AUTUMN – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Overview
Autumn brings shorter and colder days and longer nights. Deciduous trees lose their leaves and perennials die back for the Winter. Beware of early frosts and protect tender plants in preparation for the Winter months. Sweep up fallen leaves and tidy up.
Essential Tasks
- Continue to water tubs and new plants
- Cut grass as required up to first frosts
- Tidy up fallen leaves
- Feed the lawn with Autumn fertiliser
Feeding
- Mulch in Autumn (optional)
Pruning & Training
- Prune rose bushes by one third to reduce wind rock.
- Lift and divide perennials if they have become congested and have stopped flowering.
- Remove leaves from beds to discourage slugs and snails.
Cutting Back
- Cut back after flowering in early Autumn (optional).
- Cut plants to ground level (optional).
Tidying up
- Remove flower stalk after flowering in autumn (optional).
- Rake up and use fallen leaves to make leafmould.
Over-wintering
- Protect tender plants from cold drying winds (in cold areas).