
22 December 2020
Gardening jobs for October
Our expert Which? guide to the gardening jobs you need to do in October such as clearing autumn leaves and planting spring bedding.

In this article
Plant up spring pots
If you haven't already planted some containers with spring colour, there's still time to plant now using bedding plants such as violas and wallflowers, plus spring-flowering bulbs.
Keep your pots in a sheltered spot, such as under a porch, to encourage blooms through the winter and to avoid plants rotting off in the winter wet. Cyclamen and ornamental cabbage are particularly vulnerable to rotting in damp conditions.
You won't get masses of blooms during colder weather, but any milder spells should see a good show.
Be sure to use a Best Buy compost for containers.
Clear leaves
The simplest method of clearing leaves off the lawn is to run over them with a lawn mower. The cutting action of the mower blades will help to shred the leaves and make them quicker to rot down.
Collect leaves this way once a week - any longer and the grass will start to grow long and get harder to cut.
For clearing patios, paths and other surfaces, a leaf blower is a better bet. Either blow the leaves onto the lawn for the mower to pick up or blast them on to a tarpaulin and drag them to the compost heap.
Read our advice about what to do with autumn leaves.
Bring tender plants under protection
If you've got tender plants, such as canna, now's the time to bring them indoors before they get killed by the frost.
Choose a light, frost-free place such as a greenhouse or coldframe. Then keep them on the dry side during the winter, so they don't put on much growth.
The plants can then be brought back into growth in spring by gradually increasing the amount of water they receive
Turn the compost heap
As the garden is tidied in preparation for winter, lots of material is generated for composting. To encourage it to rot down quickly, turn the contents regularly to stir it up and allow in lots of air.
In the colder weather, the rate of decomposition will naturally decrease, but it will soon speed up during warmer spells.
Veg jobs for October
October sees the start of the winter-veg season.
- Sow winter salads
- Clear out greenhouse crops
- Buy garlic
Read our full guide to the veg jobs for October.
Gardening through the year
- 1.Gardening jobs for January
- 2.Gardening jobs for February
- 3.Gardening jobs for March
- 4.Gardening jobs for April
- 5.Gardening jobs for May
- 6.Gardening jobs for June
- 7.Gardening jobs for July
- 8.Gardening jobs for August
- 9.Gardening jobs for September
- 10.Gardening jobs for October
- 11.Gardening jobs for November
- 12.Gardening jobs for December
- 13.How to choose a Christmas tree

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