Essential Fall Gardening: October Tasks

This is the month of goblins and ghosts and when autumn tree colors are truly coming in to play,it getting closer to winter now and our gardens need more help then ever at this time of year. As a gardener I know the fall can be one of the busiest seasons in the garden in order to prepare it for the following seasons to come. Many tasks such as dividing plants, planting bulbs and so on have to be undertaken in order to get your gardens looking their best, as well as protecting plants from the frost.
I realize many people love gardening,however;there are many beginners as well as seasoned gardeners that are unsure as to when to do these things. I have written this guide that I hope will be helpful in pointing you in the right direction. Below I have included a list of things to do in the garden in October,however; I have already written gardening tasks for September and will be writing gardening tasks for November. They are all separate articles which will all be linked together once done to make the complete essential fall gardening series/guide.
One last thing I would like to mention is that if you feel you can’t do all of the work yourself and it is too much you can always hire someone else to do it. Another alternative is you can get the help of a family member, there’s nothing like the incentive of a home cooked meal from the fresh vegetables you have harvested out of your garden or allotment to get your family to help.

Plants

• Take cutting of tender plants to overwinter indoors.
• Top dress established borders with composted or manure.
• Plant garlic cloves.
• Plant tulips and hyacinths for spring flowering.
• Clear out summer containers and take cutting of tender plants such as begonias and impatiens if you have the space to overwinter them.
• Stop feeding and reduce watering any plants in the greenhouse.
• Make sure bowls or dishes of bulbs being forced for indoor flowering do not dry out.
• Cut down all the top growth of dahlias when it is blacked by the frost then lift and store tubers.
• Remove half hardy fushias from containers and the garden and place them in pots under cover to overwinter.
• Make sure you bring in pelargoniums before the first frost and keep in light frost free place over the winter.
• Begin winter digging,adding well rotted organic matter to improve soil conditions.
• Lift and store crops of carrots and potatoes.
• Divide and replant waterside plants.

Trees and Hedges

• Plant new climbers, shrubs and trees while soil is still warm.
• Prune rambling and summer flowering climbing roses.
• Complete the planting of all new evergreens including conifers.
• Prune autumn flowering deciduous shrubs over three years old after they have finished flowering.
• Take into account autumn colors when choosing trees and shrubs.
• Plant bare root roses
• Establish new hedges(Make sure the ground in well prepared in advance applying organic matter.

Lawn Care And General Maintenance

• Place net over pool to prevent any leaves from falling in and polluting the water.
• Clean garden furniture, barbeque’s and pots and store them indoors until the spring.
• Check the green house heating and insulate to conserve heat.
• Clear fallen leaves and recycle them to make leafmould.
• If not already done scarify lawns and apply autumn fertilizer

Link to Essential Fall Gardening September Tasks:

Essential Fall Gardening (September Tasks)

Copyright © 2008 Tanya Kime-Wallace

Links Of Interest

Beautiful Fall Blooming Perennials

Beautiful Fall Flowering Shrubs

Forcing Bulbs

Winter Care For Your Greenhouse

How To Start Seeds

Easy To Grow Herbs

Easy To Grow Perennials

Preparation For Perennials In The Spring

Gardening With Long Term Herbs

How To Utilize Space For A Small Garden

Gardening With Bulbs