GardenAdvice gardening calendar final week in October 2026
As October gives way to November, concentrate on protecting plants, keeping fallen leaves under control and preparing for winter planting. Work with the conditions in your garden: postpone planting or cultivation when soil is waterlogged or frozen.
Priority jobs this week
- Finish planting daffodils and other spring bulbs, and prepare for November tulip planting.
- Check winter containers drain freely.
- Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould.
- Plant garlic where drainage allows.
- Protect tender plants before damaging frost.
- Check tree ties, climbing-plant supports and hanging-basket brackets.
Spring bulbs and winter colour
Plant remaining daffodils, crocuses and dwarf irises promptly, following the planting depth recommended for each bulb. Group them where their spring flowers will be visible from windows and paths. Prepare pots or planting areas for tulips as November approaches.
Winter containers benefit from foliage that holds its colour between flowering spells. Combine small evergreen plants, heucheras or carex with winter violas, then add dwarf bulbs for an early spring display.
Check drainage holes and shelter baskets from strong winds. Compost can still dry out beneath porches or beside walls, so check before watering.
GardenAdvice autumn and winter hanging-basket ideas.
Soil improvement and fallen leaves
Spread mature garden compost or well-rotted organic matter over cleared beds, keeping it away from plant crowns and woody stems. Leave worms and other soil organisms to help incorporate it.
Where weeds are being suppressed with cardboard, remove tape and plastic first, overlap plain cardboard and cover it with compost. Remove persistent perennial weeds beforehand and leave space around existing plants.
Mushroom compost can raise soil pH, so keep it away from blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas and other acid-loving plants.
Collect leaves from paths and lawns. Store suitable leaves in a ventilated enclosure or perforated sacks to make leaf mould; keep diseased material out of a cool compost heap.
Vegetables and fruit
Plant autumn garlic in sunny, well-drained ground. If your soil stays wet through winter, start cloves in modules under cover and plant out when conditions improve.
Continue harvesting established leeks, kale and other winter crops as they become ready. Firm wind-loosened brassicas and check their protection against pigeons. Clear exhausted summer crops and inspect stored potatoes, onions and pumpkins regularly, removing anything beginning to rot.
GardenAdvice fruit and vegetable growing guide.
Prepare planting spaces for dormant bare-root fruit trees and bushes arriving from November. Check eventual size, rootstock and pollination requirements before ordering. Leave cherry and plum pruning for an appropriate growing-season window rather than including them in a winter tidy-up.
Lawns
Remove leaves before they settle into a dense, wet layer. Mow only when grass is growing and the surface is firm enough to avoid damage.
Late overseeding depends on soil temperature and the forecast. Where conditions have turned cold or persistently wet, leave grass and clover sowing until spring. Avoid walking repeatedly over saturated patches.
Ponds and wildlife
Lift excessive fallen leaves before they sink. If blanket weed remains troublesome, remove small amounts gently by twisting it around a cane, checking for wildlife as you work.
Leave some vegetation and shelter around the pond, and avoid a wholesale clean-out as temperatures fall.
GardenAdvice guidance on pond algae and green water.
Plant protection and pest checks
Inspect tender plants before bringing them under cover, looking beneath leaves and around pots for pests. Keep protected plants ventilated on mild days and reduce watering as growth slows.
Collect diseased rose leaves, check sheltered pots for slugs and retain healthy seedheads and stems where they provide wildlife shelter. Avoid cutting back spring-flowering shrubs simply to make borders look tidy—you may remove next year’s flowers.
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