Monthly Garden Advice for October
Feed the Birds
This is an ideal time for planting deciduous trees and shrubs and by planting those bearing fruit you will attract many birds into the garden. Choose from varieties of Sorbus (Mountain Ash), Malus (Crab Apple), Amelanchier, Mahonia, Pyracantha and Cotoneaster. Mix Tree and Shrub compost 50/50 with the soil to aid establishment, stake securely and ensure final planting depth is the same as in the container. Water in well and keep moist in any dry spell.
Colourful Autumn Gardens
Heathers in the form of Erica vagans and Calluna vulgaris varieties will provide colour through the Autumn months, their tapering flower spikes combining well with ornamental grasses. We have great value 6 packs of heathers in the centres. Fothergilla major is another plant that will enjoy the acid border and just like a fireworks display will have leaves of dark green,yellow, crimson and even purple tinges on the same plant. Many deciduous varieties of Berberis thunbergii produce wonderful autumn tints as does Euonymus planipes, Cotinus spp and of course the spectacular Japanese Maples.
Soil Improvement
An ideal time to start work on improving heavy clay soils. Digging over the site adding Lime or Claybreaker and leaving the soil rough will allow the winter rain and frost to help improve it. Later add well rotted compost, composted wood fibre or farmyard manure, all of which are available in bag form in the Garden Centres and described as Soil Improvers.
Christmas Gifts
Quick Tips
- check soil PH with a simple test kit.
- prune rambling roses
- apply grease bands to trees for climbing winter moth
- treat wooden furniture with teak oil before storage
- spray peaches with traditional copper fungicide at leaf fall for peach leaf curl and again in the spring at bud burst.
