Gardening for Beginners: October (Mid Autumn)
|Yes, it is that time again – to discuss what is happening in OUR GARDENS. Grab yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit. Sit down and listen in, what is happening in these British Blogger’s gardens this October, below you will find a summary of topics touched on and discussed:
Raspberries
Anthea from Blue Bear Wood would talks about prunning back her raspberries and…
The Lawn
…. getting her lawn ready for the winter – now is a good time for that “last mow”, as well as Chris’s (Thinly Spread) top tip of sprinkling your lawn with seeds to help it those muddy patches. Being Mrs C reminds us to MOVE those big toys – such as slides and swings off the lawn, to avoid patch surprises in Spring. Or at least to move a few times throughout the winter!
For a more detailed post about fall lawn care, check out this post about fall lawn care tips on LawnStarter’s blog.
Bulbs blubs and more bulbs
…definitely the time of year to plant your bulbs. Chris has a lovely idea of layering your bulbs for full effect in spring – grow tulips, narcissus and hyacinths together.
To Clear or not To Clear
Many of us think of Winter as a “clean clear garden”, stripped back from your Spring and Summer activities. Not so at Thinly Spread‘s garden. Keep some of the growth for bugs and beetles. Afterall, we need them back in Spring. Also, it will help stop any nutritrients being washed out during the Winter months
Photograph
Take a photograph of your garden, so you can see what worked and didn’t work so well (a seriously good tip, I am forever forgetting what I experimented with “this year”…)
Apple Trees
Do cut back on shoots, to allow better apple formation along the stronger exciting branches this year
Leaves
Time to clear lots of leaves, as Domestic Goddesque tells us. They are everywhere! Being Mrs C has another top tip, to bag these in strong black bin liners (NOT compostable ones), poke a few holes and keep 1- 2 years for mulch and compost. Great for large gardens that need more nutrients and that have the space for storage!
Trees and Tree Surgeons
Me and My Shadow asks for advice on what to do with some overgrowing trees. Talking to your local council and their tree experts is a good starting point. If you do get someone in to prune your larger trees, remember to ask to keep the wood as fire wood or wood chippings for paths (if needed!)
Me and My Shadow is also currently harvesting her sweetcorn (wow! Well done) as well as lots of Beetroots – did you know, you could throw them whole, uncooked in a blender and make juices? Well I never!
Green Manure
Consider using green manure as per Being Mrs C advice! A great way to protect your raised beds from weeds, as well as adding nutrients when you cut it back in Spring and dig it under (cut back, leave for a week, and dig under).
Sheds
Now is a good time to fix your sheds and out houses and prep them for the Winter as per Maris World!
Some great links here! Thanks for the roundup.
some very good advice here!
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