October gardening tips: Everything you need to do now for winter and spring 'success'

GB News is speaking to experts about the tasks they should complete each month for a beautiful garden. As we welcome October, one professional shares how to create a gorgeous outdoor space this month and beyond
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While spring and summer are typically the nicest seasons to spend in the garden due to the mild weather, there's still plenty to do during the autumn months.
Your outdoor spaces will be winding down for winter in October, but according to one expert, now is the time to get ahead of the curve.
According to Chris Link, co-owner of Plant Addicts, "October is the month to set your garden up for winter and spring success".
Speaking exclusively to GB News, he shared everything gardening enthusiasts should do this month.
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The expert told green-thumbed Britons: "First, plant spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and crocus, holding off on tulips until late October or early November.
"As you lift and divide tired perennials, replant into enriched soil and mulch 5-7cm to buffer winter and temperature swings."
According to the gardening guru, now is also "prime time" to plant trees and shrubs as the soil is warm.
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This October, plant spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and crocus
| GETTYHe recommended boxwood, berrying winterberry holly, and heuchera, as these settle in "beautifully".
Moving on to lawn maintenance, the expert urged gardening enthusiasts to mow high while growth continues, rake leaves off the turf for compost, and repair bare patches so they knit before frosts.
Meanwhile, plant "cold-tolerant heroes", such as hellebores, heuchera, and small conifers, and raise pots on feet for drainage.
Leave tulip-planting until late October or early November
|PA
As temperatures drop, it's important to go for hardy plants (resilient ones that can survive low temperatures).
According to the Woodland Trust, hardy plants are a "must-have" in any outdoor space. Among the prettiest are the Ladybird poppy, white laceflower, and 'Miss Jekyll'.
As for borderline-hardy plants, these should be equipped with breathable frost protection on cold nights, plus water in the morning rather than evening to avoid sitting wet.
A popular borderline-hardy – or half-hardy – plant is the "dependable" cosmos. The Royal Horticultural Society advises going for gazebo, purity, sensation, or sonata.
Pruning, the selective removal or restriction of parts of a plant, is another task for October – but don't go overboard.
"Prune only what's necessary (dead, diseased, crossing), and leave most major pruning for late winter," Mr Link advised.
"Biggest mistakes I see: over-feeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser, leaving soggy mulch against stems, and letting leaves mat on lawns and crowns," he concluded.
September gardening tasks all ticked off? Check here.