October in the Garden – Get Ready for Winter!
It’s getting cold and rainy now in the fall,
and not a good time in the garden. It is sad to see the year coming to an end. I am wishing for those pretty sunny fall days for that little tease to make us regret the end of the season of gardening here in Ohio.
I feel like there are a few things we need to do this time of year. I call them my October garden duties. These are the things I should do….made from lists of things I wish I had done as I whine in my spring garden. Never fails!
But if I get those chores done, it makes it so much easier in the spring to wake up my garden. To see more posts of my Backyard Flower Garden, click here.
I have tried both ways, clearing it all in the fall or leaving it all until the spring. My vote goes for complete clearing in the fall. It seems to work best for me, but you may have a different opinion.
So remove all the debris and foliage which is dying or has been killed by frost. If it is free of disease and mildew, put it in the compost pile. If not, then wrap and discard in your garbage. This will keep the mildew and other diseases from lingering in the garden all winter and re-emerging in the spring.
If you have any bulbs which are tender for your area such as dahlias, cannas or gladiolas, be sure to dig them and clean the bulbs or corms and leave them to dry in the sun. Then label them for color and type and store them in a dry place.
And remember to get those springs bulbs planted now for a good show in springtime.
Be sure that your trees, shrubs, and any plants in the garden are well watered before the freeze comes. They need to be well hydrated to survive the coming winter.
Check your garden and its paths for weeds and remove them as much as you can. They don’t need to get a good hold in your garden, especially to set seed for next spring. And you want the garden to look neat over the winter.
Be sure to mow your lawn late into the season. You don’t want long grass under the snow cover. Use a mulching blade so that you take advantage of the leaves provided which will feed the lawn for next spring. The mulch blade easily takes care of your fallen leaves if there are not too many of them. If you have to rake leaves, be sure to put them in your compost bins.
Turn that compost!
Remember: Your hypertufa can stay outside all winter. Just be sure to have it off the ground on little feet, or bricks or even on a stand or table of some kind. It cannot sit in a puddle and freeze. Not good!
And be sure it is not in an area where roof runoff will constantly keep it damp or wet. ( This is true for summer and winter.)
Have a nice fall! And make some hypertufa pots in this cool weather! It can naturally cure outside all winter and be ready to plant in the spring!
Are you planning to make some?