Why now is the perfect time to plant evergreens to save cash, plus the sign your shrubs are ‘sleeping’ & ready to move
WHEN the cold weather and typical British rain kicks in, most of us retreat from the garden.
But it turns out, there’s plenty of tasks you can be doing this October that will save you money in the long run.
Pollyanna Wilkinson, a professional gardener and landscape designer, has revealed how you can utilise the colder months to your garden’s advantage.
Namely, planting evergreen shrubbery and hedging units, as well as moving your “sleeping” plants to a more preferable location.
Pollyanna shared the advice on the Ins & Outs podcast, which she presents alongside interior design expert Jojo Barr of House Nine Design.
“Now is the perfect time to be planting evergreen trees, shrubs and hedging,” she said.
“We try and do that either in autumn or spring for evergreens.
“So, if you want to put any hedge units in your garden, now’s a great time to do it.”
She added that as root ball season is starting, you can now buy a hedge unit with a root ball attached to it to plant.
A root ball refers to the mass of roots and soil that is held together when a plant is dug up or removed from its growing environment.
They typically tend to be cheaper than container-grown plants.
Root balls consists of the roots of the plant, along with the soil and other materials around them.
It maintains the natural balance between the plant’s roots and its surrounding soil, providing the necessary nutrients and moisture while it re-establishes itself.
However, you should ensure that you keep the root ball intact when transplanting trees, shrubs or hedge units, as this will ensure your greenery survives in its new home.
Pollyanna added that now is a “brilliant time of year” to move any plants that drop their leaves in autumn, should you want to.
“As soon as those leaves have dropped, which is kind of saying that the plant is asleep, dig it up and move it,” she explained.
October gardening jobs
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the jobs you need to tackle in October.
“It’s a good time to trim deciduous hedges – like box, yew, hawthorn, hornbean and beech – plus hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!
Make leafmould – gather up all the fallen leaves and fill either bin bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, stick a few small holes in the bag – and then store for a year or more. Free compost!
It’s unlikely you’ll get any more red tomatoes so have one final harvest and chuck the plants on the compost. See if you can get the green ones to ripen by putting in a drawer (some say with a banana). Also keep the seeds from a couple – and plant again next year if they went well.
Finish getting in your spring bulbs. Ideally you’d have done daffs and alliums, but tulips are better in the ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.
It’s good to leave some plant litter in the ground – it adds to the nutrients as it rots down, and provides shelter and food for insects. But remove the manky brown bits collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.
Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter duvet to your outside space.
October’s a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans, and rhubarb.”
During the colder months, plants are dormant.
You can therefore remove the plant from the ground by cutting out the soil around the roots, leaving you with a root ball.
Of course, this has to be done very carefully or the plant will go into shock.
Pollyanna recommended only moving things that have been in the ground for two to three years.
Anything longer than that will be a mammoth task and probably not worth the hassle.
“If it’s been there for 20 years, then it’s going to be a right job trying to move it,” she said.
“So best of luck if you give it a go.”