back

Gardening Tips for October

By Joe Daniels

Tidying up the garden continues as fall leaves hit the ground and late season flowers fade. As the weather becomes increasingly cold, it's time to protect the most delicate plants. Remain on the alert for frosts, although with luck you may find yourself enjoying a warm and sunny Indian summer.

October Chores in the Garden:

• Begin to dig and store tender bulbs (such as tuberous begonias, dahlias, caladiums, and gladioli) when their foliage turns yellow and withers.
• Pull annuals after frost and toss them in the compost pile, or leave them if they have interesting seed heads.
• Cut back dead stems and leaves or let them remain until spring for winter interest. Remove and destroy any diseased foliage.
• Rake leaves for the compost pile or till them into new beds. Chop leaves with the lawn mower for good winter mulch (but don't mulch yet).
• Plant spring bulbs. Record where you planted them on your site map so you won't dig into them when you plant annuals in the spring.
• Water perennial beds (as well as new shrub and bulb plantings) thoroughly before they go dormant to help them survive through the winter.
• Move your houseplants indoors (hopefully you already have) and check for any critters. You can leave out Christmas cactus, some orchids and camellias, because they enjoy the cooler weather, but get them inside before a frost.
• It's a good time to plant and transplant evergreens — the sooner the better. It may be better to wait for deciduous plants to drop their leaves first before planting.
• Remove vegetable plants as they finish cropping and begin digging and adding organic matter to the soil.
• Remove submersible pumps from ponds; clean and store them for the winter.

Seasonal:

• Don't forget to set out bird feeders to help keep birds well-fed through the winter. Keep the feeder clean and stocked throughout the winter.
• Check for seasonal price discounts on gardening tools and equipment. Keep some and save some for holiday gifts.
• Be on the look out for boxelder bugs, multi-colored Asian lady beetles, as they may begin to invade homes as the weather cools.
• Keep an eye on wasps and hornets, as they will continue to be a problem while they abandon their nests for the year.

Houseplants:

• Bring in any remaining houseplants prior to the first frost. Rinse leaves and soak pots in water for 15-20 minutes to remove most pests.
• Reduce watering and fertilizer to allow plants to go dormant. Do not fertilize plants again until spring.
• Pot spring flowering bulbs with tips exposed to force bloom. Moisten soil and put in an unheated garage or a refrigerator for 12-15 weeks. Transfer to a cool and sunny area and allow 3-4 weeks for blooms to appear.
• Pot up parsley, sage, thyme and chives from the garden for a winter kitchen garden.
• Place Christmas cacti in 13 hours of complete darkness to initiate blooms (or sit them outside for a few chilly nights (e.g., nights in the upper 30s) to set the buds.

Bulbs:

• Continue planting bulbs, generally at 2-1/2 times the bulb's diameter.
• Plant more peonies.
• Wear gloves when handling bulbs. Hyacinths and some other bulbs have oils which can cause skin irritation in sensitive people.

Herbs:

• Cut back perennial herbs to improve branching for next year.
• Select specimens of plants to hang-dry for use in wreaths or dried arrangements.
• Smaller pieces of herbs can be used in potpourri.

Vegetable Gardens:

• Plant garlic and shallots for spring harvest.
• Locate and spray herbicide on, or remove perennial weeds. Many perennial weeds continue to grow after frost has killed many tender vegetables.
• Cut back perennial herbs to encourage well-branched plants next year.

Lawns:

• Rake or vacuum leaves from lawn. Leaves left on lawn, especially maple or sycamore leaves, can smother the lawn.
• Test soil with a soil test kit. Soil test kits are available from the Extension for $9.00.
• If test results indicate a need for lime, topdress at this time.
• Aerate your lawn now.
• Seed lawns in mid-October, as new lawns can be established by dormant seeding.
• New lawns from sod can be established up to mid-October. The new sod must be watered until winter weather sets in.
• Control perennial lawn weeds like dandelions and broadleaf plantain. You must correctly identify the weed you want to control. Some weeds, such as ground ivy and violets, will be difficult to control in any case.

Perennials:

• Continue fall planting, especially of pansies.
• Divide plants that have open centers. Spring flowering plants are divided in the fall, as well as summer flowering plants. Do not divide fall flowering plants until next spring. Examples of plants to divide now: bugle weed, bleeding hearts, daylilies, hostas, peonies, phlox, and yarrow.
• If dividing peonies, include at least three buds in each division and set plants one inch or less below the soil. Expect it to take three years before each division will rebloom.

Trees and Shrubs:

• Plant most trees and shrubs in October and November, as these are the best months to do so..
• Keep plants well watered until the ground freezes.
• Transplant lilacs now.
• Needled evergreens-pines, spruces, and hemlocks-with poor growth may benefit from an application of fertilizer between mid-October and mid-March. If fertilizing hemlocks, avoid using nitrogen in the mix where hemlock wooly adelgids are a problem.
  
  

return to the top