The September heat is fading, and Autumn is in full swing. As it gets colder, the trees begin to change and nature becomes gold for a few months. We have put together a list of the essential gardening jobs for October to help you make the most out of the transitional season in your garden.
General
Mulch the borders with compost if not done in the spring to boost the quality of your soil and help it retain water and nutrients during the colder months.
Continue to tidy borders of weeds and leaves. These will become slippery over winter, but will also be harder to remove once the soil freezes.
Apply autumn lawn feed. These specialised feeds help to fortify your lawn from frost and icy conditions.
Cut back perennials that have died down.
Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas by laying turf. By doing this now you encourage root growth instead of leaf growth which allows your grass to survive the winter, and cuts down on and mowing in the cold
Animals
Refill Feeders regularly This well help late migratory birds on their way, but also provide a constant food source for wintering birds. See our range of bird feeds here.
Install insect hotels. This is the easiest time of year to find the raw materials you need to build an insect hotel. By doing it now you’ll also have it ready for the Insects try to get away from the cold.
Plants
Remove fallen leaves from roses to prevent blackspot – a fungal disease that can spread quickly to your whole rosegarden.
Pot up your herbs and take them inside, either to a frost-free greenhouse or windowsill.
Move tender plants, including aquatic ones, into a greenhouse or conservatory
Bring potted tropical plants inside, including bananas, pineapple lilies (eucomis) and brugmansias.
Produce
Begin planting garlic for a good summer harvest.
Apply fleece to late season crops when frost is forecast
Harvest apples, pears, grapes and nuts
Greenhouse
Clean out the greenhouse to get rid of debris that can harbor overwintering pests
Attach guttering to the greenhouse and install a water butt, to make good use of autumn rain. You can reuse this water elsewhere in the garden, it also discourages water from freezing on the greenhouse
Wash greenhouse glazing to let in as much of the weaker autumn daylight as possible. This will keep your plants healthy as well as warm during the cold winter months.
It’s a busy time of the gardening year, but putting in some hard work now will give you great results in spring. Let us know what your up to on social media
Gary works in the Primrose product loading team, writing product descriptions and other copy. With seven years as a professional chef under his belt, he can usually be found experimenting in the kitchen or sat reading a book.
Greenhouses help us in creating stable conditions for nurturing and growing a wide variety of plants. During the colder parts of the year, greenhouses allow us to store, prepare and grow so we can extend the success of our gardens throughout the whole year. Below are just a few greenhouse gardening ideas that you can make use of throughout the changing seasons.
Spring
Freshening Up
As we move into spring and the warm weather starts to return we can begin moving things out of the greenhouse back into the garden:
With the warm weather returning you can give the glass another good clean to remove the marks left by winter and maximise the amount of light getting through.
With changing temperatures, it may be good practise to heat your greenhouse at night and ventilate it during the day at the start of spring.
Setting up a water source like water butts or a connected hosepipe will make greenhouse gardening much easier when you start watering more regularly.
The arrival of spring can also mean the emergence of pests so keep an eye out and rid accordingly with sprays.
Grow Your Own
Now is an ideal time to begin planting your summer vegetables:
Courgettes, cucumbers, squashes and sweetcorn are ideal for planting in the greenhouse ready for transplanting to the outside when the summer warms the garden properly.
Plant tomato saplings in grow bags so they can establish through summer when the greenhouse doesn’t require additional heating.
Back Outside
When the warm weather makes itself felt across your garden you can start moving overwintered plants back outside. Bear in mind that your plants that are cultivated inside will need a period of “hardening off” with increased ventilation and cooler temperatures before being moved outside fully.
Perennial cuttings can be transported to pots or flower beds perhaps with the protection of a cloche until the warm weather fully returns.
Tender potted plants can be moved back outside, though you may remove any fleece insulation at a later stage in spring or summer.
Towards the end of spring, you can plant more seeds to transplant during summer such as marigolds.
Summer
Sun Protection
With the warmest part of the year now in full swing you can make full use of all that light and energy coming into your greenhouse:
You may need to add netting or some light shade to prevent overheating or scorching during higher temperatures.
Make sure you have enough ventilation, keeping vents and doors open on warm days and some nights if occasion requires it.
Dampening the floors and staging each day can help add humidity to the greenhouse on warmer days.
See What Grows
Greenhouse gardening means having a lot more control over the immediate environment. Have fun and experiment with some other plants:
Harden off your summer bedding blooms to clear room in the greenhouse for other plants.
