October is a fantastic month to be outside and there’s still plenty to do.

  • Plant spring cabbage
  • Sow early broad beans
  • Cut back and weed around asparagus
  • Plant early varieties of garlic
  • Harvest and store carrots, potatoes, parsnips and beetroot
  • Pick Jerusalem artichoke, cabbage and kale
  • Collect fallen leaves and keep in a dedicated compost bin or perforated black bins for up to two years to make leaf mould
  • Add last year’s leaf mould to soil as a mulch, soil conditioner and for potting up
  • Divide nature rhubarb crowns to make new plants
  • Harvest and store apples, pears, quinces, figs, medlars, sloes and grapes
  • Forage for blackberries, elderberries, hips, chestnuts, hazelnuts and mushrooms
  • Harvest and store winter squash and pumpkins – and don’t forget it’s Halloween!
  • Pick the final tomatoes, chillies and aubergines
  • Turn the soil ready to let the frost help break up lumps

Don't forget to keep an eye on fruit that you've stored. Keep making sure that air can circulate around the fruit by making sure the fruit isn’t touching. Only store firm and healthy fruit as ‘one bad apple’ can ruin the lot and wrap each fruit in newspaper.

Keep your fruit in a garage, cellar or cool room and continue to look for rot and signs of rodents