ORCHARD : Before the evening sign change, the descending moon holds a long fruit day — a fine window for orchard work. If you have a cherry tree or plum tree to establish, prepare the planting hole now: loosen the base, incorporate a bucket of well-rotted compost, and set aside for planting from November onward. Today, focus on taking soft-fruit cuttings from currant bushes and blackcurrants — snip healthy 20 cm stems just below a node, remove lower leaves, and push them into gritty compost in a sheltered spot. Grapevines also respond well: take hardwood cuttings before leaves drop fully and heel them into a nursery row. Check raspberry canes planted last week and firm any that autumn rain has loosened.
LANDSCAPING : A fruit day suits roses and climbing plants. If you have a clematis that flowered early in the season, check its support structure and add a tie where needed. Wisteria pruned in August may be sending out new shoots — pinch these back to two or three buds to keep the framework tidy. Dahlias still in the ground: once frost blackens the foliage, lift the tubers, let them dry in a shed for a few days, then store in barely damp compost. In colder gardens, don’t wait — act before the first hard frost.
INDOORS : After the sign change this evening, the day tips into a root day — a good moment to pot up cyclamen tubers for indoor colour through winter. Set the tuber at soil level, barely covered, in a cool bright room away from radiators. Lemon trees and olive trees in containers benefit from a top-dress of compost before moving under cover next month.