OCTOBER.

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came;
The ashes, oaks, and maples,
And those of every name.
~George Cooper~

October turned my maple's leaves to gold;
The most are gone now; here and there one lingers;
Soon these will slip from out the twig's weak hold,
Like coins between a dying miser's fingers.
~Thomas Bailey Aldrich~

There is something in October
sets the gipsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls, and calls each vagabond by name.
~Bliss Carman~

October skips along the lanes.
It kicks the leaves, and laughs with rains.
~Inez Rice~


October

Nothing is nicer than autumn days
with dreamlike haze.

Nothing is nicer than golden leaves
and yellow sheaves.

Nothing is nicer where cornstalks lean
than pumpkins hiding in faded green,
ready and waiting for Halloween.
~Aileen Fisher~


"Autumn tones shine on the trees
And October days are growing short
Now the garden's bright with leaves
In the fading sunlight caught."
~By David Squire~

During October it's time to reflect...time to consider improvements that can be made in our autumnal garden.

Shot with fiery tints, autumn leaves are as bright as summer flowers. Early frosts threaten tender bedding plants. The pace has slowed, but still lots to do.

This month we need to continue to get the garden ready for winter. To finish planting spring bulbs. A time to change over the summer hanging baskets and window boxes to your Autumn/Winter display. Also we need to get our greenhouses ready, finding room for all our tender plants we will need to bring in very soon, I think I need another greenhouse :-)).



BULBS, SHRUBS and TREES

Pot spring bulbs such as narcissi, hyacinths, Iris reticulata and crocuses at fortnightly intervals for a staggered display in the home.



Plant nerine bulbs and divide old mounded clumps after flowering. The best place for the heat and sun they need to flower is at the foot of a south-facing wall. Plant the bulbs with the nose just showing above the soil and give protection in cold areas.



Finish planting spring bulbs by the end of this month Tulips can be planted this month. Plant dwarf narcissi, species crocuses and reticulata irises in pots and outdoors for late-winter colour. Use ordinary potting compost with some coarse sand or grit mixed in.



Check alpines for signs of rotting foliage. Top up grit mulches to provide a free-draining layer between the foliage and the ground.



In dry areas, soak evergreens thoroughly a few days before they are to be transplanted. Newly planted or transplanted evergreens, including hedges, should be regularly watered.



Prune back by 6-9in any weak, first-season hedging plants of beech, hornbeam, hawthorn and privet to ensure a dense, bushy hedge.



Complete any trimming of evergreen hedges and topiary. Hedges trimmed in late summer may require the trimming of subsequent whiskers.



Take 12in hardwood cuttings, set directly into the ground where they are to grow, two-thirds buried, of buddleja, cut-leaved or purple elders, forsythia, willow, flowering currant, gooseberries, and red, white and black currants. Make the cuttings in a nursery row and leave them there for the first year if you prefer, but it is not strictly necessary. All will grow away hard in the first year.



Lay a 2-3in mulch around shrubs. Composted bark, manure, garden or mushroom compost are good.



Check ties on recently planted young trees to see if they have become tight and restrictive. There should always be a little play there.



Plant new hedges, trees and shrubs, firmly, into well-prepared holes enriched with well-rotted compost or fine, composted bark. When planting trees, ram stakes firmly into the ground before the tree goes in, to avoid root damage. Use adjustable tree ties to join stake and tree.



Work plenty of well-rotted compost into each planting position and add a slow-release general fertiliser at planting time.



FLOWERS and ROSES

Lift the corms of gladioli when the leaves turn yellow, cut off the stems, dry the corms, rub clean, label varieties and store in a cool, mouse-free place.



Plant or divide foxtail lilies (Eremurus) this month. Old clumps of Pacific coast irises can be divided now. All species, with the exception of Iris douglasiana, require an open, lime-free soil. Divide into groups of not less than 6-10 rhizomes.



When the leaves have been blackened by frost, dahlia tubers should be dug up. Cut off the stems at 2-3in above the tuber, remove all the loose soil, dry them in an airy place, dust with flowers of sulphur, and label and store in a cool dark place. The easiest way to apply sulphur is to shake the tubers in a plastic bag with handful of flowers of sulphur. Large old clumps of tubers are better divided next spring, when you plant the out again. Division now only makes wounds for mould to enter.



Dry off potted tuberous begonias under cover, and when the stems have yellowed and fallen away (do not cut or pull them off), store the tubers in a cool dark place, either just as they are, potted in dry soil, or with the soil and roots cleaned off, and dusted with sulphur.



Sow sweetpeas now for earlier flowering next year. They benefit from the winter shelter of a cold greenhouse or frame. Sow several seeds .5in deep into 5in pots in compost. Cover with glass or polythene until seedlings break through surface. Keep in cool, light conditions to prevent weak growth.



Pots of Begonia sutherlandii and evansiana should be allowed to die down in a cool place under glass. Save the bulblets, and store them for planting next spring.



Remove and compost summer's bedding plants when they look tired. Annuals should be composted or discarded, but you can save marguerites, pelargoniums, perennial nemesias and osteospermums. Keep them in a light position in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory, or on an indoor windowsill.



