OCTOBER TIPS FOR GARDENING

October means plenty of work is still there to be done which includes a lot of lifting and clearing of summer flowering items, moreover, many flower and vegetable varieties can be sown at this time too. Here are some general tips which would help in reviving your garden in this autumn season.

LAWN CARE:

·       Cut the perennials that have died down.

·       Collect seeds from the garden to sow next year.

·       Continue mowing lawns until the growth of grass stops.

·       Care for the lawn by brushing leaves off the grass.Collect them in a leaf bag, which will turn them into useful leaf mould.

·       Add autumn fertilizer to established lawns.

·       Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas

FLOWERS:

•  Seeding should be finished by early October.
•  Plant tulips now.
• Plant spring bedding and biennials, such as wall-flowers, for spring displays.
• Pots and hanging baskets can be planted with spring bedding, along with bulbs, grasses, and cyclamen for a colorful display.
• Plant up winter hanging baskets and containers using myosotis, dwarf wallflowers, and spring flowering bulbs.

VEGETABLES:

• Plant out spring cabbages
• Harvest apples, pears, grapes and nuts
• Continue watering, especially evergreens if soils are dry.
• Transplant deciduous trees once they have dropped their leaves.
• Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees for protection against mice
• Lift and store root crops such as carrots, beetroot, and potatoes.

Regularly check for insects, or disease damage throughout the garden and take the necessary steps to control the problems.