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GARDEN · 6 MIN READ

Autumn jobs a gardener would do now

Late October in an Irish garden: what to cut, what to leave, what to plant, and what to clear before the first frost and the first storm. From the Irish sources that know the difference between an Irish autumn and an English one.

Róisín Dunne · Freelance writer · trades and rates
19 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
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Leaves raked into a pile for leaf mould, late October. A pile left in a corner becomes a hedgehog's winter nest, so check before you move it. Photo: iStock.
Leaves raked into a pile for leaf mould, late October. A pile left in a corner becomes a hedgehog's winter nest, so check before you move it. Photo: iStock.

IN SHORT

  • Keep mowing while the ground is not soggy and give the lawn its autumn feed before it gets too wet; scarify, aerate and overseed now. Rake leaves off the grass and into a pile: next year's leaf mould.
  • Plant daffodils and most bulbs now; hold tulips until late November or early December, which the RHSI says is ideal for Ireland and cuts the risk of tulip fire. Bare-root season for trees, roses and fruit opens in November.
  • Hedge cutting is legal from 1 September to 28 February, but an active nest is protected all year. Clear gutters and drains, tie down what can fly, and check long grass and leaf piles for hedgehogs before you cut or move them.

The lawn: last feed, not last cut

There is no fixed last-cut date in an Irish garden; it depends on the ground. The Irish Garden's October guide says keep mowing as needed as long as the soil is not soggy, because grass left uncut after October can get very long by spring. Raise the blades a notch. Apply an autumn lawn fertiliser now, before it gets too wet, to keep some winter growth going; sulphate of iron deals with moss. October is the month to rake out dead thatch and moss, aerate compacted areas with a fork, overseed thin patches and recut the edges. Rake leaves off the grass; left on, they kill it in patches.

Bulbs: daffodils now, tulips later

September and October are the window for most spring bulbs, planted at two to three times their own depth, pointed end up, two bulb-widths apart. The exception is tulips: the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland advises late November or even early December as ideal for Ireland, because tulips tolerate the dry and are less likely to get tulip fire when planted into cold soil. Daffodils can still go in through November, and Mairead Lavery in the Farmers Journal notes that tulips can wait until January if the ground is wet.

What to cut, and what to leave alone

  • Hedges. The Wildlife Act's closed season ended on 31 August; cutting is permitted until 28 February. Section 22 of the same Act protects an active nest at any time of year, so look before you cut, and a hedge that is a road-safety hazard may be cut whenever it needs it.
  • Dahlias and tender plants. In a mild Irish garden the Farmers Journal's practice is to leave dahlias in the ground and mulch them well; on a cold or wet site, lift them after the first frost blackens the foliage and store the tubers dry. Wrap tree ferns and echiums in fleece; bring osteospermums, abutilons, succulents and cacti indoors before the first frost.
  • Ferns. Leave the old fronds on hart's-tongue until February; they protect the crown.
  • Seedheads. Collect seed from annuals and biennials you want more of; leave the rest standing for the birds and for frost to make something of.

Plant now: bare-root season

Roses, trees, climbers and shrubs, raspberries, blackcurrants and fruit trees all go in from now, and from November they come bare-root, cheaper and in better variety than potted. Dig the hole wide rather than deep, do not bury the graft, stake on the windward side and water in even if it is raining.

Leaf mould, compost, gutters

Rake leaves into a pile in a corner, or into a wire cage, and leave them; by next autumn they are leaf mould, the best mulch there is and free. Pick leaves off paths as well as grass: wet leaves on a path are a slip hazard, particularly for older people. Keep the compost heap damp but not sodden, cover it in heavy rain, and turn it if you have the energy.

Then look up. Gutters full of leaves overflow down the wall; drains full of leaves flood the patio. Rentokil Property Care's advice before winter is the same as every insurer's: check the roof tiles and make sure gutters and drains are clear and flowing before the first big rain.

Before the first storm

Autumn storms arrive with little notice. The storm advice from PTSB and others is simple: secure garden furniture and anything loose, take down trampoline netting, weigh down or rope anything that could become a missile, bring light ornaments and tools inside, lock gates and shed doors, park the car away from trees, and clear drains and gutters again afterwards when it is safe.

Frost, and the hedgehog

Met Éireann does not publish a typical first-frost date, and the record shows why: in 2024 the first air frost of autumn came on 13 September at Mount Dillon, the earliest in 32 years, and by the end of that autumn every station had recorded ground frost. Plan on the first frost any time from now.

One more check before anything is cut, strimmed or moved: hedgehogs. A pile of leaves or sticks in a corner is a nest; so is the space under a shed or decking. Check long grass before mowing or strimming, do not push the mower under hedges, leave a metre of rough margin somewhere, skip slug pellets, and cut a CD-sized hole in the bottom of the fence so they can move between gardens.

