October wears two hats. On one hand you're bringing in the last big harvest and storing away everything that has to last into winter. On the other, it's the best planting month of the whole year: the soil is still warm, the air already damp, and anything you put in the ground now roots in nicely before the frost. Both are worth taking seriously.
October runs roughly from CW 41 to 44.
Bringing in and storing the last of the vegetables
Before the first hard frost arrives, lift the root vegetables that keep well: carrots, beetroot, parsnips and celeriac. The late potatoes need to come out now too.
Other vegetables are happy to just stay put in the bed. Kale, Brussels sprouts, leek and lamb's lettuce are tough as old boots and actually taste sweeter after the first frosts.
Now is the best time to plant
Here's what a lot of people don't realise: autumn beats spring for planting. Bare-root fruit trees, berry bushes and roses take especially well now, because they get to settle in and root quietly over winter, then hit the ground running come spring.
How to plant trees and shrubs properly
Dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the base. Set the plant at the same depth it grew before, which you can spot from the darker mark on the bark, and keep the graft union of grafted trees well clear of the ground.
Backfill with the loosened soil, firm it down gently and water it in thoroughly, even if the ground is already damp. A stake on the weather side gives the young tree something to lean on.
The last flower bulbs for tulips and daffodils can still go in the ground, and the garlic for next year gets planted now too.
Plant a tree in October and you're planting patience. And in the garden, patience is always the best investment.
Fallen leaves aren't rubbish
The falling leaves are one of the best resources your garden has, as long as you put them to use. Rake them off the lawn and off evergreen ground cover, or the grass underneath will rot. Everything else stays in the cycle.
Getting the garden ready for winter
After the first light frost, dig up the tubers of dahlias and gladioli, let them dry off and store them somewhere frost-free. Move tender potted plants into their winter quarters, and for the pots that stay outside, push them up against the house wall and set them on feet. Don't forget the plumbing: drain the water pipes, the hoses and the rain barrel before the frost bursts them. Give cleared beds a layer of mulch or a green manure so they don't head into winter bare.
Your October in brief
- Store itKeep carrots, beetroot and celeriac in damp sand somewhere cool and frost-free.
- PlantSet out fruit trees, berry bushes and roses, and get the last flower bulbs in.
- Use the leavesRake them off the lawn, build a leaf pile, mulch the beds with them.
- Winterproof itLift dahlia tubers, protect the pots, drain the water pipes.
- Help the wildlifeLeave piles of leaves and brushwood as winter shelter for hedgehogs and insects.
- Cover the bedsMulch bare patches or carry them through winter with a green manure.
Häufige Fragen
Why is autumn better for planting than spring?
Because the soil is still warm and stays moist through the winter. Bare-root plants get to root in peace during that time and push straight into growth come spring, whereas anything planted in spring still has to establish itself first and suffers as soon as it turns dry.
Do I have to clear away all the leaves?
No, only off the lawn and off evergreen ground cover, since they rot underneath it. On the beds and under shrubs, leaves are a valuable layer of mulch and protection, and a leaf pile in the corner is an important winter shelter for animals.
When do I dig up dahlia tubers?
After the first light frost, the one that turns the foliage black. Then dig the tubers up, let them dry off and overwinter them somewhere frost-free at around 5 to 10 degrees in boxes of sand or soil.
Your October at a glance
October asks for one last push before things go quiet. Get the harvest into storage dry, make the most of the good planting window for a new tree or shrub, and let leaves and beds lie where they belong, as shelter and habitat. After that the garden gets to catch its breath, and so do you.
In Gartenkern you jot down what you've stored away and where you planted which tree. Next year you'll know exactly how long your carrot 'Rodelika' stayed fresh in the sand, and when the young apple tree went into the ground. That way your garden grows a little further with every autumn.
