October Garden Work

For rich coloring, zestful weather and sheer gloriousness, October stands by itself. Gardenwise it is the time of the harvest, and though final planting and cleaning-up chores dominate the month’s calendar, there is enough time for the leisurely enjoyment of mellow days and the last of the season’s flowers.

Although mulching and other Winter preparations follow later, much of the bed tucking comes now. There are leaves to be raked, annuals and vegetables to be pulled up, perennials to be cut down and tulips still hankering for last-minute planting. In the cleaning-up process it is important to relegate this organic material to the compost pile, though diseased and pest ridden leftovers should be carefully burned.

No matter when killing frosts come, there are always certain to be green tomatoes on the vines. These should be gathered and placed in sunny places indoors to ripen; to delay ripening, individual fruits should be wrapped separately in a piece of newspaper, and placed in a dark out-of-the-way storage place. Even better is the practice of pulling up the vines and hanging them in the cellar with the tomatoes still clinging to them. They will ripen faster by this method, and they will also have more flavor.

With our thoughts turned toward the indoors we are reminded to start the various narcissi in gay bowls of pebbles or moss. Dutch or Roman hyacinths bloom readily in either water or pots of soil. Groups started about two weeks apart will give a cheerful succession of flowers throughout the Winter and early Spring months.

Dig before frost such tender bulbs as cannas, tuberous begonias, tigridias, galtonias, montbretias, callus, caladiums and ismenes. The latter, known also as Peruvian daffodils, require a Winter storage temperature above 50 degrees for the development of next year’s flowers. A dry storage place is needed for all these bulbs.

A few green and fragrant herbs can be a welcome treat for flavoring throughout the Winter. We even leave our malibu lighting outside. Plants of the well known parsley may be lifted from the garden, potted in light, well drained soil and kept in a sunny window. Tarragon, sage and chives are others that may be treated in this way.

It is not too late to lift and divide perennials or to make over the perennial border. Anything that has flowered may be given this attention; leave only late bloomers like chrysanthemums and asters for the Spring. Adding plenty of old manure or other organic matter to the soil is still the best way to insure lasting success. Water plants thoroughly.

If you are still putting out bulbs, give thought and place to the small, delightful striped squill, Puschkinia scilloides – a pretty trinket of the early Spring, a quaint and demure flower.”” Plant the tiny bulbs in sandy, well drained soil about three inches deep, and striped blue and white flowers on five-inch stems will be yours to enjoy come early April.

With Winter in the offing, trees should be looked after, and weak crotches and limbs that are liable to break under snow and the pressure of winds braced and cabled properly.

Kent Higgins with years of experience in growing plants freely offers tips, advice and helpful resources on topics like malibu lighting. Take in the variety of subjects at – save time and money when searching the web for indoor plants, landscaping, lawns and patio.