Autumn is the perfect time to get your garden prepped for next spring. It’s still relatively mild so you can get out there and take care of everything that needs doing, without feeling like you’re going to freeze to death! Here are a few of the essential jobs to do now, ready for when the winter arrives.
Move Plants To a Greenhouse
Any tender, or half-hardy plants that won’t survive the frost of the upcoming winter can be transferred to a greenhouse. Keep an eye on the thermostat, it doesn’t need to be exotically warm for this purpose (all this will achieve is wasting energy). As long as it stays above freezing, you’ll save your plants, and they will be ready to be planted out and come into bloom again next year.
Prune Bushes
Over the summer your shrubs and trees are likely to have done a lot of growing. Anything that looks untidy or has grown out of control should be pruned back. Once plants begin to lose their leaves you’ll get a good look at the overall shape, which can help you to decide which cuts to make. Always use sharp, clean shears to prune bushes which will prevent disease from entering the plant.
Overseed Your Lawn
Summer can be hard on your lawn. If you’ve had children and pets playing out in your garden or have been hosting barbeques and parties, you’ll have had a lot of people trampling over it. Lawns that look sparse and unhealthy can be rejuvenated without having to renovate the entire thing. Begin by using a thatch rake to remove any dead grass. Then fill in the bald areas with a grass seed blend that’s suited for your lifestyle. For example, for regular family life go with a more hardy blend rather than say ornamental grasses. Finally, sow more seed over the top of the rest of the lawn. This will help to blend it with the new areas as well as thicken it up overall. Autumn is the best time to do this since it’s still fairly mild but rainy too. It gives the grass seeds the best chance to germinate and get established before the winter frost sets in.
Insulate Your Garden Tap
Burst pipes are a common occurrence in winter. This is because they constantly freeze and expand in the cold weather which can cause them to weaken and split. Since your outdoor tap and the piping is exposed to the elements its especially at risk. You could completely switch off the water supply to the outdoor tap. Or at the very least buy some insulating foam jackets to cover everything that’s exposed.
Pressure Wash Paving and Decking
Pressure washing will remove any moss or film that has built up on decking or paving. This can become slippery when it’s wet over the autumn and winter and so blasting it away is a good idea. Remove any dead leaves that have fallen between the cracks in your decking as these can rot and cause the wood to become damaged.