YOUR GARDENING YEAR

What to do in the garden in October

The key October jobs for your veg patch, fruit, lawns, borders and greenhouse — tick them off or print a sheet to take outside.

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One page, ready to take outside

Cooler days, colourful borders, and a little preparation for the months ahead.

Plant garlic cloves for next summer.Clear spent crops and add to the compost heap.

Store apples in a cool, dark, frost-free place.Plant bare-root fruit bushes once dormant and soil is workable.

Rake fallen leaves from the lawn to make leaf mould.Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils in well-drained soil.

Clean and disinfect the greenhouse interior.Install bubble wrap insulation for winter.

Apple Day 21 OctoberOrchards and villages celebrate apples with tastings and juicing.
Autumn colour at arboretums OctoberWestonbirt, Bodnant and others at their most colourful.

Dates change each year — please check with the organiser before you travel.

October in the garden

A month-by-month guide from The Gardener’s Greenhouse

2026 · Garden: ____________________

Plant garlic cloves for next summer.

Clear spent crops and add to the compost heap.

Store apples in a cool, dark, frost-free place.

Plant bare-root fruit bushes once dormant and soil is workable.

Rake fallen leaves from the lawn to make leaf mould.

Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils in well-drained soil.

Clean and disinfect the greenhouse interior.

Install bubble wrap insulation for winter.

Notes:

Tick each box as you go — and take things at your own pace.

Little jobs. Lovely rewards.

Follow local frost forecasts; northern gardens often start spring jobs later. Avoid frozen or waterlogged soil and take regular breaks.

Got a question about October jobs? Ask in the forum.