Pests, cuttings and plants

Here’s our October round up of what to do this month and what to watch out for on the pest front too.

Many pests will lay their eggs on plants for over-wintering and these will attack early next year.

Deciduous trees and shrubs that have dropped their leaves can be treated with a winter tree wash.

Slugs and snails will be very active during damp weather so protect vulnerable plants with your favourite control method.

Diseased leaves that are left on the ground should be carefully raked up and disposed of. Other debris provides over-winter places for pests so get rid of this too.

Before the frost and cold weather takes its toll on your half-hardy bedding and patio perennials, make sure you lift all your fuchsias, surfinia petunias, geraniums and osteospermums.

Cut back leafy growth, trim roots and pot them up for over-wintering. You can take cuttings from them too.

Don’t forget to pick up everything you’ll need for success such as pots, compost, labels, fleece and propagators when you come in next.

Ensure your garden remains a riot of colour throughout autumn. There’s plenty to choose from including rhododendron ‘Silver Edge’, viburnum tinus, parthenocissus henryana, ilex ‘Golden King’, skimmia ‘Rubella’, pyracantha, leucothoe ‘Twisting Red’, nandina domestica ‘Obsessed’ and pittosporum ‘Gold Star’.