October Gardening Checklist

General

  • Pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks make great fall decorations.
    Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
  • Winterize garden beds.  Don’t forget to clean off all powdery mildew.  If any of your plants are infected, the disease can withstand winter creating new infections next year.  Rake dead leaves from around your rose bushes & perennials.   Decaying leaves can harbor unwanted fungus and insects that will destroy next year’s flowers and foliage. Any diseased material should go in your trash; everything else can be placed in the compost pile.
  • If you haven’t already done so, make notes about your garden. Did you try new vegetables and did some do better than others? Which varieties did you like and why? Make notes about your perennials and annuals too.
  • Many four legged critters are looking for extra food to eat and store for winter now. Repellents are helpful; there are odor and taste types available. Be prepared to try more than one type and to alternate several kinds since animals can get used to a constant odor or taste and learn to ignore it.
  • Join us during our Fall Fest Event with games, food, fun, hayrides and more for the whole family.
  • Put up holiday lights before the impending cold weather hits. Check them before putting them up.
  • You can keep adding organic material such as mulched leaves to new beds right up to freeze up. Such materials will decompose through the winter and will be ready to turn under at spring planting time. If you aren’t sure of the pH or fertility of your new garden, there is still time to get the soil tested.

Lawns

  • If you haven’t applied a fall fertilizer, there’s still time.  This will give your lawn that early spring green-up.
  • Your lawn also needs water at this time of year. Good winter preparation includes a good suppy of water. Be sure lawns get around 1 inch of water per week.

Vegetables & Annuals

  • Pick green tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, etc… before our first frost.  Let the tomatoes ripen indoors.
  • Remove rotting fruit and leaf debris promptly from all gardens, especially your vegetable garden, to prevent disease and insect problems, and avoid attracting foraging ‘critters’.
  • Continue to remove dead flowers and seed heads from annuals to promote continuous blooming as long as the season permits.

Indoor Plants

  • Continue to inspect closely for insects and treat if necessary. Catching a small pest problem early can eliminate an infestation during the winter. This is especially important if your house plants ‘vacation’ outdoors for the summer.
  • This would also be a good time to give them a good shower to wash off the dust and dirt that accumulated on the foliage from the last couple of months.
  • Be sure to reduce your fertilizing to every 2-4 weeks since the plants’ growth slows down during the fall and winter months.

Trees & Shrubs

  • Now that most trees and shrubs have dropped their leaves their branch structure is much more visible. You can use nice fall days to check them for possible problems. Look for damaged or diseased areas and weak or crossing branches.
  • Mark any branches to be removed with colored string, yarn or ribbon. Most pruning should be left to do in late winter or very early spring, but it is much more pleasant noting future pruning on a warm fall day than it is in January at below 0 temperatures!
  • Do not fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials. Nitrogen promotes vegetative growth and soon our plants are storing energy for next years growth. At this time of year we do not want to force new growth.
  • Keep watering trees, shrubs, and perennials until the ground freezes, especially if they were planted this year. Provide protection from snow loads and dripping eaves if needed.
  • Shrubs and trees herald cooler nights by putting on fall colors as they begin to store food for the winter’s rest. Walk your neighborhood parks and note those that appeal to you. Gardening can be a year round adventure if you take some time to explore and appreciate all of the wonderful possibilities out there.

Roses

Perennials

  • With colder weather upon us, be sure that all of your plants are watered on a regular basis. Before the ground freezes, your perennials, shrubs, and trees will still need a good supply of water heading into the long winter dormant period.
  • Leave spent flowers of perennials and roses to set seed now. This helps plants begin the slowdown needed for their winterizing process. Many seed heads can be left for interest and texture in the coming winter garden. They also provide winter food for birds.
  • Use the nice late fall days to tidy up the garden. If you are not leaving them for the birds or winter interest, perennials can be cut down and removed from the garden.
  • After the ground freezes to a depth of 1/2 inch or so, cover their roots with several inches of straw or marsh hay. Linder’s will have a good supply of both.
  • Consider saving and drying attractive seed heads, pods, berries and interesting branches to add to winter arrangements or wreaths.
  • Even “weeds” can add form and texture to an arrangement. If their natural color doesn’t appeal to you, remember that dried materials can be bleached, painted, dyed, and glittered in endless combinations. Experiment!

Birding in Your Backyard

  • Watch for migrating bird species
  • Most migrating Hummingbirds have left this area by the first week of October, but you may leave your hummer feeders up until the nights routinely get down to freezing. This will provide laggard birds with an energy supply to help them get to their wintering area in Central America. Leaving feeders up will not prevent these flying jewels from going south. The migration is triggered by daylight length and instinct, as well as cooler temperatures.

Bulbs

  • Dig tender bulbs and store inside.  Read more…
  • There is still time to plant spring bulbs in pots and force them for February and March blooms. Remember that most bulbs need 12 to 14 weeks of cooling at 40 degrees to flower. Plant in succession so you may enjoy an extended blooming time during the cold winter months.  Narcissus and amaryllis, though, can be potted now and will likely be in bloom for the Holidays.


If you have questions or problems, our helpful customer service representatives will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We want you to be a successful gardener with less work!