As the gardening season progresses, there are numerous tasks to keep your garden, plot, pond, and houseplants thriving. Here’s a comprehensive guide to ensure you cover all essential activities this month, from pruning and planting to pest management and seasonal preparations. Dive into each section to discover specific tips and tasks that will help maintain and enhance your green spaces.
On the plot
Prune out all your old raspberry canes. Lift and pot rooted strawberry runners. Plant seed potatoes for Christmas harvesting! Peppers and sweetcorn should be cropping soon. Cut back herbs now to encourage a new flush of tasty leaves you can harvest before the frost. Enjoy your crop of tomatoes; if you have a glut, make passata (freezes great).
In the Garden
Prune wisteria and rambling roses. Trim hedges. Lightly cut back lavenders and remove spent flowers. Plant heathers once it begins to cool. Keep deadheading perennials and annuals to prolong flowering. Get ready for spring bulbs—the first batch will be available soon. Look out for powdery mildew and treat with fungicide. Take advantage of any dry weather to paint sheds and fences. Replace broken glass panes in greenhouses and fix leaking shed roofs before the autumn rains.
By the pond
Remove blanket weed to prevent it from depriving your pond of oxygen. Keep an eye on aquatic and marginal plants, removing faded flowers and yellow leaves, and cutting back where necessary. Enjoy your fish, but make sure they have shade by using plants and rocks.
About the house:
Feed your houseplants regularly. Move conservatory plants outside and hose them down to help with pest management. Aphids are still about, so remember to keep a close eye.
Tips:
Keep an eye out for Red Spider on Cucumbers and Melons! Red spider do not like damp conditions – a good cure is to keep the foliage wet by hosing down foliage in the morning!
Pick of the month
- Perennials: Echinacea (Cone Flower)
- Climbers: Trachelospermum (Star Jasmin)
- Shrubs: Hebe
- Trees: Albizia (Persian Silk Tree)
- House Plant: Dionaea (Venus Flytrap)
- Vegetable: New Potatoes (for Christmas)
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