Preparing Your Garden For Autumn

Before you do anything else, it’s important to tidy up your garden. Remove any dead or decaying plant material, including spent summer annuals and perennials. Prune back overgrown shrubs and bushes, and clear away fallen leaves to prevent mould and diseases. A clean garden is the first step towards a healthy one.

Autumn is the perfect time to give your lawn some love. Start by mowing your grass one final time, gradually lowering the cutting height as the season progresses. Aerate your lawn to improve soil compaction and allow nutrients to reach the roots. Apply a fall fertilizer to promote strong root growth and winter hardiness. Finally, overseed any bare or thin patches to ensure a lush, green lawn next spring.

Autumn is an excellent time to plant new perennials, shrubs, and trees. The soil is still warm, which encourages root growth while the air is cooler, reducing stress on the plants. Consider adding some autumn-blooming flowers, like chrysanthemums, asters, or ornamental grasses, to keep your garden vibrant. Additionally, this is the time to divide and transplant any overgrown or crowded perennials.

As the temperatures drop, it’s essential to protect your more delicate plants from the harsh elements. Mulch your garden beds to insulate the soil and regulate temperature fluctuations. Cover sensitive plants with garden fabric or cloches to shield them from frost. Be sure to disconnect and store any hoses and irrigation systems to prevent freezing and damage.

Pruning is a critical aspect of garden maintenance in autumn. Remove dead or diseased branches from your trees and shrubs to encourage healthy growth come spring. Also, cut back any perennials that have finished flowering and trim back any overgrown hedges.

Before you put your garden tools and equipment away for the season, give them a good cleaning. When the temperatures drop, remember to drain and store your hoses and watering systems in a protected area to prevent freezing and damage. By giving your Hozelock watering products a little care and attention this autumn, you’ll be ready to keep your garden healthy and hydrated as the season changes.

As temperatures drop, certain garden pests and diseases become less active. This is a good opportunity to assess any pest or disease issues from the summer and take appropriate action. Remove any infected plant material and consider using organic pest control methods.

Before the ground freezes, it’s a good time to test your soil’s pH levels and nutrient content. Adjust the soil as needed with lime to raise pH or sulphur to lower it. Incorporate organic matter like compost to improve soil structure and fertility, providing a healthy foundation for next year’s growth.

Continue composting kitchen scraps and garden waste throughout autumn. As the temperatures cool, decomposition may slow down, but your compost pile will still benefit from these materials, ultimately providing nutrient-rich compost for next year. The Hozelock EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter is the ideal solution for your composting needs. Its innovative design ensures aeration and easy mixing, even in cooler weather, helping to speed up the decomposition process.