October Gardening Calendar

The following gardening calendar was created using content from two of our favorite gardening reference books:  Month by Month Gardening in Wisconsin: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year by Melinda Myers and The Wisconsin Garden Guide – The Complete Guide to Vegetables, Flowers, Herbs, Fruit & Nuts, Lawn & Landscaping, Indoor Gardening by Jerry Minnich. 

Lawn Care

·         Established lawns should be watered when they show signs of wilting.

·         Tired of raking all those leaves?  Put away the rake and break out the mower.  Shredded leaves make a great amendment for gardens and lawns.

·         It’s still a great time to lay sod to establish new lawns or to repair existing ones.   Once in place, water the sod often enough to keep the soil surface moist.  Reduce watering and begin mowing the sod once it has rooted into the soil below.

·         Keep cutting the grass as long as it keeps growing.  Do not remove more than 1/3 of the total height at each cutting.

Plantings

·         The first hard frost signals the end of the growing season and the start of fall cleanup.  Remove and destroy all insect and disease-infested plants.  Compost only healthy plant foliage.  Remove leftover stakes, string, and all foreign matter from the garden.  Till or spade the ground, incorporate rotted compost, and leave it rough over winter.

·         Clean up and remove any diseased or insect-infested leaves, stems and flowers from your perennials.  Decide what “look” you want for your winter garden.  Some gardeners like the neat and tidy look and prefer not to have standing “dried stuff” in the garden.  Some gardeners leave perennials standing for winter to add interest and food for birds.  Also, many plants such as salvia and mums seem to overwinter better when the dead stems are left standing for the winter.

·         Plant tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, crocus and other spring-flowering bulbs outdoors in well-drained soil. 

·         If squirrels dig up newly planted tulip bulbs, cover the beds with hardware cloth, which should be removed when leaves begin to emerge in spring.  Mothballs, cayenne pepper, thiram-based, or other repellants may also protect bulbs. 

·         Add a little extra color in your groundcover beds.  Add hardy bulbs to vinca, wintercreeper (euonymus), lamium, and other groundcover beds.    

·         Plant bulbs in pots for forcing.  Store them in a cold, 35 to 45° Fahrenheit storage area, such as a root cellar, attic, spare refrigerator, or other area where temperatures stay cold but above freezing, for thirteen to fifteen weeks.  Plant bulbs by early October for January flowers and mid-October for February flowers. Water potted bulbs before placing them in cold storage.  Check occasionally to make sure the soil remains moist. *If storing in a spare refrigerator, do not store fruit with the potted bulbs, and make sure the family knows these are not edible.

·         Plant frost tolerant plants such as pansies, snapdragons, ornamental kale, alyssum, and dianthus for future fall gardens. 

·         Nicotiana, cosmos, alyssum, snapdragons and cleome are a few annuals that may reseed in the garden.  It is ok to pull out these plants, but do not cultivate the soil if you want them to reseed in your garden.

·         Keep frost protection nearby.  Cover plants in late afternoon when there is a danger of frost.  Remove the coverings when temperatures warm.  Recover as needed.

·         Move containers into the garage, porch, or house when there is a danger of frost.  Move them back outdoors when the warm weather returns. 

·        Continue watering container gardens, evergreens and new plantings.  It is almost time to pack away the garden hose and water wand.

·        Cut iris foliage down to four inches from the ground to prevent overwintering of iris borer eggs. Discard foliage and do not add to the compost pile.

·         Siberian iris leaves and seedpods can be left intact for fall and winter interest.

·        Move hibiscus, bougainvillea, mandevilla and other tropicals indoors for the winter.  Learn more. 

·         Monitor any flower seedlings you planted for damping off.  This fungal disease causes seedlings to collapse and die.  Remove infected plants as soon as they are discovered.  Drench the soil with a fungicide labeled for this use.  Prevent this disease by using a sterile starter mix and clean containers.

·         Dig and divide peonies after the tops have been killed by frost.  Use a spading fork to dig the rhizomes.  Dig a hole wider than the plant to avoid damaging the roots. Cut the clump into smaller pieces, leaving at least three to five eyes per division.  Prepare the planting site by adding several inches of compost into the top 12 inches of soil.  Replant the divisions, keeping the eyes no more than 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface.

