Three essential gardening jobs to complete before this Autumn

For those hoping to avoid any garden disputes and ensure their garden remains in top condition throughout the autumn, there are a number of tasks to complete in the coming weeks.

To help, father and son duo Leonardo and Domenico Musceo, gardening experts on Airtasker, have listed three essential gardening jobs to tick off in the first few weeks of September.

Prioritise lawn care by preparing your soil

If your lawn is looking a little worse for wear - perhaps it’s lost its luscious green colour or there are bald patches, then now is the time to start preparing your soil.

By preparing your soil in the late summer, you are setting yourself up for successful seed sowing or turf laying come September and October, taking full advantage of the optimal growing conditions that early Autumn brings.

The first thing to do is clearing the area. Start by removing any existing weeds, debris or old turf to create a nice clean slate to work from. Next, add in some organic matter to help improve the soil structure and fertility, and begin to level out the soil surface so there is a smooth, even bed for the seed or turf.

If you can, test the soil pH and make any adjustments to ensure it’s within the ideal range for grass growth, this is typically between 6.0 and 7.5. If your soil pH is too low it’s a good idea to add lime or wood ash to raise it. In contrast, if it’s too high, add organic materials such as sulphur or aluminium sulphate.

Prune lavender & rambling roses

Pruning plays a crucial role in the maintenance of a healthy plant and the end of August is the ideal time to carry out this process for two popular plants; lavender and rambling roses.

Late summer spells the end of the flowering period for lavender and by forgetting to carry out this job, you risk it turning leggy and twiggy.

While you’re pruning, take the opportunity to propagate lavender from cutting. To do this, you need to look for a nice straight and healthy stem that doesn’t have any flower buds.

For your rambling roses it’s important to remember they flower on old wood - which is the growth from the previous year.

After they’ve finished flowering, you should cut the flowered stems back by about a third of their length as well as removing some of the older, woody stems to help improve air circulation and encourage new growth.

Plant well-rooted strawberry runners into new beds

Nothing screams summertime like the taste of a sweet and juice strawberry and if you’re wanting to grow your own in time for next year then the best time to plant strawberry runners is in late summer. This gives them enough time to establish roots before the harsher winter months arrive.

When it comes to preparing the new bed, the most important thing to factor in here is finding a sunny spot in your garden. Be mindful that strawberries need at least six hours of sunlight per day.

To prepare the soil for the new bed, you’ll need to work in compost to help improve its structure and fertility, and then remove any weeds in order to reduce the competition for nutrients and water. Finally, rake the soil to smooth and even out the surface.