From October onwards the garden will be busy again. The window of opportunity for planting perennials and trees is wide open. The focus is also on preparations for winter. To help you keep track and set the right priorities, the following to-do list provides important information.
What are the most important tasks in the garden in autumn?
In the fall, the garden is active by planting perennials and trees, removing leaves, winterizing preparations and soil care. This includes planting bulb flowers, perennials and trees, cutting off dead plant parts and installing winter protection.
Autumn is planting time – these perennials want to go into the ground now
In autumn the earth is deeply warmed by the rays of Indian summer sunshine. Garden perennials now have the ideal conditions to root quickly and strongly. If you miss spring as a planting time, plant the following plants in the ground in autumn:
- Bulb flowers, such as snowdrops, tulips, daffodils and marshmallows
- Hardy perennials, such as columbines, coneflowers and pelargoniums
- Bare root roses
- Native shrubs and trees
Add mature compost and a little horn shavings to each planting hole. Organic fertilizers take a few months over the winter to take effect. A rich nutrient buffet is available to the young plants in good time in spring.
Important care work in the autumn garden
Falling leaves take up a lot of your time in autumn. It's not just the lawn that suffers from a thick layer of leaves. The leaves should also not remain on the water surface in the pond. In addition, the following maintenance work has priority in autumn:
- Remove tubers of begonias, dahlias and gladioli from the ground and overwinter them
- Sweep the lawn regularly and fertilize it for the last time with Patentkali (€33.00 on Amazon)
- Put away frost-sensitive potted plants
- Cut perennials back to the ground and cover with leaves or straw
For weakly growing fruit trees, autumn is the best time for pruning. Young apple trees react with increased budding if they are cut while the sap is dormant. In contrast, scissors are only used on fast-growing trees in March to reduce the speed of growth.
Preparing your garden for winter in autumn – this is how it works
Before the grim frost knocks on the garden gate in late autumn, the plants are prepared for the cold season. How to do it right:
- Prevent the trunks of fruit trees from cracking with white paint
- Mow the lawn for the last time after the first frost
- Tie ornamental grasses loosely together to protect the heart from constant wetness
Freshly planted perennials and trees receive a protective layer of leaves, brushwood or straw for their first winter outdoors. On young roses, pile up loose leaf mold or compost so high that the grafting areas are well covered. Standard roses receive a winter coat made of jute or fleece.
Tip
So that everything is green and blooming next year, the garden soil is enriched with compost and horn shavings in autumn. Don't dig up the soil until after the first frost, otherwise your efforts will be punished with a snail infestation next year. The pests prefer to use freshly dug clods of soil to lay eggs and overwinter.
