Jobs to do in the garden this Autumn

Autumn is a magical time in the garden. The air turns crisp, the leaves turn golden, and your garden transforms into a riot of late-season colour. But there’s plenty to do to set your garden up for success next year. From clearing and mulching to harvesting, preserving, and even chutney making, here’s your ultimate autumn garden jobs checklist.

Weeding, Clearing, and Mulching

Autumn is the perfect season to give your garden a good tidy-up. Weeds thrive until the first frosts, and leaving them to die in place can attract pests and diseases.

• Weeding: Remove any remaining annuals and persistent weeds from your vegetable beds. This prevents seeds from dropping and reduces the weed burden in spring.
  
• Clearing: Pull up spent plants such as tomato vines, beans, and courgettes, and add them to your compost pile. Clear fallen leaves from pathways to prevent slippage and fungal problems.
  
• Mulching: Once your beds are cleared, add a layer of organic mulch, such as shredded leaves, straw, or well-rotted compost. Mulching protects the soil from winter erosion, suppresses weeds, and enriches the soil for next season.

Pro tip: Keep some mulch aside to protect tender perennials and overwintering crops like broad beans.

Harvest Remaining Veg Before Frosts

Autumn frosts can sneak up fast, so it’s essential to harvest your remaining crops in time.

• Root vegetables: Carrots, parsnips, and beets can tolerate light frosts but are sweeter if harvested after a gentle frost.
  
• Brassicas: Cabbages, sprouts, and kale often thrive after the first frost, which can improve their flavour.
  
• Late beans and peas: Pick any remaining pods before the cold sets in, they won’t survive hard frost.

Remember to store your harvest properly, potatoes in a cool, dark space, and onions in a dry, ventilated spot. This extends your autumn bounty well into winter.

Composting: Give Your Garden Nutrients Back

Autumn is the perfect time to compost all your garden waste. This includes:

• Spent plants
  
• Fallen leaves
  
• Vegetable peelings

By composting now, you create nutrient-rich soil for your beds in spring. Tip: chop woody stems into smaller pieces to speed up decomposition.

Preserving and Canning

Autumn is harvest time, which means an abundance of fruit and veg waiting to be stored. Preserving and canning are excellent ways to enjoy your garden bounty year-round.

• Pickling: Cucumbers, carrots, and onions preserve beautifully when pickled.
  
• Canning: Tomatoes, peppers, and beans can be canned to keep the summer harvest alive through winter.
  
• Freezing: If you’re short on time, blanch and freeze greens, beans, and peas, they retain colour and nutrients.

Chutney Making

Autumn is also the perfect season for chutney. It’s a tasty way to preserve surplus apples, pears, tomatoes, or even late-season chillies. Making chutney is surprisingly simple:

1. Chop your chosen fruit and vegetables.
   
2. Cook with sugar, vinegar, and spices until thickened.
   
3. Sterilise jars and fill them with hot chutney.
   
4. Seal and store in a cool, dark place.

Not only does this reduce waste, but it also makes beautiful homemade gifts and adds flavour to winter meals.

Bonus Autumn Garden Jobs

• Planting garlic and onion sets
  
• Dividing perennials
  
• Preparing greenhouse and cold frames for winter
  
• Cleaning and storing garden tool

Autumn may feel like a slowing down period, but with these jobs ticked off, your garden will thank you in spring with abundant, healthy growth. Embrace the season, enjoy your harvest, and get your garden winter-ready.