14 October 2026

October in the Garden: Time to take note.

As the nights begin to draw in and the clocks go back at the end of the month, October is the perfect time to walk around your garden and note what’s worked, what hasn’t, where there are gaps and where there is bare soil. But it’s certainly not the time to stop gardening! Mulching, bulb planting, hedge trimming, pruning and planting out can all be done now; the soil is just about holding on to warmth and although we haven’t quite had the rainfall needed here in the southwest, the ground is gradually turning from dust back to soil.

On the allotment

Now is the time for work to start in earnest on the allotment and that means mulching. The soil is poor, hard and dusty so I will be adding loads of organic matter including Durstons Soil Conditioner and Farmyard Manure. Even if you have good soil on your plot, I would always recommend topping it up with an organic mulch.

I have Kohl Rabi, Kale and cabbages growing but now is the time to protect them from hungry pigeons over the winter so I’ll be adding a large frame with netting. It’s the final time to harvest any pumpkins, tomatoes and other summer veg before the frost hits and turns them to mush but utilise the space in your greenhouse by sowing some late winter greens such as lambs lettuce, spinach beet and pak choi. I’m sowing mine in seed trays to start with using Durstons Peat Free Seed and Cutting Compost and will plant them out in early spring.

I’ll be starting off my broad beans later this month for an earlier flowering in the summer which helps avoid the dreaded blackfly. I’ll be sowing mine into individual toilet roll tubes to give them a good root run. This way I can also plant them directly in the soil without transplanting them.

Onion and garlic need to be planted now as they do best after a period of cold. You can plant sets and individual cloves direct into the ground or fill up a decent pot with a good multi-purpose peat free compost like Durstons Organic Multi-Purpose Compost and place it somewhere sunny.

In The Garden

It’s so tempting to start the garden tidy, cutting down everything but just stop – not only are the seedheads, stems and branches important for wildlife, they also protect your plants from the worst of the winter weather. The most important thing you can do is not leave any bare soil. Cover with mulch or add autumn colour such as sedums, which are a great source of nectar this time of year, and if you are planting bulbs, why not add winter flowering pansies over the top to add extra colour.

If you’re still deadheading, it’s essential not to leave any material on the ground now as this can increase the spread of fungal spores, so always collect them and add to the compost.

Most of my summer containers are starting to look sad so I’m finally finishing collecting seed to sow next year and planting autumn colour, ornamental grasses and bulbs in their place using Durstons Peat Free Multi-Purpose Compost with added John Innes for chrysanthemums, Japanese anenomes, asters and the grasses and bulb fibre for the bulbs. Hang fire with planting tulips till early November though and that is when I will be planting up my bulb lasagne.

It’s your last call for sowing hardy annuals and this can include autumn sowing wildflower seed for earlier flowering. My favourites include Orlaya, Honesty, Nigella, sweet peas and poppies. You can sow them direct or in seed trays using peat- free seed compost and transplant when you have the space.

As well as adding colourful winter bedding and autumn perennials to your garden, why not plant a beautiful shrub or small tree. Autumn is the best time for planting as the soil is warm and hopefully moist. The roots will have time to develop before the frosts without having to devote too much of their energy into foliage and flowers and the plant should be strong enough to cope with whatever next summer throws at it.

It’s not too late to plant for some gorgeous autumn colour to enjoy now . They can also be planted in large pots filled with a rose, tree and shrub peat free compost as well as gaps in the border. My favourites for this time of year to add fireworks to your garden include:

Malus ‘Red Sentinel – a gorgeous crab apple with tiny scarlet fruits.
Loropetalum Chinensis – bright pink flowers and deep red leaves
Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ – small shrub with yellow spires of flowers
Camellia ‘Sasanqua’ – a white autumn flowering camellia.

Herbs
I grow lots of herbs for culinary and medicinal uses and now is the time to think about cutting them back and drying or freezing the trimmings and potting some up such as mint and thyme in smaller pots to overwinter indoors so you can keep using them. Herbs such as basil and coriander won’t last through the winter, so I sow these continuously indoors for a constant crop. I use a peat free seed and cutting mix and a small window box inside to ensure maximum light. I do also use grow lights when we hit January.

If you don’t want to grow from seed, you can buy supermarket herbs such as parsley and basil and divide them into smaller pots. Supermarket herbs are seedlings crammed into one pot that either go mouldy quickly or run out of steam. Dividing them means you get more, healthier and longer lasting plants. I would use a peat free multi-purpose for this such as Durstons Peat Free Multi-Purpose Compost.

Lawns
In the southwest we are still fairly dry with occasional showers. However, the temperatures are extraordinarily mild so now is the perfect time to sow lawn seed. Whether you are over seeding a large area or repairing a patch, I always recommend using a lawn dressing such as Durstons Topsoil over the grass seed and gently rake it in with the back of a rake. Hopefully it will rain enough for you not to need to add extra water but just make sure the seed doesn’t dry out but always check you don’t still have a hosepipe ban. Don’t forget to keep raking leaves off the lawn as you go, rather than wait for them all to come down as they will quickly turn the lawn yellow.

Plants for free!

It might be too late to sow some seeds but now is the perfect time to take cuttings. You can still take semi-ripe cuttings of plants such as camellia, hydrangea and rhododendron but you need to wait for leaf drop before taking hardwood cuttings.

Always select a healthy shoot from the middle so as not to leave the plant looking wonky.
Snip with clean and sharp secateurs just below a leaf bud(node) Ideally make a slanting cut.
Remove the lower leaves leaving 1 pair at the top.
Insert the cuttings into a gritty, free draining compost (I use a seed and cutting compost) and bury the stem almost up to the leaves.
Water well and then leave in a propagator or cover with a plastic bag, making sure the leaves don’t touch the bag.
Keep them sheltered and covered but remove the lid or bag to allow air flow every few days and don’t let the compost dry out.

Take Stock

This summer has all been about drought and for some of us, we are still experiencing a hosepipe ban with no sign of heavy rain forecast. In my own garden I have made the decision to grow less plants in smaller containers and instead build some large, raised beds that will work on the patio.

My small, corner, veg area is also going, it has really struggled this year, and the local cats have been using it as their own private toilet, so I really don’t want to be eating the veg. Instead, I will be planting many of my container grown plants into this area which I am topping up with Durstons Peat Free Multi Compost and Soil Conditioner Soil Conditioner and turning it into a garden border. I do now have an allotment so that will make this process easier, and I will certainly benefit from not having quite so many containers to water.

Don’t be afraid to make some changes to your garden. It’s better for the plants and for you to grow what works rather than constantly struggle. I wouldn’t recommend replacing everything with mediterranean plants as we do seem to have some very wet winters, but I would start to consider planting less bedding, more perennials and deeper rooting plants.

Whatever was a struggle this summer, learn from it and remember, there is always next year.