Autumn Gardening UK
September to November — harvest roots, plant garlic and overwintering crops, and prepare beds for the season ahead.
Growing advice verified against RHS guidance by the SoilCommander Growing Team.
September
Main crop potato harvest; garlic window opens; sow spring cabbage
October
Plant garlic and broad beans; lift squash and pumpkins; mulch beds
November
Last garlic planting; clear beds; order seeds for next year
Autumn Month Guides
Autumn Priorities
- Plant garlic in October for next summer's harvest — this is the most important October task
- Lift maincrop potatoes before hard frosts; store in hessian sacks in a cool, dark shed
- Harvest and cure squash and pumpkins — 10 days in a warm, dry spot before storing
- Sow overwintering broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) in October for earliest summer harvest
- Clear spent crops and dig in compost or well-rotted manure on empty beds
- Mulch beds after clearing to protect soil structure through winter
Plan Your Autumn Garden
Get the UK Garden Planner →
Relevant next steps
Match The Season To The Work
Seasonal jobs usually come down to watering, soil care, and keeping a simple record of what needs doing next.
Plan the next step
Use the printable UK Vegetable Garden Planner to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts, and weekly garden tasks.