Gardening tasks to Do in October

Autumn is within the air. Clouds suc­ceed every ray of sunshine. That is the season of achievement. Seeds and fruits are ripening. Buds are being coated by fur coats. The wild beasts are storing meals. Man is altering his summer time hab­its. It’s time for contemplation.

It isn’t on New Yr’s day that the gardener makes his resolutions, however it’s in early autumn when frosts have taken his flowers when the fruit is picked when hearth makes the lounge a comfortable household council place. Then does the garden-lover plan for one more yr. The plans that at the moment are made are plans inside his thoughts and within the soil; later, when the catalogs have arrived and the seed orders are made, these plans take extra graphic type.

The North

Transplanting. Virtually every kind of deciduous and broadleaf shrubbery and small bushes might be moved.

Fall planting. Within the decrease half or so of New England, Wisconsin, north­ern Iowa, and southeastern Minnesota, fall planting of hardier perennials and rock crops, deciduous shrubbery, and bushes might be finished this month if good inventory is used and planting is completed care­totally.

Within the northern parts of all states from Maine to central Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana, fall planting of perennials will not be really helpful, and fall planting of shrubbery and bushes in lots of areas is dangerous. Earlier than doing any planting, seek the advice of your native nurserymen or panorama planters.

Fall planting of any variety will not be re­counseled for the excessive upland plains and mountain nation of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Cutworms. Fall spading or plowing is a giant think about controlling cutworms.

Mulch rhododendrons with leaves, ideally oak, for cover and for meals.

Rose Safety. Within the northern tier of states, from New England to the Nice Lakes area and to the north­western plains of the Dakotas and Montana and into the mountain coun­strive, Hybrid Tea Roses must be hilled up with soil 12 to fifteen inches deep earlier than the bottom freezes. After the bottom is frozen exhausting, cowl rose-bush tops with straw, outdated hay, or evergreen branches.

Climbing roses must be laid on the bottom, coated with 3 to six inches of soil, after which just a little mulch positioned on prime. Earth is significantly better than straw or leaves due to mice.

Re-Plan. Whereas the climate continues to be nice and we aren’t so delicate about upsetting the entire look of our residence grounds, it’s a good time to re-plan the whole lot, comparable to walks and beds, and make all fast adjustments.

Evergreens. If the autumn is dry, it’s nicely to offer all evergreens a thoro soaking, as they have to not go into freezing climate dry.

Lilies. Many imported lily bulbs arrive very late in order that in case you are meaning to plant lilies it’s smart to mulch the soil within the spot the place they’re to go, with leaves or manure. Then the planting might be finished even when the bottom is totally frozen. All lilies rising within the floor at current must be mulched with leaves for the winter.

Chrysanthemums. Earlier than frosts are anticipated, it’s nicely to dig one of the best chrysanthemum crops.

Tender Perennials. Within the colder areas sure perennials—comparable to lavender, Plumbago, thrift, Statice (Armeria), and torch lily (Kniphofta) —must be dug and positioned in a well-drained chilly body or chilly basement the place they won’t be subjected to winter’s extreme chilly.

Home Crops. Pot geranium, Candy Alyssum, ageratum, and different crops rising within the backyard.

Potting Soil. Carry indoors a great provide of potting soil for the winter.

The West Coast

Bulb-planting time is right here. In planting freesias ensure the soil is gentle and well-drained.

Anemone and Ranunculus. When the bulbs of Anemones and Ranunculus are acquired from the seedsman they’re often in regards to the worst-looking bulbs you purchase. They seem completely lifeless. But when they’re soaked for a number of hours earlier than planting, they are going to turn into plump, then you may see simply which is the highest, thereby planting them proper aspect up and avoiding any pos­sible disappointment.

Oriental Poppies. planting Oriental Pop­pies in coarse screen-wire baskets to maintain gophers away from the roots.

October work within the Northwest is much like northern sections of the nation in lots of particulars. It’s clear up, skinny, maintain after the weeds, and plant.

The South

Within the Gulf states, seeds of many an­nual flowers and greens are sown this month. “Within the South autumn is among the greatest backyard seasons for work—to not put together for winter however to maintain our gardens carrying on with an abundance of bloom. September is usually our hottest month, with October, not far behind. The nice necessity of the ocean­son is water, which must be permitted to run till the bottom is totally moist. In­sects are extra troublesome than at another time.”

Perennial Borders. This can be a good time to remake the perennial border.

Roses. We now have suggested resting the roses for a number of months in order that now we start to water them and provides them a great feeding with a concentrated plant meals, which might be weakly ap­plied at intervals of about ten days.

Lawns. Ryegrass is quick supplanting the Bermuda Grass.

Pansies. Many Southern gardeners who discover it tough to lift younger pansies from seed will discover that if the seedlings are bought farther north, they are going to be profitable and bloom professional­fusely in January.

Poinsettias must be rigorously tied to stakes this month as a result of they’re injured by the wind.

Delphiniums, elsewhere perennials, have to be handled as annuals in Florida and planted every fall.