There’s a reason you need to focus on your garden right now – do 5 jobs this weekend & they’ll be sorted for the year
WITH the upcoming week set for crisp weather, it’s the perfect time to give your garden an Autumn revamp.
For those of you who want to save money, but are still wanting to transform your space, this next week is the ideal temperature to get your hands dirty and engage in some garden DIY.
To help you know where to start, garden and landscaping experts at Dino Decking have revealed the easy to do, quick and budget friendly garden jobs to get stuck into.
Shed maintenance
To prepare your shed ahead of Autumn and Winter, there are a few maintenance bits and pieces to carry out.
Not only will it make your shed look wonderful, but painting your shed can help it endure the colder months easier by adding protection from weathering.
If you’re feeling particularly handy, you could check your shed roof for any holes and tears and do a DIY repair job.
Additionally, apply a wood treatment to add an extra layer of protection.
To keep your shed from rotting and decaying, keep your gutters clear of leaves so that water can run freely off your shed which will prevent it from flooding.
If you don’t feel like getting your hands dirty, you could spend time decluttering and clearing out your shed, which will help you find things easier, prevent buying duplicates of tools and also free up space.
The first step is to remove everything and start with a clean slate, before grouping items in terms of keep and chuck.
Once this has been done, plan your layout to make it easier to find items in the future and then put back all the necessary items.
Focus on the vegetables
September is a great time to prepare the soil if you’re wanting to sow seed or lay turf, as well as getting your fruits and veg in the ground.
Early to mid September, it’s the ideal temperature to provide an optimal growing environment for lettuce (16-18°C).
To get the best result, keep soil moist and cool, but ensure it’s not waterlogged.
Planting spring onions in September also gives them time to take advantage of the summer sun, which is needed for germination.
It’s also the perfect time to plant up your well rooted strawberry runners into new beds, and finish pruning fruit trees to encourage fruiting for the next season.
Lawn maintenance
Autumn is the perfect time to start lawn maintenance again. Make sure you set your mowing height to 4 cm to allow grass to get winter ready.
If you don’t have a lawn mower, you can also do this manually. Whilst you’re rejuvenating your lawn, it’s also a great opportunity to scarify, aerate, repair patches and overseed your lawn.
To repair patches, simply take a rake and some lawn seed and begin by clearing out any obvious weeds and dead grass.
Once it’s clear, rake it level and add some compost to keep your soil looking and feeling healthy before spreading an even layer of seeds to the soil. Rake in gently and then lightly firm it with your feet.
Depending on the British weather, if it doesn’t look like it will be raining soon, spray gently with a hose, being mindful of not pushing the seeds out.
Wash your decking
Take advantage of the crisp but dry weather by setting time aside to inspect your decking for any signs of wear, damage, or potential issues.
Have a look for areas where boards may be loose or uneven, as well as any signs of rot, mould, or mildew.
It’s important that you promptly address these issues to prevent them from worsening and help maintain the integrity of your decking over time.
Once you’ve inspected your decking, it’s time to give it a good clean. To begin, use a broom to push aside any leaves or debris to give you a clear surface to work on.
Then, using lukewarm water, gently scrub the surface with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse thoroughly, or for a quicker solution, mop away any excess water.
For any stubborn stains caused by grease and oil spill from the BBQ, consider purchasing a specialised spray or cleaner, and with a bit of scrubbing, they’ll vanish like magic.
September gardening jobs
With September starting, so does autumn, and The Sun's Gardening Editor Veronica Lorraine has a few tasks to keep you busy as the summer sun winds down.
1. Starting thinking about Spring bulbs
Its early bulb time! As well as the more traditional daffodils, crocuses, alliums and bluebells, try snake-head fratillaries for something slightly different.
2. Remember the bees
Make sure you’re still looking after the bees with autumn flowering pollinators – like sedums, honeysuckle and asters.
3. Dig and enjoy your potatoes
Maincrop potatoes are ready to dig up – make sure you get them all so they don’t get slug damage.
4. Change your lawn mowing schedule
Raise the height of your lawn mower and start to reduce the amount of mowing you do. GIve it an autumn feed, especially if you didn’t get round to it in Summer and start to rake to remove thatch.
5. Plant out new perennials while the soil is still warm.
6. Take salvia cuttings
It’s as easy as cutting a shoot tip above a node and chucking it in a glass of water to see if it sprouts roots. Especially with tender Salvias which wont survive the winter.
7. Keep camelias well watered to make sure that buds form next year.
8. Keep on deadheading and watering your hanging baskets
They should keep going until the first frosts.
9. Get pumpkins Halloween ready
Remove any leaves shading pumpkins to make sure they’ll be ready for halloween – and make sure you keep watering them, they’re very thirsty.
10. Check on your pond
Net your pond to stop it filling with fallen leaves when the trees start to drop.
Get weeding
To keep your garden in tip top condition, it’s time to remove the annoying weeds.
You can simply remove weeds by cutting them down with scissors.
However if you prefer, you can also use your hands to dig out the weeds and roots too.
Once you’ve weeded your garden, set aside 15 minutes every few days to prevent it getting messy again.
Also ensure you’re annually trimming climbers and plants by cutting them down and removing the dead stems.
Happy Planting!
HI, I’m Veronica Lorraine, The Sun’s new Gardening Editor.
It’s a great honour to carry on the paper’s proud tradition of horticultural coverage.
As an RHS-trained professional gardener and journalist with 18 years at The Sun, I know our readers are passionate about tending their outside spaces.
So each week I’ll bring you all the news, tips, tutorials, competitions, Q&As and seasonal advice.
No matter how or where you garden.
Happy Planting!