5 Top Tips For Your Garden This Autumn
1. Hard prune to trees and plants
Pruning in autumn is a great time of the year to give your plants and trees a short haircut before the cooler months arrive. Before you start, make sure your pruning tools such as secateurs, loppers, and pruning saws are clean and sharp! This ensures clean cuts and reduces the risk of damaging plants, allowing for clear and healthy new growth.
Begin by removing any dead, diseased, or damaged branches. This helps promote plant health and prevents the spread of diseases. Prune to maintain the natural shape of the plant or to guide its growth in a desired direction. The key is to look for crossing branches or branches that are growing inward and remove them. This is also an ideal time to trim deeper, opening up the plant to allow more light to reach its base, fostering strength during the darker months.
If you have citrus trees, go deep!
2. Improve your soil
Clear fallen debris from the base of your plants to enhance air circulation and reduce fungal infection risks. Spread a thin layer of compost (bonus points if you have your own home compost) across your garden beds and gently mix it into the existing soil with a garden fork, targeting compacted areas or dry plants. Unless your soil urgently needs mulch, wait until spring to apply a fresh layer.
3. Apply liquid slow fertilisers
The lead up to winter presents a final opportunity for your garden to grow before the colder months fully set in. Applying a slow-release fertiliser in liquid form is recommended for this time of year as it will be absorbed quickly and work straight away. Remember to use the recommended mixture, as a higher concentration can cause harm rather than benefit.
While it's ideal to tailor your fertiliser choices to each specific plant's needs, let's face it, nobody wants to purchase ten different types of fertilisers and blow the weekly budget. For an overall job across all plants, I recommend Charlie Carp All Purpose Concentrate Fertiliser. Make sure you apply it in the early morning or evening to avoid direct sunlight.
4. Strengthen your lawn
As winter approaches, you will need to protect your lawn from stress. Avoid scalping, top dressing, or major renovations during this period, as the lawn won’t recover well. Raise your mower height and mow regularly to prevent weed growth.
Aerate your lawn to encourage stronger root development and better soil quality. Plus, apply a final round of fertiliser to boost growth before winter, and make weeding a regular part of your weekly routine. Don't forget to also adjust your watering schedule based on rainfall, eventually turning off your irrigation system.
5. Get planting
Shorter daylight hours reduce the stress on plants, making autumn a perfect time for planting! And notably, autumn is just a beautiful time of year to get in the garden.
In my eyes, there's no rulebook on which plants to include in your garden during this season. However, if you're considering starting a vegetable garden or expanding an existing one, here are my top picks for veggies to plant right now:
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Leek
- Onions
- Snow peas
- Potatoes
Those tips all sound great, but you just can’t be bothered? Get Clarence to do it! Book a maintenance service online.
Clarence xx