WITH a new month comes a new to-do list – and that’s exactly the same when it comes to the garden.
So who better to dish the dirt on October’s checklist than gardening pro Monty Don?
The Gardeners’ World host has unveiled the essential tasks he will be completing over the next four weeks that you should be doing too.
In a blog post for his website, Monty, 68, said: “October this year is entering through the back door.
“There is barely a hint of autumn other than the shortening days and cooler nights.
“The garden remains a strange matt green without a hint of the delicacy and fading that usually characterises the end of September.”
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But Monty said that despite October feeling rather different this year, it’s still business as usual in the garden.
He continued: “However it presents itself, October is still a very productive month for gardeners.
“There are lots of harvests from squashes, salad leaves, cabbages, sweetcorn, tomatoes, chilies, climbing beans and more.
“The flower garden is still blooming with cosmos, helianthus, asters, sunflowers, cannas, gingers, dahlias, echinacea, heleniums all still going strong – which they will do until the first frosts.”
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And that moved him on nicely to the first task at hand – planting ahead of spring.
Monty said: “It is also the best time to move existing and plant new plants – especially trees and shrubs.
“The soil is still warm so the roots will grow in their new homes but the foliage is making no demands.”
Monty, who is releasing a new book called 'The Gardening Book' on October 26th, then went into more detail about the bulbs you should be planting – but also avoiding.
He said: “Continue planting spring bulbs but wait another month for tulips.”
Spring bulbs to look out for, according to other pros, include daffodils and crocus’.
October is still a very productive month for gardeners
Monty also encouraged budding gardeners to continue deadheading – the process of removing dead heads from a plant.
He continued: “Keep deadheading throughout October, particularly the equatorial plants like dahlias.
“This will extend their flowering season and squeeze the last bloom from them.”
While cutting should also be on your agenda, as Monty revealed.
He said: “It is not too late to take cuttings and there is no more satisfying process in the garden if it is successful.
“Choose healthy non-flowering growth, use a sharp knife and very free draining peat-free compost (add an equal measure of grit or perlite to the compost) and keep the humidity high.
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“Most things will strike now and overwinter successfully without needing potting on.”
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