The Gardening pro shares four tasks to complete before fall arrives, including the perfect time to water your plants

An expert has listed the four tasks gardeners should complete before fall arrives, including the best time of day to water plants.

Although it may be tempting to enjoy the last few warm, sunny days of summer, there is some gardening that needs to be done to ensure your outdoor space is prepared for the months ahead.

Here, a helping hand is provided by Chris Bonnett of GardeningExpress.co.uk who shares his top tips for fellow gardening enthusiasts.

Trim, tidy and weed

According to the professional, who spoke to The Express, early autumn is the perfect time to arrange any summer flowers and sort through leftover summer fruits, such as plums and raspberries.

For those growing roses, Chris recommends pruning them as well if they finish flowering.

Meanwhile, gardeners should also remove straw from strawberry plants and prune any messy raspberry plants.

Divide herbaceous perennials

Sharing his tips and tricks, the expert explained that dividing perennials means your plants can continue to perform – and it’s important to do this task when the soil is dry.

”Put a fork in the center of the plant and gently move it back and forth to separate the plant,” the plant teacher said. Repeat to divide into more sections.”

Grass update

When it comes to lawn maintenance and preparation, the horticulturist recommends re-hoeing the lawn, re-seeding any bare spots and applying a potassium-rich fertilizer when needed.

“This is the perfect time to take action as the fall weather is perfect for creating a healthy garden,” Chris added.

Planting fall vegetables

Keen foodies can now also grow hardy winter greens, as well as healthy turnips and beets and turnips.

This simple yet effective preparation is a must if you want to whip up some hearty Sunday roasts and hearty soups in the coming winter months.

quench

Plants should be watered during autumn too – and, as the expert added, there’s a perfect time to do that too.

Chris explained that watering should be done before or after the sun reaches its peak, and you should aim to do it once a day by “flooding the plants well”.

“Don’t be tempted to give them more water than usual – you could end up with over-watering,” he cautioned.