5 Things To Do In The
Garden This October
Get Your Garden Winter-Ready
5 Things To Do In The
Garden This October
Get Your Garden Winter-Ready
October is when the garden starts to slow down, but there’s still plenty to do before winter arrives! The focus now is on getting the garden tidied up, and a few key jobs done now can make a big difference to how your garden looks next spring.
1. Your October Garden Checklist
First, it’s worth taking a walk around the garden and making a list of those jobs you’ve been putting off.
Continue Mowing Your Lawn
Raise the cutting height to protect your lawn as temperatures drop.
Check Trees & Branches
Look for dead, damaged or overhanging branches that may need attention before it gets cold.
Clear Garden Waste
Collect and compost or shred garden waste to keep your garden tidy before winter.
Plant for Winter Colour
Brighten up pots with heathers, cyclamen, winter pansies and skimmia.
Protect Pots from Waterlogging
Remove saucers and raise pots onto feet to improve drainage over winter.
Collect & Sow Seeds
Gather seeds from hardy perennials such as astrantia, achillea and red valerian, and sow them straight away.
Take Hardwood Cuttings
Propagate deciduous shrubs and climbers to grow new plants for next year.
Maintain Garden Structures
Repair, stain or treat sheds, fences and pergolas before winter weather sets in.
2. Continue to Repair Your Lawn
Now that we’ve had some rain and the weather has been mild, grass growth has started again. Continue mowing as needed, but raise the cutting height to help protect your lawn from colder weather and frosts.
Aerating helps relieve compaction and improves the movement of air, water and nutrients to the roots. For smaller lawns, use a garden fork to make holes around 3–4 inches (7.5–10cm) deep, spacing them 4–6 inches (10–15cm) apart, working in rows. Gently rock the fork back and forth by a few cm to loosen the compacted soil underneath.
For larger lawns, an aerator can make the job much quicker and more effective. Depending on the machine, it will remove plugs of soil or create holes across the lawn, allowing air, water and nutrients to reach the roots.
Whatever method you use, you can then brush a mixture of fine sand and compost over the surface to help improve drainage.
Find out more about aeration in our blog
Lawncare Hire Machinery
MowersUK offers lawncare machinery hire, including lawnmowers, scarifiers and aerators.
3. Get On Top Of Autumn Leaves
One job that can quickly take over the garden in October is clearing fallen leaves. A thick layer left on the lawn can block light and moisture from reaching the grass, causing damage.
For smaller areas, a rake is often all you need. For a larger garden, a leaf blower or garden vacuum can make the job much quicker.
Consider shredding leaves for composting or making leaf mould – a valuable soil improver to use in the garden.
We stock handheld cordless leaf blowers, backpack blowers and leaf vacuums, with options for gardens of all sizes.
4. Give Your Hedges Their Final Trim
October is a good time to check your hedges before winter sets in, and it’s the last opportunity to trim many deciduous hedges if you want them to stay tidy through the colder months.
For smaller hedges, a hand tool or lightweight cordless trimmer may be all you need. Larger or taller hedges are easier to manage with a more powerful or long-reach trimmer, helping you reach higher areas safely from the ground.
MowersUK stocks a range of short-reach, long-reach and telescopic hedge trimmers, including cordless options from Honda, EGO and STIHL.
Safety first
Never use a hedge trimmer from the top of a ladder or if you cannot maintain secure footing. For particularly tall or difficult hedges, use suitable professional equipment, such as a tripod ladder, or consider hiring a professional.
5. Tackle Trees, Branches And Garden Waste
Autumn is a good time to check trees and shrubs for dead, damaged or unwanted growth, and to tidy overgrown deciduous shrubs before winter.
For smaller jobs, secateurs or loppers may be all you need. Larger branches and garden clearance may require more specialist equipment, such as:
- Pole saws – for suitable high branches that can be safely reached from the ground.
- Chainsaws – for larger branches and appropriate tree work.
- Shredders and chippers – for processing branches and woody garden waste.
MowersUK stocks chainsaws, forestry equipment, shredders and chippers for garden and grounds maintenance, for both sale or hire. But use a professional where necessary.
Getting Your Garden Ready For Winter
October doesn’t mean the end of gardening — it’s the month to get those bigger jobs done before winter sets in.
Give the lawn some attention, clear the leaves, tidy the hedges and tackle any branches or garden waste that need clearing.
Then don’t forget your machinery: clean it, check it and get it serviced before storing it away for winter.
At MowersUK we supply, services and repairs a wide range of garden, forestry and arboricultural machinery.
Need machinery for an autumn job?
Get in touch with the MowersUK team for advice on choosing the right machine for your garden.