You can make use of the hottest part of the year by growing some different plants; maybe try propagating some house plants for inside the home like crassulas or sansevierias.
Feed and water your plants regularly to make full use of the peak growing season.
Take cuttings from perennials like fuchsias and pelargoniums.
Harvest
This is also a great time of year for harvesting your well-earnt produce!
Tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies can be picked regularly to encourage further growth.
Plants moved outdoors for the summer should begin to reach full maturity towards the end of summer and can be incorporated into your summer meals.
There is still time through summer to plant crops that have a fast yield such as carrots, beetroot, beans, spinach and kale.
Autumn
Maintenance
The perfect time to prep your greenhouse for the cold months ahead. Some essential maintenance will put you in good stead for keeping everything functioning at its best:
Clean the glass to make sure you’re getting the maximum levels of light in.
Check for cracks in the glass and seal appropriately to keep insulation efficient.
Organise your inside space making sure everything is tidy and easily accessible.
Grow Your Own
Though the warmer months present the height of the growing season for vegetables, greenhouse gardening means there’s no reason to stop growing produce through the winter. Some ideas for planting are:
Potting up hardy herbs like chives, parsley and mint to continue growth through the winter.
Sowing spinach, rocket, kale and pak choi seeds in trays before transferring seedlings to larger containers for use in winter salads.
Sowing brassicas like cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts that can be enjoyed later in the year.
Planting
The colder months can be an ideal time to get a head start on your plans for next spring too:
Lots of perennials can be kept in the greenhouse over winter to keep them alive until the return of warm weather. Fuschias, Pelargoniums and Dahlias are ideal for bringing inside or taking cuttings from which to propagate.
Winter
Temperature
As we head into the coldest part of the year, temperature control can be your biggest challenge to greenhouse gardening:
At the start of the season, you should monitor the temperature and consider opening the greenhouse door on warmer days to keep everything ventilated.
As the temperature drops, covering your greenhouse glass with large bubble wrap is a cost-effective way of providing extra insulation.
You may want to consider getting a greenhouse heater. Both electric and gas heaters can be purchased depending on your set up and both will permit more accurate and consistent temperature control.
Grow Your Own
Making use of a greenhouse heater and the consistent temperature it provides makes it ideal for planting in preparation for spring:
With a stable warm temperature, you can start growing peppers in the greenhouse. These can be transplanted outside when warm weather returns or kept inside the warm greenhouse.
Peas, squash, cucumber, courgettes and aubergines can all be started in late winter in preparation for planting in the spring. Getting a head start now will set you up well for success later.
Towards the end of winter, you can begin planting seeds for spring and summer flower beds. The seedlings can be incubated before being transplanted outside in warmer weather.
Frost Protection
Now is also the time when our greenhouse can act as a refuge for tender plants in the garden:
Potted plants can be moved into the greenhouse to avoid damage from changing temperatures and frost. Consider some greenhouse staging to organise your pot storage.
Move tropical specimens into the greenhouse perhaps with an insulating layer of fleece and straw.
Your perennials can be kept in the greenhouse ready for spring.
Remember to water sparingly at this time and according to each plant’s separate needs.
Follow us on Instagram and tag us in a photo of your greenhouse. We love to see great gardeners in action and we may even feature your photos on the Primrose feed.
Scott Roberts is a copywriter currently making content for the Primrose site and blog. When at his desk he’s thinking of new ways to describe a garden bench. Away from his desk he’s either looking at photos of dogs or worrying about the environment. He does nothing else, just those two things.
There are a lot of different planters out there, with styles to match every garden design and climate. With so much choice it can be hard to know what to buy; a stone planter may look nice but might be too heavy, a zinc planter may give you the sleek look you want, but not be strong enough. If you are looking for a catch-all planter material we would recommend you consider Fibrecotta.
Fibrecotta Planter in Garden
What is it ?
Fibrecotta is a compound material made from layering cellulose fiber and clay with fiberglass. Once shaped, the finished material is then set, rather than fired. This manufacturing process leaves very little waste when compared to other materials and because it is set rather than fired it is more environmentally friendly.
Why Fibrecotta?
Lightweight – Fibrecotta is a lightweight material that lets you easily position even large planters wherever you want in your garden.
