Master Gardener^sm Column for the Week of October 3, 2005
Judy Koehly
Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^sm Volunteer

October is a pleasant month to work in the garden as the temperatures are down and the late bloomers are finally showing off their colors. You can break ground now for new beds; you can till the area and leave it rough until spring planting time, or you cover the beds with a winter cover crop. This is the perfect time to divide and replant overcrowded beds of bulbs and perennials.

As the leaves fall from the trees, enjoy their pretty colors and then rake them up! Do not leave them on the lawn to suffocate the grass. Mulch the leaves with your lawnmower and start or add to a compost pile.

After leaf fall, clear out the rose bed of old mulch and leaves and add a fresh winter mulch to help prevent spread of black spot and other diseases. If you want to relocate small woody ornamentals, wait until February; but root prune the plants now to make the move less stressful. To root prune, dig your shovel into the ground about 10-12 inches from the trunk and dig down about 8 inches all the way around the plant. The plant will be forced to put out new roots, which will help alleviate shock when transplanting. Mark your calendar in February to make the move!

Remove any bagworms that you can reach and place in a plastic bag and add to the trash. Webworms can also be treated in the same manner.

You can purchase big and beautiful spring bulbs now, but wait until November to plant them. Store in fridge away from fruit and vegetables. Spring flowering bulbs that are naturalizing in the garden would benefit now from an application of time-released fertilizer.

Any tomatoes that are still green can be picked before the first frost, individually wrapped in newspaper and stored in a cool place (about 60 degrees) out of direct sunlight. Check them once each week and remove the ripe ones and enjoy!

Pines, yews, arborvitae, and junipers normally shed their foliage this time of year so do not panic if you see their needles on the ground. You can rake up the discarded foliage and use it for mulch in a variety of places (around perennials or shrubs or walkways). For yuletide blooms, now is the time to place your Christmas cactus in an area that receives at least 13 hours of darkness a day. Visit your local arboretums and botanical gardens at the height of autumn to get some ideas of which specimens show off beautiful fall colors!

Birds are migrating now and depend on birdfeeders and birdbaths along the way. Do keep your feeders and birdbaths clean and full for them as they travel through our area.

One week prior to moving them indoors, prepare houseplants by gradually reducing the amount of sunlight exposure. Inspect for insects. Wash leaves with a gentle water pressure, spray with insecticidal soap, wait several days and spray once more. Move houseplants indoors 2 to 3 days later, well before the first frost. Bring them indoors before night temperatures dip below 50 degrees to avoid damage to your houseplants.

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call (910) 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

For further information or assistance, please e-mail:
Charlie Spencer, Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^smVolunteer

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Date Created 10/6/2005