As temperatures begin to drop and leaves start falling to the ground, many people believe autumn has already begun.
Nevertheless, experts warn that jumping into autumn-focused gardening activities could cause more harm than good.
What’s currently affecting UK gardens is a phenomenon called “false autumn,” which is a survival mechanism from plants that have been stretched to their breaking point following the record summer temperatures.
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The Met Office states that extreme weather conditions can fool plants into acting as though the season has shifted, despite it still being officially summer.
Gardeners who carry out particular tasks too early risk harming their plants and soil, potentially reversing months of summer work, reports the Express.
Gardeners are being urged to put a pause on certain jobs -Credit:Getty
Liam Cleary, a gardening expert at outdoor furniture experts Old Railway Line Garden Centre, has encouraged gardeners to reconsider before tackling certain outdoor activities.
He warned: “It’s a common mistake to assume autumn starts the moment leaves brown. False autumn is a stress response, not a sign that it’s safe to prune or feed.
“Doing so too early can weaken plants, leaving them vulnerable to frost and disease when the real autumn arrives.”
Gardening tasks for September
Rather than pruning and potentially damaging your plants before autumn genuinely begins, there are several other activities which gardeners can undertake this month.
One of these involves continuing to nourish your plants, rather than cutting them back. If they appear a bit stressed, a light liquid feed can help them to gain more energy before it’s time for them to become dormant in the winter.
Pruning your plants too early can cause them to wilt and die -Credit:Getty
False autumn can cause leaves to turn brown earlier than usual, but if you notice this happening, don’t strip them off your plants. They can still provide vital shade for the roots of the plant, and can recover if watered well.
Removing them too early leaves plants exposed to more harm when the winter finally arrives, so it’s worth leaving them for now.
And while it might be tempting to get other autumn tasks done, like planting spring bulbs or reseeding lawns, you might want to hold off until later in the month. Carrying out these tasks too soon can waste effort, not to mention harm the growth in your garden.
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