Autumn Gardening Guide: Essential Garden Tasks

For many garden enthusiasts who have spent the summer outdoors, tending to their gardens, autumn offers a great opportunity to consolidate and organise their garden paradises in preparation for the upcoming winter. Laying the groundwork in autumn will help to set the foundations for creating your perfect green space in the future months that lie ahead.

Sean Lade, director of Easy Garden Irrigation, has shared his essential garden tasks to get cracking on despite the cooler weather settling in, along with guidance on how to approach each task.

“Caring for Your Lawn:

Removing Leaves: Regularly rake and remove fallen leaves from the lawn to prevent them from suffocating the grass and promoting mould growth. Thick layers of leaves can affect how the grass grows back in the spring, ensuring it has enough oxygen to avoid problems from occurring.

Laying Seed: Autumn is a great time to oversee your lawn. The cooler temperatures and increased moisture help seeds germinate and establish quickly. Watering a newly seeded lawn is essential, so our wet weather conditions in the autumn make it easier to succeed.

Watering: If the weather is dry, ensure you water your lawn adequately. A well-hydrated lawn is better prepared for the winter months.

Lawn Feed: Apply a specialised autumn lawn fertiliser to strengthen the grassroots and provide essential nutrients for winter resilience. Keeping the grassroots fed over the winter will help them thrive and avoid leafy growth.

Clearing Beds and Borders:

Leaf and Weed Removal: Remove fallen leaves and pull weeds from flower beds and borders to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients. Weeds will come back in the spring, so removing as many as possible is good to avoid them taking over.

Trimming Climbing Plants: Trim back any overgrown climbing plants to tidy up the garden and encourage healthy growth in the next growing season. Ensure they have finished flowering before you begin to trim; this leads to improved flowering for future seasons.

Deadheading: Remove spent flowers from plants; not only does this keep your garden looking tidy and presentable, but it also diverts energy towards root development to ensure healthier blooms in the future.

Pruning:

Prune plants that might continue growing during the winter to maintain their shape and conserve energy for the cooler months. It will also prevent them from becoming unruly, especially Wisteria. If not pruned at the start of the autumn, Wisteria can become too large to handle, making it challenging to maintain next spring.

Planting:

Bulb Planting: Plant spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, snowdrops and tulips in the autumn to allow them time to establish roots before the cold sets in. It is best to plant these before the first frost of the year. These will flower in early spring for a colourful and refreshing change after the winter months.

Tree and Shrub Planting: Take advantage of the cool, moist soil by planting trees and shrubs. They will have a head start in rooting before winter. Some great shrubs to plant in the autumn for a colourful spring bloom are Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Camellias. Camellias even flower in the winter under the right conditions.

Vegetables: Use this time to plant vegetables such as Garlic, Asparagus, and Cabbage; they thrive in cooler conditions and are hearty enough to survive the winter. Asparagus takes up to two years until it is ready to be harvested fully. Use this autumn to create a permanent Asparagus patch ready for the next few years.

Irrigation:

Tap Accessories: Remove and store tap accessories such as irrigation tap timers indoors to prevent them from getting damaged by frost. Pressurised frozen water can cause cracks to appear and leaks to occur.

Draining Pipes: Drain water from the irrigation pipes by removing the stop ends. This prevents freezing and potential damage to the pipes.

Winter Preparation:

Wind Check: Inspect garden structures and large trees for stability. Make sure everything is secure to withstand potential winter winds.

Furniture Care: Cover outdoor furniture or move it indoors to protect it from harsh winter conditions and extend its lifespan.

Drain Clearance: Clear leaves and debris from drains to prevent waterlogging and potential flooding during heavy autumn rains.

Remember, these tasks will help your garden thrive during autumn and be well-prepared for the winter months ahead.”