Contrary to the familiar rhythm of the gardening calendar, autumn is not merely a winding-down period before winter’s quiet. While it may feel tempting to step back and let fallen leaves cover everything in a gentle pause, this season offers one of the most influential windows for shaping the year ahead. A handful of well-timed chores carried out now can noticeably lighten the workload once spring arrives and ensure your garden begins the growing season healthier, tidier and far more manageable.
Begin with the simplest, and perhaps the most transformative, task: removing weeds. Pulling them up by the roots in autumn significantly reduces their return when temperatures climb. Persistent offenders such as dandelions and creeping buttercup are far easier to dislodge when the soil still holds a little warmth. Long-handled pullers—many gardeners swear by old-fashioned designs—make short work of taproots while sparing knees and lower backs. Clearing weeds now creates a cleaner canvas for spring planting and prevents their seeds from sinking into the soil and overwintering.
While working through the beds, turn your attention to any signs of plant disease that showed up earlier in the year. Fallen leaves affected by mildew, black spot or fungal problems should be swept away, not composted. Raking beds thoroughly helps prevent pathogens from lingering in the soil and re-infecting young plants next year. Equally important is removing shrivelled, mummified fruit still clinging to tree branches; these remnants harbour spores and pests that flourish when left unchecked. Before stowing away tomato cages, bamboo stakes and other supports, give them a brief disinfecting rinse using diluted bleach or a household cleaning spray, then leave them to air-dry. Clean tools now mean fewer headaches in spring.
Speaking of tools, this is the ideal moment to maintain them. Spades, secateurs, pruning saws and hoes accumulate sap, soil and moisture during the growing season. A simple routine—washing, sharpening and lightly oiling metal surfaces—prevents rust and prolongs their life. Few things halt the enthusiasm of early-spring planting like discovering a favourite hand trowel welded together by corrosion.
Tree care also deserves attention before winter storms arrive. Younger fruit trees, in particular, benefit from protective guards that shield their trunks from rabbits and mice who nibble bark when food becomes scarce. Coiled plastic wraps or mesh guards are inexpensive, easy to install and highly effective. While you’re checking them, inspect branches throughout the garden and remove any that are dead, split or dangerously overhanging paths. Doing this now reduces the risk of winter winds tearing limbs free and causing damage.
For gardeners planning to create new beds next year, autumn’s cool stillness offers an ingenious shortcut that avoids digging. By laying flattened cardboard or thick layers of newspaper directly over existing grass and weighing them down with mulch or compost, you can smother turf naturally over winter. The material softens, decomposes and encourages earthworms to aerate the area, leaving you with a ready-to-plant bed by spring. Even if the cardboard hasn’t fully broken down, planting holes can be cut straight through it.
Finally, turn to your vegetable beds. Clearing away spent plants and gently turning the soil allows amendments such as compost, well-rotted manure and lime (if indicated by a pH test) to settle in over winter. This slow integration enriches the root zone, giving next year’s crops a stronger, more nutrient-rich start. And don’t forget bulbs—flowering favourites and garlic alike can still be planted as long as the ground remains workable. A small effort now will reward you with fresh shoots just when you need a reminder that winter doesn’t last forever.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels