October Gardening Tips
WEEK ONE:
1. Let New Guinea Impatiens wither in place over the fall and winter, making no
effort to rake and dispose of the debris. You should sprinkle lime around the
area where the plants were, to raise the pH by spring. Next April, gather the
debris without raking or disturbing the area. New Guinea Impatiens will
self-seed, yielding dozens of new plants.
2. Many other annuals can re-seed themselves if you allow the stalks to stay in
place for the winter as you would New Guinea Impatiens. I have had success with
Snapdragons, marigolds, and Dianthus. Remember to also sprinkle some lime around
the area where the plants were to raise the pH, and apply Flowertone to provide
adequate feeding now and for early spring.
3. Fall weeds are now starting to appear in your lawn. Betony, chickweed,
henbit, speedwell and ground ivy, wild onion, and wild garlic are now showing
up.
This is the best time to kill these weeds! We recommend using Weed Beater
Ultra from Bonide, it will kill the weeds but not the grass, and you will see
results in just a few days.
4. Remember when harvesting your fruit trees to dispose of all rotten and unused
fruit. This will avoid any over-wintering diseases and keep insect problems from
occurring. Do the same with any fallen grapes, making sure none are left on the
vines.
5. Move your potted amaryllis tuber to a warm, bright room (temps in the 70's)
for the next 4 weeks to prepare it for the flowering cycle.
Still no food or
water until after it is repotted in early November.
6. Hydrangea are starting to produce flower buds for next spring, water weekly
in the absence of rain, using no fertilizers. Soon after Halloween when flower
buds have formed, the plant goes dormant for the winter. Remember to check the
soil pH to insure good color when flower bloom begins on all varieties of
mopheads. The list below shows how soil pH influences the color of the flowers:
If the pH is below 4.5, flowers will be varying shades of purple
If the pH is between 4.5 and 5.5, flowers will be blue
If the pH is between 5.5 and 6.5, flowers will be pink
If the pH is between 6.5 and 7.0 flowers will be white
If the pH is between 7.0 and 8.0 flowers will be red
We suggest lowering pH by using Garden Sulfur by Espoma. There are other
acidifiers such as
Aluminum Sulfate or Iron Sulfate, but Garden Sulfur remains in the soil longer.
To raise pH, use Garden lime or pelletized lime.
7. Hosta plants are going dormant now. After foliage has yellowed and browned,
cut stalks to the ground. Check the pH now and adjust, it needs to be between
6.0 and 7.0, to be on target for the new growth in the spring.
8. To get your poinsettia to re-bloom in time for the holidays, give it twelve
hours of total darkness and twelve hours of light.
9. Put away peony cages and prune peony canes to the ground, again making sure
to rake up and dispose of all debris. Work in a few trowelfuls of composted cow
manure. Check pH and adjust to 7.0 by adding lime. Do not mulch, as this could
rot the bulb.
10. Apply Deer-off to your trees & shrubs and other desirable plants now to help
deter deer from eating those shrubs. Tests at Rutgers University have shown this
product can last up to 3 months. We recommend using this product for 6 weeks and
then Bonide’s Repels All for the next six weeks. This will confuse the deer so
they will not get used to the same smells and tastes.
WEEK TWO:
1. Leave caladium, tuberous begonias, cannas, and dahlias in the garden until
subjected to several frosts. Spade them up in late November for winter storage,
remembering the temperature needs of each type of bulb. Caladiums require
temperatures above 70, tuberous begonias require 35-40 degrees; canna 40-50, and
dahlia require 35-45 degrees. Remember to store in peat moss in dry and dark
location, and be sure to label colors.
2. After last roses bloom, spread bone meal over the soil and soak in. A lot of
rose guides suggest pruning now; I have had better success by waiting until
March to prune back my rose bushes. I do this before I spray dormant oil/lime
sulfur spray; I feel this discourages overwintering insects from taking up home
near my rose garden.
3. After frost, rake dead annuals from bedding garden and add to the trash pile,
DO NOT COMPOST. The seeds from the debris could contaminate your compost pile.
4. Gather up all outdoor hoses, soaker hoses, timers, and the like, making sure
you drain before winter storage.
5. There is still time to remove the thatch build-up on your lawn, if you did
not do so last month. For smaller lawns use a hard rake, for larger lawns us a
de-thatcher attachment on your mower. Rake up all the debris and dispose. This
will allow for better penetration of grass seed, fertilizers, lime, and lawn
chemicals.
6. Apply fall lawn fertilizer now to prepare lawn for winter. We recommend
Jonathon Green Winter Survival because it fertilizes for root growth while
providing nutrients for a thicker, greener lawn. It also extends your lawns rich
green color into winter, and prepares the lawn for the harsh winter elements.
Because the elements used in this fertilizer are slow release, it also helps to
green-up your lawn in the spring too!
7. Check the pH of your lawn as well. Lawns grow best when pH levels are between
6.0 and 6.7.
Use a pH meter and gather soil samples from your lawn and place in a plastic
container.
DO NOT USE A METAL CONTAINER! We suggest yearly applications of lime
at a rate of
40lbs to an 800 square foot area. Pelletized lime spreads fastest with less
dust. You can apply lime anytime of the year and with other fertilizer or lawn
products.
8. Maintain the water level in your fish pond for the sake of your fish and the
plants. Remember to give the biological filter a thorough cleaning anytime now.
The live bacteria will die with the cooler water temperatures, so cleaning now
you will save a lot of grief and mess during spring start-up.
9. If not already done so, cut back peonies and lantana to the ground before the
first frost. Also remember that the most important winter preparation you can do
is to provide foundation and perennial plantings with a thorough and deep
watering. If the sky does not do it you must!
10. Fall is the time to evaluate perennial and annual plant successes. Consider
replacing poor performers with sturdier look-a-likes, or moving to a more
appropriate location, based on sun or shade requirements, or for better
protection from the harsh northwest winter winds. Consider also making places
for colorful foliage plants and ornamental grasses to add more interest and add
different textures to the garden.
WEEK THREE:
1. Now is the time to be looking for Amaryllis, paperwhite, and other bulbs for
indoor forcing.
Make sure when buying you purchase good solid bulbs, and in the case of tulips
or hyacinths that they have been pre-cooled for forcing. Refer to the planting
guide for forcing bulbs below.
2. Start preparing your holiday cactus for Christmas flowering now. You need to
start to expose the plant to air temperatures below 60 degrees; an enclosed
garage will work or just set outside in a protected area if air temperatures do
not drop below 40 degrees. After chilling the cactus for at least three days,
keep it in bright indirect light, with room temperatures between 60 and 70
degrees to insure full bud development.
3. Resume spraying Malathion or Horticultural Oil on the needles and limbs of
arborvitae, cryptomerias, false cypress, fir, hemlock, juniper, pine, taxus(yews),
and spruce(not blue spruce), for spider mites. Repeat in two weeks. Remember not
to spray Horticultural Oil on any blue needled or leafed tree or shrub as it
will turn the blue pigment green.
4. Keep leaves and needles raked up from the lawn. Remember to mow a little
lower and to bag up all clippings. The micro-organisms that decay grass
clippings become dormant when the soil temperatures drop below 53 degrees.
5. Apply iron sulfate or garden sulfur to the soil around all acid loving
plants, including azalea, holly, rhododendron, junipers, laurels, pine, spruce,
and dogwoods. I highly recommend using Espoma’s Garden Sulfur as it will acidify
over a longer period of time in the soil.
6. Check for vole and mole runs around the lawn and in flower and shrub beds. If
this is a problem, use Bonide’s Moletox per label instructions, 1lb. per 50 sq.
foot area. This product also works well to repel rabbits and is safe to use
around children and pets when following label instructions.
7. Fall is the ideal time for dividing and moving most perennials, to make more
space for annuals, or plan to combine annuals and perennials together, this is
the perfect time to plan for this. Making changes to the shapes and sizes of
existing beds allowing for trees that have grown and seeing how the bed is
affected by sun and shade, makes planning for next year a whole lot easier.