Durable – Because of their fiberglass content, Fibrecotta is a strong material that can cope with everything the weather can throw at it. Importantly, it is frost resistant so you can leave the planter out all year. It will also not corrode with the natural acids and alkalis in the soil.
Easy drainage – Like it’s heavier cousin, Terracotta, Fibrestone is porous, meaning that water will naturally filter through the planter providing you with drainage without having to drill holes.
Good for soil – the porous walls of this planter not only allow for easier drainage, but they have a great effect on the soil too. As the water drains it takes the soils naturally present minerals with it helping your plant to thrive
Ages naturally – The passing of minerals through the planter means that it ages at the same rate as Terracotta. If you are looking for a planter that matures alongside your garden, Fibrecotta is the ideal choice.
There are many benefits to planters made of this material. Not only is durable, lightweight and good for your plants, but it comes in many shapes and colours. Sound like the type of planter for you? Shop the range now at primrose.co.uk.
Gary works in the Primrose product loading team, writing product descriptions and other copy. With seven years as a professional chef under his belt, he can usually be found experimenting in the kitchen or sat reading a book.
If you don’t have your own small animal audience, store-bought is fine.
Exciting news folks! Primrose has recently got in awhole new selection of terrarium making tools, the first on the site made specifically for closed-system terrariums! Well since they’re so new, and terrariums are finally making the come back they deserve, I went and wrote up the journey through creating my own closed-system terrarium.
The sets we have online also include a very handy shovel and rake set that extends to reach the bottom of your jar, these are indispensable if you have a very deep terrarium! (Although you could always wrap some wire around a fork and a spoon, no judgement here.)
If possible, it’s recommended to find a piece of plastic mesh to help keep the stone and soil layer separate, but don’t worry if you can’t get hold of any, I didn’t use it in my terrarium.
Also handy:
A lot of newspaper to work on (it gets messy!)
A funnel (I made one out of a cereal packet)
Scissors (for pruning if needed)
Small hand trowel (for removing soil from roots)
And last but not least, the plants and accessories you want in the terrarium.
These are the two species I used, Tradescantia Purple Passion at the front and a Chlorophytum Comosum behind.
The process
The idea of a closed terrarium is to create an ecosystem that will sustain itself. Both the plants and soil release moisture that becomes water vapour, and condenses against the walls of the terrarium during the warm daylight, falling back to the soil in the cooler evenings. This creation of an enclosed watering system is what will keep your terrarium growing, but just throwing dirt and plants at it isn’t going to work, an irrigation system is needed to stop the soil from rotting under too much water.
At this point you’ll want to grab the funnel, or if you’re on a budget, make one out of cardboard or paper to make for easier application of the materials.
First pour in a layer of small stones, pebbles, or gravel. There’s no hard and fast measurement as it depends on what size receptacle you’re using, a good rule to stick to is one-quarter stones to three-quarters soil. Remember this layer has to be deep enough to stop any pooling water from sitting in the soil.
Check your terrarium from all angles, sometimes it’s hard to judge the level of coverage with curved glass.
Next is activated charcoal. This is an integral ingredient in the tasty soup that is your closed terrarium. It absorbs chemicals in the soil, water, and air that could otherwise build up over time and damage the plants. Charcoal also cleans up unpleasant odours that are released from the decomposing soil and helps stop mildew forming.
You don’t need a whole layer of the stuff, but make sure there’s a good handful being placed in, it’s going to do a lot of work after all!
If you’ve been able to source some plastic mesh, now is the time to cut it to shape, fold it up and pop it in. You’ll need some long tools to push and pull it into place, and then you can add the substrate. (Note that the charcoal seems fine both above and below the mesh layer.) Again, if you don’t have a mesh layer don’t worry! You can still power on!
Okay, let’s layer up some soil! You’ll need a decent amount, remember we’re working to approx one-quarter stones to three-quarters substrate. Don’t worry if your measurements aren’t perfect, it’s all a learning process!
Make some small divots for the plants to sit in, and let’s move on to prepping some plants!
Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Plant choices
A closed terrarium is a specific type of environment. There’s a lot of damp warmth in there, and if left in direct sunlight, the refraction of the glass will cook everything inside. So we need moisture-loving, low light-thriving, quite small plants. Which admittedly cuts down our options somewhat, but here are some plants that I’ve discovered-
Small ferns will help fill out any space, and they’re relatively easy to come by. Try and find a miniature variety if you can, as some ferns can grow pretty big.
