There are always lots of jobs to do in the garden in October and lots of yummy crops to harvest that you might have planted earlier in the year. Look at our Gardener’s Calendar to be a tip top gardener for October!
Fruit & veg
Sow now
Garlic
Harvest now
October is the time to harvest squash, pumpkin, lettuce, carrots, apples and pears.
Make a new vegetable patch
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Check with your family where there might be a space in your garden you can use to make your own vegetable garden.
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Choose a place that has lots of sunshine and is sheltered from the wind as vegetables like lots of sunshine to help them grow.
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Get a grown up to help you decide how big your patch will be and mark out the shape with string.
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Use a garden fork or spade to dig over the plot. You might need a grown up to help use the tools or use a hand trowel if it’s a smaller space.
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Remove the weeds and dig in some compost to help improve the soil.
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You could sow some of the vegetables in the ‘Sow Now’ section into your new plot.
Plants
Collect some seeds
Many flowers and vegetables will have produced seed that can now be collected into paper envelopes. Wait until the seeds heads are brown and dry. Write on the front of the envelope what type of seed it is and write the date. Store somewhere cool and dry for future use. If the seeds are damp, dry the seeds on a tray on a sunny windowsill for a few days before storing.
Wildlife
- Leave some seed heads on the plants in your garden, they will look nice when it is frosty in the autumn and the birds will be able to use some of the seeds for food.
- Spider Safari - Make your garden spider friendly.