A GARDENING expert has revealed that homeowners must do an important task now, to avoid huge problems in the spring time.
Summer is well and truly behind us, and although the UK is being battered with a deluge of wind and rain this week, this does not mean it’s time to hang up our gardening gloves just yet.
There are still plenty of jobs to be done in the garden, and Emily Green expert at Howarth Timber, revealed that to protect your garden this October, one important task you should tackle is weeding.
Weeding is a crucial job to undertake in autumn, as if it is not done, you could face huge problems in spring.
Emily revealed that weeds should be removed from the root, especially if they have grown through pavement joints, or along garden edging.
She explained: “As we all know, weeds may become an issue if allowed to grow wild, and if they aren’t managed early in the winter, they will become a greater problem in the spring.”
Emily said that it may be necessary to use a weed killer, but urged gardening lovers to find a natural one, such as white vinegar or salt, so as not to use any toxic chemicals.
The expert added that it is also important to make sure that your garden is kept tidy this autumn, by removing any undesirable waste from the compost heap and trimming perennial plants back to soil level.
However, she said that you should be sure to leave your soil alone, as it needs protection from the harsh winter weather and over-digging can remove the soil’s protective top layer.
The gardening pro added that now is a great time to clean out your guttering, to guarantee that water is constantly being directed away from your property.
Guttering can get especially clogged in the autumn, as fallen leaves often find their way into drainpipes.
Emily revealed that flooding can have an extremely detrimental impact on your garden.
“As your soil becomes waterlogged, it saturates and kills the roots, so many garden plants and shrubs are unable to withstand heavy rainfall”, she explained
“So be prepared when the likelihood of heavy rain develops.”
To prevent plants from rotting and dying, the expert suggested putting them in raised beds, to keep them out of harm’s way.
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the jobs you need to tackle in October.
“It’s a good time to trim deciduous hedges – like box, yew, hawthorn, hornbean and beech – plus hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!
Make leafmould – gather up all the fallen leaves and fill either bin bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, stick a few small holes in the bag – and then store for a year or more. Free compost!
It’s unlikely you’ll get any more red tomatoes so have one final harvest and chuck the plants on the compost. See if you can get the green ones to ripen by putting in a drawer (some say with a banana). Also keep the seeds from a couple – and plant again next year if they went well.
Finish getting in your spring bulbs. Ideally you’d have done daffs and alliums, but tulips are better in the ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.
It’s good to leave some plant litter in the ground – it adds to the nutrients as it rots down, and provides shelter and food for insects. But remove the manky brown bits collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.
Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter duvet to your outside space.
October’s a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans, and rhubarb.”
With the weather as grim and icy as it is, it’s unlikely we will be having any more BBQs this year, so it is important to cover up garden furniture, so that it doesn’t get damaged over winter.
Emily suggested that if you have space to store furniture in your garage, this will keep it the most protected.
However, you can also purchase some thick waterproof sheet covers that can be securely placed over the furniture.
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