“Keep mowing as needed, as long as the soil isn't soggy.”

The Irish Garden, October lawn care guide

1 Sep–28 Feb
the legal hedge-cutting window under the Wildlife Act
Late Nov
when the RHSI says to plant tulips in Ireland
13 Sep
first air frost of autumn 2024, Mount Dillon — the earliest in 32 years

By the numbers — figures from the sources listed at the end of this piece.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Gardeners near you with their rate, score and checks — no account needed to look.
Find a gardener near me

WRITTEN WITH

The listed gardeners who gave their October lists and time for this piece. Real names, real listings — nobody is invented.

  • Magda NowakGardener · Lucan · ★ 4.9 · 64 reviews
  • Greenway GardensGarden maintenance · Swords · ★ 4.7 · 112 reviews
  • Ciara LynchHedge cutting · Rathfarnham · ★ 5.0 · 21 reviews

Questions this piece gets asked

Can I burn the leaves and cuttings?

Not in the closed season, and burning garden waste is restricted all year under waste regulations; councils' recycling centres take green waste for a small charge. Leaf mould is the better use anyway.

Is it too late to lay turf or sow a lawn?

October is the month the Irish guides give for sowing and turfing; after that, wait for spring unless the weather stays mild.

Should I prune roses now?

Shorten tall stems by a third to stop wind-rock, and leave the proper prune until late winter.

Sources

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Comments 3

0 / 600 · Links are rejected automatically. Be specific, be fair. The rules
  • REAoife M.Customer · Dublin 8EDITOR'S PICK2 h ago

    Found a hedgehog under the leaf pile last November exactly as described. Left it. It was gone by March.

  • PRMarta R.Provider · Gardener · Lucan1 h ago

    The tulip advice is right for here. I plant them the week after the Christmas lights go up and lose far fewer to rot.

  • RECiara D.Customer · Cork40 min ago

    Did not know the council charged for green waste. Explains the price on the last quote.

Signed-in Locufy customers and providers only. Comments close 30 days after publication. Report anything that names a person unfairly — we act on every report.

NEXT IN GARDENHedge cutting and the law: the dates that matter5 min read

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BREAKINGStorm Austen: yellow rain warning for every county from 7pm Thursday — what to do before it arrives20 Oct 2026Read

GARDEN · 6 MIN READ

Autumn jobs a gardener would do now

Late October in an Irish garden: what to cut, what to leave, what to plant, and what to clear before the first frost and the first storm. From the Irish sources that know the difference between an Irish autumn and an English one.

Róisín Dunne · Freelance writer · trades and rates
19 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Leaves raked into a pile for leaf mould, late October. A pile left in a corner becomes a hedgehog's winter nest, so check before you move it. Photo: iStock.
Leaves raked into a pile for leaf mould, late October. A pile left in a corner becomes a hedgehog's winter nest, so check before you move it. Photo: iStock.

IN SHORT

  • Keep mowing while the ground is not soggy and give the lawn its autumn feed before it gets too wet; scarify, aerate and overseed now. Rake leaves off the grass and into a pile: next year's leaf mould.
  • Plant daffodils and most bulbs now; hold tulips until late November or early December, which the RHSI says is ideal for Ireland and cuts the risk of tulip fire. Bare-root season for trees, roses and fruit opens in November.
  • Hedge cutting is legal from 1 September to 28 February, but an active nest is protected all year. Clear gutters and drains, tie down what can fly, and check long grass and leaf piles for hedgehogs before you cut or move them.

The lawn: last feed, not last cut

There is no fixed last-cut date in an Irish garden; it depends on the ground. The Irish Garden's October guide says keep mowing as needed as long as the soil is not soggy, because grass left uncut after October can get very long by spring. Raise the blades a notch. Apply an autumn lawn fertiliser now, before it gets too wet, to keep some winter growth going; sulphate of iron deals with moss. October is the month to rake out dead thatch and moss, aerate compacted areas with a fork, overseed thin patches and recut the edges. Rake leaves off the grass; left on, they kill it in patches.

Bulbs: daffodils now, tulips later

September and October are the window for most spring bulbs, planted at two to three times their own depth, pointed end up, two bulb-widths apart. The exception is tulips: the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland advises late November or even early December as ideal for Ireland, because tulips tolerate the dry and are less likely to get tulip fire when planted into cold soil. Daffodils can still go in through November, and Mairead Lavery in the Farmers Journal notes that tulips can wait until January if the ground is wet.

