October and autumn days represent a new gardening season and timely
gardening chores
to be accomplished. Do not allow the short, delightful days of autumn to
pass without reviewing the many possible gardening activities.
- Think spring in October - plant spring bulbs. During
October and November is spring
bulb planting time -- daffodils, narcissi, hyacinth, crocus and Dutch
iris. Choose
healthy, sound bulbs from a reliable source. Prepare soils in a sunny,
well-drained
location.
- Selection & Preparation of Tulip Beds. Tulips
should be selected now to be stored in
refrigeration for 45-60 days prior to planting in December and early
January. Do not
freeze the bulbs or remove from the refrigerator until time for
planting.
- Plan for Pansies. The popular pansy may be planted in
October and November for
scattered winter blooms and a real display of color come spring. Do
not bother with
seed, but buy healthy plants available at your favorite nursery.
Pansies go great with
spring bulbs! Crystal Bowl, Imperial and Universal series have good
heat tolerance and
will flower longer in the spring.
- Winter-Green Lawn - Sow Ryegrass. Sow annual ryegrass
seed in mid-to-late October
at the rate of five pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Make an
even distribution
of seed for a uniform color and stand of winter grass. Mow and rake
existing lawn prior
to overseeding.
- Prepare Houseplants for Over-wintering - The cool days
of October are ideal days for
good houseplant growth and development. It, too, is a good time to
groom and to
prepare the plants for bringing into protected areas for winter. Repot
overgrown plants.
Prune back leggy or overgrown houseplants to induce compaction of
growth. Remove
damaged foliage. Bring plants back indoors prior to winter heat in the
home, to allow
for adaptability to new location.
- Dig and Store Caladium Tubers. Once the colorful
summer caladium foliage has died,
dig the tubers, shake off excessive soil, (do not wash) and allow to
completely dry in a
shaded, cool location. Once dry, cut away old stems, dust the tubers
with a combination
of Captan and Sevin for protection against disease and insects and
store in a dry, cool
location until planting late next spring. Many gardeners find nylon
stockings ideal for
storing the tubers.
- Make ready for winter planting. The winter season
(November-February) is ideal for
planting woody trees and shrubs. Plan for those new plant additions,
prepare planting
beds and visit nurseries to make plant selections. The plant's roots
become better
established prior to spring growth and summer heat if planted in
winter.
- Establish a compost pile. Establish a compost pile to
accommodate falling leaves and
to prepare soils for spring planting.
- Order fruit catalogs. Order fruit catalogs and make
variety selections for a winter
(January-February) planting.
- Root Prune Wisteria Root prune wisteria which, even
though large, has failed to
flower. With a sharp spade, spade into the soil completely around the
plant without
disturbing the soil to cut the lateral roots.
- Clean-up time. A new season, a new look, time to
remove remains of yesterday --
faded annuals and perennials, overgrown plants, etc.
- Control scale insects. Control scale insects on
ornamental plants such as gardenia,
camellia, fatsia, hollies, euonymus and others. Spray to cover
underside of leaf.
- Continue to Divide and Transplant popular perennial
such as daylily, liriope, ajuga,
iris, etc.
- Complete wildflower seed plantings.
- Enjoy the color of the season - fall color. Make
choices of trees with good fall color
for planting in your own landscape.
- Continue to plant annual seed of phlox, cornflower,
larkspur and poppies.
- Mulch down for winter protection. A 4-6 inch mulch is
an excellent insulation on
semi-hardy plants and shallow-rooted plants such as azaleas.
- Tag native plants while still in leaf while they may
easily be identified when
transplanted in the winter. Root prune in November without lifting the
plant to allow the
plant to adjust prior to transplanting in January and February.
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