October is the month for several important gardening chores. Here’s a rundown:
Clean garden beds in preparation for winter. Many insects and diseases winter-over in fallen debris. Prune diseased leaves from roses, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. But leave leaf litter under oaks, pine and junipers, since the leaf duff helps protect the roots.
Add a mulch layer to existing garden beds to provided needed nutrients for next year’s crops. However, don’t practice wall-to-wall mulching; it’s important to leave areas of exposed native soil for ground-nesting bees.
Trim perennials such as salvias, penstemons, yarrow and buddleia (butterfly bush) to between half to one-third their existing size to stimulate new growth in the spring.
Harvest persimmons by cutting, rather than pulling, the fruit to avoid damaging the tree. Harvest Fuyu persimmons when firm and crisp; wait to harvest the Hachiya variety until fruit is soft.
Chill tulip bulbs now (place them in the refrigerator, not the freezer) so they will be ready for planting before the first frost. These bulbs need about six to eight weeks of chilling time before planting. But avoid storing your bulbs near apples, since apples emit ethylene gas, which will cause the bulbs to sprout prematurely.
Sow native wildflowers. Poppies, clarkias, lupines and blue-eyed Marys are easy to start from seed. Planting just before the winter rains
start will prevent the need for watering.
(For our complete list of October gardening tips, go to www.mastergardeners.org/tips/october.html.)
What to plant now
Local nurseries should have a good supply of most of the following for transplanting: arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, chives, fava beans, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, potatoes, spinach and Swiss chard.
October also is the time for the following seeds: arugula, fava beans, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and spinach.
(To find a list of cool-season vegetables that do well in Santa Clara County, go to http://mastergardeners.org/picks/cool.html or call the hotline.)
The Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program is a University of California Cooperative Extension volunteer organization dedicated to providing research-based gardening information to home gardeners. Have a question for Rebecca Jepsen and the other Master Gardeners? Call the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener hotline in San Jose at 408-282-3105 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Visit the Master Gardeners website at www.mastergardeners.org.
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