The first frosts have already appeared, but many of the days are still fairly mild. This is when you  will need to spend a bit of time ensuring that tender plants are protected from the oncoming cold and strong winds that will chase you in to sit by the warm fireside.

*Propagation Indoors

Continue to feed  pot plants regularly

Knock out begonia. Gloxinia, achimenes and smithiantha tubers from their pots once the foliage has died back and store them in dry soilless compost

Remove faded leaves and flowers from all plants

Pot up rooted cuttings

Pot up winter and spring flowering bulbs, but keep cool and dark for 8 weeks (if not already done last month)

Bring in bulbs that were potted in late summer, but keep them cool and in a brightly lit spot

Pot up hardy annuals sown in late summer which are being grown for early colour inside (if not already done last month)

Plant hyacinths for early flowering (if not done last month)

Continue to check stored bulbs, corms and tubers and any showing signs of rot should be thrown away.  If only a small area is infected you may be able to cut it away and dust the cut with flowers of sulphate.  The “doctored” ones should be kept separate from the others to prevent spread of infection.

Amaryllis (Hippeastrums) should be planted at the beginning of the month to flower at Christmas

Finish planting container grown trees and shrubs

Pot up some Lily of the Valley rhizomes for fragrant houseplants

Sow Cyclamens now to give a long growing period before flowering next Christmas (2005)

Sow sweet peas

Continue taking cuttings of herbs such as lemon verbena, sage and thyme

Continue sowing mustard and cress for winter salads

Sow French Beans in pots for a winter crop (if not done last month)

Sow winter lettuce

Sow spring cabbage

Continue to maintain indoor vegetables especially tomatoes.

Lift clumps of chives and grow them in pots

Pot up mint, parsley and marjoram for a fresh supply all winter

Take hardwood cuttings of redcurrants, whitecurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries

Take eye cuttings from vines

TIP: Seeds  sown  in modular tray systems make spacing easier, save time in pricking out and produce strong sturdy plants with little or no disturbance when transplanting .  Cuttings can also be overwintered in the modular trays so saving time and space and limiting disturbance to root systems.
 

*Planting  Outdoors

There is still quite a lot of cleaning up to do as well as protecting frost tender plants and bulb planting.  Now is the time to also look at repairs to pergolas and fences. In general a last tidy up before the winter.

Continue to sweep up and stack fallen leaves to rot and provide leaf mould

Plant winter and spring flowering bulbs (if not already done last month)

Protect Red-hot Pokers from frost

Continue to sow biennial seeds

Take root cuttings of perennials from now till late winter

Continue planting lilies until the spring

Protect slightly tender bulbs such as nerines and agapanthus

Plant tulips

Plant bare root roses

Dig up and store dahlia tubers as soon as the foliage is blackened by frost

Protect late cauliflowers from frost by bending surrounding leaves over the head

Use cloches to protect any newly sown vulnerable vegetables eg broad beans and peas

Finish planting garlic

Net all brassicas to protect from pigeons etc

Cut back globe artichokes and protect with straw

Plant bare-root fruit bushes and trees

Prune apple and pear trees

TIP: Cloches, tunnels and fleece will protect tender plants from the sudden change in temperature.  Net tunnels will protect brassicas from birds

*In the Greenhouse

Heat will now be needed to protect tender plants so check that the heaters are working correctly

The greenhouse should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom and disinfected.  (Plants will still be safe to leave outside while this is being done if you watch the weather forecast).   Make sure the glass is cleaned inside and out to obtain maximum use of the winter sun.  This will be your last opportunity to clean and disinfect ready for the winter.

Minimum temperatures being achieved should be checked.

Ventilate whenever the weather is mild enough

Watering should be done in the morning so that the foliage is not wet at night, but watering should be decreased except for winter flowering plants that are still in strong active growth.

Bring in tender plants to overwinter

Clean pots and trays and store for use in spring

The indications given above assume you will be using Rootrainers seed trays and or/plug plants produced in Rootrainers.  If you are using conventional seed trays, then the growth cycle is likely to be longer.  Also remember if you are using Rootrainers seed trays you will not have to do any potting up of your cuttings and you will save on compost.