We are officially into Autumn now and the last of my summer crops are finishing. I am still hanging on hoping that some of my tomatoes may go red but I have harvested a lot of them whilst still green. They are inside in boxes and paper bags with bananas or in the fruit bowl. About a dozen of them are turning red each day which is keeping us in tomatoes for salads, sandwiches, and some to throw in the odd curry or Mediterranean dish.
I am now starting some of my garden jobs for the Autumn. This helps me get ready for the winter and makes things easier next spring. I don’t just do these jobs to make my garden look better, but to maintain it and protect it.
Here is a list of what I am up to.
- Pulling weeds. Weeds grow even in winter and so I am getting rid of any that I see now. This means that there will be less weeds to deal with in spring.
- Cleaning the greenhouse, pots and tools and packing them away in a tidy fashion. I use soapy water to clean the pots and reduce the chance of disease. I also sweep out the greenhouse so that slugs and other insects are not attracted to the debris from the plants.
This way I can sow seeds in trays in the tidy green house in early spring.- Collect the falling leaves to use as leaf mould. Some I collect in plastic bags with air holes stabbed into them, some I place straight into my raised boxes, and some into my raspberry bed.
- Jet washing the paths and patio to reduce the chance of mildew growing which gets very slippery in the front garden that is North facing.
- The temperature is reducing quickly here in Yorkshire and so I have put recycled doubled glazed glass back on part of my raised boxes. This will protect seeds and seedlings that I recently sown and extend my growing season.
- Sown crops for winter. This has including some perpetual spinach and some winter hardy radishes.
- Collecting seeds from flowers and vegetables to use next year.
- Cutting the last of some of my herbs like parsley to dry before the cold kills them.
- Mulching my perennials to give them a bit of protection.
- Covering my small garden bed with cardboard to protect it and stop it eroding. I put a few stones on top.
- Tidying up a bit by getting rid of crops like beans, courgettes and tomatoes that have been harvested, but leaving enough seed heads and flower leaves to provide food and habitat for wild life.
- As it gets colder, and nearer to winter, I will place home made bird feeders on the trees.
- Giving the wooden greenhouse another coat of paint to protect it through out the winter.
- Filling the compost bins with finely cut vegetation to provide compost for next year.
- Growing winter vegetables. I have Swiss chard growing, sprouts, perpetual spinach, winter radishes, winter lettuce, garlic, onions, and carrots outside, and I will be putting my 6 pots of winter potatoes in the green house soon and wrapping them in bubble wrap.
- Planting spring bulbs to cheer me up in spring
- Planning and purchasing seeds for next year.
- Pruning my apple trees and diseased branches on my fruit trees.
- Protecting tender plants. I have some geraniums that I replant and bring into my conservatory and I have some sprout waiting to go out.
- Taking cuttings of herbs and plants for next year
- I grow in tubs and so I place mulch on top of these when they are empty so that weeds do not grow on them.
What are the jobs that you do at this time of the year? I used to just leave my garden as I was tired after a season of growing. I didn’t used to grow anything in winter except Swiss chard and spinach by accident. By doing these jobs I have found that I save myself so much work in the spring, and it also saves me time and money.
Great tips, I am going to strim and cover my no dig bed with card board and prep the off cuts of big black plastic drainage pipe to start forcing my rhubarb in December, this will give me an early crop and stop the plant from becoming over productive.
I have never forced my rhubarb. How much does it make it weaker the next year or the rest of the season? We freeze a lot of ours for winter and so I like to have a big crop. Thanks for sharing
I don’t know if this tip will be of interest, but my rhubarb crown was protected from the heat (with an old terracotta chimney pot) whilst my husband was having a bonfire some years ago. We forgot to remove the chimney pot and next year noticed so much more rhubarb was produced! Since then it has gone from strength to strength and now is even escaping and regrowing outside the chimney pot – the crown must has expanded underground. The rhubarb starts producing in spring and is still going strong in October! If you have an old chimney pot hanging around (or perhaps a free one from Gumtree) you could try it out. :)
Only today I asked my husband to take the tomato plants and any left cucumber plants out of the greenhouse. The remaining tomatoes went in the box with the others and a banana. Some sprouts, ( only 3) plants are going to be placed in the greenhouse once it is washed out. We also have a few Swiss chard that will go inside as well as my outside ones are fast being eaten still. Other years the geraniums have been put in the large oblong recycling boxes but they get mouldy all together. I think I will just save them in a pot each on the greenhouse shelf. I can protect them individually.
Outside the beans are almost over. French beans have already been taken up and seeds saved. We have 2 courgette plants left with some almost big enough courgettes then they will be pulled up.
Herbs have already been dried and put into jars. I have lemon verbena and lemon balm that I am still using to make drinks. I might move those to the greenhouse when it is ready.
Potatoes have been harvested but raised beds not dug over yet, we usually find some extras.
Strawberries and raspberries need pruning and weeding but raspberries are still growing and ripening.
Our patio needs cleaning too and hopefully be done soon. Also all pots to be cleaned and go in the plant pot store. I’m sure there will be lot’s more to do.
Wow. It sounds like you have everything sorted and organised. Well done. Thanks for sharing
Nice reminder of jobs to do at this time of year Toni. I’ve done those that need doing but, I do need to divide some plants and move others, which I’m hoping will fill the gaps and make the border look a little tidier. Need to get hubby to rake small lawn that we have and sew some grass seed.
Sounds like you are organised. Thanks for sharing
Thank you Toni, I needed some inspiration to get out there again as soon as it stops raining. Very helpful ideas 😁x
No worries. Glad to help. Yes it is hard to drag myself out when it is cloudy and cold sometimes.
All the things you suggested, plus I’m going to take some hardwood cuttings from some shrubs. I’ve got lots of pumpkins 🎃 to pick too.
Sounds good. I picked my last butternut squash yesterday. It feels so early this year. Thanks for sharing