Autumn
Autumn, nestled between the heat of summer and the cold of winter, serves as the ‘cooling off’ season. As the days shorten and temperatures dip, plant growth slows down. Animals start preparing for the scarcity of food that typically arrives with winter, either by gathering supplies or migrating to warmer regions.
The leaves are changing colour and falling, autumn plants are thriving, there is a smell of earth and wood as leaves decompose and there is more rain and fog. It is also prime harvest time for a huge number of fruit and veg and a time of abundance and preparation for winter.
Autumn is also a perfect time to nurture your soil, support wildlife, and plan ahead using ecological principles. Here’s how you can make the most of this season as it is more than just a clean up time,. You can build up your soil health for spring, continue to support biodiversity by leaving habitats intact, reduce waste through composting and mulching, and plan ahead for next year’s resilient and low-impact garden. .
There are buttons below to click through to more in-depth guides to some of the processes we have listed.
Autumn jobs checklist
September
- Harvesting and planting. Continue to harvest if you still can! (see link below). Sow green manures (see link below) and plant your autumn crops like garlic, onions and spinach.
- Wildlife. Leave seed heads for birds and start to build log piles or bug hotels to help those useful natural predators over the winter.
- Composting. Collect fallen leaves for compost (leaving some to decompose naturally, adding valuable nutrients to the soil and improving soil health), and mulch garden beds.
- Seed saving (see our guide below). Collect seeds from annuals like calendula, nasturtiums and beans to dry, and label for spring sowing.
October
- Overwintering. This is a term to mean produce planted now to grow slowly through winter and be ready in spring or early summer. You can plant winter hardy things like garlic, onions, broad beans and peas.
- Habitat. Leave hollow stems and messy corners for insects and put out bird feeders and keep on refreshing clean water sources for birds.
- Mulching. If you have an prunings you can cut them up to compost them, and also add mulch around any trees or shrubs to help insulate the roots.
- Garden planning. Take some time to reflect on what grew well this year and what didn’t, and what you might want to plant next year.
November
- Soil. Stop sowing and let your soil rest.
- Relax. Avoid tidying and leaf leaf piles and stems intact for beneficial insects, any frogs or toads, and continue to feed and leave fresh water for the birds
- Maintain your compost heaps. Turn compost heaps and continue to add kitchen scraps and the odd bit of garden waste.
