As we enter fall, we’re preparing for winter crops, getting our garden beds nutritionally ready for the next season – yes, doing this early allows the soil to settle, added lime or sulfur to become effective, and compost to stabilize – ready for spring.
Fall is a season to harvest what nature gives us in the form of leaves to use as an insulator for winter crop beds – shredded leaf mulch. The excess can be stored for composting – to reduce the water content in grass clippings (if you gather them – which is unnecessary). The balance should be used to produce leaf mold.
Each month’s Jobs-to-Do article has a standard format, and this one is no different:
- Garden preparation jobs to do.
- Garden maintenance jobs.
- Vegetable gardening jobs to do.
- Fruit garden jobs to do.
- Indoor and container gardening projects.
- Ornamental garden jobs to do.
- A summary of what gardeners should focus on.
Garden Preparation Jobs to Do in October
Mower Storage Hints
Mowers should be winterized before being stored. Here are some of the considerations:
- Empty the gas tank of any fuel
- Drain the oil, and refill with fresh oil
- Remove the blade for sharpening
- Give the machine a good clean, removing grass build-up in the undercarriage
Get the Cold Frames and Hotbeds Ready
Cold Frames
A cold frame is a simple structure that protects plants by sheltering them. It uses no artificial heat and maintains a temperature slightly warmer than outside, typically 5 to 10 degrees. On colder nights, a mat or blanket can be placed on top to preserve heat, which only raises the temperature a few degrees. However, even a slight increase in temperature can be vital at times.
Cold frames are ideal for shielding tender perennials, “hardening off” seedlings or starting cold-resistant plants like cabbage, pansies, or lettuce earlier than in open soil. They can also be used to overwinter summer-rooted cuttings of woody plants.
Hotbeds
Meanwhile, a hotbed is a heated cold frame that functions like a miniature greenhouse, providing the same advantages while taking up limited space and costing very little. It’s a valuable means of lengthening the growing season and starting warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, or melons earlier. Additionally, they can be used to root cuttings of some woody plants.
Locating your Cold Frame/Hotbed
It’s best to place hotbeds and cold frames facing south for maximum sunlight exposure. To save on heating costs, consider using a north or northwest windbreak, such as a building, bales of hay or straw, a tight board fence, or an evergreen hedge.
Ensure the site has good natural drainage to prevent excess moisture under the bed. If the hotbed is below ground level, it’s essential to have excellent drainage to prevent water from entering or accumulating during heavy rains. If natural drainage is poor, consider using drainage tile or a thick layer of coarse gravel.
Alternatively, build beds above ground level for proper drainage, which may result in more significant heat loss. It’s best to locate beds near the house for easy maintenance, with a convenient water supply nearby. If you plan to heat the structure electrically, ensure outlets are nearby.
Garden Maintenance Jobs for October
If the soil is dry, continue watering, especially if you have evergreens. Woody plants’ nuts or seeds usually require exposure to cold for three months before sprouting. You can simulate this process by storing them in a freezer bag in a refrigerator for a couple of months.
Alternatively, you can collect them and leave them in a bag outside if the weather permits. The last day for lawn seeding is mid-October. If soil testing indicates the need for lime, October is an excellent time to adjust soil pH, allowing it to stabilize before Spring.
It’s common for some fruit to go unharvested from your trees. If you find fruit on the ground of your orchard, it’s best to remove and compost the seeds or bury them if you don’t plan to compost. Leaving them on the ground can attract pests.
Place netting over your pond to prevent an accumulation of rotting leaves in your water garden. This can help avoid issues like dying fish.
Prepare your garden beds with ample mulch to insulate the heat still in there. Be aware that the mulch isn’t being used as nests for pests. Use the month to gather and shred leaves – what you don’t use as a mulch store for your compost and leaf mold production. By shredding the leaves, the storage volume is reduced about ten times. Make sure the stored leaves are dry.
Reheating Your Hotbed
There are several methods for heating beds, including manure, electric cables, light bulbs, hot water and steam. Manure-heated beds are an energy-saving option, but they can be more challenging to control temperature-wise than beds heated with electricity. Manure-heated beds are best used for short periods in the spring or fall, while electrically heated beds can be used for any time, including the entire winter season.
