Midi-Pyrenees Feature : October Gardening in South West France – Guide 2 Midi

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Midi-Pyrenees Feature : October Gardening in South West France

In his second article on gardening in South West France, Gary McArthur gives some gardening tips and ideas of what gardening jobs need to be done during October.  Future articles will appear on the first Monday of each month, giving tips and advice for the coming few weeks.

It is now an excellent time to plant bulbs in the garden, which could be planted along with some low growing hardy annual seeds for extra spring colour.

 

October Garden in South West France

Due to the diverse climate here in the South West, it is difficult to give any sure advice on Dahlias and Cannas (and Gladioli), but after the first hard frost, these plants will need attention.  Once frosted and brown they should be lifted and dried, (turned upside down for a week or so in a dark barn or shed), then stored somewhere dark, cool, dry and frost free for the winter. 

 

Alternatively they can be left in the ground (provided it never gets waterlogged) and buried in a deep layer of mulch or compost.  I have a bed of Canna musifolia, a tall 2-3m variety which now cover over 3 metres of ground so would be impossible to dig up.  Each year, I bury all of them with a cubic metre of compost which really seems to help root development and keeps them producing several hundred flowers a year.  Dahlias are perhaps the most at risk of frost damage.  They do after all come from Mexico (first introduced by the way because of their edible roots, not the flowers).

 

Continue to clean herbaceous plants and mulch the ground well.  Although our soils are quite fertile, mulching will supply valuable bacteria which will in turn allow the plants to feed.

 

It is now the very start of the tree and shrub planting season.  After the recent light rains, the soil is easier to work, and by planting before the winter, plants have a chance of getting roots established, before the long hot summer.

 

It’s the best time of year to start work on Compost heaps.  Old heaps can be turned, and new heaps sited and constructed. Most of us have so much garden waste that a compost heap becomes a real asset for both a convenient site to dump all the leaf litter and dead foliage but of course primarily to create dark usable compost. It is difficult to sum up construction of a heap in a few lines but remember first and foremost that compost only works with lots of air, water and nitrogen. Therefore old pallets or an open wood construction would be better.  If it doesn’t rain it is advisable to water the heap regularly.  Adding a nitrogen rich fertiliser will help the process, as well as peeing on the heap regularly, (this will create more bacteria creating compost faster).  Provided there are no large tree branches the compost can be ready for use in one or two months.

Other jobs in the garden

 

• Pumpkins and squashes will soon need cutting and storing. Try to cut leaving a stork and a few centimetres of foliage as this will help stop them rotting. Store on wood above the ground in a cool, dark, dry place.
• Herbs can be cut and bunches simply tied and hung up in the kitchen to dry.
• Lawns should be cut and after a week fed for the winter. If you are really keen its a good time to tine the lawn either with a fork or a small machine.
• Tender plants should be cut back and brought in for the winter.
• Peas, spinach and radish can be sown in the vegetable garden.

 

 

If you have any gardening questions for Gary, then feel free to post them in our gardening forum

 

 

Gary McArthur

Gary has a HND in Amenity Horticulture, a BSc (honours) Degree in Landscape Management and over 30 years of practical experience in the Horticultural trade. 

 

Gary owns and runs Kingdom Vegetal garden centre with his wife Nikki

 

For all your gardening needs, visit Kingdom Vegetal in Boulogne sur Gesse or take a look at the Kingdom Vegetal information page.

 

 

 

 

 

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