ITV Gala – Red Carpet Arrivals (Image: Getty)
Early autumn is the best time to revive your lawn. Warm soil and regular rain drive root growth before winter. So tackle thatch, relieve compaction, overseed thin patches, and use autumn feed if needed. Keep mowing and edge neatly for stronger, greener turf by spring. Autumn moisture helps seed germinate evenly and roots anchor securely. Repairing now reduces winter damage and speeds spring growth dramatically.
Assess, clear and scarify
Walk the lawn and note where there is moss, thatch, bare patches and compaction. Rake out any thatch so water and air can reach the soil, then collect the debris and fallen leaves.
Mark problem patches with canes or other markers so they aren’t missed. Rake in two directions to lift thatch without tearing turf. Bag or compost debris before aeration for a cleaner finish. On larger plots, a cordless scarifier speeds progress, such as Makita UV001G XGT scarifier, 380mm working width.
Aerate well
Firm, springy ground signals compaction. Relieve it by spiking 10-15cm apart to 7.5-10cm depth. Focus on paths, goalmouths and play zones where soil compacts.
In heavy or waterlogged areas, use hollow tines to remove plugs and open the root zone. A sturdy hand tool helps, such as the AMES lawn aerator, with stainless steel hollow tines. Watch this aerator in action at my YouTube channel,@daviddomoney.
Top-dress, overseed and feed
After aeration, brush in top dressing to improve the structure and drainage. Aim for around 2-4kg per square metre and work it into the holes rather than smothering the grass.
Use a sandy, loam-rich mix and brush it into holes. Overseed thin patches next. Rake to a fine tilth, sowing to the packet’s rate, rake again, then water and protect if birds are persistent. Keep seedlings evenly moist for two weeks to ensure take. If the lawn needs feeding, choose an autumn feed that supports root growth rather than soft leaf growth, applying just before rain and watering in if conditions stay dry. Avoid high nitrogennow because soft leaves suffer from frost.
Mow and neaten
Keep mowing while growth continues, raising the cut height to 30-40mm as temperatures fall. Edge paths and borders for a crisp finish and clear leaves promptly so the surface isn’t smothered.
Where bumps appear, cut an H shape in the turf, peel back, remove a little soil, then relay and firm before watering.
Read more: Stop weeds from growing quickly by doing September job
QUICK SEQUENCE FOR SUCCESS
• Scarify and clear.
• Aerate thoroughly.
• Top-dress, checking the packaging for amounts.
• Overseed, water, and protect from the birds.
• Apply an autumn feed if needed.
• Keep mowing and tidying edges.
With this sequence in September and early October, your lawn will headinto winter stronger and emerge fresher by spring.
Focus on fuchsia
Earning its keep in September, fuchsia brings lantern-like flowers just as borders start to tire. Hardy varieties may still bloom, adding colour and reliable shape. They shine in pots at entrances and on patios.
This month, plant container-grown hardy fuchsias while the soil is warm. For informal hedging or a border backbone, Fuchsia magellanica ‘Riccartonii’ or ‘Mrs Popple’ is ideal. For a calmer look, ‘Hawkshead’ bears small white flowers. Small spaces suit ‘Tom Thumb’. Trailing ‘Delta’s Sarah’ is lovely in a container, with violet-blue petals.
Give them moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Flowers colour best with some sun but cope in light shade. Plant now, water in well and mulch. Hardy fuchsias make neat low hedges and can be trained as standards. For a cascading effect, place trailing forms in pots over a low wall.
Keep foliage clean with good airflow and water at the base in dry spells. Avoid waterlogging over winter by improving heavy ground with organic matter and grit. Check container plants for vine weevil. Watch for fuchsia rust or distorted growth from gall mite – remove and bin affected shoots.
Hardy fuchsias are tough once established. Leave top growth over winter to protect the crown and prune in late spring when new shoots appear. Tender types should be moved under cover before the first frosts. Take semi-ripe cuttings in early autumn.
Fun fact: Berries of hardy Fuchsia magellanica are edible and make tangy jam. They’re mildly sweet with a peppery note and rich in vitamin C.
Jobs for the Week
1 As autumn leaves start to fall, skim out dead plant material from ponds before it sinks and rots. Use a net or rake, then leave debris by the water for a day so wildlife can crawl back. Thin oxygenators to about one-third and avoid disturbing any settled silt.
2 For long-lasting indoor arrangements, harvest dahlias in the morning when blooms are fully open. Use clean, sharp secateurs and cut long stems just above a leaf pair. Strip the lower foliage, place stems straight into a clean bucket, then recut the ends and condition in deep, lukewarm water for several hours in a cool room.
3 To help hedgehogs roam, create a simple highway between gardens. Cut a 13cm square gap at the base of a fence you own (check with neighbours first). Smooth the edges, keep the route clear at ground level, provide shallow water, avoiding loose netting, and leave a small log pile for shelter. Learn more about hedgehog care at my YouTube channel, @daviddomoney.
4 Many winter squashes can be harvested now. Pick when skins resist a thumbnail and stalks have turned corky. Cut fruits, leaving 5-10cm of stem, never lifting by the stalk. Cure somewhere warm and airy for 10 to 14 days, then store in a place that’s cool and dry. Protect any remaining fruits from early frost.
5 Set out spring cabbage while the soil retains warmth and moisture. Plant deeply to the first leaves in firm ground, spacing 30-40cms with rows at 45cm. Water them in well, fit collars against root fly, net against pigeons and watch for slugs. Maintain even moisture while the roots establish.
Did you know?
• Birch bark was once used as writing material across regions. In Kashmir and the wider Indian Himalayas, it carried Sanskrit manuscripts and religious texts, while in medieval Russia, it wasused for everyday letters, business and administrative notes.
• Hydrophily is the pollination of plants by water. It’s very rare, confined to a small group of truly submerged angiosperms. Seagrasses such as eelgrass (Zostera marina) release and receive pollen underwater or at the surface, where pollen rafts drift to stigmas, affecting pollination.
• Buddleja davidii earns the name butterfly bush for good reason. Its scented, nectar-rich flower spikes draw in red admirals, peacocks and small tortoiseshells across summer and early autumn, offering reliable fuel for adult butterflies when other sources dip.
• Achillea millefolium, or yarrow, takes its genus name from Achilles. Classical tradition links the herb to battlefield wound care, which inspired its Latin name and old English nicknames like soldier’s woundwort and bloodwort.
