It’s not so much gardening as refereeing at this time of year: it’s a full-time job just keeping everything in order! Here are a few of the jobs you can be getting on with this month.
General tasks:
- Go slug hunting on damp evenings just before dark and you’ll catch hundreds of the slimy critters. Dispose of them as you wish.
- Before watering, loosen the soil’s surface with just the tip of a garden fork to relieve compaction and allow moisture to soak right in.
Ornamental garden:
- Divide bearded irises and replant the youngest sections 30cm apart in free-draining soil in a sunny spot.
- Dead-head roses by snapping the stem just below the spent flower heads to encourage lots more blooms.
- Sow biennials such as sweet Williams, Brompton stocks and foxgloves to flower in early summer next year.
Kitchen garden:
- Save coriander seeds once they’ve turned papery brown and store them in a jar for a spicy curry flavouring.
- Transplant seedling cabbages, Brussels sprouts and other brassicas from seedbeds to their final positions, firming in well.
- Hoe onions regularly as they hate competition from weeds: go very carefully near the bulbs themselves, hand-weeding where necessary to avoid damage.