Some that come recommended:
Peperomia, Maidenhair fern, Pteris, and Adiantum. I chose a variegated fern to place in mine, the pot I purchased had three separate plants in it so I picked out the smallest to place in my also quite small terrarium.
Soleirolia variants are perfect as well, and have a variety of amusing names such as, mind-your-own-business, baby’s tears, angel’s tears, friendship plant and Irish moss. (It is in fact, not a moss, but a plant from the nettle family.)
Tradescantia- also known as Spiderwort, is another plant that does well in humid climates. There are a lot of variants though, and I’d recommend staying away from any that are flowering as they will wilt and die quickly in the terrarium. I chose a Tradescantia Purple Passion to place in mine.
Other tropical foliage such as Dizygotheca and Neoregelia ‘fireball’ enjoy a humid environment, making them other possibilities for your display.
To finish it off I would recommend some moss. I took a trowel and dug some out of my garden. Moss is a great way to fill out your terrarium, it helps to cover bare soil and brings more diversity into the jar.
Trixie spent the whole time trying to eat my plants and the moss. Thanks Trix.
Preparing plants
This section entirely depends on what container you’re using for your terrarium, but for brevity’s sake I’m going to assume you’re using the same line of terrariums that I am, and in that case you’ve got some trimming to do. The opening of the bottle is a lot smaller than you first think, so you’ll need to carefully extract the plants from their pots, and gently scrape or shake off most of the soil around the roots so you can fit it through the top. This is where having another container or a lot of newspaper down comes in handy to catch all the soil!
Move the plant around after it’s fallen inside, and make sure you push soil back around the roots when you’ve confirmed the placement.
Now is a good time to consider the layout of your terrarium. Instagram and Pinterest are great sources of inspiration, just make sure whatever you use is small enough to fit!
In my terrarium I used some old chunky sticks to create a divide in the middle, putting the fern one side and the tradescantia on the other, with moss liberally applied all around. To finish it off, I added some more height with a mossy stick reaching up through the bottle, remember to consider your layers to make for a more visually interesting display!
Here’s my finished terrarium! I’m very pleased with how it turned out, and it didn’t take more than about half an hour to put together!
Finishing off
Before adding the cork, make sure you give your terrarium a good spritz with a spray bottle, or pour a little water down the side. You don’t need to add the cork straight away – allow the bottle to stand for a day to let the plants settle, and for the first week or so, take the cork off for a few hours every day. This allows you to adjust the water, and allows the plants to breathe and accumulate to their new closed-system environment a little easier.
Keep your terrarium out of direct sunlight, and rotate it every day or so to allow all sides to soak up some heat.
And here’s my beauty after 2 weeks! The tiny wild clover in the moss are loving it!
Troubleshooting and the future
There’s always the fear that your terrarium won’t last the weekend. Fear not! If you’ve used the right plants and followed the guide you should be safe. One thing to bear in mind is the water cycle, moisture should build up over the day, then drip back down to the soil overnight. If there is too much condensation then plants might start to rot, so remove the cork and allow it to dry out a little. If there’s no moisture on the sides by late afternoon, it may need a spritz of water to keep the cycle going.
If it does unfortunately go wrong, there’s no shame in calling it a day, dumping it all out and starting again. We all have to start somewhere, and I’m sure your next terrarium will look amazing!
If you do make up one of our terrariums, be sure to snap a photo and send it in!
Bonus points for getting your pets involved!
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Charlotte is a Copy Writer at Primrose, writing product descriptions and about anything else that comes her way. She owns 2 rabbits and 5 chickens that she loves very much. (Her garden is most certainly not tidy).
When not at her desk you can find her attempting to find her way back to Japan again, or drawing.
Gary works in the Primrose product loading team, writing product descriptions and other copy. With seven years as a professional chef under his belt, he can usually be found experimenting in the kitchen or sat reading a book.
Gary works in the Primrose product loading team, writing product descriptions and other copy. With seven years as a professional chef under his belt, he can usually be found experimenting in the kitchen or sat reading a book.
Scott Roberts is a copywriter currently making content for the Primrose site and blog. When at his desk he’s thinking of new ways to describe a garden bench. Away from his desk he’s either looking at photos of dogs or worrying about the environment. He does nothing else, just those two things.
Charlotte is a Copy Writer at Primrose, writing product descriptions and about anything else that comes her way. She owns 2 rabbits and 5 chickens that she loves very much. (Her garden is most certainly not tidy).