Autumn is a busy time in the garden, as the growing season slows down there are a number of gardening jobs that should be done now. If you have a greenhouse or number or greenhouses, autumn is a really good time to clean it, ready for the winter months and in preparedness for spring.
Clear all items out of the greenhouse and start by cleaning benches and glass, making any repairs that are necessary. Before returning equipment to the greenhouse, ensure all tools, pots and other greenhouse equipment are disinfected. For those greenhouse growers that are continuing to grow in the greenhouse over winter ensure heaters are clean and in good working order to maintain the essential warmth for early spring crops. For ideas regarding crops to plant during the autumn months try garlic, onions, lettuce and cabbage in the greenhouse, ready for spring harvesting. It is advisable when you have cleared the greenhouse to stand back and make any necessary rearrangements or adjustments to fixtures to either increase space or to plan growing sections ready for your spring crops.
The trick to successful gardening is to spread out the seasonal jobs. As summer ends and autumn approaches carry out the jobs required, it is easier to do them now rather than leave them, as it is a case of preparing for the spring growing season. Starting autumn gardening jobs like cutting down foliage, watering and covering compost heaps, digging over plots and adding organic compost, actually means the garden and the greenhouse is ready for sowing in spring.
In the flowerbeds, hardy annuals can be sown now ready for early flowers when winter is over. Remember to select bee friendly varieties to encourage biodiversity in the garden next season and good pollination opportunities. Some spring cabbage varieties can also be sown out now but be careful if sowing onions and carrots outside at this time of year. If the winter is harsh it could result in disaster. Strawberries can be cut back and left in situ and should survive ready for next summer. There is a lot to do so remember to spread the jobs out.
If you do not want to tidy the garden too much try joining a number of gardeners this year that are committed to increasing the biodiversity of their gardens. Encouraging biodiversity is relatively easy and is a real opportunity to protect what we have in the garden environment. It has been suggested not to be too tidy – leave some areas covered in leaves, add a small water feature to encourage all types of insects and wildlife and a really great biodiversity idea is to store a small number of logs in a pile to rot away but also to provide a wonderful home for many insects. The key to a biodiverse garden is to have a variety of habitats for wildlife and insects. The idea is great for all gardeners and it also creates a wonderful environment for children to explore and understand the necessity of protecting the environment and encouraging them to learn how to protect the environment in the future too. Creating a biodiverse garden can also cut down the number of autumn jobs and that can only be a good thing.
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