October Gardening Tips 2025
As ever, I feel compelled to talk about planting this month, because autumn really is the best time to plant. But I am also turning my attention to the lawn.
My summer bedding plants have continued to thrive well into the autumn, but I have now taken the plunge and removed them from the containers I have by the door and in the garden. I have chosen a winter theme of white cyclamen (from our current festival of cyclamen) and blue pansies, all grown on our own nurseries, and I have underplanted them with pale yellow tulips for a joyous spring display. The cyclamen will last until the heavy frosts and then later I may substitute primroses for a fresh burst of colour.
October is still a wonderful month to plant all sorts of hardy plants, not just bulbs and autumn bedding, but climbers, trees, shrubs and perennials. It is also the time to plant cane fruit such as raspberries, bush fruit such as currants and gooseberries as well as fruit trees. I always include a slow release fertiliser in the planting hole mixed with some good compost.
Do spare your lawn a thought this month. Autumn lawn care is not difficult and will genuinely make a difference to the way your lawn copes with the winter and set it up to be the best it can be next spring.
Fallen leaves on the lawn reduce the light and air available to the grass and have the potential to allow moss and disease to gain ground. Give the lawn a good rake (scarifying) to remove leaves and debris and encourage the grass to thicken by developing runners and side shoots.
Many lawns have areas that have become compacted, usually high traffic areas such as the way to the washing line. Introduce air into the soil in these areas to assist the roots and help rain penetrate the soil. Use a garden fork, hollow tine fork (which removes cores of soil) or hire a mechanical spiker if the area concerned is very large.
That’s the hard work over. Now apply an autumn lawn food. Do not use leftover spring lawn food because that will contain different proportions of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. Nitrogen promotes soft green growth which is what you are looking for in spring but not so much in autumn. Phosphate promotes root growth and potassium strengthens the grass to withstand the rigours of the winter.
Choose a good day which is not too windy to spread the lawn food by hand or with a push along spreader which can be bought, borrowed or hired. Ideally the soil should be moist but the grass dry. Avoid mowing for 3 days before and 4 days afterwards. If no rain falls within a couple of days of application, the product will need watering in. Always read and observe the instructions on the packet.
I hope you enjoy all the wonderful autumn colours around us this month.
