October Garden Calendar

Plants in Flower

• Sasanqua Camellia, Japonica Camellia, Chrysanthemum, and
  Franklinia

Plants with Colorful Berries

• American Beauty Berry, Burford Holly, Chinese Holly, Foster
  Holly, Nellie Stevens Holly, Nandina and Pyracantha

Fertilizing

• Fertilize spring flowering bulbs at planting time with a
  balanced fertilizer.
• Planting
• Plant spring flowering bulbs like daffodil, tulip, crocus
  and hyacinth this month.
• October is still a good time to set out new landscape
  plants.
• Plant or transplant peonies this month.
• Continue planting pansy plants now.
• If you do not have a fall vegetable garden, plant cover
  crops like annual rye, barley and wheat.
• You can start salad vegetables in a cold frame and enjoy
  them all winter. Plant lettuce, green onions, carrots, radishes, broccoli,
  cauliflower and most leafy greens inside the cold frame.

Pruning

• None
• Rootprune any trees or plants you plan to move next spring.
• Spraying
• Control the following woody weeds by spraying the
  recommended herbicide: trumpet creeper and blackberry.
• Store your garden pesticides in a secured, dry location.
• Clean spray tanks.

Lawn Care

• Warm season lawns like Bermudagrass, centipedegrass and
  zoysia can be over seeded with annual ryegrass.
• Keep tree leaves from collecting on your lawn.

Propagation

• None….Just remember to check the cuttings you put in a
  coldframe for winter. This should be done twice a month. Water as needed.

Specific Chores

• Take soil sample from your plant beds and vegetable garden
  for testing.
• Start filling your compost bin as leaves begin to fall.
• If you have not or do not plan to plant a cover crop, you
  can till organic material like tree leaves into your vegetable garden soil.
• Prepare bird feeders.
• Dig and store summer bulbs like gladioli, dahlia and
  caladium.
• Cure sweet potatoes this month.
• Spring flowering bulbs can be forced to flower in the dead
  of winter. Just pot the bulbs early this month and place inside your
  refrigerator. In twelve weeks take them out into the warmth of your home.
• Continue to prepare your lawn and garden equipment for
  winter storage.
• Store leftover fertilizers in a dry location for use next
  spring.