Colder nights will bring different garden chores as the time draws near to prepare for winter and the nightly risk of frost.
Master gardener John Hethrington offers the following things to do for the month of October.
There is an annual argument among gardeners as to whether you should cut back your perennials, ornamental grasses, etc., in the fall, or leave them long for “winter interest.” However, up here, most perennials are covered by two feet of snow, so you can’t see them anyway. Spring clean-up can be daunting. There may be wet weather, or a late spring. For these reasons, I am opting for a big fall clean-up again this year to get a jump on spring 2022.
I say it’s time to trim back perennials and divide them as needed for your garden, to give to your neighbours, or to pot them up for the St. George’s plant sale in June 2022 and get a tax receipt. Make sure it is a cool, cloudy day and add bone meal fertilizer to the pots, or your new plantings. October is a great time to plant perennials.
Buy and plant spring-flowering bulbs. Add a little bulb fertilizer, like bone meal, to the bottom of the hole and water well to get the roots started. Your efforts now will bring big dividends in April and May 2022.
For a longer bloom season, plant a variety of bulbs, like winter aconite, snow drops and crocus. You can also plant early-, middle- and late-blooming tulips and daffodils for a much longer season.
Place chicken wire just under the surface of the soil over any tulip bulbs you plant. The squirrels will hate you. Daffs should not need this protection.
If there is an early frost warning, cover tender annuals overnight with an old bed sheet. They should make it through and keep on blooming.
Bring in house plants when the evenings start to cool down, or when you get a frost warning. First give them a thorough spray with insecticidal soap, so that there are no unwanted hitchhikers coming into your home.
Fertilize lawns with a low first number and high middle number or with a “fall formula” fertilizer.
Start cutting your grass much lower than in summer to avoid winter matted long grass next spring.
Water shrubs, evergreens and trees weekly and deeply at least until frost.
Buy the Triple-19 fertilizer now, so you will have it to put on the snow that will be covering your perennial gardens in March 2022.
John Hethrington has been gardening since the age of nine. He spent his early life gardening in Toronto and earned his certification as a master gardener before moving to Meaford where he cultivates 2.5 acres with 20 different gardens.
