Garden care

Autumn is without a doubt one of our most favourite times of the year. As the weather changes and turns crisp, it’s the perfect excuse to get out for a walk and kick some leaves! And as our gardens welcome the change of the season by shredding its leaves, there is still plenty to be getting on with in order to prepare your garden for the colder winter months, and the spring ahead.

Out in the garden

• Although the fallen leaves can look spectacular and make a fun play area for young children, it’s important to not let them sit on your lawn for too long as they will prevent the amount of sunlight from reaching the lawn, so be sure to rake these up on a regular basis. If you want to help your local wild animals, you could make a mound out of your raked leaves and help provide a winter bed for some of your little visitors
• Plant out your winter bedding plants and add some colour and interest to your garden during the colder days
• Raise your containers now to prevent possible waterlogging later
• If it’s mild where you are and your lawn is still growing, trim it back but set your mower blades to a higher setting
• There is still time to give your lawn its Autumn feed, choose one which is high in potassium and phosphorous as this will help to establish a strong root system and harden your grass ready for the cooler weather
• Clean out and fill up your bird feeders. This will help encourage winter birds into your garden. You should also ensure your bird baths are clean and topped up
• Think about moving your plants into your greenhouse or garage to protect them against winter frost

In your greenhouse

• In preparation for your Spring growth, give your greenhouse an Autumn clean and disinfect it. It will help get it ready for next year’s growing season
• Remove any dead or yellowing leaves along with dead flowers
• Maintain good levels of ventilation in your greenhouse to help with air flow and winter growth
• Tidy up any pots and containers you have ready for use next year
• Replace any broken glass and glazing strip ready to get the most out of your greenhouse next year

With the official arrival of Autumn this week, we wanted to take a moment to think about those Autumn gardening jobs that we need to get done, in preparation for the colder months.

1. There’s still time to plant or split – Yes that’s right, there is still a small window of opportunity to plant your spring bulbs or split your perennials etc. whilst the soil is still warm after summer. Also the soil being moist will help with splitting any plants. Try to get this done sooner rather than later though to give the roots of your plants/bulbs chance to establish themselves before the winter weather arrives
2. Think about your Spring garden - If like us you enjoy seeing your garden spring to life come Spring, now is the time to prepare for that by planting your spring bulbs. TIP – Face the bulb tip facing upwards and plant at a depth of 2/3 times their height to help their roots to get established.
3. Trim your bushes, shrubs and herbaceous perennials – As soon as you see your shrubs and bushes turn yellow, or the stems of your perennials bending down towards the ground, now is the time to cut them back. You can normally cut your shrubs and bushes back to around ¼ their size, however if you’re in any doubt, speak to your local garden centre to seek advice.
4. Feed your lawn – It’s important not to forget about your lawn as you’re busy preparing your plants for the winter months. Apply a Autumn lawn fertilizer to give it a boost ahead of the colder months and be sure to clear away all fallen leaves, fruit etc. to prevent them rotting and damaging your lawn. TIP – Your last mow should be around early November, and if you leave your grass slightly longer than normal (around 5cm) it will be able to make better use of the late Autumn sunlight.
5. Relocate your pot plants – Either move them inside or into your greenhouse, or place them in a sheltered location.
6. Harvest any fruits such as apples or pears. We are loving this Autumn recipe from BBC Good Food for using up some of your delicious produce

That’s our 6 essentials must dos in the garden this Autumn, but we’d love to hear your top tips and Autumn jobs.  Feel free to share them below.

The Quality Greenhouses team :-)

As reports suggest that we are on for a sizzling few weeks of Summer sun, we thought it would be useful to take a look at what you should be doing in the garden over the coming weeks to help maximise the dryer weather, whilst also protecting your plants and vegetables from the warmer conditions that the Weather Man is promising us.

Water more but less frequently – Did you know that if you water your shrubs and bedding plants thoroughly, but less often, they are more likely to be encouraged to put down roots – literally! By watering them well a few times a week, as opposed to watering on a daily basis, they will spread their roots in search of more water, meaning they will become better established in the ground. The exception to this is your hanging baskets and potted plants which should still be watered on a daily basis. Soaker hoses can come in very handy here as they use up to 70% less water compared to conventional sprinklers and are designed to operate at low pressure, making them the perfect choice. They will connect to an outside tap or water butt.

Remove the dead-heads – July is a key time to deadhead bedding plants and any perennials which re-flower as this will ensure your plants are using all of its nutrients for what it needs most – to encourage re-growth!

Feed your lawn – If like us you missed the feed earlier in the year, now is most certainly the time to treat your lawn to a feed. A feed such as Aftercut 3 Day Green can be applied after mowing your lawn and doesn’t need to be watered in. It also uses a no scorch formula to help prevent damage. This can be applied every few weeks for the next few months to see you through the warmer weather.

Attack those weeds – They really are pesky things and if your garden is anything like ours, they appear seemingly overnight. July is a key time to try and get on top of them by hoeing borders to help prevent annual weeds from establishing. You should also dig out or apply weed killer to any perennial weeds – but just be mindful of the other plants close by as many weed killers will kill everything it comes into contact with.

Time to sow – As nice as the warmer weather is, it is still important to start thinking about those longer winter nights with the fire lit. By sowing cabbage, carrots and turnips around this time, you are sure to have some tasty winter vegetables to help create those delicious warming soups. A Classic or Wall-Hugger VegTrug could provide the perfect planting environment if you don’t have a vegetable patch.

Sit-back and relax – Possibly one of the most important activities to undertake this Summer – enjoy your garden and find time to sit-back and relax. Whether escaping outdoors with a good book or entertainment friends over the BBQ, be sure to make the most of the warmer weather.