What to cut, and what to leave alone

  • Hedges. The Wildlife Act's closed season ended on 31 August; cutting is permitted until 28 February. Section 22 of the same Act protects an active nest at any time of year, so look before you cut, and a hedge that is a road-safety hazard may be cut whenever it needs it.
  • Dahlias and tender plants. In a mild Irish garden the Farmers Journal's practice is to leave dahlias in the ground and mulch them well; on a cold or wet site, lift them after the first frost blackens the foliage and store the tubers dry. Wrap tree ferns and echiums in fleece; bring osteospermums, abutilons, succulents and cacti indoors before the first frost.
  • Ferns. Leave the old fronds on hart's-tongue until February; they protect the crown.
  • Seedheads. Collect seed from annuals and biennials you want more of; leave the rest standing for the birds and for frost to make something of.

Plant now: bare-root season

Roses, trees, climbers and shrubs, raspberries, blackcurrants and fruit trees all go in from now, and from November they come bare-root, cheaper and in better variety than potted. Dig the hole wide rather than deep, do not bury the graft, stake on the windward side and water in even if it is raining.

Leaf mould, compost, gutters

Rake leaves into a pile in a corner, or into a wire cage, and leave them; by next autumn they are leaf mould, the best mulch there is and free. Pick leaves off paths as well as grass: wet leaves on a path are a slip hazard, particularly for older people. Keep the compost heap damp but not sodden, cover it in heavy rain, and turn it if you have the energy.

Then look up. Gutters full of leaves overflow down the wall; drains full of leaves flood the patio. Rentokil Property Care's advice before winter is the same as every insurer's: check the roof tiles and make sure gutters and drains are clear and flowing before the first big rain.

Before the first storm

Autumn storms arrive with little notice. The storm advice from PTSB and others is simple: secure garden furniture and anything loose, take down trampoline netting, weigh down or rope anything that could become a missile, bring light ornaments and tools inside, lock gates and shed doors, park the car away from trees, and clear drains and gutters again afterwards when it is safe.

Frost, and the hedgehog

Met Éireann does not publish a typical first-frost date, and the record shows why: in 2024 the first air frost of autumn came on 13 September at Mount Dillon, the earliest in 32 years, and by the end of that autumn every station had recorded ground frost. Plan on the first frost any time from now.

One more check before anything is cut, strimmed or moved: hedgehogs. A pile of leaves or sticks in a corner is a nest; so is the space under a shed or decking. Check long grass before mowing or strimming, do not push the mower under hedges, leave a metre of rough margin somewhere, skip slug pellets, and cut a CD-sized hole in the bottom of the fence so they can move between gardens.

“Keep mowing as needed, as long as the soil isn't soggy.”

The Irish Garden, October lawn care guide

the legal hedge-cutting window under the Wildlife Act1 Sep–28 Feb
when the RHSI says to plant tulips in IrelandLate Nov
first air frost of autumn 2024, Mount Dillon — the earliest in 32 years13 Sep

By the numbers — figures from the sources listed at the end of this piece.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Gardeners near you with their rate, score and checks — no account needed to look.
Find cleaners near me

WRITTEN WITH

The listed gardeners who gave their October lists and time for this piece. Real names, real listings — nobody is invented.

  • Magda NowakGardener · Lucan · ★ 4.9 · 64 reviews
  • Greenway GardensGarden maintenance · Swords · ★ 4.7 · 112 reviews
  • Ciara LynchHedge cutting · Rathfarnham · ★ 5.0 · 21 reviews

Questions this piece gets asked

Can I burn the leaves and cuttings?

Not in the closed season, and burning garden waste is restricted all year under waste regulations; councils' recycling centres take green waste for a small charge. Leaf mould is the better use anyway.

Is it too late to lay turf or sow a lawn?

October is the month the Irish guides give for sowing and turfing; after that, wait for spring unless the weather stays mild.

Should I prune roses now?

Shorten tall stems by a third to stop wind-rock, and leave the proper prune until late winter.

Sources

FOLLOW GARDEN

One email a month — the garden piece, the day it goes out. One tap to stop.

Comments 3

0 / 600 · Links are rejected automatically. Be specific, be fair. The rules
  • REAoife M.Customer · Dublin 8EDITOR'S PICK2 h ago

    Found a hedgehog under the leaf pile last November exactly as described. Left it. It was gone by March.

  • PRMarta R.Provider · Gardener · Lucan1 h ago

    The tulip advice is right for here. I plant them the week after the Christmas lights go up and lose far fewer to rot.

  • RECiara D.Customer · Cork40 min ago

    Did not know the council charged for green waste. Explains the price on the last quote.

Signed-in Locufy customers and providers only. Comments close 30 days after publication. Report anything that names a person unfairly — we act on every report.

NEXT IN GARDENHedge cutting and the law: the dates that matter5 min read

More in Garden

All garden →

FOLLOW A SECTION

Pick your sections. The month's piece arrives the day it goes out.

Nothing is pre-ticked. Choose one section or all 20; you get at most one email per section per month.

Show all 20

One email per section per month, the day the piece goes out. Stop in one tap. Privacy.