Planting a spindle shrub is the most effective way to attract robins to your garden this autumn, as it provides natural food sources and shelter that the birds prefer over standard seed mixtures.
Robins often ignore bird feed because the seeds are too large for their small beaks to consume easily. Many gardeners also avoid leaving seed out in autumn because it can attract rats. Andy from Turf Express has suggested that cultivating spindle is a superior approach.
Why spindle attracts robins
Andy said: "By planting some spindle you are providing robins with natural food sources from both the berries and the insects and invertebrates that are attracted to spindle."
Spindle is a resilient shrub that grows naturally throughout the UK and becomes striking in autumn, when its foliage turns red and its fruit opens to reveal vivid orange seeds. Robins enjoy pecking at its small pink fruit to consume the seeds, and the plant also attracts insects such as worms and caterpillars that they relish eating.
Shelter and easy care
Having a spindle in your garden gives robins a convenient spot to perch and a place to nest, as the plant maintains dense growth even through winter when other shrubbery stands bare. It offers a natural food source and secure shelter during the colder months.
Spindle is relatively undemanding and straightforward to look after, provided it is planted in well-drained soil within an open, sunny spot. It typically costs under £20, and late autumn is an ideal time to plant it while the ground remains warm enough for it to take root.
Other ways to help robins
Robins need a high calorie intake in autumn to build up body weight for colder temperatures. Putting out suet cakes, which are fat balls combined with grains and fruit, can help, and they will not melt during autumn. Suet balls are available at local supermarkets or pet shops.
Mealworms are also rich in protein and provide robins with energy. Robins prefer feeding from open-fronted boxes in secluded parts of the garden, so covering a bird feeder with a climbing plant can keep it out of sight. Leaving fallen leaves on the ground can draw in more insects, which will entice robins to return throughout autumn.
