Autumn is here and if you are worried about taking care of your yard, then read on to learn What to Do in the Garden in October!
There are a lot of things that you can do in the garden after September ends. Whether it’s keeping the yard cleaner, planting new plants, or harvesting, we have some really helpful autumn gardening tips to make you get the most from your garden. Let’s have a look at What to Do in the Garden in October!
Here’s What to Do in the Garden in September
What to Do in the Garden in October
1. Clean it Up!
That’s the basic and the most important thing you need to take care of in October. The leaves have fallen in September; now is the time to clean them off and collect them in bags. Leave them, and they’ll turn into leaf mold, which is a very useful soil enhancer. Tidy up the greenhouse, gutters, ponds, and water butts.
Cover up the wooden garden furniture, and move terracotta pots indoors so they don’t crack or freeze.
Here’s how you can improve a garden without spending anything!
2. Mulch!
If you have young plants in your garden, then cover them with a 2-4 inches layer of mulch to keep them safe from the cold. You can use bark, shredded leaves, or straw.
Mulching in October insulates the soil, giving a warm surrounding for the soil food web, earthworms, and microbes. Warm soil will keep the organisms active in the cold season.
Here’s how you can use pine needles for mulch
3. Weed Out the Garden
It is important to weed your garden in the month of October. Doing it this month will save you from weeding all over again in the next spring and summer.
Also, clear weeds from gravel paths and driveways as they deteriorate the overall look.
Here are the most effective weeding tips you can follow
4. Grow Vegetables
Garlic, cauliflower, beets, lettuce, mustard, carrots, onions, kale, cabbage, and collards are some of the best choices you can grow in the month of October.
Note: If you live in a frost-free region, you can also plant strawberries this month. Don’t forget to mulch!
5. Grow Flowers
Carnation, Pansy, Calendula, Sweet William, Lupine, Dianthus, and Snapdragon are some of the most beautiful flowers you can grow in the month of October.
Split-up spring-flowering herbaceous perennials to make sure healthy plants that will remain year after year.
Check out the best fall flowers here
6. Plant Hyacinths Indoors
Grow hyacinths in vases to add winter fragrance and a pop of color to your home. To have hyacinths during Christmas, purchase bulbs that are labeled ‘prepared’ and plant them in the first week of October.
A Tip: It would be a great idea to buy flowers from a garden center. This will make sure that they open around Christmas!
7. Harvest Pumpkins
Pumpkins that you had planted in April would be ready to harvest in October. Use them for Halloween decorations or make pies and savory dishes. You can also make bird feeders using them.
8. Protect Plants
Before frost and snow arrive, check for any tropical potted plants that you may have in your garden. Bring them indoors to keep them safe.
Take a look at the high structures like sheds, fences, and gates that are weak as they can rot in October. Insulate the outdoor pots by covering them with bubble wrap.
9. Pick Green Tomatoes
Before the frost hits and ruins your tomatoes, it would be wise to pick all the green ones and ripe them indoors. You can also make delicious fried tomatoes from green tomatoes, too!
Avoid these mistakes while growing tomatoes
10. Harvest Beans and Peas
After harvesting peas and beans in October, cut the plants away at the ground level. This would leave the roots, releasing nitrogen slowly into the soil, making it healthier for the other plants.
11. Harvest Potatoes
If your potatoes haven’t died, then October is a good time to harvest and store them in bags. Dig a part of the soil to check how mature they have become.
If the outer skin feels thick, then they are good to go. If the skin feels thin, leave it in the ground for a week or so.
Check out some amazing potato-planting ideas here
12. Create Compost Bins
Make compost bins using a plastic or wooden storage box in your garden to collect dead plant materials and fallen leaves. Recycle spent compost from annual pot displays as mulch in the garden.
Here are some awesome compost bin ideas you can take help from
13. Improve the Condition of Garden Soil
This is the right time to do a soil analysis. Also, put a layer of shredded leaves, compost, and rotted manure. You also have the option to add a fresh layer of new soil to the garden. Till it lightly, water well and your garden will be good as new!
Here are the best ways to get super soil for your garden
14. Cover Up the Water
If you have a mini water pond or a water feature in your garden, then clean and cover them up to prevent leaves from falling into them and creating a mess behind.
15. Protect Flower Bulbs
If you have dahlias, gladiolus, cannas, and tuberous begonias in your garden, then this is the right time to save them from the coming frost. Dig them up and dry the bulbs in a dark room. Store them in vermiculite or peat moss.
Check out some unusual spring planting bulbs here
16. Clean up Bird Baths
Clean up birdbaths in October. Birds should be coming into the garden during the colder months, and it would be a good idea to keep the feeders ready for them.
They are beneficial for the garden as birds keep pests down. Take off the netting from fruit cages so birds can eat pests that are hiding there.
Have a look at the best bird bath ideas here
17. Prune Perennials
October is also a good time to give perennials like peony, catmint, bearded iris, black-eyed Susan, coneflower, and hosta a nice pruning. Take out the dead and dying foliage using sanitized shears.
18. Store Pots
It would be a great idea to clean up clay and ceramic pots at this time of the year and bring them indoors or store them in a garage. If you live in a cold region, extremely low temperatures outside can make the pots crack, rendering them useless.
