Things To Do This Week – October

Diary
This Week

Tips & Advice For This Week

Rake up leaves. Though you can put small quantities in a compost bin and mix them in well, it is best to compost leaves on their own.

Make a simple leafmould bin with four posts and chicken wire or sturdy plastic netting. Alternatively, use biodegradable loose-weave jute leaf sacks or fill pierced bin liner with moist leaves. It will take up to two years for the leaves to break down.

Aim to plant all bulbs as soon as possible after purchase and finish planting by the end of the month, with the exception of tulips. Tulips are best planted later, in November, to reduce the risk of fungal infection problems.

Lift tender perennial bedding plants such as pelargoniums, fuchsias and marguerites (Argyranthemum) before the first frost. Pot them up and store in a protected environment, ensuring that the compost does not dry out or become too wet.