OCTOBER TIPS: WEEKS ONE & TWO
Landscape
Keep falling leaves from piling around trunks of trees, as the leaves trap moisture and can cause root rot.
Plant deciduous trees and conifers any time. Warmer soil in fall encourages root establishment. Water until ground freezes.
Use hardware cloth or screening to protect trunks and stems of woody plants from rodent damage.
Replenish organic material in soil by adding 2-3 inches of compost, rotted manure or mushroom compost over garden beds and turning in. The beds will be ready for planting when the soil dries out in spring.
Avoid pruning all trees and shrubs in the fall. Pruning now opens up wounds to winter cold and 'dehardens' the plant, which should be getting acclimated to the drop in temperatures.
Lawn
Lightly sprinkle new lawns daily until grass becomes well established.
Pest Patrol
Watch for lacebug on azaleas and pyracantha, and scale on evergreens such as boxwood, euonymus and holly. Treat with horticulture oil while the pests are active.
Bulbs
Plant spring-flowering bulbs in mid October as temperatures are begin to decrease .
Plant bulbs in the Amaryllis family such as Narcissus & Daffodils to foil squirrels and chipmunks. This group of bulbs are poisonous , while tulips are slightly sweet and tasty to critters.
For success with tulips, dig a wide trench for a large group of bulbs and cover with chicken wire before filling in with soil.
Houseplants
Buy and plant amaryllis bulbs for blooms at holiday time.
Use the light meter on a camera to check available light for house plants. When bringing plants indoors try to place them in a location where the light is the same as the plant received while outdoors.
Vegetables
Remove vegetables that have finished producing. Work the bare areas of the garden and plant with crimson clover or Austrian winter peas.
Harvest tomatoes. Any fruit with a radiating star on the bottom or that has shiny skin, will continue to ripen. Use the rest for relish, chutney or fried green tomatoes.
Flowers
Dig geraniums and store the roots in a paper bag.
Dig tubers of canna, dahlia, caladium and elephant ear as soon as frost burns the foliage. Store in cool place for replanting in spring.
OCTOBER TIPS: WEEK THREE
Vegetables
Harvest all tomatoes, peppers and other warm weather crops before the first fall frost (usually Oct 19).
Install row covers to extend the harvest period of frost-sensitive plants such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.
Harvest all pumpkins, gourds and squash before the first freeze.
Outdoor Flowers
Mulch perennials after ground has cooled, apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch, avoiding covering the crown of the plant, which can cause rot. Mulching helps keep the temperature of the soil even, and can minimize damage from frost heaving due to freezing and thawing of soil.
Avoid fertilizing perennials any more this fall with high nitrogen fertilizers which promote growth. Use a either top dressing of composted materials to or granular products that are high in phosphorus, which promotes root development.
Vegetables
Remove vegetables that have finished producing. Work the bare areas of the garden and plant with crimson clover or Austrian winter peas.
Harvest tomatoes. Any fruit with a radiating star on the bottom will continue to ripen. Use the rest for relish, chutney or fried green tomatoes.
Harvest all tomatoes, peppers and other warm weather crops before the first fall frost (usually Oct 19).
Install row covers to extend the harvest period of frost-sensitive plants such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.
Harvest all pumpkins, gourds and squash before the first freeze.
Bulbs
Plant spring-flowering bulbs in mid October when temperatures are beginning to lower.
Plant bulbs in the amaryllis family such as narcissus and daffodils to foil squirrels and chipmunks. This group of bulbs are poisonous while tulips are slightly sweet and tasty to critters.
For success with tulips, dig a wide trench for a large group of bulbs and cover with chicken wire before filling in with soil.
Landscape
Replenish organic material in soil by adding 2-3 inches of compost, rotted manure or mushroom compost over garden beds and turning in. The beds will be ready for planting when the soil dries out in spring.
Avoid pruning all trees and shrubs in the fall. Pruning now opens up wounds to winter cold and 'dehardens' the plant, which should instead be getting acclimated to the drop in temperatures.
Lawn
Lightly sprinkle new lawns daily until grass becomes well established.
Avoid applying herbicides to new turf areas. Most will also kill the new grass seedlings.
Houseplants
Buy and plant amaryllis bulbs for blooms at holiday time.
Use the light meter on a camera to check available light for house plants. When bringing plants indoors try to place them in a location where the light is the same as the plant received while outdoors.
Bring inside Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus Cactus before frost. Flower buds are stimulated by the cooler fall weather. Once inside, avoid temperatures over 75 o 75degrees F and sudden changes in light, water or temperature to prevent unopened buds from failing.
Pest Patrol
Watch for lacebug on azaleas and pyracantha, and scale on evergreens such as boxwood, euonymus and holly. Treat with organic oils while the pests are active.
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