·        Cut back the foliage of peonies and hostas to reduce the risk of fungal disease in next year’s garden.  Leave the flower stems of hostas standing for winter interest and to attract birds.

·        Collect and sow seeds of coneflowers, rudbeckias and other late summer and fall blooming perennials. 

·        Stop deadheading roses.  Allow rose hips to form and plants to harden off for winter.

·        Limit rose pruning to the removal of dead, broken or diseased canes as soon as they are found.

·        Cool fall temperatures make this a great time for planting trees and shrubs.  The good weather conditions mean less stress on the transplants and the planter.

·        Start putting animal barriers in place.  Surround new shrub and tree plantings with a 4-foot high fence buried several inches into the soil.  This will help keep voles and rabbits away from the base of the plants.

·        Protect young trees from deer and buck rub damage.  Use a corrugated plastic sleeve that has been slit along its length and placed around the trunk of the tree or surround the tree with a sturdy fence or barrier. 

·        Fall soil applications can still be made for preventing damage from spruce galls, birch leaf miner, Japanese beetles, gypsy moths and several other pests.  Only treat trees that have suffered severe damage in the past.

Gardening

·        Divide rhubarb roots. 

·        If you haven’t already done so, make one last rhubarb harvest.  The stalks are safe to eat and the plant has had ample time to replenish its energy supply.  Cut the rest of the stalks back after a hard freeze.

·        Dig up a few parsley plants and pot them up for growing in the kitchen window over winter.

·        Plant annual rye, oats, or buckwheat as a green manure crop.  These plants will provide a green groundcover for the winter garden.  Dig or till these plants into the top 6 inches of soil next spring.  They will add nutrients and improve the soil.

·        Harvest pumpkins when the fruits are full size, the rind is firm, and the spot touching the ground turns from cream to orange.  Clean pumpkins to help extend their longevity.

·        Move rosemary, sweet bay and other tender herbs indoors.  Place them in a bright, sunny window or under artificial lights for the winter.  Keep the soil moist, but not too wet.

·        Pick mature green tomatoes when the blossom end is greenish white or showing color before the tomato plants are killed by frost.  Ripen these tomatoes indoors.  Store them in a 60 to 65° F location.  Spread them out on heavy paper so that the fruits do not touch.  They will ripen over the next couple of weeks.  Speed up the process by moving a few tomatoes to a bright, warm location a few days prior to use.

·        Dig radishes, turnips, and beets when they reach full size.

·        Check stored vegetables during the fall and early winter.  Discard any damaged or rotting fruit.  One bad apple, onion, or squash really does spoil the bunch.

·        Store carrots and other root crops in the garden for winter harvest.  Harvest any root crops you want to use.  Mulch the remaining plants after the ground is crunchy with frost.  Cover with straw or evergreen branches. Harvest root crops throughout the winter.

·        Monitor any vegetable seedlings you planted for damping off.  This fungal disease causes seedlings to collapse and die.  Remove infected plants as soon as they are discovered.  Drench the soil with a fungicide labeled for this use.  Prevent this disease by using a sterile starter mix and clean containers.

Mid- October

Lawn Care

·        Apply a broadleaf herbicide (weed killer) such as Weed-B-Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis killer for lawns, with the purple label, for creeping charlie, violets and other difficult to control weeds in mid to late October after a hard frost.  Do not be alarmed if treated creeping charlie begins to grow next spring; it dies back quickly.  Make a second application to violets if needed.  Spot treat problem areas to reduce the amount of chemicals needed.

Plantings

·        Sow these perennial seeds outdoors: Oriental poppy, Iceland poppy, primula, scabiosa, phlox, viola, pansy, and penstemon.

·        Store apples in the root cellar, attic, or garage where temperatures are barely above freezing.

·        If storing tender bulbs, such as gladiola, caladium, calla, canna, or dahlia, check them every month and discard any soft, discolored, or rotting bulbs.

·        Carefully blow or rake tree and shrub leaves off your perennial gardens.  Large leaves get we, mat down, and provide poor insulation for your plants. 