Plant out biennials where they are to flower next year.



This is the perfect time to lift and divide herbaceous perennials. Replenish the soil with well-rotted compost (and with plenty of coarse grit if the soil is heavy clay). Replant the strongest, outer pieces and water well. Also it is a good time to buy and plant new plants.



Move tender plants indoors or under glass.



Order bare-rooted roses for planting out this winter.



Shorten any long lanky stems on shrub roses to reduce their vulnerability to the wind. Floribunda roses that have finished flowering for the year may also be given the same treatment. If not completed earlier, just after flowering time, rambler roses can have flowered stems removed and new stems tied into position.



VEGETABLE, FRUIT and HERBS

In well-drained soils, onion sets can be planted now, 5in apart and 14in between the rows.



It will soon be too late to put in spring cabbages, so get the plants in now.



Begin digging over and adding manure or compost to vacant parts of the vegetable garden, and apply lime where necessary. A low pH reduces the resistance in brassicas to club root. Crop rotation and increasing the level of pH to a more alkaline pH7.5 or pH8 will improve their chances. Add 1lb of lime to a square yard for average soil, less for sandy soil, more for clay.



Protect late cauliflowers from frost by bending the leaves down over the curds.



Lift root crops such as beetroots, carrots and maincrop potatoes and store in vermin-proof bins (clean metal dustbins with lids will do), layered between fresh coir fibre. And make sure you remove all damaged or rotten tubers before you store them. Also harvest pumpkins, marrows and squashes. They will store well if kept dry, cool and frost-free in the garage.



Lift chicory crowns for forcing indoors. Keep late salads covered with a cloche to extend the season.



Cut down canes of Jerusalem artichokes to about 1ft. Dig out the tubers freshly as required over the coming months. Where eel worm is a problem, lift the tubers of Jerusalem artichokes and store them as you would potatoes.



Sow broad beans now or in the next couple of weeks, for an early crop next year. Place seeds 8in apart and 2in deep.



Cut out fruited stems on cultivated blackberries and tie in the new ones. Sever any layered tips and replant elsewhere.



Take hardwood cuttings of blackcurrant bushes using vigorous shoots 12in long.



Plant new strawberries including the rooted runners into new rows. Prepare the ground using plenty of moisture-retentive compost or manure.



Plant grape vines in rich, well-manured soil, in a sunny position, and erect posts and wires for training. Protection against cold is helpful during this first winter.



Prepare the soil for new fruit trees and bushes, ensuring there is adequate drainage on heavy soils.



Lift a few roots of mint and plant them shallowly in an 8in pot of gritty compost for spring picking under glass.



Place a cloche over a row of parsley, to keep up supplies for thw winter months. Tired plants may be woken up with a gentle application of nitrogenous fertiliser.



On light, warm soils, sunny spot, plant out cloves of garlic now, push individual cloves into the ground, 3in-4in apart, just covering the tips with soil. For good cropping it is important to establish the plants in the autumn. On cold, heavy soils, plant them in pots in a cold greenhouse for planting out in spring.



Lift and divide perennial herbs such as mint, lemon balm and chives.



LAWN, COMPOST, GREENHOUSE and POND

Worm casts become ideal weed seedbeds when trodden into the grass. During dry weather, break and disperse casts, so the fine, scattered soil can be washed back into the ground. Alternatively, move individual casts to flower or vegetable beds. The soil processed by worms is fine and nutritious and there is the added consolation that the worms are aerating the lawn.



Carry out turfing and lawn repairs during frost-free weather.



Complete the laying of new turf and turf repairs where required and aerate old lawns where necessary.



Make any late cuts of the lawn a little longer than usual, between 1-2in, to strengthen the grass for winter. Choose a dry and preferably windy day, and make sure all the clippings are boxed or raked off now to minimise disease.



Gather fallen leaves regularly. If you do not have a compost heap, put damp leaves into bin-liners and store for eight-12 months. The resulting leaf mould makes an excellent mulch.



Make sure fallen leaves are regularly swept away.



Make a compost heap for tough leaves, such as beech, oak and plane, which take ages to rot down. Shredding or mowing over the leaves helps to break them down before composting.



Keep the greenhouse well ventilated in the daytime and carry out any watering jobs early in the day so there is not too much dampness around on cold nights.



Take every opportunity in dry and sunny weather to open greenhouse doors and ventilators to let the fresh air through. It is the best means of avoiding mould.



Run the greenhouse heater and check that it is working before the cold weather arrives. Clean greenhouse and disinfect the work surfaces and windows and put up insulation (rolls of bubble-wrap polythene can be bought by mail or from garden centres). Cover vents separately so they can be opened independently.



Ensure there is netting over ponds to prevent leaves falling in and contaminating the water when they rot at the bottom.



LITTLE EXTRA'S

Continue evaluating the success of this year's garden. Make notes that will help you improve your garden next spring.







I have removed my guestbook for the moment,
but do write to me via e-mail if you wish,
would love to hear from you.

Enjoy your gardening this month both indoors and outdoors.




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