10 Things to do in Your Garden This October

Jason Brooks
Oct 1, 2025
5 min read

October is a crucial month in the UK gardening calendar—it’s the bridge between the lazy days of summer and the deep rest of winter. The air is crisp, the colours are stunning, and the soil is still warm enough for planting. Dedicating time to these 10 detailed tasks now will pay huge dividends next spring, guaranteeing a healthier, tidier, and more abundant garden.

1. Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs

October is the absolute best time to plant most spring-flowering bulbs. The ground is typically moist and still warm enough to allow the bulbs to establish a root system before the deep freeze sets in.

Daffodils and Narcissus: Get these in early in the month. They benefit from a longer rooting period.
Tulips: Wait until the end of October or even November to plant tulips. Planting them later helps prevent Tulip Fire disease, as the colder soil temperature inhibits the fungal spores.
Depth is Key: Plant bulbs at least two to three times their own depth. If a bulb is 5cm tall, plant it 10-15cm deep. Use a bulb planter for quick, uniform results.

2. Clear Fallen Leaves and Make Leaf Mould

While beautiful, a thick layer of wet leaves can suffocate lawns, harbour pests, and turn pathways dangerously slippery. Raking them up is a double-win for your garden.

Protect the Lawn: Rake leaves off the grass weekly. Leaving them can cause patches of dead, yellow grass.
Create Leaf Mould: Don't throw them away! Leaf mould is a fantastic, moisture-retaining soil conditioner. Simply bag up the collected leaves (preferably in black bin bags) and pierce the bags several times. Dampen the leaves, tie the top, and leave them in a corner for 1-2 years. Beech, oak, and hornbeam leaves are the best.

3. Prune Climbing and Rambling Roses

Pruning roses now is not the main prune (which is usually done in late winter/early spring), but an important maintenance job known as "tidying" or "initial" pruning.

Reduce Wind Damage: The main goal is to reduce the height of long canes by about a third. This prevents strong winter winds from tearing them out of the wall or support.
Dead and Diseased Wood: Remove any stems that are clearly dead, diseased, or crossing over and rubbing against other stems.
Tie-in: Secure any new, vigorous stems that have grown this season to their support wires or pergola to prevent them from whipping around in the wind.

4. Plant Winter Bedding and Containers

To ensure your window boxes, hanging baskets, and patio containers don't look bare and dreary all winter, replace spent summer annuals with hardy winter displays.

Hardy Selections: Plant Pansies and Violas (they will continue to flower in milder spells), Cyclamen hederifolium (hardy outdoor varieties), and Winter-flowering Heather (Erica).
Foliage and Texture: Complement the flowers with structure from small conifers, ornamental cabbages, and ivy to provide colour when flowering slows down.
Watering: Even in winter, containers can dry out quickly, especially under eaves or near walls. Check them regularly and water if the top inch of compost feels dry.

5. Harvest Remaining Vegetables and Clear the Beds

October marks the end of the main harvest season for many crops. It's time to get everything in and start planning for next year.

Root Vegetables: Lift maincrop carrots, beetroots, and parsnips. Store them in boxes of slightly damp sand in a cool, dark, frost-free shed.
Pumpkins and Squash: Harvest when the skins are hard and the stems are dry. Cure them in the sun for a week or two, then store them indoors, ideally on shelves, to prevent rot.
Clear Debris: Once a bed is empty, remove all spent plant matter. This prevents pests and diseases (like blight spores) from overwintering in the soil.

6. Lift Tender Bulbs and Tubers (Dahlias and Gladioli)

The first hard frost of the season will turn the foliage of tender plants like Dahlias and Gladioli black, signalling it’s time to lift and store the tubers for winter protection.

The Waiting Game: Wait until the foliage is blackened by frost. This allows the plant to send its last reserves of energy back down to the tuber, which is vital for next year’s growth.
Lifting: Cut the stems down to about 6 inches (15cm). Carefully dig up the tubers, ensuring you don't damage them.
Storage: Turn the tubers upside down for a day or two to let the moisture drain from the hollow stems. Store them in boxes lined with dry potting compost, sand, or shredded paper in a cool, dark, frost-free place (like a garage or shed).

7. Protect Potted Plants from Frost

Potted plants are much more vulnerable to frost than those in the ground, as the cold can penetrate the root ball from all sides.

Relocate Tender Plants: Move Mediterranean plants like Citrus, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, and non-hardy Salvias into a greenhouse, conservatory, or a cool, brightly lit room indoors.
Insulate Containers: For larger, permanent pots that can’t be moved (like patio olives or large shrubs), wrap the pot itself with bubble wrap, hessian, or several layers of fleece. This protects the roots from freezing and cracking the terracotta.
Drainage: Ensure all pots have excellent drainage to prevent the roots from sitting in water, which will freeze easily and rot the plant. Raise pots onto 'pot feet' if possible.

8. Service Your Lawn Mower and Put Away Tools

With growth slowing right down, October usually brings the final cut of the year for most UK lawns. Now is the perfect time for equipment maintenance.

Mower Maintenance: Clean all grass debris from the underside of the deck and the collection box. Sharpen the blades (or have them sharpened) and check/change the oil and spark plug if it’s a petrol mower. Storing it clean and maintained prevents rust and ensures an immediate start next spring.
Clean Tools: Wash off all soil and sap from your spades, trowels, and shears. Sharpen any cutting tools and apply a light coat of oil to metallic surfaces to prevent rust before winter storage.

9. Turn and Layer the Compost Heap

October is a fantastic time for boosting your compost supply, as you have ample 'brown' material (dry leaves) and 'green' material (spent annuals and kitchen scraps).

The Turnover: Turn your compost heap with a fork to introduce air. This significantly speeds up the decomposition process. A well-aerated compost heap will decompose faster and heat up more efficiently.
Layering: Try to alternate layers of brown, carbon-rich material (shredded cardboard, dry leaves, straw) and green, nitrogen-rich material (grass clippings, kitchen waste, spent plants) to achieve the perfect balance.
Don't Add: Never add perennial weed roots, diseased plant material, or cooked food/meat scraps, as these will cause issues.

10. Clean and Tidy Your Greenhouse and Shed

As growing activity slows down, use this quieter month to tackle the essential deep clean of your garden structures.

Sterilise Surfaces: Wash down all glass, staging, and floor areas of your greenhouse using a mild disinfectant like horticultural cleaner. This kills overwintering pests and disease spores that thrive in the structure's crevices. A clean greenhouse means better light transmission for your winter plants.
Organise the Shed: Take everything out of the shed. Sweep the floor, check for any leaks or damage, and put tools back in an organised way. Label stored bulbs and seeds clearly. A tidy space makes a huge difference to your motivation when spring arrives!