Plant bare root trees and shrubs
Deciduous trees, and some shrubs, can be bought ‘bare-root’ during the dormant season. This is typically a cheaper way to buy plants, because unlike potted plants, which need a lot of care and attention by the nursery (regular potting-on, watering, etc.) these will have been grown out in the field, and are dug up and dispatched direct to the customer. Ornamental trees, fruit trees, fruit bushes (including raspberries) and roses are all supplied bare-root over the winter.
When they arrive, you should try to plant them as soon as you can. Soak the roots for an hour or so, and then get them planted. Don’t forget to buy stakes to support any trees you’ve bought. Although if you have very small saplings, they are best planted without stakes).
Move plants
This is, technically speaking, bad practice. In an ideal world, we would all place plants in exactly the right position. In reality, it’s easy to get the spacings wrong, or to find that combinations of colours and textures are not working as you’d hoped. I’m ashamed to admit this happens to me more frequently than I’d like. Now is a great time to move plants around, and although it seems like sacrilege to dig up a plant only to move it a few feet, it’s amazing just how much you can get away with (though it’s best to avoid moving trees and shrubs that are too established). Any perennials you dig up to move may be able to be split, and used to fill gaps elsewhere.
Make leaf mould
Continue collecting fallen leaves from paths and lawns and adding them to the leaf mould bin (if you’ve made one) or put them in bags (hessian bags are best, but you can use plastic bags – old compost bags, or bin bags – with holes punched into the sides and bottom with a garden fork). Leaves can be left on beds to rot down naturally – just make sure any small plants are not swamped.
Check tree ties
If you haven’t done it already, check the ties on any trees that are staked. There are bound to be storms blowing through at this time of year, so it pays to check the stakes are still sound, and the ties are firm, but not too tight.
Weeding
A perennial task, but despite the cooler temperatures, weeds are taking advantage of the rain to sprout and grow fast. Hoeing is not so effective in damp conditions, so weeds will need to be pulled or dug out.
Move self-seeded plants
There are bound to be some hard frosts soon, but while the weather stays (relatively) mild, you can move self-seeded plants like foxgloves (Digitalis), love-in-a-mist (Nigella) and forget-me-nots (Myosotis) to where you want them.
Clean the greenhouse
Haven’t you cleaned that greenhouse yet? You need to get it done in time to move in any tender plants before the weather gets too cold for them (okay, so I admit I may not get around to this job every year).
Store tender plants
As I’m writing this, we still haven’t had any significant frost, and the Dahlias, Cannas, Pelargoniums and the like are all still flowering. But the cold is coming soon. Dahlias are traditionally not brought into storage until the top growth has been blackened by frost. Pelargoniums should definitely be brought under glass before they are hit by frost. Traditionally, Dahlia tubers were stored in dry sand, or even ash from the fire. More recently, dry, spent compost is recommended – though there is the potential for introducing pests and diseases. The other day I saw some advice recommending using shredded paper. I’m going to try that this year, and put all those top secret documents to good use.
Plant some bulbs
It’s a good time to plant bulbs such as tulips and alliums, for next season, in pots and in the ground.
Plant for winter interest
At this time of year the cold, the damp, the short days and the low light levels can get you down. To cheer yourself up, and if you have the room, why not stick two fingers up to the cost of living crisis and buy a plant that will give you some joy over the winter months? I’ve just bought a witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’), the branches of which are laden with buds ready to burst into lovely, fragrant, spidery orange flowers any time now.
