October is a fabulous month. It has a beautiful birthstone, wonderful weather and crisp blue skies.
What's not to like, except the anticipation of leaf raking?
I finally got my new flower/herb garden done. The picture was taken before I could add the final three plants because the chosen spot was taken by fire ants, which left me with a couple of nasty bites. I got even, however.
Treating fire ants is one of the chores for this month. Here's a list of other chores to do, or assign if you're fortunate enough to have children who agree to do chores, if not for love, then money.
Once again, credit goes to Sid Mullis, the Richmond County Cooperative Extension agent, who has written the definitive (and free) gardening calendar guide for the Augusta area; and to the books Month-By-Month Gardening in Georgia, by Walter Reeves and Erica Glasener, and The Perennial Care Manual, by Nancy J. Ondra (these two cost).
OCTOBER CHORES
- Spray ornamentals with systemic insecticide to control tea scale.
- Plant shrubs and trees.
- Apply pre-emergence herbicide for winter weed control.
- Divide and transplant most perennials (fall bloomers excepted).
- Take cuttings from most spring and summer flowering plants.
- Dress perennials and ornamentals with compost, but keep it off stems and crowns.
- Dig up caladium tubers before leaves completely fade (so you know where they are); let foliage die back, shake off excess dirt and when dry, store in basement or garage for next year.
- Cut back spring-bloomers, except verbena.
- Save sweet potato vines by digging up the tubers and over-wintering them.
- Clean out vegetable gardens.
- Spray cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and collards with thuricide to control caterpillars.
- Most banana and elephant ears will survive our winters if mulched, but my three years of experience suggest you might want to dig up your variegated banana before winter. Cut off all leaves close to the trunk. Wrap the root ball tight with burlap or plastic and move the plant to a place protected from freezing weather.
- Plant up your fall vegetables.
- Mid-to late October is time to plant pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale.
icon.
