October is a great time to plant in the UK, and there are many options for vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Here are some ideas for what to plant in October:
Vegetables:
- Peas
- Salad mixes
- Broad beans
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Onions
- Carrots
- Winter salad
- Spring cabbage
- Asparagus
- Winter-hardy spring onions
Fruit:
- Bare-root apples
- Bare-root pears
- Blackcurrants
- Gooseberries
Flowers:
- Hardy annuals
- Perennials that need a cold spell to aid germination, such as primulas
- Bedding plants, such as wallflowers and forget-me-nots
- Cyclamen
- Chrysanthemums
- Pansies
- Violas
- Ornamental grasses such as Panicum, Miscanthus, and Pennisetum
Its also the start of bare-root planting season, where trees and shrubs are available to buy for a fraction of the price they are sold as potted plants. Choose from trees growing on standard or dwarfing rootstocks – some can even be grown in pots.
Some vegetables that can be sown in October for a bumper winter crop include broad beans, peas, and winter-hardy spring onions. Additionally, hardy annuals such as larkspur, poppies, and cornflowers can be grown from seed from late summer onwards, and sweet peas can be sown from October to March.
