Autumn gardening action plan
20th Aug 2024
What a wet summer we've had this year in most parts of the country! However, autumn is a beautiful time of year so let’s look beyond soggy campsites and shivery beach days and look forward to Halloween and crisp frosty mornings.
The grass is greener…
When there’s rain!
If you have experienced a drought, lawn grasses can stop growing and turn brown, particularly if the top 10cm of soil dries out. But don’t despair if your lawn looks sad! In most cases, it is merely in a dormant state and will start to recover as normal levels of rainfall return.
Spiking and aerating the ground will help the rain penetrate and sink down to the roots and prevent it from merely rolling off compact soil. Check out our range of aerators to see which would best suit your needs. The advice is that you can’t do too much spiking.
Once the lawn is reviving, give it a good feed – but don’t use weedkiller to attack any weeds that have sprung up – and when you mow do so with a raised height of the mower blades.
Some parts of the lawn may not be restored and will be dead. In this case, now’s the time to re-seed or re-turf those areas.
Autumn leaves
The trees are lush at the moment, benefitting from fewer dry spells. But autumn is just around the corner, so best to be prepared.
We have a great range of rakes, leaf blowers, grabbers and collectors to help with clearing the ground.
Leaf mould makes an excellent, environmentally friendly mulch. You can simply put the leaves in a bin liner pierced with holes, or stake out an area in a sheltered part of the garden, moistening the mound of leaves if they become dry. Take care not to use any leaves from plants or trees with disease though.
Hedge trimming
With all the rainfall, hedges have been growing significantly and now is the right time to cut them back.
Hedge trimming is not recommended between March and August because of the potential for birds nesting. But autumn is fine for getting those hedge trimmers out. Cutting back is important not only to make the hedge look neater, but excessive growth prevents light and moisture from getting to where it’s needed.
Cutting and chopping
Whether you’re felling or cutting up fallen branches for recycling, firewood or garden use, Draper offers a comprehensive selection of axes, log splitters and chainsaws from which to choose.
Pruning
Autumn is the ideal time to prune plants that have finished flowering, such as climbing roses or thin out fruit bushes and tidy up beds ready for the winter months. For the smaller or more delicate jobs, secateurs are ideal, and with different types on offer, we’ve created a quick guide to help you choose which is best for you: A quick look at secateurs – bypass, anvil and ratchet. We also offer a range of loppers for the larger pruning jobs.
Seasonal planting
While harvesting and Halloween are often uppermost in our thoughts during September and October, these months are also a time for planting. October is perfect for putting in daffodil bulbs ready for next spring, while radishes, turnips, carrots, spinach and kale are great options for vegetable bed planting.