Using Manure to Heat Hotbeds
Did you know that manure can provide heat through microbial activity during decomposition? It’s an affordable source of heat when available. One way to create a temporary hotbed is by placing board frames on top of a flat pile of manure 8 to 9 feet wide and 18 to 24 inches deep.
Additional manure can be placed around the sides of the frame for insulation and heat retention. However, since this method requires much manure, it’s not practical for everyone. Another option is to pack smaller amounts of manure in a pit beneath the frame to generate heat.
One way to start plants earlier in the spring is by using a manure-heated hotbed. This type of bed is constructed like any other frame, but the pit beneath it is made deeper, between 18 to 30 inches, to hold the manure.
It’s important to note that if the manure layer becomes too wet, it will cease to decompose and produce heat. Fresh horse manure with about one-third straw is a good choice, but other types of manure can also be used. However, avoiding using manure from animals fed hay or forage treated with a broad-leaf herbicide is important, as this can harm delicate plants like tomatoes.
To get ready for the bed heated by manure, gather the manure into a pile at least 10 days before starting the bed. Press it down and leave it until heat begins to emit. After that, flip the pile, press it down again, and leave it undisturbed until heat is emitted for the second time. Once that happens, the manure is ready to be packed into the pit below the frame.
To address drainage problems, add a 6-inch layer of coarse gravel, as described earlier. Alternatively, run tile out of the pit to release any incoming water. Tamp down the manure until it reaches a depth of 12 to 18 inches, making sure to pack edges and corners.
Next, cover the manure with a 4 to 6-inch layer of good soil. Let the soil settle for several days. The soil temperature may rise above 100°F (~38°C), so wait until it drops to about 85°F (~29°C) before planting seeds or moving plants. Use a soil thermometer to measure the temperature. If the temperature starts to rise, promptly open the sash.
Vegetable Gardening Jobs to Do in October
Consider a more affordable and durable polytunnel instead of investing in an expensive greenhouse that takes up valuable garden space. These structures offer protection from the elements and maintain consistent temperatures for plants, extending the growing season by several weeks.
They can even promote faster crop growth before frost sets in. Consider adding bubble wrap to the interior to enhance a polytunnel’s insulation further. Various online resources offer additional techniques for maintaining ideal temperatures within your polytunnel.
By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your crops are harvested in the best way possible. Sowing cover crops like winter rye or legumes after the crops have been harvested is highly recommended.
Before the first frost, leaving an inch or two of stems on each winter squash and pumpkin is best to ensure optimal storage quality. Harvest sweet potatoes before a hard freeze and gourds when their shells become hard or their color changes from green to brown.
Covering sensitive plants with sheets or lightweight cloth row coverings can provide frost protection. Harvesting fragile crops before the first frost is important, typically between October and November.
Fruit Garden Jobs to Do in October
To store apples properly, place them in perforated old plastic bags in a cool basement to ensure optimal air circulation.
Keep an eye on your fruit trees for mice and take action to control them if they are present. Place wire barriers around their trunks to deter mice and rabbits from young fruit plants. Persimmons start to ripen after the first frost.
The autumn color season has started, and maples, hickories, and oaks are now displaying their full fall colors, making it an excellent time for leaf mold production. Leaf mold production needs fungi to break the tough lignin in the leaves down. Shredding the leaves speeds up the process and allows you to store this valuable commodity for mulching spring gardens.
Indoor And Container Gardening Projects for October
If temperatures drop to 50°F (10°C) or lower, tropical plants can suffer from “chilling injury.” To prevent this, bringing your houseplants inside when outside and inside temperatures are similar is advisable.
However, letting the plants adjust to indoor conditions is essential before turning on the heat. Additionally, getting rid of any pests on the plants or in the soil is crucial, especially if the plants have been sitting on the ground.
To ensure the health of your plants, it’s important to inspect them closely. Remove them from their pots and check for insects that may have crawled through the drainage holes. Give the leaves and stems a good wash with a hose and let them dry completely.
Once dry, apply insecticidal soap to the entire plant, including the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, soil, and pot. This soap is safe for both people and pets. Leave the plants outside for a few days, then reapply the soap before bringing them indoors two to three days later.
