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Autumn can bring what feels like a never-ending list of gardening tasks to complete, especially as many gardeners are working to help their green spaces recover from the high summer temperatures while also ensuring they are prepared for the harsh winter conditions that will soon come.

However, there are some tasks that are more important than others, as well as a few that can actually do more harm than good, including one popular gardening task that many rely on. A gardening expert revealed what job gardeners should avoid carrying out this autumn as well as the negative impacts it can have on your garden.

Patrick Martin, horticulture and sustainable gardening expert at Frantoio Grove, told CountRy Living: "By this stage of the year, most plants have slowed down their growth and are preparing for dormancy. Applying fertiliser now simply wastes nutrients that the roots can't absorb and risks upsetting the balance of the soil."

The expert explained that sometimes applying fertiliser can even exhaust your lawn rather than giving it the boost it needs.

He added: "In some cases, excess nitrogen at this point can even leach away with the rain, leaving the ground depleted rather than enriched."

While Mr Martin warns against fertilising late in the year, he revealed an alternative task that gardners should do: composting.

He said: "Gather fallen leaves, garden trimmings and kitchen scraps into a compost heap or bin. It builds healthier soil structure, improves water retention and supports the organisms that sustain your garden naturally."

As the drop in temperatures sends gardens into a period of dormancy, this is the perfect time to boost the soil's nutrient intake and prepare it for the winter, by using compost which has many benefits.

Compost contains essential nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as micronutrients like calicum magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Ripley Nurseries garden centre explained that the compost slowly releases these nutrients, which ensures that your garden has a steady supply throughout the colder months, and that root systems become more resilient to winter stressors such as frost and snow.