Flower Garden in October – Hints and Tips
October is a time to prepare for the winter months ahead. Hopefully your beds, borders, hanging baskets and containers have provided good displays and provided much pleasure and now is the time to protect tender plants and clear those that are spent forces.
Dahlias and Cannas
There is a choice of action depending upon your climate. In milder regions Dahlias and Cannas may over winter left in the ground especially if covered with a protective layer of straw, bracken or rough homemade compost but flowering may be later the following year. In recent years I have used this method for my dahlias and results have been fine apart from one small patch that flowers later for some reason.
Alternatively wait for first frosts to blacken the stems before lifting the tubers or rhizomes.
Tender Bulbs
While on the subject of bulbs you live in cold regions now is the time to lift tender bulbs such as Galtonia and Tigridia and store over the winter, safely out of the reach of mice.
Lilies
Plant Lily bulbs in pots during October and then next year they can either be brought inside for an early spring display or left outside to provide a summer display on the patio.
Spring Flowering Bulbs
Continue to plant spring-flowering bulbs but leave tulips until November.
Bedding For Spring
Bedding plants for spring flowering can be planted now in the ground or containers, such as wallflowers, forget-me-not, Bellis, Primula, Viola, winter pansies and other spring bedding plants. Look after their water needs, just because autumn is upon us and winter around the corner it does not mean that they will not go dry. Take care though if severe frost is forecast.
Summer Bedding
With the above in mind clear out remaining summer bedding as they will certainly not look at their best as October progresses.
Perennial Flower Garden Maintenance
Revive tired and overcrowded clumps of perennial plants and at the same time increase your stock by lifting and dividing. When replanting freshen up the soil by adding compost, preferably from your own compost heaps or compost bins.
October is a good time to plant new herbaceous perennials while the soil is still warm and is still holding some moisture.
Cut back faded herbaceous perennials and add to your compost heap and remove stakes and other supports the plants die down. This can also be a good reminder to note down the plants you need to stake early next year, especially those you missed this year and did not look natural.
Collect and store seed from perennials still forming seed heads.
Check chrysanthemums regularly for signs of white rust and treat as necessary.
Discoloured leaves on herbaceous plants such as Chrysanthemum, Anemone and Penstemon could be an indication of leaf and bud eelworm.
Grey mould (Botrytis) can be a problem in wet weather so remove affected leaves and other parts as soon as seen.
Powdery mildew can still be a problem in dryer, warmer regions during October and it is best to control this by cutting back fading growth rather than by spraying.
Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets can be kept going during October by continuing to deadhead, water and feed.
Alpines
Remove any debris from alpines and, if you have patches that need revitalising, work in compost with added grit to ensure the correct drainage.
Alpine troughs should be moved to a ventilated greenhouse, covered porch or some sort of shelter. They need protection from the rain otherwise they will be killed by a combination of cold and wet.
Half Hardy Fuchsia
Preferably give half hardy fuchsias a rest during winter. Let them dry out slightly and drop their leaves. Just keep them alive with gentle heat in the greenhouse or cool room. I have kept some in an unheated conservatory and others in a greenhouse, unheated but lined with bubble polythene, and both have done well the following year.
Protect Tender Plants
Remember to bring tender plants into the greenhouse or conservatory for the winter.
Whether it is your allotment or vegetable patch at home it is best to remove all plant debris to lessen the risk of spreading disease.
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