Please note: What I write in this space are lessons learned through trial and error, research, and from other gardeners and professionals. I garden in zone 9, but share garden experiences that I believe are relevant to most zones within a reasonable time frame and planting conditions.
October
Maintenance: Take a walk around the outside of your house and the grounds. Note what tasks need attention. Some may include removal or replacement of tree stakes, weeds pulled, mulch added, struggling plants relocated or removed, gutters and downspouts cleaned, leaky faucets repaired, timers adjusted to the changing weather, old hoses replaced, portable lawn sprinklers and tools picked up and put away, chemicals properly disposed of or safely locked up, drip lines and drip heads replaced or unclogged.
If you don’t keep bird feeders filled during winter months, clean and store them until spring.
In the vegetable garden: Keep critters away and eliminate pests and disease by removing debris from under fruit trees. Toss fallen, rotten fruit in the compost pile or feed them to your farm animals.
Sow seeds of carrots, mustard, turnips, radishes, beets, peas, and parsnips.
Direct seed or transplant fava beans, Swiss chard, spinach, shallots, onions, lettuce, collards, cilantro, bok choy (or pak choi), rutabaga.
Other transplants include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery (cooking variety will grow year-round), beets, kohirabi, and leeks, Brussels sprouts, chives, parsley.
In the landscape: Fall is the best time of year to plant most any type of tree, shrub, groundcover, and vine. This is the season to shop for autumn hues, and bargains.
Keep ponds and birdbaths clean of fallen leaves. Rake and remove leaves from lawns and beds.
Lay sod or sow seed for new lawns. Bare patches on old turfs can be seeded or filled in with sod.
Plant bulbs: daffodils, tulips, narcissus, crocus, freesias, irises.
Keep dead-heading roses and perennials. Divide and replant perennials such as daylilies, lamb’s ears, Shasta daisies, yarrow.
For cool-season annual colors transplant Iceland poppies, primroses, sweet peas, snapdragons, annual stock, pansies, violas, sweet Alyssum, forget-me-nots, bachelor buttons, Johnny-jump-ups, calendulas, dianthus, lobelia, larkspur. From seed, sow California poppies.
Copyright © 2010 Dianne Marie Andre
In and Around the Garden 