8. Consider planting a cover crop in your empty vegetable or annual gardens.
Cover crops are plantings of fast growing grasses or legumes that, after it is
turned under in the spring becomes “green manure.” Green manure provides the
soil with organic matter that enhances soil structure, provides nutrients,
increases microbial activity, and helps to break up compacted areas. Research
has shown that three successive sowings of certain cover crops have been known
to turn barren soil into rich productive loam.
9. Remember to clean debris from bird nesting boxes, especially purple martin
houses and close them up for the winter. Now is also a great time to ready
birdfeeders and birdbaths for the birds.
10. Prune to the ground all the stalks of the summer perennial plants, making
sure to remove all stalks so as to not allow any overwintering homes for insects
or disease.
WEEK FOUR:
1. Remember to trim bog and pond plants such as papyrus, taro, and cattails
before frost hits. Pull out hardy water lilies and trim off all the leaves.
Tropical lilies can be saved by storing them in peat moss in a cool basement or
garage away from freezing and misted often to prevent drying out. Waiting too
long will allow all these leaves to fall off and rot in the bottom of the pond.
2. June bearing strawberry plants start to manufacture flower buds for fruit in
June. Water weekly if no rain up to Thanksgiving to achieve optimum bud
production, which means more fruit!
3. Soil pH is extremely important to Dogwood trees and should range in the 4.5
to 6.5 range in order for the tree roots to extract food from the soil. Test the
soil now and add garden sulfur to lower pH or garden lime to raise pH. Dogwoods
are to be fertilized only once a year, and fall, immediately after the leaves
have fallen, is the best time. Inorganic fertilizers should not be used under
any conditions because of their high salt content. Stay away from 5-10-5,
10-10-10, or
10-6-4, commercial fertilizers,
they will kill your tree! We recommend Espoma’s
Treetone, which is a well balanced complete plant food with all essential
nutrients, but no salts!
4. Spray for spider mites with Bonide’s Malathion or All Seasons Spray Oil on
the needles and limbs of arborvitae, cryptomeria, false cypress, firs, hemlocks,
junipers, pines, boxwood, and spruce. Repeat in two weeks, but do not use Oil on
Blue spruce or junipers as it will turn the blue pigment in the plant green.
5. Rake up all the leaves from your lawn weekly and compost by layering in the
dry leaves, green weeds, chopped vegetables, or fruit peelings. If you do not
have the space to start a compost pile simply use a heavy-duty black leaf bag,
layer in the elements from above, and then poke holes all over the outside of
the bag and wet the interior thoroughly, close the bag and set it in a warm
out-of-the-way place. Remember to shake the bag and turn it upside down to speed
the process.
6. Save the pumpkin seeds from your Halloween pumpkin and dry them on a cookie
sheet in the oven at 125 degrees. Mix the seeds with dried oatmeal and bacon fat
and spread the mixture on pinecones and hang them outside for the birds to
enjoy.
7. This is the best time to check the soil pH around your azaleas and make
necessary adjustments using Espoma’s Garden Sulfur to lower to 4.5 to 5.5.
Remember azaleas and all plants can only extract food from the soil only when
the pH is in the correct range. Flower buds have also set on these plants, so if
we do not receive weekly rain, water weekly now through November.
8. Stop fertilizing your Tropical Hibiscus now, because it must go through a
dormant cycle if you want it to bloom all next summer. Keep the soil lightly
moist, but allow the soil to go dry before watering, do not use fertilizer.
Hibiscus should be kept in bright sunny space with air temperatures in the 56 to
60 degree range. Warmer temperatures will not harm the plant but will not
provide for a complete dormant resting cycle. Research has also shown that at
temperatures above 60 degrees, the plant will have yellowing and dropping
leaves, and will invite back spider mites and mealy bugs. Temperatures below 56
degrees could result in root-rot.
9. Now into early December is the perfect time to transplant trees and shrubs.
The air is cooler, but the earth still has warmth. It is also a good idea to
prune out any dead or diseased limbs.
10. Climbing roses exposed to high winder will winter better with protection.
Spray the canes with Bonide’s All Seasons Spray Oil and use an anti-desiccant
such as Wilt-Pruf or Bonide’s Wilt-Stop, to help them withstand winter dryness.
