Autumn is here in the garden! Enjoy the autumn leaf colours and seed heads on frosty mornings. There are still some jobs to do outside to help keep you warm!
Fruit & veg
Sow now
Plant over-wintering onion sets, broad beans and garlic in your plot.
Harvest now
Carrots, parsnips, endive, cauliflower and autumn cabbages are all ready to harvest and eat.
Jobs now
Remove any canes and supports in your plot left from your summer crops – remember to store them safely and somewhere dry
November is your last chance to prepare your soil before winter sets in. Once the soil becomes very wet or frozen then you will have to wait until mid-spring before you can dig it without damaging the soil structure
Clear the weeds and old crops and add organic matter to the soil as you dig. If you produce a fine tilth, you need to cover it to protect it from winter rain, which will otherwise damage the soil structure. You can use a good layer of compost, leaf mould, sow a green manure or even use plastic sheeting. The soil will be easy to plant or sow into the following spring.
Plants
Use a rake to collect fallen leaves in your garden. Why not make the leaf compost bin in the activities section to put all your leaves in, making lovely leafmould to use on your garden over the next few years.
Order seed catalogues so you can begin to plan what you would like to grow next year.
Wildlife
As the days get colder remember to feed the birds in your garden and provide fresh water.
On frosty mornings look for beautiful spider’s webs.
Make a small stack of logs to provide shelter for insects and amphibians over the cold winter months.