Gardening Tips October

Autumn may be upon us, but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the garden before the first frosts become more likely. Now that it’s October, you will notice your garden transforming from luscious greenery to glowing autumnal colours and falling leaves.

This month is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs, harvest any late crops like pumpkins, and prepare your more cold-sensitive plants for the first potential frosts. As the temperature starts to drop, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for wildlife and create safe spaces to support them over winter.

Need advice on what jobs can be done in the garden during October? Let’s take a look!

Your October gardening checklist

October can be quite a busy month for gardeners, with plenty of jobs to do before winter sets in.

Preparing for cold weather

As temperatures begin to drop, it’s time to protect any of your plants that are more sensitive to frost. Tender plants, like citrus, can be potted up and brought under cover into a greenhouse or conservatory once it starts to get cold. You can also give your plants specialist feed, such as Vitax’s Citrus Winter Feed, to give them an extra boost of nutrition whilst indoors. Make sure to follow the label guidance for winter feeding, as plants in lower-light conditions will generally need less water and different nutrition than during active summer growth.

As it gets to the end of the month, you also need to protect the plants that will stay outside over winter. Draping fleece, or an old breathable hessian, over them in the evening when temperatures start to drop will help keep plants safe from any overnight frost. You can use gardening canes to support the fleece so it doesn’t crush any foliage. Don’t forget that you can use mulch around the base of any tender perennials to insulate roots too.

Lifting tubers

October is the time of year to lift tubers. After the first frost blackens dahlia foliage, lift tubers in colder or wet areas. Tuberous begonias should be lifted before damaging frost. These tubers can then be stored away from cold temperatures and wet weather so you can enjoy them again next year.

Lifting tubers for the first time? For dahlias, wait until frost has blackened the foliage, then cut stems back and lift carefully. For begonias, lift before severe frost and allow the stems to die back while the tubers dry. To lift your tubers, use a garden fork and gently loosen the soil around the tuber clump and lift the whole root ball. Brush off any soil then keep the tubers in a dry and well-ventilated place for a couple of weeks to drain and dry. Once dry the tubers can be packed into breathable crates or boxes in dry, frost-free storage such as barely damp compost, dry coir or sand until spring. Inspect the tubers periodically and remove any soft or mouldy material.

October garden maintenance

Now is also the time to do some tidying and prepping for the next few months. Spent compost and composted leaf litter can be used as mulch for plants, and you can set up compost bins ready for falling leaves and dead plant material. You can speed up composting using Vitax Compost Maker which accelerates the decomposition process resulting in rich, dark compost. Autumn leaves are especially valuable for compost. Bag or cage damp leaves, ideally shredded first, and allow them to rot down.

Lawn growth will naturally start to slow down as October rolls around, but you can keep on top of any longer grass by raising the cutting height on your lawn mower before mowing. Clear any fallen leaves promptly from the lawn, and also take time to aerate compacted areas. Lawn fertilisers can be used until mid-October.

To support wildlife for the next few months, create log piles to act as a shelter for hedgehogs, frogs and overwintering insects. Make sure you check any stacks of wood carefully before lighting too - there may be hidden wildlife inside! If you have a pond, check that wildlife isn’t stuck in netting while you clear off any fallen leaves.

What can I plant in October?

Plant spring bulbs and winter bedding

If you’ve not started planting bulbs already, now is the time!

Early spring arrivals will include snowdrops, crocus, grape hyacinth and daffodil. Later spring arrivals in April and May include alliums, tulips, anemone corms, and Dutch iris bulbs. Choose a variety of bulb types to ensure maximum colour for spring 2027. If you’re planting tulips this year, we recommend planting later in the autumn when soils are cooler. Plant your bulbs in well-drained soil or containers and you can forget about them until the first shoots of green start showing in spring.

There are also some beautiful flowers you can plant now for colour throughout autumn and milder winter months. Wallflowers, violas, winter pansies and primulas all bloom in borders or pots throughout the colder months.

Autumn fruit and veg

October is pumpkin season! While you harvest your pumpkins and squash, raise any fruits off damp soil and pop your harvest somewhere warm and dry. Make sure the stems are intact on your pumpkins so that they last all month once picked. Now is the time to plant garlic, autumn onion sets and overwintering broad beans too.

Growing bare root plants

October marks the start of bare-root planting season for many roses, hedging plants and deciduous trees. Plant while dormant, in a frost-free period, only where the soil is workable - not frozen or waterlogged. Planting bare root roses, ornamental trees and shrubs helps the roots establish better over winter for strong spring growth. You can improve the establishment of a bare root plant by adding Q4 Rootmore Mycorrhizal Fungi into the soil helping your plants get off to a strong start.

Want to know more about keeping your garden in top condition throughout the year? Read our month-by-month expert tips and guidance on our Blogs & News page.