October

Verbena bonariensis & rudbeckia fulgida

Lawns from turf

Laying a lawn from turf is a quick way to get an instant result and a good time to do it is now, mid-autumn, whilst the ground is still warm.  If you lay it now you should be able to walk on it in a few weeks.

Although laying turf is a quick way to achieve lawn cover, soil preparation before laying turf  is important. Make sure the area is weed free, level and firmed down.

Complete all site preparation before buying or taking delivery of turf. Bought turf may vary in both size and thickness. Check dimensions when planning the lawn.

If laying is delayed, then the turf should be laid out flat to avoid any discolouring and weakening, but where possible laying should be done within 24 hours of delivery.

Laying the turf

  • Mark the area out you want to cover and begin at one corner and work across so that the person laying the turf faces the bare soil.
  • Use boards to stand on so you do not make any dents in the turf.
  • Tamp down the turf as you lay it to fit tightly together. Cut to shape as you go putting the smallest pieces away from the edges, so they do not get damaged.
  • Ensure the turf is level by having a bucket of sandy soil at hand and adding or removing soil as necessary.
  • When laying is complete, lightly spread a mixture of sand and soil and work into the joints, using a rake or brush. This top-dressing fills any minor hollows and also helps the turves to knit together and become established more quickly.
  • Water the area well to stop the turf shrinking.
  • The first few days are critical for root development so try not to tread on it at this stage

Perennials: cutting back

Cutting back herbaceous perennials during autumn makes the garden look tidy. However, this removes  winter interest, in the form of height and structure, as well as reducing the food and habitat sources for wildlife so perhaps be a little more selective by just removing the material that is decaying or has fungal growth.

Examples of plants to leave uncut include  Eryngium (sea holly) and Phormium (New Zealand flax) and the foliage and flowers of ornamental grasses.

Eryngium Bourgatii – Sea Holly

More tender plants with woody stems, such as penstemons, are left so that the old stems protect the new growth coming through.  Leave pruning of these and other borderline-hardy perennials until the risk of frost has passed – usually April or May.

Once you have done your cutting back or tidying up add a layer of mulch  

at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

Lifting and dividing perennials

This is the perfect time of the year to make more plants by lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials, which are the ones that die back to ground level in the winter and sprout again in spring. If you have a large clump dig it out from the border ensuring you include the root system. Divide the clump using either two forks back-to-back and prizing the clump apart and create small groups of plants ready to grow into new plants.

Cut off any dead or damaged parts. Plant the groups allowing sufficient room for them to grow. This approach can apply to astrantia, hardy geranium, helenium and polemonium.

Carry on deadheading

Unless you want to save the seeds, it is still worth deadheading flowers even as they go over as this will divert energy back into maintaining other parts of the plant. Root storage receives a lot of energy from this making the plant ready to support next year’s growth.

Tomatoes

It is now the end of the season for tomatoes, so it is time to remove all he undamaged fruit even the green ones as they have a good chance of ripening on a sunny windowsill. Pull the whole tomato plant out of the ground and put them in the compost bin.

Placing green tomatoes next to bananas can encourage them to ripen

Non-toxic weedkiller ideal for paths

I do not like using weedkiller so over the last year I have made my own, this recipe is readily available on the internet and is:

  • 5 litres of white vinegar
  • Half a cup of salt
  • A splash of hand soap

Spray this on the weeds and leave for a day or two, weeds shrink back allowing you to remove them easily.