When cleaning up the vegetable area cut the foliage off the peas and beans when they are finished. Leave the roots in the ground where the nitrogen nodules they have produced will do some good
Continue to dead head bush roses removing the old flowers before they produce seed. Cut the stems two leaves below the flower. With a bit of luck you will be rewarded with a brilliant swan song of flower before winter
The grass is staying wet for longer in the morning. Even on a dry day the dew is slow to disappear. Cut the dry grass before evening on a regular basis. Long wet grass is difficult to cut and will take longer than cutting it twice when short and dry
When you are planting bulbs in the flower border it is advisable to mark their position with a cane so that you don’t forget where they are and dig them up again when planting something else
Take stem cuttings of roses in early September by pushing cut stems straight into the soil where they can be left to root and develop for about a year. Just take a length of stem, remove the soft tip above the leaf joint and cut below a joint at the base, removing all but the top three leaves. Then push the 12 inch cutting into the soil to about half its length
Cover autumn-fruiting raspberries, blackberries and other cane fruits with netting to keep the birds away but remember to check the netting daily to ensure that no birds or animals are trapped
Hang wasp traps in the branches of fruit trees to prevent wasps from damaging fruit
Pick herb stems for drying or chop them up and keep them in ice cube trays in the freezer
Damping down the greenhouse becomes unnecessary as the month progresses. It is best to do any watering or damping down earlier in the day so that the greenhouse is dry by evening. Dampness during the cool nights could encourage grey mould
You can harden your lawn up for the winter by applying an autumn lawn feed which is high in potassium. Do this after scarifying and aerating but before applying a top dressing
Leave some seedheads standing rather than cutting them back to provide food and shelter for wildlife