Clear away fallen leaves and debris and apply new mulch 6" to 8" thick. Tree
roses would require the same protection, but consider enclosing the plant with
burlap and tie it together to help hold it in place.
FAST FACTS
1. Vegetables: are particularly hungry for certain nutrients, meaning you will
not achieve a decent crop unless you improve the soil sufficiently in advance.
The best time to do this is in the fall, after the current year’s harvest has
been picked. Make sure that you dig over the plot and add generous quantities of
organic manure or leaf mold. This will improve not only nutrient content, but
also the texture of the soil. In heavy clay soils, like we have in Talbot
County, this addition is essential. Remember to also check the pH of the soil,
since vegetables require a pH in the range of 6.5 to 7.5, in order to grow well.
Adding lime in the fall will allow plenty of time for the pH to adjust in this
range before spring planting.
2. About Flowering Cabbages & Kales: The leaves of these fabulous plants are
streaked, splotched and edged in reds, purples, and creams. As the temperature
drops, the colors grow more vibrant. They are the garden’s last chance at
beautiful fall color, a perfect replacement for fading garden mums. Flowering
cabbages and kales thrive in deeply-dug, well drained, fertile soil that holds
moisture. Like edible cabbages, the ornamental varieties are cool-season plants.
They stay beautiful all fall and through mild winters into spring when they send
up seedheads. Keep the flower heads pinched out, and the plants will stay in
shape longer.
3. Planting Guide for forcing Bulbs:
| Planting Time |
Chilling Period |
Chilling Period |
Forcing time |
| Bulb Type |
40/60 F |
35/40 F |
|
| October |
|
|
| Crocus, Daffodil, Narcissus |
6-8 weeks |
4-8 weeks |
2 wks @65F |
|
| Hyacinths |
6-8 weeks |
6 weeks |
2 wks @65F |
|
| Grape Hyacinth |
6-8 weeks |
8 weeks |
2 wks @65F |
|
| Tulips |
6-8 weeks |
6-8 weeks |
2 wks @65F |
|
| Paper-whites |
2-3 weeks |
3-4 weeks |
2 wks @65F |
| |
|
(If shoots are up skip this) |
|
4. Leaves and your Lawn:
Leaves are assets. Not one should leave your property. However, matted leaves
rob the grass of the sunlight it needs as it continues to grow through fall.
Grass grows when the soil warm, and it will remain warm in our region at least
through November. As long as you can still see the grass blades through the
fallen leaves, you can shred them with a mower, and leave them on the lawn to
decompose into nutrients. To crumble, they must be mowed when dry. If, or when,
the leaf layer is such that you can see just a little of the grass, mow, rake up
the mess, spread it over annual beds and the kitchen garden, and dig it into the
top 6 inches; that is next spring’s supply of humus. When the leaf layer is
about 4 inches deep, suck the leaves up in a blower-vacuum, and blow the residue
over the surrounding lawn. Or, bag the ground leaves, and store them to use next
spring as mulch. If the leaves get deeper than 4 inches, gather them into leaf
bags, and put them on your compost pile.
5. Drying Culinary Herbs:
Air drying leaves- pick fresh, healthy branch tips 12-14 inches long. Strip the
coarse lower leaves and discard. Gather the stems in loose bunches, and hang
them upside down in an airy, dry, preferably dark place. When the stems are
crackling dry, strip the leaves off, and discard the stems. Rub the leaves
between your palms to break them up and to remove them from the tiny twigs they
may be clinging to. Pour the leaves into glass jars and cap tightly, checking to
see whether moisture has appeared inside the glass after a few days. If yes,
oven dry the herbs for two hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Store the herbs in
small jars, and write the date and name on the label.
Oven Drying- Spread the leaves out over paper towels, and heat them on low until
crackling dry. How long depends on the herb and your oven.
Microwave Drying- Dryish herbs, like thyme, dry well in a microwave oven at half
power. Experiment with timing when you can afford to ruin a batch or two. Drying
moist herbs such as basil in a microwave keeps the color and the flavor. Prop
several leaves on a crumpled paper towel, and microwave one or one and a half
minutes on high.
