food for seed-eating birds.

Weed and lightly fork the ground between the plants. Then leave it for a day or two for the birds to clear any grubs or slug eggs, before mulching with a 5cm-deep layer of garden compost, leafmould or mushroom compost. Not only will the mulch make the bed look more attractive, it will also help to hold in moisture, suppress weeds and add vital nutrients to the soil.

QUICK & EASY Fill gaps in borders with winter-flowering plants, available now in garden centres, for an instant boost.

Start forcing bulbs Hyacinths, narcissi and crocuses will bloom early, even in time for Christmas, if you plant prepared bulbs in pots now.

Keep them cold and dark, such as in a garage or shed, for about 10 weeks, then bring into the light, where they’ll take three weeks or so to come into flower.

This process is known as ‘forcing’.  Check the compost weekly while the pots are in the dark – water lightly if dry.  When the shoots are 5cm, they are ready to bring into the light.  Too much warmth straight away can distort the blooms, so place them first in a cool, light spot. Put on display in your home once the blooms start to open.

Protect plants from the cold Take steps now to help your most vulnerable plants survive winter. Plants in pots are particularly susceptible to root damage in a heavy frost, but cold can also penetrate the ground and damage tender fleshy roots in borders.  Move pots to a more sheltered spot if possible, or even into a greenhouse.  Wrap several layers of hessian, old carpet or bubblewrap around pots, especially fragile terracotta, and secure in place with string.  Cover tender plants in borders with a fleece cloche over winter. Fleece is ideal as it protects without causing heat to build up on sunny days.

Protect the roots of plants in pots with insulating bubblewrap

Add late-flowering shrubs Planting shrubs such as fragrant Sarcococca confusa (above) in borders will provide valuable flowers now, as well as year-round structure. Fork lots of garden compost into the planting area, then dig a wide hole. Position the shrub so it’s at the same level it was in the pot. Backfill around the rootball, firm in gently, then water generously. Finally, mulch the surrounding soil with a thick layer of garden compost, but keep it away from the stem, to avoid rotting.

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If you give your outdoor salad leaves extra protection from winter weather, you’ll be able to keep on harvesting them. Even hardy crops will droop after a hard frost and you’ll have to wait for them to perk up before you can pick again. A low plastic or fleece tunnel is easy to construct, and can be stored readily when not needed. Be sure to secure the covering well, pegging it into the ground, so it doesn’t blow off in a storm. Then just lift it off whenever you want fresh leaves.

Make wire loop supports, then cover with fleece or plastic

ER

Put cloches over salads

Y SA NE

V

Growing your own

Plant new raspberries

MO

August

Prepare a new raspberry row by weeding and putting in supports before planting.

Raspberry canes can grow very tall, so are usually held upright against horizontal wires, secured to sturdy posts at each end of the row.

You can plant both containerised and bare-root (right) raspberries now. Plant them about 60cm apart and prune bare-root ones down to about 30cm. New canes will grow up from the roots in spring.

Cover bare veg beds If you leave veg beds bare over winter, they’ll soon be full of weeds. Covering them with landscape fabric helps to protect the soil, letting in water but blocking out light to deter weeds. Cardboard or any darkcoloured fabric are alternatives.

Clear all weeds first, then spread garden compost over the bed before covering. By spring you’ll have a perfect tilth for sowing.

Harvest hardy winter crops Crops that mature in late autumn and winter provide a welcome harvest once the summer’s bounty has come to an end. Kale, Swiss chard and perpetual spinach can all be picked this month as hardy cut-and-come-again crops. Several other hardy vegetables are ready to harvest now too.  Dig up celeriac as required, as it’s best eaten fresh. Protect the plants with a thick layer of straw or bracken during cold spells, and harvest throughout winter and spring.  Lift leeks gently from the soil with a fork whenever required.

This hardy crop will remain fresh and healthy in the ground from autumn through to late winter, or even into early spring.  Pick any remaining spears of early purple sprouting broccoli.

Select shoots that are 20cm long, before the buds open.

And don’t forget to... n Plant tulip bulbs if you haven’t already done so n Get the lawnmower serviced, while it’s not in regular use n Hard prune any deciduous hedges that need it, and trim mixed hedging to keep it within bounds n Turn on greenhouse heaters to keep tender plants cosy n Lift dahlias and cannas and store in a frost-free place n Clear faded tomato and cucumber plants from the greenhouse 31

TAKEN FROM

YEAR PLANNER 2021

BY BBC GARDENERS’ WORLD MAGAZINE Essential monthly jobs

Get ahead with handy checklists

Time-saving tips

Achieve results whatever time you have

Learn new techniques

Hone your skills with our expert advice

Easy seasonal projects

Follow clear step-by-step instructions

Monthly star plants

Give your garden year-round interest

Fruit and veg made simple Enjoy delicious homegrown crops

Welcome in wildlife

Transform your plot into a haven

Container planting

Create beautiful displays year-round

PLUS space for notes

Record your garden highlights