Frank
 Administrator
Originally Galway, Ireland
Posts: 12557
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:30 am Post subject: What are your October gardening tasks? (annual topic) |
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Following on a similar vein to last month's topic what garden tasks have you got planned or are currently in the middle of in the month of October?
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Last edited by Frank on Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:38 am Post subject: |
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General clean up. I have some nacissus bulbs to plant. And I am doing away with the monster cannas that took over one of my flower beds. I may put them in the back where they can go wild to their hearts content. That's about it, unless I somehow become super rich and can afford to do all that I really want to do like retire and play in the dirt all day long.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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bethie
WestTennessee
Posts: 1570
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:41 am Post subject: |
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I'm going to get my pansies and violas this week. I'm transplanting four blueberry bushes. I'm going to the woods and get some pawpaw saplings. It's the food plant of the zebra swallowtail. I'm cutting back my giant fencerow which is out of control. That should do for a start. 
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eileen
Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18528
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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I'll be doing the same as Jan with my tomato plants. Soon I'll be re-doing my hanging bacskets - planting them up with violas. I think we'll be able to cut the grass once more before the frosts and trim the edges of the lawn.
I may move some plants to better positions and put down some more bark.
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Polly
Michigan
Posts: 2164
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Cutting back perennials, clean up weeds. Haven't started putting away the garden art yet or the wicker chairs, etc. Vegetable garden is just about done - my husband did it. Waiting for the last roses to bloom before cutting them back.
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EJ
Essex
Posts: 2863
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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October is such a great month! I love the changes in season, and now already there is that crisp, damp, chilly smell in the air.
On the allotment I will be cutting back all of my runner beans, but only once they have finished beaning. Same with my toms, and of course bringing in the last of the squash and pulling up the plants to go onto the compost heap. I will be moving my coldframe over the French Beans as I am hoping a little protection will provide ideal growing conditions for them so we can have a sneaky late crop. The last of the cooking apples need picking and if they are in good shape, I will wrap them in newspaper and store them on a tray in the garage. Hopefully very soon my winter onions and garlics will arrive mailorder, as I really need to get those set now before the weather gets to wet.
In the garden, the pond needs cleaning a little and we are going to reposition the stream, but I don't know if we will have time during October to do it. Mum has brought me a couple of big sacks of mixed daffodil bulbs which I will get this weekend, so they will all go in. I have already started to split perrenials and move things that have been in the shade and struggling, out into sunnier positions. My hanging baskets are all down, so like the rest of you, I will be thinking about what I can put in to fill them. I am thinking of some ivy and winter flowering pansies and something with bright berries - very autumnal and also christmassy.
In the greenhouse, the toms will be cut well back so the developing fruit will have a chance to ripen in the autumn and winter sun and the best chilli plants will be brought into the conservatory to overwinter.
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11707
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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Garden chores in October will be just about the same as September for me. My plants, both the established ones that survived the summer and the newer ones are continuing to grow and bloom.
In a normal year our first frost doesn't happen until mid-November. Last year it happened in the second half of December.
I do need to dig up, divide and replant in a new place, the Iris, Glads and Lilies.
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Primsong
Oregon
Posts: 1719
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| Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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I'm putting in bulbs mostly, snowdrops of various kinds, tulips and other goodies. Cleaning up the daylilies somewhat, cutting back the strawberries where they are trying to crawl into the lawn. I just finished the last of the grapes and took out the withered remains of the greenbeans and sweetpeas. I'm planting a couple poplar saplings and small shrubs, trimming back perennials and deadheading roses (they bloom til December here). Yanked out pathetic looking primroses in favor of winter pansies and coleus in a couple planters and am thinking on what to put in my basket for wintering. (I like the idea of ivy mentioned above).
I should be digging and dividing, but doubt I'll manage to get much of it done this year - guess everyone just gets to be a little crowded.
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Frank
Administrator
Originally Galway, Ireland
Posts: 12557
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:12 am Post subject: |
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I'm bringing this topic back to life for October 2007  What's in store this October?
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TheBip
Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 1040
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:42 am Post subject: |
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I should be getting my bulbs in the mail any day now, so Ill have to get those in the ground  Other than that, not too much to worry about.
My Romance Aster finally bloomed  But my camera and the computer are having compatibility issues, so I cant post pics 
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petunia
northern michigan
Posts: 2248
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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I have plenty with my vege garden still is need of taking down-tomatoes, pick the last of the beans, bring in the last of the squash. hopefully we'll have late tomatoes those are in the greenhouse with grow lights on them.
I still need to get my pond cleaned so the frogs and fishies will be happy for winter. didn't get to finishing that 2nd greenhouse so that'll need to be canvased over real good. in the mode of collecting up all the fresh seeds that I
can use again for next years flowers. with october in the air, sounds like fall will be keeping most of us busy getting ready for next year.
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Droopy
Regular Plants Contributor
Western Norway
Posts: 9312
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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That depends on the weather, I'm afraid. I've got lots of tidying up to do, but I'm too old to want to get soaked while doing it. I've decided not to plant to much this autumn. Come spring I have to reorganize a couple of big borders, and it's easier when I know where things are.
If we get a nice October, lots of the rearranging might be done now instead of next year. I can only keep my fingers crossed and hope.
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CritterPainter
Washington State
Posts: 1429
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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I'll be watching the temps closely, doing the balancing act between wanting to leave things in the garden yet pick them before they are hit by frost. The grapes are still too sour, hope they can hold on a little longer. Then once it frosts, everything annual will come out of the beds and into a compost pile, layered with newspaper and ubiquitous bunny poo. And I'm reeeally hoping to get some bark mulch down. Then lots of trimming in the flower beds and general tidying up.
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
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North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11707
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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My October gardening chores depend on the weather too.
If we get cool weather I can get out and do some cleaning....If we get some rain (our black clay soil is like concrete right now)I will be able to do some planting when my mailorder goodies arrive and some transplanting.
I didn't get the main Canna bed thinned out last spring and they are packed tight by now. I think I will be digging up all of them, refreshing the soil then replanting.
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glendann
Texas
Posts: 9281
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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I will be doing what I've been doing the past month and half just trying to get my beds looking decent.I have planted the bulbs and need to put new plastic on my little hot houe and reduild the door on it.Take out the old dry plants and cut back the onesw that have finished.
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