Indian Summer arrived with its brilliant colors and invigorating air. Humidity is nonexistent, and those pesky mosquitoes are gone, making October a wonderful time to be outdoors.
In the refreshing fall air, you reflect on how you gladly toiled all season caring, feeding, weeding, and nurturing your flowering plants. You enjoyed their beautiful blossoms. Tentatively, you approach them. First, thank them for their service only to be followed with an apology as you raise your clippers to their stalks. Oh, the cruelty of it all.
October is a crucial time for the garden. There are plenty of garden tasks to keep you busy. Here are a few:
- Remove spent annual flowers and vegetables to prevent disease and pests.
- Trim dead stems from perennials, but leave some seed heads for birds and winter interest.
- Weed, weed, weed. Weeding is the most important fall task of all. Even if you can’t weed, at least deadhead weeds.
- Cut off Rose of Sharon seed heads. They are loaded with a lifetime supply of seeds. If you leave them, you are guaranteed a garden, lawn, pathway full of tenacious sprouts in spring. Those sprouts will keep you busy all season long pulling them. Please, remove now.
- Ditto for Morning Glory vines. One of the few still blooming plants in your garden. Their deep colored flowers are beautiful. Some have wound their way on fences, railings, and up and around other plants giving them charm. Look past those last gasps of October color. Their vines are cluster bombs of seeds that will explode next spring. Save yourself unnecessary work by pulling the vines now.
- Keep a leaf bag close to shove both Morning Glory vine and Rose of Sharon seed heads in. Do not pile and drag across garden or you will spread seeds as you go.
- Mow your lawn a final time, setting the blades slightly lower to reduce matting under snow. Do not put mower away. Reset mower higher to recut fallen leaves on lawn in a few weeks. The mulched leaves will deliver much needed nutrients and organic matter to your lawn.
- Use up all leftover fertilizer to strengthen plants and lawn roots for the winter.
- Overseed thin or bare lawn areas for lush growth next spring.
- Plant tulips, daffodils, alliums, and other spring-flowering bulbs.
- Divide and replant crowded perennials.
- Get tough and discard any wimpy or infected perennials. For instance, you may have phlox, peony, bee balm, and others that are susceptible to fungus. Now is the time to remove and replace them with disease resistant varieties.
- Remove spent or loser plants, add compost to enrich the soil for next year.
- Plant late-blooming natives like asters and goldenrod for fall pollinators.
- Transplant or plant new shrubs and trees allowing roots to establish before the ground freezes. Always add water to the planting hole BEFORE placing plants. Hello, that is where their roots are. Allow to percolate away. Place plant in a hole. Fill the hole halfway, water again. Finish planting. Create a moat around plants and fill it with water. Continue filling moat often till freeze.
- Apply a layer of mulch around perennials, newly planted bulbs, and trees to insulate roots.
- Harvest the last of tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-season veggies before the first frost.
- Plant garlic cloves for next summer’s harvest.
Bring houseplants inside. First, check for insects. This is the time to freshen soil, prune plants and clean up pots. Once inside, remember to always place waterproof saucers under pots.
October is a busy and rewarding month for gardeners. By following these tasks, you’ll help ensure a healthy, vibrant garden next spring and protect your landscape during the winter months.
