Experts have warned that you should not miss one particular gardening job this October – because it is essential to protect your garden throughout the colder months
If you only have time for one gardening job this October – make sure it is this one.
There is a lot to be getting on with in your outdoor space this October – from collecting the many fallen leaves that the trees are shedding to planting your spring bulbs to ensure a cheerful display once we have got through the cold winter months. But experts have warned that there is one task, in particular, you should not neglect this month because it is absolutely essential to protect your garden from the cold frosts that are unfortunately quickly approaching in the UK: mulching.
It can be daunting knowing where to start with this if you’re a gardening novice, but with a bit of expert advice you will soon be a dab hand at this job, as it is much simpler than you might expect. Equally, even if you consider yourself seriously green-fingered, everyone needs a refresher every now and then on even the fundamentals.
Mulching is essentially covering your beds and borders with a new top layer that will act as a kind of protective comfort blanket during the coldest weather. The experts at Priory Farm Estate have explained it’s great to do this at this time of year because the soil is still pretty warm right now, and moist from all the rain we have been getting, so by mulching now we trap that heat and warmth in the ground – giving the roots of your plants a serious boost.
Doing this task will ensure you are promoting the health and quality of your soil, retain water and best of all – keep weeds at bay.
The experts at the National Trust have produced a handy guide on exactly what mulching is, and how to approach it, “Mulch is the name given to a thick, loose layer of material placed on top of bare soil in flower beds or containers,” they explain on their website. “Adding this layer helps to suppress weeds, increase water retention and improve the quality of the soil. It can also neaten the appearance of beds and protect roots from winter frost.”
The best materials to use for this task are “garden compost, wood chippings, manure and leaf mould,” the experts explain. Leafmould is one that Monty Don – gardening expert and TV presenter – absolutely swears by, and has even admitted he is “obsessive” about making. It takes a little work, time and patience, but you will be making the very best soil conditioner possible.
If you are keen on trying this out, you need to collect up the fallen leaves in your garden and ideally chop them up. Then simply pop them in a bin liner, make some holes in it, and leave them to decompose – after two years you will have them in premium condition, but you can use them before this if necessary. It’s also best done when the leaves are wet, but if you were only able to get out in the garden in a dry period, you can always stick the hose into your bin liner to give the collected leaves a good drink, Don has advised. If you have the space for this composting it’s well worth doing, but as you need to wait for leaf mould, this year for mulching you should head to the garden centre for some wood chippings or compost.
Finally, once you have your mulch material at the ready, you need to apply it as a top coat to your beds and borders at least two inches thick, or up to three. However, there is one important caveat to this, the National Trust has explained, you have “to leave space around the woody stems of plants.”
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