Looking to get your garden ready for winter? Take a look at these top tips from Sutton Manor to get your garden in tip-top shape:
April & May – Throughout April and May there are many gardening things you can do to get yourself set up for the upcoming year. These months are ideal for sowing and planting your fruit and vegetables. It’s a perfect time to plant pot-grown fruit trees and bushes, so think of your citrus trees, apple trees and cherry.
Vegetable growing really takes off during these months, so you can also sow seed outdoors for lettuce, leeks, radish, beetroot, carrots, Swiss chard, summer cauliflower, kohl rabi, turnip, spring and pickling onions, peas and perpetual spinach in well-prepared soil.
Sutton Manor Top Tip: “Generally speaking, between the months of April and October, most citrus trees and other fruit trees will be fine outside, however, as winter approaches, you can use a fleece cover for extra protection or move plant pots into a sheltered greenhouse or conservatory.”
June, July & August – During these months your main priority should be the watering and dead-heading of the plants you have already planted. It’s essential that you do not allow your vegetable plants to dry out during these months as this can lead to blossom end rot. Usually, the UK climate presents a decent amount of rain, but don’t rely on this solely. Make sure you are watering your plants a few times a week.
Furthermore, throughout these months Beetroot and other crops can be harvested while they are young and tender while you can continue to make sowings of carrot, lettuce and spinach.
The majority of your fruits can also be harvested at this time such as strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Alongside this, it is important to thin some of your fruit trees such as apple, pears and plum. During July especially these type of trees can produce an abundance of fruits, which means they can put pressure on the leaves and damage them in the future.
Sutton Manor Top Tip: “During the summer months, especially July try thinning out your dense fruit trees. Carefully remove any excess or damaged fruits from the plant, so that it will develop a more evenly ripe crop of fruits.”
September & October – As the UK climate begins to get cooler throughout September and October, the need for up-keep in your garden will subside. If you like to be well-prepared now is a good time to plant some spring bulbs for the following year. In addition to this, you can also start preparing indoor plants that will flower in time for Christmas.
Sutton Manor Top Tip: “Camellia Espallier trees, also known as Holly trees are great to plant during these months. The relatively low temperatures combined with higher rainfall will make settling into the new location much less stressful for the holly bush. With its all year round beautiful glossy green leaves, producing flowers in early spring, the crown is easy to maintain by clipping once a year.”
November & December – Throughout the months of November and December there will be a significant reduction in the amount of gardening you need to do. Your main priority during these months will be protecting your beloved trees and plants from harsh UK weather patterns. Protect flowers such as roses from strong winds by pruning them by one-third to half their height. This will stop them from swaying in strong wind and prevent roots from coming loose in the soil.
In addition to this, you’ll also want to insulate your outdoor containers from frosts, using hessian or bubble wrap held in place with garden twine.
Sutton Manor Top Tip: “Towards the end of Autumn to the start of winter is the best time to get out in the garden and secure your sensitive and tender plants. Protecting your plants during the winter months can help prevent winter scald, frozen roots, foliar damage and even death. If you have large potted plants, wrap the container with a thick layer of insulation, to stop the roots from freezing.”
These are quite a few handy tips from Sutton Manor to get your plants, vegetables, flowers planted now and to get your garden looking its best. Looking to find what you plant each month? Take a look at these helpful tips as to what you should be planting each month.