When using insecticidal soap, you must check the label to see if the plant you intend to use it on is listed. Some plants may hold the soap solution on their leaves, which can cause burning. If the plant is not listed on the label, test a small area on your plant for sensitivity before applying it. Remember that symptoms may take seven to 10 days for symptoms to appear.
If you need to move your plants indoors, gradually reduce their exposure to light over the course of about a week. Start by moving them to a spot with light shade, then to a spot with heavy shade, and finally, indoors.
However, ensure that the indoor light conditions are as close as possible to those outside. When you move your plants indoors, they may experience leaf yellowing or dropping as they adjust to lower light levels.
Ornamental Garden Jobs to Do in October
Flower Garden Tasks – October
Incorporating spring bulbs into your garden can be a great way to add color and life to your space. You can plant them alongside hostas, ferns, daylilies, or ground coverings to disguise the withering foliage as they bloom in the spring.
To ensure the best bloom for your potted azaleas, Christmas cactus, and kalanchoe, keep them outside until the night temperatures drop to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want to force spring bulbs, you can pot them now and keep them in a cool, frost-free location until they’re ready to be brought indoors (usually 12 to 15 weeks).
Cannas and dahlias should be dug up and allowed to dry under cover in an airy, frost-free location when frost nips their leaves.
Deciduous trees can be transplanted after they’ve lost their leaves. October is the ideal time to plant tulips.
If you’re planting balled and burlapped trees or shrubs in containers, loosen the soil in an area twice the diameter of the root ball before planting—Mulch well after watering.
Turf Care Jobs – October
It’s important to keep mowing your grass until it enters dormancy, typically in October. For warm-season grasses, avoid cutting them too short in preparation for winter. However, for cool-season grasses, it’s best to give them a shorter final cut to prevent snow mold and vole damage. Additionally, trim the edges of your lawn to prepare for winter.
Collect leaves for leaf mold, which is a valuable resource for gardeners. Based on your soil test results, add lime or other soil amendments in the fall so that they can work throughout the winter.
Don’t leave unraked leaves on your lawn, as they can suffocate the grass. Instead, shred them and use them to create a mulch to insulate beds or turn them into leaf mold compost and store it. Shredded leaves should be dried and stored as a compost additive to control moisture levels.
Reduce the amount of supplemental water to one inch every two weeks. For warm-season grasses, continue mowing until they stop growing and make final trims slightly taller than usual. Lastly, if your soil requires testing, it’s best to do so before winter and make necessary adjustments.
Gardeners Focus in October
Discover the best time and method for collecting winter squash. Keep your winter squash in a cool, dry place with a temperature of 50-55°F. Plant garlic cloves between mid-October and early November. Check out this list of autumn cleaning tasks and gardening practices to prepare your yard for winter.
After harvesting your vegetables, remove the plants to decrease the overwintering spots for pests. Cover your tomato plants with a tarp or blanket to protect them from early frost. To prevent the soil from freezing around your carrots, beets, and parsnips, cover them with mulch. Improve the soil microbe activity in your vegetable garden by tilling in compost, leaves, and/or manure.
It’s important to take a few steps to prepare your garden for winter. Firstly, prune your roses by cutting back excessively long canes to prevent damage from heavy snow loads. Secondly, cut back ornamental grasses in areas prone to snow once the foliage has dried.
Otherwise, leave them until spring to enjoy the vertical accent during winter. It’s also a good time to plant spring-blooming bulbs through early November and trees and shrubs in the fall to enhance root establishment. To protect the trunks of young trees from winter cracking, wrap them with a white reflective tree wrap.
Next, dig and remove annual flower plantings and tender perennials such as gladiolas, dahlias, begonias, and canna lilies after the foliage has died. Store them in a cool, dry location around 45-50°F. You can also plant cold-hardy annuals like pansies, primrose, kale, and ornamental cabbage.
Lastly, prune raspberry canes to the ground after they have fruited. Control tough perennial weeds such as field bindweed (morning glory). Mow grass to a height of 1-to-1½ inches at the end of the season to minimize disease problems. Apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer after the last mowing (late October to early November) for early greening next spring.
Fall has finally arrived, and with it comes the season of new beginnings. October is a month full of potential, and many garden calendars begin during this time. I hope you find this publication useful and are taking notes in your gardening journal.
