Autumn is the season that rewards a bit of foresight. Growth slows, the soil is still warm from summer, and there is a window of a few weekends before the first hard frost to get things in order. Spend that time well and spring will be a great deal easier.
What follows is a working checklist of twelve jobs worth fitting in between late September and the end of November. Work through them in whatever order suits your plot — just don't leave the tender plants until a frost is forecast, because by then it is usually too late.
Clear Leaves Before They Smother the Lawn
Fallen leaves are the most obvious autumn job and the one most often left too long. A thin scattering does no harm; a thick, wet blanket does. Left on a lawn, leaves block light and air, and the grass beneath yellows and dies back. On paths, decking and steps they turn slippery within a day of rain, which matters more than most of us admit.
Rake them up little and often rather than waiting for the last leaf to fall. A flexible plastic rake is quicker on grass than a springbok, and a leaf blower earns its keep on gravel. Keep the sweepings: stuffed into bin bags punched with a few holes, or heaped in a wire frame, they rot down into leafmould — one of the best soil conditioners you can make, and free. Leave a messy corner alone, too. A quiet pile of leaves and logs is exactly what hedgehogs and frogs are looking for.
Plant Spring Bulbs While the Soil Is Still Workable
Daffodils, crocuses, alliums and snowdrops want to go in from September onwards. Tulips are the exception and are better planted in November, which reduces the risk of disease. As a rule of thumb, plant each bulb at two to three times its own depth, pointed end up, and space them roughly a bulb's width apart.
If your soil is heavy clay, drop a handful of grit or multipurpose compost into the planting hole. Bulbs in pots need the same care, plus a layer of horticultural grit on the surface to keep squirrels off. Where squirrels are a real menace, lay chicken wire over the bed and peg it down until shoots appear. And resist the urge to plant a single straight row: scatter a handful and plant them where they land, because bulbs always look better in generous drifts.
Bring Tender Plants Under Cover Before the Frost
Pelargoniums, fuchsias, citrus, olives, agapanthus and tree ferns all need thought now. The aim is to have them under cover before the first frost, not after it. Move pots into a greenhouse, conservatory or cool porch, and check the rims and drainage holes for slugs, snails and vine weevil grubs on the way in.
Once inside, ease off the watering — soggy compost in cool, low-light conditions is the quickest way to lose a plant over winter. For anything that must stay outside, group pots together against a house wall for shelter, stand them on pot feet so they don't sit in water, and wrap the crowns in fleece, bubble wrap or hessian. Mulch the base of borderline shrubs with a thick layer of bark or compost. Don't wrap too early, though: trapping damp air around a plant that is still growing invites rot.
Tidy Selectively and Give the Soil Something Back
Cutting everything to the ground is tidy, but it is not always kind. Seedheads on teasels, echinacea, sedum and ornamental grasses feed birds and hold structure through the worst of the weather, and hollow stems shelter insects over winter.
So be selective. Lift and compost annual bedding, clear collapsed foliage from perennials, and bin any material showing signs of disease rather than adding it to the heap. Leave penstemons, salvias and other borderline shrubs until spring, when the old growth has protected the new shoots below.
Autumn is also the best time to improve the soil, because worms and weather do much of the work for you. Spread well-rotted manure or garden compost over beds and let it be pulled down over winter. On heavy clay, avoid digging or walking on the ground when it is sodden — you will only make the structure worse. Bare vegetable beds can be sown with a green manure such as grazing rye or field beans to stop nutrients washing away, and it is worth emptying the compost bin and spreading the finished stuff before the winter rains arrive.
Clean, Sharpen and Store Your Tools
Tools looked after in autumn will still be working in five years' time. The routine is simple:
- Wash soil off spades, forks and trowels, then dry them thoroughly.
- Rub metal parts with an oiled rag or wire wool to lift rust.
- Sharpen secateurs, loppers and shears with a diamond file, following the original bevel.
- Sand rough wooden handles and rub in a little linseed oil.
- Drain and coil hoses, and store them where they won't freeze.
- Clean pots and seed trays with hot soapy water before stacking them.
- Service the lawnmower, or at least empty it of fuel and clean the underside.
The greenhouse deserves the same treatment. Clear out spent crops, wash the glass inside and out to let in as much winter light as possible, and check that vents still open and close properly.
Check the Garden's Bones
While you are outside anyway, walk the boundary and look at the things that only fail in a storm. Loose fence panels, wobbly stakes, frayed tree ties and cracked greenhouse panes are far cheaper to sort now than in January. Clear gutters and downpipes, check water butts are covered and secure, and turn off and drain outside taps to prevent burst pipes. Anything that can blow over in a gale — parasols, empty pots, wheelbarrows, garden furniture — should be put away or weighted down. If a job involves a ladder or a chainsaw, be honest about whether it is one to hand to someone qualified.
Look After Wildlife and Water
Birds need food and clean water through winter, so keep feeders topped up and wash them regularly. If you have a pond, don't clear it completely: leave debris at the edges as shelter for frogs and insects. Stop feeding fish once the water turns cold and they become inactive, and float a ball or a piece of wood on the surface to keep a patch open if it freezes.
Take care before tidying piles of leaves, logs or long grass in late autumn. A hedgehog, frog or toad may already be settled in there for the winter, and it will not thank you for the disturbance.
Pace Yourself — and Keep Notes
None of this has to happen in a single weekend. If time is short, work in this order: move the tender plants, clear leaves from paths and lawn, plant the bulbs, then everything else. A garden does not need to look immaculate in November; it needs to be ready.
One last habit is worth adopting. While it is still fresh, jot down what worked and what didn't — which bulbs came up blind, which plants were caught by frost, where the soil stayed waterlogged. A few notes now will save you repeating the same mistakes next autumn.
Related posts
More stories you’ll love reading