October Gardening in South East England — What To Do Now

*By The Messy Gardener — half plot in Tonbridge, Kent*

Now then — October's here, and if you're gardening in the South East like us, you've got it better than most of the country. Our soil's still holding a bit of warmth, and the real hard frosts are still a few weeks away yet. In Tonbridge that's usually mid-Nov before it gets nasty.

So there's plenty still worth doing. Every hour you do now saves you two in March. No fancy tools, no jargon — just what needs doing.

IN THE VEG PATCH

What to sow / plant NOW

Broad Beans - 'Aquadulce Claudia

The only one to sow now. 5cm deep, 20cm apart, double row. They won't do much up top, but roots go down all winter — beans 3-4 weeks earlier than March sown. On our Weald clay? Start in 9cm pots in the greenhouse first or they rot. Learned that the hard way.

Garlic - 'Solent Wight' or 'Cristo

Now's perfect. Split the bulb, plant cloves 2.5cm deep, 15cm apart, pointy end up, tip just showing. Leave them, they'll swell come June.

Onion Sets - Sturon

Much easier than seed. 10cm apart, just cover the base. Hardy as old boots.

Shallots - 'Golden Gourmet

Same as garlic, push just below surface. They'll split into a clump by June.

Salad — Rocket, Mizuna, Lambs Lettuce

Scatter thinly, water in. In Kent these tick over all winter under fleece. Pick small and often — free salad when shops charge £2 a bag.

Winter Lettuce - Winter Density

Sow under a cloche or old window. Slow, but you get fresh leaves in February.

Harvest — Don't leave it

Potatoes — Get the lot up now. Brush off dirt, leave on bed 2 hours to dry, then hessian sack in dark shed. Any light = green and bitter.

Pumpkins & Squash— Cut with 10cm stalk. Cure them — warm windowsill or greenhouse 10 days — skin hardens, keeps till Feb.

Carrots & Parsnips— Can stay in ground. If hard frost forecast, 15cm straw over top. Or lift into box of damp sand.

Green Tomatoes— Don't bin! Box + banana in airing cupboard 3-7 days, or make chutney — my recipe here → [link to your Green Toms post]

Apples & Pears— Lift and twist gently. If it comes off easy, it's ready. If you have to yank, leave it.

Getting ground ready

Clear old stalks and rotting leaves — slugs overwinter in that lot. Dig over empty beds if you can, chuck compost or well-rotted manure on top. Leave it rough — frost breaks our clay clods for free, saves you digging twice.

Free plants:Hardwood cuttings — gooseberries, currants. 25-30cm of this year's wood, cut just below a bud, push 2/3 in ground. Free bushes by spring.

FLOWERS & REST

Plant now for next year

Spring bulbs— Daffs, tulips, crocus, alliums. Deadline end of Oct for daffs, they hate being late. Tulips can go in November actually.

Bare-root trees, roses, hedges— October is THE month. No leaves, less stress, roots settle while soil warm. Bucket of water for an hour before planting.

Hardy annuals— Poppy, cornflower, larkspur. Scatter where you want them now, they sit through winter and come up bigger earlier.

Tidy & Protect

Dahlias & Glads — After frost blackens tops, lift, shake off, dry 2-3 days, box in dry compost/newspaper in frost-free shed. Near coast in Kent? You can get away with thick mulch and leaving them in mild years.

Perennials — Cut down mushy stuff, but leave seed heads — goldfinches love them all winter.

Leaves— Don't bin! Bag them, tie loosely, poke holes, tuck behind shed. 1-2 years = best leafmould you'll ever make, free soil conditioner.

Bird feeders — Up now, keep topped up. They'll eat your aphids and caterpillars next spring.

QUICK CHECKLIST — Don't Panic!

This week: Garlic in, bulbs in, lift potatoes

Soon: Broad beans, dig beds, lift dahlias after frost

Whenever: Rake leaves for leafmould, take cuttings, plant bare-root

Trisha says: Don't try to do it all in one weekend. One bed properly done is better than 3 half-done. Every bulb in now is one less job in March when everything explodes. Kettle on, enjoy the crisp air.

Got a tip that works on your half plot? Drop it in comments — we're all still learning.