Gardening tips
Flowers
- Plant up bulbs such as tulips and lilies for next years display.
- Plant out helebores, skimmias and trees for winter colour.
- Store your dahlia tubers in a dry, dark spot until spring. Keep checking them for signs of rot!
- As soon as leaves have fallen, prune roses.
Veg
- You’ll still be able to plant brassicas, kale and winter lettuce.
- Cover brassicas with netting to protect them from birds.
Fruit
- Plant fruit trees and bushes now with mychorrizal funghi to ensure the best start your plants life.
Wild bird care
- Top up feeders to attract winter birds.
- Keep the bird table clean to detract any pests or algae.
- Make sure there’s fresh water daily to prevent it from freezing over.
Pest control
- Protect apple trees from winter moth females by using winter wash as soon as the leaves have fallen. Fish oil formula makes stems slippery so pest eggs wash off in wind and rain.
- Protect tree bark from deer and rabbits with a simple guard.
- Check for slugs under pots as the weather turns wetter.
Pond
- Remove dead foliage.
- Keep the netting free from fallen leaves.
Lawn
- Rake up fallen leaves.
- Be careful to walk across a frosty lawn – the brittle grass will become damaged and cause brown footprints which are hard to fix.
Houseplants
- Reduce watering and feeding of houseplants as the days get shorter.
- Bring potted plants that don’t like the cold, indoors to a conservatory or porch area.
