October Tasks

 As October arrives, it is truly fall season.  In our corner of Virginia, there are still many days with highs in the upper 70s F.  and so there is plenty of growing to be done in the garden and in the yard.  This is a month of transition, however, and a time of restructuring.

1.  Clean up of the old.  Summer crops need to be removed.  The long and wiry tomato vines need to be removed, and all the lingering tomatoes harvested, no matter what color they have reached. 

Pepper plants may still be going strong, untouched by disease, and may have put on some new flowers in September that are still maturing peppers.  Keep them watered until the first frost becomes imminent in November.

I also harvested all my long season sweet potatoes and set them out to cure, pulled out okra and eggplant.

During clean up, weed all the garden beds, so that each of them is completely weed free.  We don't want any neglected stragglers getting a chance to overwinter and send down deep roots that are hard to eradicate.  At the same time, use the string trimmer to cut down the weeds growing around the base of the raised beds. These are probably in the process of setting seeds that will float into our gardens and cause problems next spring.

2.  Garden Hardware.  Taking care of the tomato beds will allow us to remove the tomato cages, the poles and any other mechanical structure that remains in the garden beds.  We can take out the trellis and poles for the cucumbers, squash and other stakes and ropes that I used during the summer.  It is especially important for me to put them away carefully so that I can find them next year, and not have to re-invent the wheel.  

For metal poles that contact the ground, I give the ends a coating of black paint so they don't continue to deteriorate.  Check your other garden implements, like the wheelbarrow, to see if they are developing rust and need a coating of rust converter.  Other tools that you might not be using for several months, like shovels and rakes, can be given a coating of silicone lube or other protectant so they don't corrode over the winter.

This year I had to remove and fold away the shade cloth I placed over my cucumbers this summer.

3.  Deep Renovation.  Choose one of your beds for a deep renovation that involves a more pervasive conditioning of the soil.  I choose to double dig my bed.  This means digging down to the hard pan, which is about 24", in a 2 shovel-width row.  Then loosening what I can of the hard clay layer for another 3".  As I turn, I remove any deep roots that creep in from nearby trees.  This root encroachment, if left unchecked, will seriously rob the garden beds of moisture and nutrients.  I have added root barriers underground to guard against it, but the landscape trees have nothing but time to find a way around it.

Then, I add about 6 inches of leaf mulch at the base and then turn the next row onto the ground leaves of the first row.  This layer of leaf mulch is part of a core gardening system and acts as a sponge that soaks up and retains moisture. As it breaks down, it returns nutrients to the soil, and provides a deep water source that draws roots down and conditions the soil.

I practice what I call a "limited till" method.  I try not to completely till the soil every year, but I do this deep renovation every 4 or 5 years.  I choose one of my 4 raised beds to renovate each year so that over the course of 4 years the entire garden is reset.

4.  Planting.  The seeds that I started in September are ready to go into the ground now.  Spinach, lettuce, kale, bok choi and the like are ready to be planted out into the garden.  You may have already planted some in September, but this is your last opportunity to finish planting everything you have left. 

At the same time, plant the garlic starts and any radishes and turnips you have space for. 

5.  Cold frame protection.  This time of year, the nighttime lows are in the 40s and 50s, but soon it will drop into the upper 30s and its time to get ready whatever cold preparation you usually put in place.  I use low tunnels over my raised beds, which consist of PVC conduit hoops covered with plastic sheeting.  Even if it isn't necessary yet, now is the opportunity to get it out of storage and assess its condition. 

My low tunnels require:

• PVC hoops (electrical conduit for UV stabilization)
• Base connections. Either larger PVC tubes for the hoops to slide into, or rebar stakes for the hoop ends to slide over.
• Plastic sheeting
• Clips that fit over the hoops on the ends
  
• Decking boards to hold down the sides
• 4" clamps to hold the decking boards down.
  

After the renovation and planting are complete, I stick the hoops into the ground and make sure that each of the components is ready to put in place.

6.  Leaf mold preparation.  With the abundance of fallen leaves this time of year, its time to prepare the bags for leaf mold.  As you mow up the leaves, capture mulched leaves in your grass catcher and store them in 4-6 black contractor bags behind the shed.  These will store for 18 months and turn into a  valuable soil amendment in the spring a year later.

7.  Fallen Leaves.  Every Fall I have to deal with far more of the fallen leaves than I have a good use for.  In addition to core renovation, I use leaves for mulching around the cool season crops in the garden beds.  Any garden beds that will be fallow over the winter should be completely covered with 3-4" of leaf mulch as well, to preserve their conditioning.

Then I fill my leaf mold bags for next year.  Finally, I will finish up in November by mulching the leaves in place in the back yard, or taking them back into the woods if the front yard is overwhelmed. 

 

8. Front Yard Winterizing.  While I typically keep up with mowing, other front yard jobs can sometimes get neglected.  I don't always feel the need to edge the driveway or trim along the fence.  However, by the end of October, grass growing has largely stopped, so whatever state the front yard is in will be how it stays until at least next March.  A little effort now means the front yard looks good all winter.

I should edge the sidewalks and driveways, trim along the house and the fence, scrape the grass growing in the sidewalk gaps and along the driveway apron, trim around the mailbox and light post.

9.  Trim the Shrubbery.  While in the front yard, trim the rose bushes to 4' in height, trim the rosemary bush, remove the spent stalks of the Jerusalem sunflowers, trim tree branches.

10.  Lawn Application.  Consult the lawn maintenance program and apply a treatment of Barricade weed suppressant along with an application of 10-10-10 fertilizer to carry the lawn over the winter months and prevent early weeds from emerging next spring.