Autumn is well and truly upon us, which means it's time to start thinking about bringing your tender plants undercover – especially if you want them to survive until next spring! If you're not sure were to start, don't worry as Monty Don has shared his list of the plants to start bringing in for October.
There's a fair bit to get done before the cold weather starts to take hold so you need to get started on your overwintering schedule. Why? Because, once overnight temperatures drop below 10-12°C, tender plants will need some protection, and bringing them in undercover is one of the quickest ways to achieve this goal.
According to Monty Don's popular blog, one of the biggest garden jobs to do in October is bring tender plants in undercover. Ideally before they need protection.
'In my garden, this includes banana plants, salvias, citrus, pomegranates, olive trees, pelargoniums, succulents, fuchsias, eucomis and hedychium,' he writes.
Fully onboard with Monty Don’s list of tender plants to bring in undercover is Steven Bell, the CEO of Paving Shopper.
'October's chill can be unforgiving to some of the more delicate garden companions,' he says, 'and, over the years, the importance of offering shelter to tender plants to ensure their survival through winter has become evident.'
If you don't have a shed or space inside your house to do this, you can pick up a cold frame or mini-greenhouse from £25 at B&Q that can sit neatly in even the smallest garden.
Flagging the most important tender plants on the list, Steven says that 'geraniums, for instance, are quite sensitive to frost'.
'Make like the Scandis and embrace pelargonsjuka, as bringing your potted geraniums indoors allows them to continue adding colour to the space, before they are reintroduced to the garden come spring,' he explains.
'Fuchsias, especially the tender varieties, benefit greatly from a cool, frost-free environment. And begonias, both tuberous and fibrous-rooted, have also shown improved longevity when overwintered indoors.'
Wondering why Monty Don’s list of tender plants to bring in undercover doesn't include dahlias and canna lilies? It's because these 'can be left in situ until the first signs of frost damage have affected them,' he explains of how to overwinter dahlias.
'Then, they can be cut back, dug up and bought indoors to check over, before storing them in old potting compost in a cool, dark place where they will stay alive but not grow over winter.'
FAQs
When should I bring tender plants indoors?
Not sure when you should bring tender plants indoors? As ever, it all depends on where you are in the UK, as well as how the weather is looking, of course.
To this end, then, the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) advise that you pay close attention to your local forecast in the early autumn months, and be prepared to leap into action at short notice once temperatures drop below 12-15ºC.
When should you bring dahlias indoors for overwintering?
If you're wondering when you should bring dahlias indoors for overwintering, it's a good rule of thumb to wait until after the first frost blackens their foliage
'Once this has happened, carefully lift the tubers and store them in a cool, dry place, such as a shed or garage, in order to best preserve their vitality for the next planting season,' says Steven Bell, CEO of Paving Shopper.
'Similarly, cannas, with their tropical origins, need to be dug up and their rhizomes stored away from the cold.'
Now that you have Monty Don’s list of tender plants to bring in undercover, it's time to set up a weather alert on your phone, and make some space for your plant babies.
Based on the weather we've seen so far this month, you could be sitting down to watch The Great British Bake Off surrounded by geraniums before you know it...
