Seasonal calendar
What to do this month.
Some things only work at one point in the year. Prune an apple tree in July and you lose next year's fruit; sow a courgette in March and the frost takes it. This is what is worth doing now, and what to leave alone.
UK timings throughout. Everything here runs a few weeks earlier in the south and later in Scotland — treat the month as a guide and the weather as the authority.
Octoberthis month
Plant now for spring, and do the insulation jobs before you need them.
- Garden
Plant spring bulbs and garlic
Both need a cold period to perform. Garlic in now cropping next summer is among the best returns in a vegetable garden.
How to do it → - Garden
Plant bare-root trees and hedging
The dormant season starts now and runs to March. Bare-root stock is far cheaper than containerised and establishes better.
How to do it → - Home
Insulate before the first cold snap
Loft insulation is the cheapest useful thing most UK houses can have done, and it is a weekend job.
How to do it →