What to do NOW: October 7 - October 13

This is the traditional planting season for evergreens of all kinds, just a little ahead of the main season for planting deciduous trees.
Plant now either from pots or as soon as root-balled plants are available, and, of course, pot-grown deciduous trees and shrubs can be planted too.
Young trees should be checked for staking if they need it.
Prune rambler roses.
Control weeds in rose beds and shrub borders, if necessary.

Spring bulbs should be planted as soon as possible.
Cease liquid feeding of pots or hanging baskets as it is now too late to be worthwhile.
Remove summer bedding plants that have gone over.
Divide perennial border flowers, or plant new ones, choosing varieties that are easy to look after and need no staking.
Seeds of annual flowers can still be sown into fine soil where they are to flower next summer — an easy and cheap way to have lots of colour, especially in a new garden.

If there is a lot of moss in the lawn, use sulphate of iron mosskiller now if necessary.
Mow as necessary as long as the soil is not soggy.
Use an autumn lawn fertilizer soon before it gets too wet.
Sow a new lawn, or over-sow bare or worn patches in an existing lawn. Use sods from an out-of-the-way corner to patch worn areas and re-seed the area where the sods were lifted.

Remove old vegetables as soon as they as finished and do not allow weeds to build up.
Lift and store potatoes and carrots now for winter use.
Parsnips generally keep better when left in the ground.
Prune raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
Spring cabbage plants can still be planted and early cauliflower plants can be over-wintered in a cold-frame, if available.
Cut back asparagus fern and remove weeds if the fern has turned yellow.

The last greenhouse tomatoes struggle to ripen as the season slips away but it can be surprising how well they still change colour if the weather offers some sunshine.
Otherwise pick the last of them and ripen them indoors.
Stop feeding and water only plants that are still in active growth, such as cyclamen, and even then be careful not to over-water.
Tidy the greenhouse and ventilate on sunny, breezy days.

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