October 26, 2021
Autumn – the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. As Autumn starts to reveal its beautiful colours and leaves begin to fall to the ground, it’s time to turn our attentions to those important tasks to perform in the garden to ensure that it’s neat and tidy for Winter and fully ready for the first flush of Spring beyond. In this article, we look at some of the tasks that the garden will be grateful for this Autumn.
- Collecting Up the Fallen Leaves
If the fallen leaves are left where they have fallen, they can quickly blanket the garden and will smother the lawn. Although a few small piles of leaves in places where they cannot cause any harm are good for sheltering wildlife visitors, they can quickly take over an herbaceous bed and block the crowns of the plants, leading to death or stunted growth. Removing leaves from paths is a safety must – wet leaves are extremely slippery. Leaves can be composted and some great composting advice is given here by Garden World.
- Tidy Up the Borders
Now is a good time to have a tidy of the borders. Weeds should be removed, along with any old stems from your herbaceous perennials. This is a job that can be done simply by hand as the dead stems should just come away, but secateurs can be used if you prefer, snipping right down at the base. A well-rotted manure or good compost can be spread over the soil surface to give the roots of the plants a blanket, ready for the rigours of Winter. The worms will relish their job of working it through the soil for you! Your feathered visitors will enjoy ornamental seed heads being left for them to feast upon – you can remove them once the seeds are gone. Give shrubs a final prune and deadhead any roses that have continued to bloom past their usual end of season. Now that the breeding season is over, hedges can have a trim back ready for nesting birds next Spring.
- Lawn Care
The Royal Horticultural Society report that Autumn is the time for mending any damage caused over Summer and treating the lawn to some scarifying, aerating and top dressing. Scarifying (raking with a scarifier) is removing the old thatch so that the new shoots of Spring have space to come through. Spiking the soil with a fork to aerate will allow the lawn to better handle the likely rains and wetness of the season. Top-dress the lawn after aeration to help improve root development and encourage thicker grass. Top dress with a mix of loam, sand and well-rotted organic matter. Address any problems caused by fungal diseases such as red thread or pests such as leatherjackets. Give the lawn its final trim, setting the blades slightly higher to leave the lawn a little Winter protection.
- Clean Out Nesting Boxes and Fill Feeders
With baby birds having long flown the nest, it’s time to give those boxes a clear out and clean. This is an important task as any eggs that didn’t hatch, old nesting materials and droppings carry the possibility of diseases. A good wash in hot, soapy water will soon have them looking new again. The bird bath and feeders can have a good clean too. Topping the feeders up regularly throughout Autumn but especially Winter will help the birds maintain their fat stores over the harsh Winter.
- Make Any Repairs
Have a good look round the boundary fences, sheds and any other wooden items, such as raised beds. Make good any damage and give a treatment of wood preservative to see them right over Winter. As the winds begin to pick up, any loose fence posts might become further weakened and fall, bringing the fence down too. A few checks and repairs now can save a lot of hassle and expense later. Having a look at the roof of the shed to see if any holes or gaps have appeared is wise so that the contents don’t rust or grow mould if the rain (or snow – it can happen in Autumn!) gets in.
That’s it! Your garden is now all set for Autumn, all that remains is to stay on top of the fallen leaves, top up the bird feeders periodically and enjoy the beautiful autumnal colours, preferably with a cup of something warming.