Every autumn I get asked the same question in different words: what should I be doing before winter? The answer depends on the garden, but the broad shape of it is the same most years. Some jobs genuinely need doing before the wet and cold set in. Others are better left until spring. And some are on the list only because people think they’re supposed to be doing them. This checklist covers the things worth paying attention to in a typical Scholes garden as we head into winter. It’s not exhaustive, and it’s not a prescription — you don’t need to do all of it, and you certainly don’t need to do it all at once. ## Jobs worth doing before winter These are the ones I’d prioritise if I were looking at a typical garden in late September or October. Clear fallen leaves off the lawn and paths. Leaves on the lawn over winter can smother the grass and encourage disease. Leaves on paths get slippery when they’re wet. You don’t have to clear every single one the moment it falls, but once they’re coming down in earnest, get them off the main areas. A rake, a broom, or a blowers if you have one will do it. Pile them somewhere out of the way if you want to make leafmould later — or get rid of them if you don’t. Check the drains and gutters. This is one of those jobs people forget until water is running where it shouldn’t. Clear leaves and silt out of gutters, downpipes, and any garden drains you can get at. This matters more in a wet autumn like we often get in West Yorkshire — we’ve all seen the difference between a garden that drains and one that turns into a bog. Put away or cover things that don’t like winter. Outdoor furniture, barbecues, garden toys, spare pots, tools left out — if it’s not something you need to access through winter, put it somewhere dry. Water gets into everything eventually, and winter is when most of the damage happens. A shed, a garage, a corner of the garage, even a heavy cover if that’s all you’ve got — just don’t leave things exposed because you’ll get to them later. Check fencing, gates, and shed walls. Wobbly fence panels, loose posts, gates that sag, shed roofs that leak — these are easier to deal with on a dry autumn day than in the middle of winter. A loose post can be re-set before the ground gets too wet. A rotten panel is easier to replace before the snow or high winds arrive. If something’s been bugging you all summer, autumn’s the time to sort it. Trim back anything that’s getting in the way. Not everything needs cutting, but paths, steps, and access points should be clear. Overgrown branches that knock against the house or snag on people walking past are worth sorting. This isn’t about a major prune — that’s often best left for the right season — it’s about removing the obvious hazards and obstructions before they become a problem. Move tender plants if you haven’t already. If you’ve got plants that won’t survive a hard frost — dahlias, some succulents, a few of the more tender perennials — get them under cover or lift and store the ones that need it. The timing varies a bit by plant, but the general rule is to do it before the first hard frost, not after. Once the foliage gets hit, it’s too late for some of them. Service the equipment you’ll need. Mowers, trimmers, blowers, shears — if something’s been playing up, now’s the time to get it looked at. Winter is when you find out something doesn’t work, and by then you often need it for clearing up after a storm. A blade sharpened, a cable checked, a fuel stabiliser added if the machine sits over winter — small things that save hassle later. ## Things that can wait until spring Not everything needs doing now. A few jobs are better left until the dormancy is properly on and the garden has had a chance to settle. Hard pruning of most deciduous plants. A lot of deciduous trees and shrubs are best pruned in late winter or early spring, not autumn. The reasons vary by plant, but the general point holds — autumn pruning can trigger growth that gets hit by frost, and it leaves open cuts exposed to the wet through winter. If you’re not sure, don’t guess. Either look up the specific plant or leave it until spring. Major lawn work. Autumn is a decent time for some lawn care — scarifying, aerating, over-seeding — but heavy renovation is a spring job if the lawn is in real trouble. Autumn work should be sensible and gentle. If the lawn needs a lot of work, it’ll be there in March and April, and the conditions then are often better. Planting big specimens. New trees and large shrubs do better planted at the right time, and for many of them that’s not late autumn. Bare-root trees come into season in the dormant months, which is a better time for a lot of planting. If you’ve been thinking about a new tree or a big shrub, autumn’s fine for planning but not necessarily for planting — check what you’ve got. ## Things you can probably skip Every gardening season brings a fresh wave of advice to do things that sound important but aren’t. A few of the common ones: - Cutting everything back to the ground. Most perennials and grasses don’t need to be cut to the ground in autumn. Some look better left standing through winter — they hold their shape, they look good in frost, and they provide shelter for beneficial insects. Deadheading spent flowers makes sense. Chopping everything down indiscriminately doesn’t .
- Heavy feeding of the lawn or borders. Unless something is obviously undernourished, feeding in late autumn tends to push soft growth that frost gets to. If you’ve kept up through the season, you probably don’t need a late feed. If you haven’t, the answer is to plan for spring, not to throw fertiliser at the problem now.
- Wrapping and protecting everything. Some plants need protection. Most don’t. Wrapping up plants that are perfectly hardy in your area is a waste of time and materials, and it can do more harm than good by keeping things damp around the stem. Know which plants actually need help and which are fine on their own. ## The jobs that depend on your garden A few things only apply if they apply to your garden: - If you’ve got a greenhouse or polytunnel, clear it out, wash the glazing down if you can reach it safely, and check the structure before winter weather puts stress on it.
- If you’ve got water features, pumps, or irrigation, drain and protect what needs draining. Pumps left full of water in a hard frost will crack.
- If you’ve got a compost heap, turn it if you can and cover it if you want it to keep working through winter. A heap left open to winter rain goes cold and soggy.
- If you’re planning to sow or grow from seed next year, get the storage sorted now, not the night before you want to use it. ## A simple way to think about it If you want a quick rule of thumb for what to do before winter, use this: clear anything that creates a hazard or gets damaged by winter weather; protect anything that genuinely won’t survive the cold; sort anything that’s easier to fix now than later; and leave the rest until spring. That’s most of it. The rest is just the specifics of your garden. If you want someone to take a look and give you a plain answer on what’s worth doing before winter and what can wait, that’s a straightforward job. Send me a message through the quote form with a bit about your garden and what you’re worried about, or call 07547 839 412. — Joe’s Garden Maintenance covers Scholes and the surrounding area. If you’d like a winter preparation visit or a quote for seasonal work, send a message through the quote form or call 07547 839 412.