October: To Do

If you print out this page, you should get little boxes where the bullets are, making this a check list.

Oh, and if you really think that I actually do all of these things, you are terribly confused. Sometimes I even (gasp) do things that aren't on this list.

I can only guarrentee this list is accurate for the things that I grow. I do not grow every item on this list. This list is targetted to Sunset Zone 14, specifically, and I think it is good for all of USDA Zone 9. In addition, it is probably pretty accurate for USDA Zones 10-11.

Announcements

Diablo Bonsai Club: Basic 1 meeting, 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 4, 1999 - Talk on group planting and winter tree preparation.
Joint meeting, 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 11, 1999 - Talk on recent exhibit and workshop on techniques. Heather Farm Garden Center, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek, 925/757-0310
Merrit Jr. College Annual Plant Sale. First weekend in October, Merrit Jr College, Oakland.

General (or it never ends)

Weed. The growing season never ends here, and neither does the weeding.
Snails and slugs. I use a powder bait that my dogs do not eat. I find that it works best for me over and above beer or other home rememdies. However, my mother's dog had to have her stomach pumped because she, the dog, ate a bunch of powder snail bait on the ground.
Water. Our average rainfall is 14 inches. That means that watering is a chore that continues all year round.
Fall Cleanup.
- Pick up debris like fallen branches and broken pots to reduce overwintering sites for snails, slugs, insects, and fungus.
- Remove dying annuals and veggies and fallen leaves. Add these (unless they are full of seeds) to the compost pile.
- Fungus and infections include black spot, rust, powdery mildew, rotted stems or branches, large, irregular galls near soil. Remove all infected plants. Do not compost. It is especially important to pick up the fallen leaves of roses and the fallen blooms of camillias. Both can harbor disease.
- Rinse gardening tools with 1 part bleach to 3 parts water and lightly coat with oil.

Trees and Shrubs

Keep roots of mail-order plants moist until planting time.
Plant evergreens and vines. (Wait until next month to plant deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines.) Hollies, barberry, pyracantha, or toyon shrubs can be blooming in time for the holidays.
Stake new trees. Check stakes on established trees.
Fertilize trees and shrubs that bloom in the spring. Feed azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons with an acid type fertilizer.
Water new plants regularly and established plantings deeply in dry weather.
Thin camellia buds to promote bigger blooms.
If blossom blight is a problem in your camellias, spray with a fungicide containing PCNB.
Deadhead and prune fall-blooming shrubs, example crepe myrtle, when they finish flowering.
Prepare your trees for storms.
- Look for overhead wires that are in contanct with branches. If you have this problem, call PG&E.
- Check for dead or partially attached limbs that could fall in a high wind.
- Look for cracked stems, branched forks, hollow or decayed areas on the trunk and mushrooms growing from the base of the tree. If the problem can be cut off, you can take care of the disease yourself, otherwise you probably need professional help.
- Check out the National Arborist Association if you do need help.

Roses

For hybrid tea roses, remove the side buds. The rose laterals can be cut back to strong eyes that will produce long-stemmed specimens. This is for hybrid teas, only.
Continue watering. It isn't the rainy season, yet.
Pull off yellow or old leaves on the bushes.
Check for disease and remove any affected leaves. You are looking for powdery mildew, black spot, rust, etc.
Clean up under roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Do not add leaves from roses to compost pile. They tend to be disease prone and you can continue to spread diseases in your garden.
Remove weeds and cultivate. Add organic mulch like compost, or manure.
Feed roses.
Check staked roses. The windy season is upon us.
Do NOT prune. I prune late January/early February.

Lawns and Ground Covers

Renovate lawns.
- De-thatch
- Aerate, if not done in spring.
- Add Ironite to improve drainage.
- Topdress with compost
- Water in fertilizer.
Feed (one (1) pound nitrogen per 1000 feet of lawn).

Perennials

Plant chrysanthemums and primroses for fall color.
Watch for aphids on mums.
This is a good time to plant Shasta Daisies. Mine do great under the cedar tree (in the sun) and reseed themselves.

Bulbs

Plant bulbs, daffodils, iris, ranunculus, freesia, this month and early next month. I recommend chilling your tulip bulbs until January and planting them then.
When planting bulbs, be generous with bonemeal. Put some at the bottom of the hole, add a layer of dirt, and then place the bulb in the hole.
I don't lift my dahlias, but if you do, wait until the tops have dried.

Annuals

Plant sweet peas from seed or transplants for late winter bloom.
Pansies and snap dragons are good choices for a sunny location; as is sweet alyssum. Alyssum will freely reseed.
Violas and stock are nice in the shade.
Plant foxglove and sweet William (biennials) for bloom next spring.
Feed newly planted annuals with a liquid fertilizer.
Deadhead faded blooms.

Container Gardens

Don't forget to water.

Kitchen Garden: Vegetables and Herbs

This month is the last to start your winter veggies.
A product with "BT" in it will protect your plants from cabbage worms. I don't like using these because they kill monarch butterfly larvae as well as other caterpillars.
Pull up spent veggies like cucumber, beans, and corn.

Fruit

Plant pomegranates and persimmons for ornamental and edible fruit.
Feet fruit trees.

House, greenhouse, or conservatory plants

If a frost threatens, bring in your tender tropicals.

Other: Structural and Special

Even tho I don't store any of my tools, this is a good month to check for repairs and to sharpen and oil blades.

References
A printable version for October.

To Do Index

Jennifer

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Neefer

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This page was last modified Wednesday, 30-Jan-2008 15:49:07 PST