Vegetables

* The veggie garden is a busy month for harvesting fruit and vegetables, however in the flower garden it's a time to appreciate the season's work by sitting back and looking at a garden in full flower.
* Possibly the most important month to get the last planting of Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage etc in before the soil temperature cools off, (remember to protect young seedlings with slug bait). Also time to sow Broad Beans.
* If you are harvesting potatoes and wish to store them there is a product available called "No Sprout" which helps prolong the life of stored potatoes. When picking Pumpkin, leave a short length of stem on to prevent rotting.

Lawn Care

* A great time to sow a new lawn. Autumn lawns tend to be more successful as you get minimum weed germination this time of the year and the ground tends to be more moist.
* A good time to take cuttings of trees and shrubs.
* It's a good time to lay ready lawn now, as the soils as moist with recent rains. Ensure you area is level and consolidated before you start

Fruit

* Some fruit like Grapes and Nashi tend to be attacked by wasps so some protection may be needed.
* Other fruits will need to be picked before they drop.

Flowers / Roses

* Continue planting spring flowering bulbs. Think about putting some in pots for the patio or for bringing inside when in flower.
* Hyacinths are particularly good for putting inside because of their lovely fragrance and tidy growing habit.
* Start planning for plantings of Polyanthus, Poppies, Pansies etc. If you are lifting lilies (which should only be done if necessary) remember to store them in damp untreated sawdust.

Trees

* A good time to take cuttings of trees and shrubs.

General Gardening

* Still time to attack those nasty grass grub with Diazanon.
* Look out for rust and mildew on your roses - spray with Shield, Guild and other good roses sprays to control this.
* Make sure you remove any diseased leaves that are on the ground under your plants.

Organic Gardening

* Pick of any diseased leaves from your rose plants to prevent the disease from spreading.
* Remove any water damaged lettuces, cabbages or brassicas from your vegetable garden to prevent the spread of dampening off diseases
* Turn your compost pile now and add in more rough material if it has become water logged. If your pile is dry add water to it to speed up the composting process.
* Save seeds now of your favorite vegetables to use next spring for future crops. Ensure the seeds and clean and dry before you store them in a airtight, cool, dark and dry place.

Container Gardening

* Plant up Violas, Pansies, Primulas and bulbs now into your containers with Pot Power for bright colour through the winter months.
* Re-pot existing shrubs and plants in your containers during the autumn with new potting mix. This allows the plants root system to get re-established before the winter months.
* Remember to rotate your container plants so all side of the plant gets even amounts of sun light.

Plant Care / Spraying

* Any Codling Moth traps should be removed, cleaned and stored for use again in spring.
* The odd frost or two may surprise us late in the month so be wary.
* Now the weather is cooling, be careful not to over water plants, especially indoor ones.
* Herbs can be cut back now and dried for later use.

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