October Gardening Calendar
at Garden-Helper.com

Every month there are chores to do in the garden or in preparation of the season to come. October is a month we associate with the end of the harvest, the arrival of pumpkins and squashes and the raking of leaves. We offer these reminders of the things to do in the garden for the month of October.

Garden planning involves gardening chores getting done - these October gardening tasks are here as a reminder that even as the season draws to a close there is plenty to do.

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October Gardening Chores

Check here for a complete list of what to plant in October.

Fall is when you ought to begin getting your garden ready for the winter. What you manage to get done in October will reduce the the garden maintenance required for the remainder of autumn. But just in case putting your garden to rest for the winter gives you the blues keep in mind there is also harvesting to be done and even some new planting.

Watering your garden in October

Depending on where you live it may seem that water is either scarce or too abundant in October. Dry soil through the fall is one of the major contributing factors in plants not over-wintering well. It is therefore very important to be certain that all plants have sufficient soil moisture. Be diligent about places where your soil may dry more quickly such as under evergreen plants and nearest your home.

Lawn Care in October

October is the ideal month to lay an application of a fall or winter lawn fertilizer. If the lawn needs to be aerated do this first. You can add grass seed if needed up to the middle of October. Continue mowing your lawns until the grass is dormant which is typically toward the end of the month.

Included in lawn care is of course the annual raking of fall leaves. A good means of dealing with this seemingly constant chore in October is a little bit often. Raking your entire yard in a weekend will often lead to dissappointment when the next day you are looking at yet another blanket of leaves. If you maintain a compost consider raking the harvesting of future compost.

Weeding in October

Unfortunately weeding remains a daily chore in October. All weeds should be cultivated or destroyed before they flower and go to seed again. Some weeds are capable of producing seed in the thousands, so get rid of them before they plot to overrun your garden next spring.

Planting in October

Bulbs - Spring flowering bulbs should be planted in October if you have not already done so. Tulip, crocus, daffodil, and hyacinth bulbs are all very popular and should find their way into the soil no later than this month. We recommend the use of Bulb-Tone Bulb Fertilizer to get your bulbs off to the right start.

Evergreens - Surprising to many new to gardening, the fall and winter months are the best for planting and transplanting evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. This is because during the colder months these plants enter dormancy and transplating them is less likely to cause stress.

Other Plants - October is a good month to plant flowering Kale, Cabbage, fall mums and winter flowering pansies.

Harvesting in October

October is a still a month for harvesting the goods of your garden. If you grow vegetables be certain to harvest your crops before cold temperatures set in and frost destroys your harvest. After harvesting consider tilling under your plants and enriching your soil with over-wintered compost.

Composting in October

Grass clippings, fallen leaves and vegetative debris from cleaning out your garden should be added to the compost pile, helping to build humus for next year. If your lawn has been chemically treated it is best to avoid using the grass cippings in your compost.

Insect Control in October

Slugs can be a serious problem in the fall, beginning in October. If you use slug baits, beer, salt or some other means of controlling slugs, it is important to gain control of them before fall reproduction.

Protecting Your Plants

Winterizing tender plants like geraniums and impatiens involves bringing them indoors before the first frost sets in and destroys them. Other tender plants should be prepared for freezing weather as well. Many gardeners chose to wrap their plants in burlap.

Create barriers of chicken wire to protect young trees and shrubs from damage caused by foraging rabiits. Fruit trees and brambles are the most likely candidates in need of this protection.

Other resources

Article: Fall Garden Chores for Spring Flowering Bulbs