It’s time to tidy away and pot up white the weather holds
The mists and mellow fruitfulness are in full swing now, and with the drop in temperature and rise in seasonal dampness, it’s time to turn our attention to garden health and hygiene.
Autumn conditions are perfect for helping rots, moulds, fungal diseases and many pests to thrive so anything that can give them sanctuary needs to be removed before the weather really turns against us.
Uproot summer bedding that is past its best and add it to the compost. Cut off dead and damaged material from perennial plants as it can create an entrance for fungal problems and adversely affect the health of your plants.
Remember never to add anything to the compost that is diseased, as spores will live on in the warmth and subsequently be spread around the garden.
Weeds with ripe seed heads might be fine at the back of the garden out the way, but otherwise soak pulled plants in water for a good few weeks before then adding to your compost pile safely.
Don’t be too ruthless when cutting down perennials, Many of the ripening seed heads will provide food for garden birds and add statuesque, architectural interest to the garden during the winter months.
Leave some of the stems standing too, to provide shelter for insects and invertebrates through winter – and remember ivy is a wildlife ally so try and leave as much as you can in place. Don’t be too eager to chop back your penstemon stems just yet either. They aren’t reliably frost-resistant so just trim them by a third, leaving the majority of the stem standing to help insulate the crown from sub-zero weather.
Tender perennials such as non-hardy fuchsias, gazanias and pelargoniums will need moving to their winter homes before the first night frosts arrive. Pot them up and relocate them in the greenhouse, making sure they have plenty of space and good airflow between them to reduce the risk of botrytis grey mould and similar problems.
This is also a good time to check your greenhouse heater is fit for purpose (if you have one), and to stock up on horticultural fleece and bubble wrap.
Lift tender plants
Get them through winter indoors
1. Dig around your plant and carefully lift it.
2. Pot it up in peat-free multipurpose compost and form it down.
3. Water well – you may not need to water it again until spring
4. Now cut back the shoots to 5cm (2in) and place in a frost-free greenhouse.
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