Gardener reveals the ‘vital’ task you need to do throughout autumn to prevent your grass from dying & it takes seconds
AS winter creeps closer, leaves are falling and the weather isn’t looking great.
This means mowing the lawn can be a messy job with all the mud being churned up.
Fabulous spoke exclusively to gardener Jack Stooks about the vital task homeowners need to do to prevent their grass from rotting.
As well as the other essential gardening jobs that need to be tackled in autumn.
How often should someone be mowing their lawn this month?
Jack said: “When you get some nice clear days throughout this month, you should aim to cut it once or twice.
“The grass won’t grow as much in this weather, now the grass is a lot wetter and has more leaves.
“It’s good to mow your grass this month to keep it at a good length. It will help clear the leaves out of the way, too.
“It’s also a good time to raise the cut slightly – ensuring your grass is more protected in the cooler months.”
How will leaves on a lawn cause the grass to rot?
“When you see leaves on the grass, they will pile up quite quickly,” he continued.
“As we’re getting less light in the day, this affects the grass underneath as it isn’t getting as much sunlight – which it needs for healthy growth.
“The extra moisture in the grass and less sunlight lead to rotting.
“To avoid this, you should rake the leaves, so the grass is clear. Alternatively, you can get a leaf blower to do this.”
Once leaves are raked up, what can a gardener do with them?
“If you have a ton bag, use this to store all the leaves in and keep piling them in there,” Jack recommended. “The longer you keep the leaves, the better they are for your compost.
“If you had the leaves for two years, this would be good for adding to your compost heap. You can then use this compost in your garden borders when you’re ready to plant your new plants.
“If you don’t have a ton bag, you can still store your leaves, so they can be used later on.
“Similar to a compost bay – you can start a leaf bay. Instead of putting the leaves onto the compost, you can store them separately for a nice leaf mould you can use in a few years.”
Do you recommend leaving a pile out for wildlife during the winter?
“If you want to, you can leave the pile in your garden, but you might find a snake nest taking place there,” Jack suggested. “Snakes will use the pile for warmth and somewhere to lay their eggs.
“This could be a problem if you aren’t the biggest fan of snakes. They like compost piles, too, but it depends on the conditions outside.
“I would recommend putting your leaves into a specific area as it’s good practice to keep on top of maintaining your garden space. Depending on the amount of leaves you have in your garden, there may be one, two or even three piles you can keep adding to and rotating for further use.”
Other gardening tasks to do this autumn
Cleaning plant pots
“If you’ve got a big sink or a bucket, fill this with warm water and fairy liquid,” Jack said. “Whatever detergent you use for your pots and pans in the kitchen will do the job.
“Once they’re all clean, you can put them back into your glasshouse, garage or shed.
“It’s best to store them upside down and put them on top of each other. Make sure they’re dry before doing this. Don’t ram them all together if they’re still a bit wet as this can cause them to get stuck together.
I”t’s a good job to do before next year ahead of Spring, so they’re ready to use.”
Speaking to Fabulous on behalf of FruitySlots.com : “I would recommend giving your tools a clean as well, so they don’t go rusty over winter.
“You should also bring your garden furniture inside. If you’ve got painted furniture, it’s good to let those dry completely, sand any bits down and repaint them so they’re ready for next year.
“You can also use this time to sort your hanging baskets. Take this time to empty those and clean them when you can.”
Tidy up the garden and bin old plants
“When clearing out old plants, you can put all your herbaceous plants in your compost,” he said. “It’s good to have them in compost over the winter, so they can eventually be used for your borders in the Spring.
“You will want to keep turning your compost over time so it’s ready to be used next year. If you don’t mix and turn your compost, it won’t rot down as quickly. They may not rot down if it’s too wet during the winter.
“If you have a shredder, you can shred twigs and sticks before adding to the compost – which will help it compress and rot quickly.
“Alternatively, you can take your old garden waste or plants to a recycling centre. If one of your plants has a specific disease, another way of disposing of it is burning it.”
October gardening jobs
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the jobs you need to tackle in October.
“It’s a good time to trim deciduous hedges – like box, yew, hawthorn, hornbean and beech – plus hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!
Make leafmould – gather up all the fallen leaves and fill either bin bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, stick a few small holes in the bag – and then store for a year or more. Free compost!
It’s unlikely you’ll get any more red tomatoes so have one final harvest and chuck the plants on the compost. See if you can get the green ones to ripen by putting in a drawer (some say with a banana). Also keep the seeds from a couple – and plant again next year if they went well.
Finish getting in your spring bulbs. Ideally you’d have done daffs and alliums, but tulips are better in the ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.
It’s good to leave some plant litter in the ground – it adds to the nutrients as it rots down, and provides shelter and food for insects. But remove the manky brown bits collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.
Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter duvet to your outside space.
October’s a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans, and rhubarb.”