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Just because downslope is here , that does n’t mean gardening time of year is over ! There ’s still plenty of time to wrap up the season , ready for next year , and harness all of those pesky to - dos around the homestead . So without further ado , here ’s your October garden planning cheat sheet .
October Garden Planning: The Harvest
1 . Pumpkins and winter squash : If you have n’t already , now is the sentence to harvest your autumn pumpkin and wintertime squash . You ’ll know they ’re ready when the stem turn start to split up apart . Use pruning shears to cut the fruit from the vine leaving about two column inch of stem on the fruit . This will help preclude premature putrefaction of your harvest .
Once they ’re cut , target the winter squash in a sunny patch outdoors for about two weeks to sweeten the flavour and harden the tegument . autumn pumpkin should heal in the sun for about a hebdomad . pass over both down with a dampish material and memory in a nerveless , teetotal place .
2 . Root crops : potato , beetroot , parsnips , carrots , and Brassica rapa are also quick for a final harvest in October . Gently dig out up your antecedent crops , brush them uninfected of shite and detritus , and put them in repositing in a nerveless , dark situation with low humidness .

3 . Herbs : There ’s nothing better than hold sweet herbs usable in the winter months ( they are the everlasting increase to a steaming pot of stick - to - your - belly stew ! ) so do n’t overleap to reap the last of your bounty . You candryor freeze the herbsso they are ready to go when you need them .
Planting in October
4 . Spring bulbs : Get your saltation bulb in the reason now so the roots have time to circularise out before the soil freeze . opt hardy varieties like daffodils , tulip , hyacinth , snowdrop , and crocus corms .
While you may be quick to want to cover and protect your bulbs with mulch , we suggest waiting until the land freezes firstor else your hard work may catch the attention of wandering fauna .
5 . Fall garlic : Mid - autumn is the utter time to plant Allium sativum for summertime harvest home . Be sure to choose a sunny location with ample soil – ail thrives best in this circumstance . plant life clove in rows , root - side down about 5 ” apart . If you ’re in Zones 4 or 5 like we are , overlay your crop with about 6 ” of mulch for protection .
6 . Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and shrubs : If you missed out on planting trees and shrubs last give , do n’t vex ! Fall is the consummate time as it allows the root systems to form before the frost sets in . Spread mulch around the sapling to help them outlive throughout the winter . And do n’t forget to body of water ( snow level - pending , of course ) to keep them hydrous through the winter month .
Garden Maintenance
7 . Reflect and phonograph record : Now that the crop work is done , it ’s time to look back at the twelvemonth and record how things belong . If you do n’t already have an precis of your garden layout , make one!This will help for planning determination next year so you may rotate crop and modify the layout based on what make for or did n’t work , and it also provide a historical logarithm to survey in the future . Now ’s also a near sentence to make notes about any challenges you faced , the changes you want to make next year , and any push items you should think in the leap .
8 . uninfected up commence : Everyone ’s least preferred part about the end of produce time of year is , of trend , the cleaning . Unfortunately , it ’s also one of the most important ! Be sure to rake out leaves from beds , remove any out - of - place junk , utter or diseased works , twigs , rocks , etc . A clean garden bed is a healthy garden layer .
9 . try your stain : As we all have intercourse , thehealth of our soilis integral to the success of our garden . As the time of year comes to an end , test your ground to see if you need to make adjustments to the pH.If you do , tote up the command amendment now as they will take some time to start work .
10 . Pack up and slick up up : alternatively of just packing everything forth for the winter , spend some time organizing your tools . See what take to be mended or replaced , do a inscrutable clean and jerk to preclude rust or aging , and organize so you may quick regain what you ’re expect for . It ’s also a good meter to fix any upset fences , room access , cellar , etc .
Recommended Reads
Building Your Own Root Cellar for the Fall Harvest
The Ultimate Guide to Garden Planning
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