The 10-minute job you need to do in October for lush grass – according to an expert

A gardening expert has told how you can keep your garden looking its best with just a few 10-minute jobs before winter arrives.

As the weather turns colder, many of us don’t feel like going out and tending the garden – but the expert has revealed there are still a number of jobs that need to be tackled.

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David Domoney, a certified horticulturist best known for presenting Love Your Garden, shared three chores you should do this October to keep your grass looking lush.

He told the Emphatic: “Don’t let your lawn suffer from the summer heat.

“It’s important to give your lawn a little TLC to keep it going through the winter months.”

Browse it

Autumn has many beautiful leaves as they fall to the ground due to seasonal changes.

But if you notice that your grass is covered in leaves, you need to clean it up.

Grass depends on sunlight to help it grow and stay healthy during the winter. Without sunlight, the grass will weaken and even begin to wilt.

Not only that, the leaves also trap moisture underneath, creating a moist environment that can encourage mold, pests like slugs and fungal diseases to spread in the garden.

David recommends regularly picking up and removing leaves from the lawn to prevent disease or dead grass.

Growth serum

October is a good time to fertilize lawns as this will strengthen the roots as the grass prepares to go dormant, which will help improve the storage of nutrients and water to store. energy.

Fertilizing your lawn now will make it more resilient in the colder months, prevent dieback and make it stronger in the fight against weeds.

“Choose one designed specifically for fall, as it is formulated with all the nutrients your greenery needs to maintain its vigor,” says David.

“For a dry lawn, choose liquid feed, which you can pick up at your local garden center.”

Cut short

The gardening expert reveals you need one last trim before putting your lawn mower away.

Fungal diseases, mold and moss can grow quickly on lawns due to the damp weather in the fall, but giving them one final pruning can provide more air circulation to keep them from spreading.

Garden work in September

As September begins, so does autumn, and The Sun’s garden editor Veronica Lorraine has a few tasks to keep you busy as the summer sun sets.

1. Start thinking about spring bulbs

It’s early bulb time! In addition to the more traditional daffodils, crocuses, alliums and bluebells, try snakehead fratillaries for something different.

2. Think of the bees

Make sure you still provide bees with fall flowering pollinators, such as sedums, honeysuckle and asters.

3. Dig and enjoy your potatoes

Main crop potatoes are ready to be harvested. Make sure you collect them all so they don’t take damage from slugs.

4. Change your mowing schedule

Increase the height of your lawn mower and start reducing the amount of mowing you do. Give it an autumn feeding, especially if you didn’t get around to it in the summer and start raking to remove the thatch.

5. Plant new perennials while the soil is still warm.

6. Take salvia cuttings

It’s as simple as cutting off the tip of a shoot above a node and throwing it into a glass of water to see if roots sprout. Especially with tender Salvias that do not survive the winter.

7. Keep camellias well watered to ensure buds form next year.

8. Continue deadheading and watering your hanging baskets

They should continue until the first frost.

9. Prepare pumpkins for Halloween

Remove any leaves that shade the pumpkins to ensure they are ready for Halloween. Make sure you keep watering them, they are very thirsty.

10. Check your pond

Make a net for your pond to prevent it from filling with fallen leaves when the trees start to fall.

However, he reveals that you should never mow the lawn when the first frost arrives in late October to early November, but the exact time when you should stop mowing the grass will vary depending on where you live.

David added: “Grass may be slow growing at this time of year so it is best to increase the cutting height. This gives the grass the opportunity to recover from summer use and retain water.

“This is a good time to completely clean out your mower once the growing season is over. You can do this with your garden hose, washing away dirt and grime.