Garden jobs for October

Keep your garden in shape this autumn with Matt James’ selection of garden projects to tackle in October.

• Remove drip trays and raise terracotta patio pots with bricks or special pot feet (from garden centres) so they don’t sit in water over winter and crack when it freezes.
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and roses.
• Clear up fallen leaves into black bin bags or create a separate pile next to the compost heap to make leaf mould ready for next October’s soil conditioning.
• Cut back and compost the stems of spent summer perennials.
• Continue to create new lawns from turf until the end of the month.
• Check tree ties and climber supports are secure before winter winds hit.
• Tidy your ponds and remove the pumps for winter if you don’t need them to keep fish.
• Lift and split poor flowering or congested perennials into large fist-sized clumps. Replant to the same depth as before, at least a trowel’s length apart.
• Check greenhouse or conservatory heaters are working properly.
• Replace frosted summer bedding with winter and spring displays.
• Continue planting spring bulbs, but leave tulips until next month.
• Stop feeding all plants outside until March.
• Clear any spent vegetable crops and compost them.

 Photograph: Leigh Clapp