·        Collect dried pods, grasses and other materials for fall and winter arrangements.

·        Keep watering until the ground freezes.  New plantings and transplants need your attention throughout the fall.

·        In Northern Wisconsin, dig trenches to overwinter tree roses and climbing roses (start several weeks later in Southern Wisconsin).  Loosely tie together the rose canes.  Dig a trench from the base of the plant outward that is long enough to accommodate the plant. Use a spade or garden fork to gently loosen the soil around the plant.  Tip the plant over and lay it in the trench being careful to bend the roots and not the stem; being careful to not break the graft that we are trying to protect.  Cover the plant with soil.  Once the soil freezes, mulch with a thick layer of straw.  Use hardware cloth or chicken wire to keep the straw mulch from blowing away.  Remove this protection in early April.

·        Remove diseased and dead leaves from groundcovers.  These can harbor pests and serve as a source of disease in next year’s garden.

Gardening

·        Shred fallen leaves with your mower and work them into the top 6 to 12 inches of garden soil.  The leaf pieces decompose over the winter, improving the drainage of heavy clay soils and the water-holding capacity of sandy soils.

·        Plant garlic cloves and apply four-inch layer of mulch.

·        Remove stakes and supports as plants decline.  Clean and store for next year’s garden.

Late October

Lawn Care

·        Late October is the most important time to fertilize your lawn.  Use Stein Gardens and Gifts’ Winterizer fertilizer to build stronger, deeper roots for winter and for a thicker, greener lawn next spring. Stein’s 22-0-10 is formulated with coated slow release nitrogen and Milorganite® for Wisconsin soils.  Or you can also choose to use a slow release nitrogen fertilizer, such as Milorganite®.  The actively growing plants will use some of the nutrients now.  The unused nitrogen will remain in the frozen soil over winter.  As soon as the ground thaws, the grass will begin growing.  This fertilizer will be available for the grass early in the season.  Milorganite® is a slow release fertilizer that provides uniform growth and helps establish a good root system. Milorganite®, which is produced in Wisconsin, is environmentally friendly and resists leaching. 

·        Take in your lawn mower for servicing now, to avoid the spring rush.

Plantings

·        Before the ground freezes give roses, evergreens, and shrubs a thorough watering.

·        Put rodent guards around fruit tree trunks, and be sure they are high enough to account for winter’s drifting snow.

·        Purchase and store rose cones for later use for hybrid tea roses.  Do not start covering roses until after a week of freezing temperatures.  This is usually mid-November in the northern part of the state and the end of November or early December in the southern part of the state.

·        Fall, after the trees are dormant, is a good time to fertilize established trees.  Fertilize if the soil test or plant growth indicates a nutrient deficiency.  Poor growth and off-color leaves may indicate the need to fertilize.  *Do not fertilize aboveground containers.  Wait a year to fertilize new tree plantings.  They have been well tended in the nursery and fertilizer may harm the newly developed roots.

·        Keep pruning as needed.  Remove crossed, broken, or diseased branches.

·        Snow and ice are on the way.  Deicing products can be hard on plants.  Salt damage causes stunted or distorted growth, leaf burn, poor flowering and fruiting, and premature fall color.  Repeated exposure to deicing salts can kill plants.  Shovel first and then apply only traction materials or melting compound to walks and drives.  Create physical barriers between the plants and salt spray.  Decorative fencing, burlap screens, or salt-tolerant plants can all protect salt-sensitive plants from injury.  Thoroughly water salt-laden soils in spring to wash the salt away from the soil and tree roots.  A few salt tolerant (soil and spray) trees: Austrian Pine, Black alder, Cockspur Hawthorn, Eastern redcedar, Ginkgo, Greenspire Littleaf Linden, Hackberry, Hedge Maple, Honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, and Norway Maple.

Minnich, Jerry. The Wisconsin Garden Guide – The Complete Guide to Vegetables, Flowers, Herbs, Fruit, & Nuts, Lawn & Landscaping, Indoor Gardening. 3rd ed. Madison: Prairie Oak, 1995. Print.

Myers, Melinda. Month by Month Gardening in Wisconsin: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year. Franklin: Cool Springs, 2006. Print.