Gardening Tips

October is a beautiful month to work outside, with colorchanging leaves and mild temperatures. The Farmers Almanac estimates the first frost will be around November 1, 2022.

Mark Oct. 11 on your calendar for the St. Francis County Master Gardener’s fall seminar. The theme is “Fall Into Gardening; Precious Memories." The outstanding speakers will be Dr. Chris Cooper, Tina Wilcox, Susan Belsinger, and Still on the Hill (a musical group featuring bird calls and information about attracting birds to your yard).

One of the first items to work on this fall is to consider the house plants you want to bring inside. First, check the root ball when the plant is dry; it may need some new soil. Check for insects, frogs, or small snakes before you bring the plant inside. But remember, the longer these plants remain outside in the fall, the more shock they will go through when they are finally moved indoors.

Dig up and store tender bulbs, including caladiums, begonia buyers, fancy elephant ears, and dahlias. This can be done near the end of the month. If you have had luck leaving these bulbs in the ground, cut the leaves back and mulch a deep, wide area around the bulbs.

Trees, evergreens, and shrubs should be planted in the fall. These months of dormancy are the perfect time for the trees to set their roots before producing leaves, flowers, and new limbs. The wise gardener will look for information on each plant before buying it. You'll want to avoid planting a "trash tree" which does not produce good wood, such as the flowering pear tree. It has beautiful flowers for a short time, but the limbs and trunk will snap and break with little pressure. It will also multiply in the forest and keep good wood trees from growing.

Pumpkins and gourds make great displays outside and inside the home. Remember to wash them before displaying them and place them on a piece of cardboard so they will not stain the area when they start to decay.

Birds and butterflies will soon be migrating south. Give them a helping hand by providing food for their long journey. Some may stick around for the winter if they know they have a reliable food source.

A wonderful surprise in the early spring is looking at the yard and seeing flowers blooming when you had forgotten you had planted tulips, buttercups, crocus, and daffodils in October. So, gets those bulbs planted this month.

Try something new. If you have never planted spinach, this month is the time to do it. Spinach is a cool-season veggie grown in the early spring or late fall and is one of the most important vegetables grown in the Delta. It is rich in vitamins that we need in the winter and can be eaten raw in salads and cooked in various dishes. The first planting can be done when the soil becomes cool - October and later. Seeds can be broadcast over even frozen ground, and they can be planted in rows with close spacing. Seeds need to be planted about 1/2 inch deep. Spinach can be harvested when the leaves are large enough to use. Pick leaves individually from the bottom of the plant as suggested by Dr. Craig Anderson from UofA. Other fall greens that you can plant are kale, collards, mustard greens, and turnip greens.

October is the month to start preparing your gardens for winter. When you rake the leaves, put them in a compost pile. Make sure to refresh the mulch to about three inches around the trees and shrubs. This mulching will conserve winter moisture and insulate the roots from the cold. But pull mulch away from the trunk of the tree, because putting mulch on the trunk will lead to rot and early death of the plant.

October and the first part of November is the best time to plant wildflower seeds for a big show next spring. Prepare the soil by removing as much grass as possible; otherwise, it will take over the young seedlings and keep them from growing. Choose an area that has full sun and good drainage. Add sand to the seeds so the seeds will fall to the ground and not fly away from your new garden as you broadcast. Compress the seeds into the ground by walking on the area. If you have hay or straw, it is best to cover the seeded area with a thin layer.

Visit our local nurseries for seeds and plants for your vegetable and flower gardens. You can also order seeds and bulbs from your favorite plant catalog.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: St. Francis Master Gardeners share "Gardening Tips" each month. The information has been gleaned from gardening guides from planting zones 7 and 8.)