The Big Autumn Clean Up

At the time of writing this, the sun is shining and it is a beautiful, crisp autumn day.  It’s just perfect for getting outside and doing all those pressing tasks.

So far this month we’ve had sunshine and showers and high winds and torrential rain and now the temperature is starting to drop.  Who knows what the rest of the month will throw at us!

Don’t despair, on a cheerier note, when it isn’t raining there are plenty of jobs that need doing around the garden that will help to keep you warm.

Leaf Sweeping:

One of my favourites, when I worked at BarnsdaleGardens, was sweeping or raking up the leaves, great for beating off the cold. It is important to remove fallen leaves from plants and lawns promptly to prevent damage and disease.  You don’t need to be too pristine on bare soil as leaving a covering of leaves can provide winter homes for beneficial insects.  So what to do with all those leaves you have so contentiously collected?  Make leaf mould, of course!

Leaf mould:

The simplest way I have found is to punch a few holes in a black bin liner fill it with well damped leaves and tuck it behind the shed for a year.  You will be rewarded with a wonderful material that is brilliant for making your own compost or as a treat for woodland plants.

Cutting back:

By all means cut back anything that looks unsightly but leave some perennial stems standing over winter, some look spectacular covered in frost, others have seeds to feed the birds e.g. Sunflowers and Eryngiums and some provide hibernation sites for insects. Small twigs or shredded woody material and perennial flowers can all be added to the compost bin although I keep the hollow ones to make bug houses.

Bug Houses:

Cut stems, tied in bundles or placed in bug houses, encourage beneficial insects to hibernate in your garden

When you do cut down your perennials, stand the hollow stems in a corner to dry before cutting into lengths of about 15cm/6″, tie in bundles, place in climbers or shrubs to provide more hibernation sites for insects.

Compost what you can:

Check out Novembers issue of Kitchen Garden Magazine or see my blog on composting: http://www.kitchengarden.co.uk/blog/sweet-crumbly-compost-or-snotty-green-sludge-by-debbie-cooke

This is a good time of year to sort out your compost and make use of this delicious free commodity.  I put some on the garden every year whilst the ground is still warm and moist then I get a flush of forget-me-nots and calendula but they weed out easily enough.  If your compost is very weedy try digging trenches and burying it, the nutrients, organisms and bulky material will still benefit the soil.

Bonfires:

Any larger stems and branches or diseased plant material that you don’t want to add to the compost bin could be burnt. If you have a large garden or an allotment where you are allowed to burn rubbish please check for hibernating hedgehogs before you light bonfires. For more information on how to help hedgehogs at this time of year try www.hedgehogdtreet.org.uk or tweet @hedgehogsociety.

Digging:

Best job in the world for warming you up but only if the ground is still workable.

Planting:

All manner of things can be planted now, like bare root roses, perennials, shrubs, fruit canes, bushes and trees. Container grown plants can be planted at any time of year but will require more attention in hot dry weather.  Don’t plant if the ground is too wet or frozen.

Lifting:

Carrots and potatoes still in the ground will need lifting and storing.  If you grow carrots in pots they can be kept going in the greenhouse for fresh winter supplies.

So there are plenty of jobs to put a glow in your cheeks!

Bulb planting is the other pressing task to do this month, but it’s not nearly as energetic as cleaning the greenhouse, particularly inside, now that will keep you snug.

Greenhouse Clean Out:

Clean the greenhouse thoroughly, inside and out; use a good disinfectant as pests and diseases can live in the greenhouse over winter, just waiting to infect your crops next year.  Once clean you could try adding bubble wrap to the inside for added insulation.

When all the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are over and have been removed don’t leave the borders empty:  I grow winter salad leaves and early carrots in my greenhouse borders which I started off in plugs on the kitchen windowsill.  I have a permanent supply of Rocket in the greenhouse border and have potted up some herbs to keep me going over winter.  You could also try baby spinach leaves, corn salad, spring onions, mange-tout peas and other quick maturing salad crops in the borders.

Don’t forget to bring in any tender plants that you want to keep for next year, before the first frosts, take care not to over water these.

If the weather won’t permit all this wonderful outdoor activity, then you’ll be very sensibly sitting in the warm with a hot drink, browsing through seed catalogues or your latest copy of your favourite Kitchen Garden magazine and planning what to plant for next year.

Whilst you are snuggled up in the warm, spare a thought for the wildlife.  They will need plenty of high energy food and a fresh supply of water.

Wrap up warm and rake that lawn!