What to Do in the Garden in October (UK)

Sow and plant

• Replace summer bedding with winter and spring displays: violas, heathers, winter-flowering cyclamen and miniature conifers — the sooner they go in, the better they establish.
• Continue planting spring bulbs in borders and pots.
• Order new raspberry canes (certified virus-free stock) and clear ground ready for new fruit trees, vines, canes and bushes.

Prune and tidy

• Cut half-hardy and tender plants such as pelargoniums, fuchsias and tender salvias back to around half their height before moving them under cover.
• Clear collapsed crops and spent summer growth from beds as you go.

Protection and general care

• Move tender plants into a frost-free greenhouse or shed before the first hard frosts.
• Fix shed roof leaks, broken greenhouse panes and lost glazing clips now — last chance before winter storage.
• Rake fallen leaves into a leaf bin or cage to make leaf mould; a leaf pile also shelters hedgehogs and toads over winter.

Harvest

• Harvest leeks and carrots as needed.
• Lift remaining maincrop potatoes and store them somewhere cool, dark and frost-free.

Regional adjustment

First frosts arrive earlier in colder northern and inland gardens, so bring tender plants under cover sooner there; gardens in the milder south and west typically have longer before protection becomes urgent.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• RHS — Gardening in October: jobs to do this month — October jobs include cutting back and moving tender plants (pelargoniums, salvias, fuchsias) into frost-free cover, swapping summer bedding for winter/spring displays, leaf mould, ordering raspberries, and harvesting leeks, maincrop potatoes and carrots.
• RHS — Monthly gardening tips: October garden structures — Last chance to fix shed roof leaks, broken glasshouse panes and lost glazing clips before moving tender plants in for winter.
• RHS — Grow Your Own: jobs to do in October — October kitchen-garden jobs including ordering virus-free raspberry stock and clearing ground for new fruit.

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