October — garden and home jobs for this month

Lawns: the last cut and the last feed

October is when most UK lawns need their final proper cut before growth slows for winter. Raise the mower blade a notch from your summer setting, because cutting too short now leaves grass vulnerable to cold damage and moss encroachment. If the lawn has patches of thinning grass or a spongy feel underfoot, this is also a sensible month for scarifying (removing dead thatch) and aerating (spiking the soil to improve drainage), so long as the ground isn't waterlogged when you do it.

Feed with an autumn lawn fertiliser rather than a summer one. Autumn formulas are lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium, which toughens grass for winter rather than pushing soft new growth that frost will damage.

Bulbs and borders

Plant spring bulbs, such as daffodils, crocuses and alliums, through October while the soil is still workable and reasonably warm. Tulips are the exception: hold those back until November, because planting them earlier increases the risk of a fungal disease called tulip fire.

• Lift and store dahlia and gladioli tubers once the first frost blackens the foliage, if you garden somewhere frost arrives early
• Cut back perennials that have died down, but leave seed heads on plants like echinacea and teasel for birds over winter
• Divide overcrowded herbaceous perennials while the soil is still warm enough for roots to establish

In the north of England and Scotland, the first frosts typically arrive several weeks earlier than in the south, so timing for tender plants and tuber lifting should shift earlier accordingly.

Trees, hedges and fallen leaves

October is a good month to plant bare-root trees and hedging, since the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth before winter dormancy sets in properly. Rake fallen leaves off the lawn regularly, as a thick wet layer blocks light and encourages fungal problems on the grass beneath. Leaves gathered from lawns and paths make good leaf mould if left to rot down over a year or two, so it's worth keeping a separate pile for them.

Greenhouse, pots and tender plants

Bring tender plants indoors or into a greenhouse before the first frost, checking pots for slugs and other pests hiding in the compost as you move them. Insulate greenhouses with bubble wrap if you're overwintering anything inside, and reduce watering across the board, since plants need far less moisture once growth slows and daylight hours drop.

Gutters, roofs and the outside of the house

Clear gutters and downpipes of leaves and debris before the heavier autumn rain arrives, because a blocked gutter overflows onto the wall below and that dampness can eventually reach the brickwork and pointing. Check the fascia and soffit (the boards at the roof edge that protect the eaves) for any signs of rot or lifting paint while you're up there, or have someone check them for you if ladder work isn't something you're comfortable doing yourself. A loose roof tile or slipped ridge tile is worth having looked at by a roofer now, before a small leak has had three more months of rain to make itself worse.

If you're planning any of this alongside jobs from September that ran on, or want to see what's coming in November, both are worth a look. For a fuller breakdown of garden-specific jobs across the year, garden maintenance covers the seasonal detail this page only summarises.