Those lovely crisp, sunny and cold days, out in the fresh air, getting things sorted for winter. Gardening in autumn is another one of those seasonal jobs to enjoy before the really miserable weather sets in!
When autumn begins and ends depends on which definition you follow. Whether that’s the meteorological or calendar definition – or do you go by when it gets cold! Either way, it’s the time of year when our gardens look scruffy and ready for a good tidy up. It’s also a great way to get outside and enjoy fresh air and sunshine!
This short video takes a look around the garden in autumn –
Gardening in Autumn
There’s a balance to be had when you’re gardening in autumn, between looking after wildlife and good hygiene. You need to get rid of any diseased material and an excess of decaying matter so that you don’t get infections in your plants the following year. But try to leave some cover and overgrown areas where the insects can hibernate. And some fallen leaves for the birds to forage in for food. Leave your garden completely sterile over winter and you’re storing up trouble with pests to come in summer!
A tidy habitat
I always clear the fallen leaves away at the front of the border so that things look neat and tidy. Then leave a width of fallen leaves along the edge near the fence so that the birds can forage there for grubs.
Reward them with somewhere to forage and they’ll keep the summer pests under control for you.
Watch out for any nesting hedgehogs if you’re planning on having any garden fires or celebrating bonfire night. They’ll be looking for places to hibernate and have enough problems surviving without being burnt alive while they snooze.
Pests and diseases
It’s a good idea to cut down and dispose of diseased stems when you’re gardening in autumn.
Remove rose leaves with black spot, perennials with mould and mildew. Cut anything off that’s infected and clear away fallen leaves. It looks unsightly, saps the strength of your plants and spreads easily. Sso clear all the leaves up and bin them – don’t compost or it spreads. That way you get rid of the spores so they don’t multiply any more than they need to. The frosts will see to the majority of the problem and keep it at least in check next year.
Tying in for a good display next year
November is also a good time to tidy up and tie plants in. Both to protect them from winter wind, and to ensure a good display next year. Roses are known to flower through winter, especially here at the coast where there are less frosts, but the wind can be a problem. Ideally, you should reduce the height of any exposed bush roses to stop them from rocking in the wind.
Tie in the new growth on climbing roses and shrubs to stop them blowing about and snapping. Pull new long rose stems down and tie them in horizontally and you’ll get the most amazing growth and display next year. It stimulates flowering stems to come out from the lateral and creates many more flowers.
Clear away when you’re gardening in autumn
November is a good time to chop down the perennials when they start to get frosted and look like they’re on their last legs. Catch them before they turn into dry twigs and you can still compost or shred them.
Take out spent bedding plants too. They can also be composted or put in the green dustbin. Give the seed pods a shake on things like poppies, calendulas and nasturtiums before you pull them up. You’ll be rewarded with a free ongoing display next year, with no effort at all. But if they’re still alive leave them. With the relative lack of frost here on the coast it’s perfectly possible to keep bedding plants over winter.
Autumn feed
It’s also a time to spread the compost that you’ve been making through the year. Spread it in a thick enough layer and it will continue to rot. The worms will pull it down into the soil, feeding the plants and soil through winter. It stimulates strong new growth which will get away quickly in spring.
Your lawn should be quite green after all the rain we’ve have in ‘summer’ but the water will also have washed a lot of the nutrients out of the soil. It’s time to fortify the grass with an autumn fertiliser. Long lasting and slow acting, it supports healthy root growth. It helps the lawn to get away quickly in spring and be stronger through the summer months.
Enjoy Gardening in Autumn
There’s something really satisfying about gardening late in the year. Call me weird but I’ve even been known to be out with the secateurs on Boxing Day! It gives you a sense of satisfaction to get everything spick and span – and for it to stay that way for a little while!
Once your garden’s tidy you can retreat inside and put your feet up. Make a brew, put the TV on, and get roses in your cheeks when you get warm again in the central heating. Know that it’s a good job well done and will need minimum maintenance again until the spring.
Work in Progress
Much like our gardens, this page is a work in progress! I’m sure there are lots of things that I’ve forgotten, which I’ll add as I remember. Some useful pages are included below but there are more in the main gardening section. If there’s anything you want to add, just leave a comment. Happy spring gardening!
- Plants that grow at the coast
- Gardening in Spring
- Gardening in Summer
- Autumn Gardening
- Gardening in Winter
- Seaside Gardening
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