Monthly Gardening Calendar For October

October is a magical time in the Southern Great Lakes Region. Along with our neighbors to the north and east, as well as the areas of the mountain south, few other areas on the continent, or the planet, for that matter, can rival the glorious displays that Nature paints with her rich palette. There is a definite crispness to the air. Warm days give way to cool nights. The region abounds with the produce of fall's bounty: Pumpkins, gourds, apples, grapes and other fruits and vegetables are abundant. This is a time for football games and tailgate parties, fall festivals and driving tours, and Halloween for the kids.

October is also the time when our region generally experiences its first frosts. True enough, some years the frosts might hit in September, but more often than not, October brings the first frosts of the season. For a short time after the frosts and before first really cold weather of the season sets in, we can expect the brief and lovely Indian Summer to arrive.

October is a busy time for gardeners, and it's great to get out in the midst of all of Autumn's splendor to garden. It is a time of fall planting, winter prep and yard cleaning chores:

1. Plant spring flowering bulbs at this time. Continue planting until the ground freezes. If you have a problem with squirrels and other marauders who routinely snack on your bulbs, plant in bulb cages or add chicken wire over the area. Be sure to dig in an organic bulb fertilizer or bone meal when planting bulbs, and plant at the correct depth.

2. Start building stake and burlap windbreaks for rhododendrons and other plants that resent winter wind and sun, especially if the plants are somewhat marginal for our area or if the plants are in an exposed position.

3. Remove spent foliage from plants such as peonies and other perennials. Do leave a few seedheads of some flowers such as coneflower and sedum intact for the birds and for winter interest. Harvest some seeds for planting next season. Also leave the plumes of ornamental grasses on the plants for added winter interest.

4. Begin to turn over vegetable gardens. As crops of plants are finished, remove the plants and add them to the compost pile, unless diseased. Add compost, manure, and shredded leaves to your garden to help condition and nourish the soil.

5. It might sound like it's a bit early to do this, but you will be glad you did this in October: If you plan on haviang a live Christmas tree this year, one that you will plant after the holidays, dig the spot for it now. Place the soil where it will not freeze and add a tarp over it. Refill the hole with leaves, and place a board over it to prevent someone from accidentally stepping into the hole. In December or early January when you plant the tree, you will be glad that you tackled this job earlier.

6. Take any tomatoes that are starting to change from green, wrap them in newspaper, and place them in a cardboard box. Place them in a dark, dry place. Check them weekly, and any that are starting to "color up", place on the windowsill to finish ripening. My mother used to do this, and was serving fresh tomatoes at least until mid-November!

7. Believe it or not, this is a good time to have your soil tested.

8. Build a coldframe or purchase one. This is a great place to overwinter young plants that are a bit too young to spend winter out in the open ground. It is also a great place to store root crops and potted spring flowering bulbs that you have started for forcing.

9. Start withholding fertilizer from houseplants as their growth rate starts to slow down.

10. Build an indoor lighting system of shelves and lights for seed starting activities a few months from now. Or, check your grow lights and replace them, as needed.

11. Check the progress of your cuttings. As the sun begins to angle towards winter, the intensity of sunlight diminishes. Start supplementing natural sunlight with artificial lights to keep cutting from getting leggy and weak.

12. Start some herbs indoors for fresh use this winter.

13. As roses start to wind down, remove dead foliage or any foliage that has fallen from the bushes. This will help prevent diseases such as Black Spot which can overwinter in the leaf litter. Many troubles can be prevented by not allowing the leaves to stay on the ground around your roses.

14. Continue watering rhododendrons, azaleas, newly planted trees, and other woody plants.

15. Don't forget to protect tree trunks from rodents and rabbits, and sunscald as well. Apply tree wrap to young trees. Also place fine mesh chicken wire cylinders about six inches out and around tree trunks of young trees. Be sure to place this at least a foot higher than the average maximum snow depth that your area receives during the snowy season.

16. Protect vegetables and flowers that you wish to save when frost threatens.

17. Rake leaves, and either put them through a shredder or run the mower with the bag attached to catch the leaves. Add these to the compost pile, or use as mulch. Unshredded leaves can mat, so be sure to shred the leaves first.

18. Get your snowblower tuned up early in the season before the rush is on, or buy one now while supplies and sales are plentiful.

19. Take down and clean your hummingbird feeders. If you haven't been feeding the songbirds during the warm months, check your feeders, repair them, and start adding seed and suet cakes to attract birds now.

20. I know that the price of gasoline has skyrocketed, but indulge yourself at least once this season with a driving tour of the countryside. You will see the trees and shrubs that are real "show-offs" this time of the year. You might even be inspired to add a few of them to your yard next year!