October Gardening Tips for the Midwest and Mountain Regions
Last updated: October 13, 2014
How long should I keep watering my trees and shrubs?
Fall is here and the frost is on its way. If you are wondering what you can be doing in your yard to help prepare for the frost and the winter in the Midwest and Mountain Regions of the United States, please read on. Below is a list of To-Dos for the month of October.
October Gardening Tips
Landscaping Tips
- Continue to water your trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.
- To help minimize winter damage, surround your trees and shrubs with a layer of mulch.
- When cleaning up the fallen leaves, don’t throw them out. Instead, break them into smaller pieces and use them for mulch in your flower beds.
- If you are looking to transplant your roses or your trees, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, October is the best month to do that.
- Lawn care this month looks like fertilizing it, continuing to mow it as long as it grows and reseeding as necessary.
Fruit and Vegetable Tips
- Make sure to harvest any crops that are sensitive to frost like pumpkins and sweet potatoes.
- Enjoy harvesting your orchard apples.
Perennial and Annual Tips
- Get your spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and snow drops into the ground.
- To protect your spring-flowering bulbs from animals, cover them with chicken wire. If you have problems with underground animals, you may find it helpful to surround your bulbs with chicken wire or wire cages.
- Better Homes and Gardens says that you can plant your spring-flowering bulbs until mid-November as long as the ground hasn’t froze yet.
General Gardening Tips
- Start your fall clean-up by removing all the weeds and dead or diseased plants.
- Frost Tip: This month will most likely bring frost. Place a non-plastic material like a sheet over your plants when the frost is reported to come to help draw out the growing season. The next day after the air is warmed you can remove the cover.
Bringing It Home
The more work you put into your garden and lawn this month, the less you’ll have to do next spring. What is on the top of you gardening “To-Do” list?
