ORCHARD : Squash and pumpkin still sitting on their vines? Harvest them now before night temperatures dip further — a firm skin that resists your thumbnail is the sign they’re ready. Cure them in a dry, airy spot at 15–20°C for ten days to harden the skin for long storage. Check apple and pear trees for any fruit left on branches, and gather windfalls daily to reduce disease pressure on the soil.
LANDSCAPING : A fruit day with a waxing crescent suits bulb planting well. Tuck tulip bulbs 15 cm deep and 10 cm apart in well-drained soil — they need a cold spell to perform. Hyacinth bulbs go in at 12 cm; daffodils at 15 cm, spaced generously. Finish with a light mulch of leaf mould to retain moisture through autumn rain.
INDOORS : Watch overnight temperatures closely if you’re growing a lemon tree or oleander in a pot — once they dip below 7–8°C, move them under frost-free cover. Water sparingly from now on and hold off feeding until late winter.