Autumn gardening: Essential tasks for harvest and winter preparation

As autumn progresses, gardeners should focus on harvesting remaining crops and preparing for winter. Key tasks include gathering frost-sensitive vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and courgettes, as well as harvesting root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and beetroot.

October is an ideal time for planting to ensure an earlier spring harvest. Recommended activities include planting winter garlic, Japanese onion sets, and various spring bulbs like tulips, narcissus, and crocuses. Sowing hardy vegetables such as spinach, winter lettuce, and peas can also provide an early start for the next season.

Garden maintenance should also include tidying beds, removing diseased plants, and applying manure or green manure to dormant soil. For those with winter gardens or greenhouses, it is a suitable time to move frost-sensitive plants like citrus, oleander, or olive trees into protected, light-filled environments. Additionally, planting shrubs that provide food and shelter for birds, such as elderberry, can support local wildlife during the colder months.