Tuesday, October 11, 2016

What to do in the garden in October


Planning
      Now is a great time to plan a new garden bed.  Use newspaper or cardboard covered by mulch to remove lawn and/or weeds for conversion to garden beds.

Maintenance and Clean Up
      Recycle plant material and kitchen scraps into compost.  Adding plants that have gone to seed or are diseased could spread problems unless you are using the "hot compost" method (120-150 degrees).
      Drain or blow out your irrigation system and insulate valve mechanisms, in preparation for winter.


      Use newspaper or cardboard covered by mulch to discourage and/or kill weeds.


      Clean and paint greenhouses and cold frames for plant storage and winter growth.


      Harvest sunflower heads; use seed for birdseed or roast for personal use.

 See this link  
      Dig and store potatoes; keep in darkness, moderate humidity, temperature about 40°F.  Using your own potatoes as seed potatoes for next year could continue a disease problem if you had one this year.  See this link
      Harvest and immediately dry filberts and walnuts; dry at 95 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

 See this link for filberts 
      Ripen green tomatoes indoors. Check often and discard rotting fruit.


      Harvest and store apples; keep at about 40°F, moderate humidity.


      Harvest squash and pumpkins; keep in dry area at 55 to 60 degrees F.


      Place mulch over roots of marginally hardy plants for winter protection. Roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, berries, and many other plants also benefit from mulching.


      To suppress future pest problems, clean up annual flower beds by removing diseased plant materials, overwintering areas for insect pests; mulch with manure or garden compost to feed the soil and suppress weeds.
Cover cropping is another good option with similar benefits.

      Cover asparagus and rhubarb beds with a mulch of manure or compost.


      Clean, sharpen, and oil tools and equipment before storing for winter.


      Store garden supplies and fertilizers in a safe, dry place out of reach of children.


      Prune out dead fruiting canes in raspberries.


      Now is a good time to add organic material soil
      Lime if indicated by soil test results.


Planting/Propagation
      Dig and divide rhubarb. (Should be done about every 4 years.)


      Plant garlic for harvesting next summer.


      Propagate chrysanthemums, fuchsias, and geraniums by stem cuttings.


      Save seeds from the vegetable and flower garden. Dry, date, label, and store in a cool and dry location.


      Plant ground covers and shrubs.


      Dig and store geraniums, tuberous begonias, dahlias, and gladiolas.


      Pot and store tulips and daffodils to force into early bloom, indoors, in December and January.



      Pest Monitoring and Management
      Gather and use windfall apples in cooked dishes.  Hot compost any that are not useful for eating to reduce the risk of harboring apple maggot or codling moth larvae.


      If Box Elder Bugs are a problem, use a broom or whisk to sweep them into a bucket while temperatures are cool.  For larger numbers, a vacuum may be more effective.  Dispose of vacuum bag shortly after vacuuming up large numbers of insects.  
      Rake and destroy diseased leaves (apple, cherry, rose, etc.), or hot compost diseased leaves to help reduce spread.


      Spray apple and stone fruit trees at leaf fall to prevent various fungal and bacterial diseases. For more information, see Managing Diseases and Insects in Home Orchards (PDF - EC 631).


      If moles and gophers are a problem, gathering soil from the mounds to expose the holes can discourage them.  Trapping is the official recommendation, but it is often ineffective and not necessarily humane.


      Control fall-germinating lawn weeds while they are small. Hand weeding and weeding tools are particularly effective at this stage.


      Monitor landscape plants for problems. Don't treat unless a problem is identified.

  Call or email the Master Gardener hot line with questions.


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