A Guide to October Gardening
October 14, 2024
October, surprisingly, is a great month for gardening. The end of the growing season means early autumn is the perfect time to start preparing for winter, planting autumn crops, and harvesting October favourites, including pumpkins and squashes.
Harvesting:
Harvesting involves cutting and gathering your matured crops from their location of growth. Harvesting typically begins in late summer to early autumn and ends in the early winter. Making October prime harvesting time! October is a great month for harvesting vegetables such as pumpkins, winter squash, butternut squash, and harvest gourds. Although October is the the season to harvest these crops it’s important to look out for signs that the produce is ready to be harvested some considerations are,
- The ideal colour of the maturing crop: Pumpkins, typically will be a solid and bright orange colour throughout, for squashes this can vary depending on the type, butternut squash turns a tan colour, acorn squash turns dark orange, spaghetti squash turns a creamy yellow, and delicata squash becomes a mixture of white, beige, and slightly orange.
- How hard does the crop feel, are the pumpkin rinds (tough outer skin) hard enough to sustain light piercing then it is good for picking.
- Is the stem turning hard and woody?
Once harvested, unlike wide-scale farming, optimal post-harvest storage conditions may not be possible to achieve. It’s important to handle crops with care and avoid overly high or low temperatures once harvested.
Autumn Maintenance:
The end of a busy growing season is a great opportunity to conduct some not-so-spring cleaning to prepare for the winter and a brand-new growing season.
- Tidying your growing areas
- Washing out pots and trays your plants/crops may have been growing inside.
- Cleaning out water butts ready for the autumn rain to refill them.
- Compost bin usage, collecting fallen leaves and dead plants.
- Trim hedges before the cold, damp air sets in.
- If your soil is still fairly dry from the warmer summer months, ensure you give your garden one last water before the frosty days and nights arrive.
- Reduce pests and diseases by removing any plant waste from your garden/allotment.
- Make sure you have brought in any non-hardy plants/ crops inside or into your greenhouse, to protect and maintain optimum growing conditions throughout the cooler months.
Autumnal Planting:
The growing season doesn’t end in the summer; you can also make the most of your growing space in the cooler months. However, it is important to tend to your soil before thinking about replanting. Ensure your soil is evenly spaced and nutrient-filled. Many people tend to add mulch to their soil for added protection and to enforce a strong structure for the next growing season.
Once you have considered your planting environment, you can then decide what hardy plants/crops you’d like to grow.
A few choices include:
Vegetables:
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Beetroot
- Kale
- Spinach
- Swede
Fruit:
Flowers:
- Soil temperatures are still fairly warm during early autumn due to the soil retaining reserved summer heat and moisture; therefore, some flowers can still be planted going into the cooler months, however, most flowers are planted above ground or indoors, these include:
- Cowslips: Do best in shady spots near water.
- Wallflowers: Planted in autumn, ready to bloom in early spring.
- Honeywort: Sow seeds into individual pots and plant out in spring.
- Phacelia: A hardy plant to sow in well-prepared soil for planting out in spring.
Pest and disease watch:
Although the cooler months mean that insect and typical pest rates naturally decline, pest control is still an essential part of your gardening routine. In October you can control the pests and diseases in your garden, greenhouse or allotment by:
- Buy disease-free seeds: Use treated and disease resistant varieties for vegetables and herbs.
- Although you can adopt this method all year round, plant companion crops to attract pests away from your primary crop one of the most common methods is named ‘trap crop’ (A plant that attracts pests away from the target crop without the use of pesticides). Some of examples of potential ‘trap crops’ are: Mustard, Chives, and Sorrel.
- Ensure you are removing any plant debris left over from the heights of the growing season. For those with planted fruit trees continue to stay on top of removing the fallen fruit from the growing area.
Conclusion:
October, although may not be the most exciting season for avid gardeners, offers opportunities for seasonal harvest, a focus on garden and greenhouse maintenance, planting hardy crops and flowers, whilst also still considering pest and disease control. Therefore, ensuring a healthy and aesthetically pleasing growing space all year round.
Happy autumnal gardening!
FAQs:
- Can I plant new crops in October?
- Yes, you can, hardy vegetables such as garlic, carrots, beetroot, kale, spinach, and swede. As well as fruit trees like apples, pears, plums, peaches, and cherries. Lastly flowers like cowslips, wallflowers, honeywort and phacelia.
- Should I fertilise my lawn in October?
- Yes, October is an ideal time to fertilise grass types that thrive in cooler temperatures like Bentgrass and Ryegrasses.
- Is October a good time for pruning?
- Yes, October is a good time to prune dead and diseased branches from both trees and shrubs, although avoid over-pruning as this can result in new growth which may not survive the cold winter temperatures.
- How do I transition my outdoor plants indoors for winter?
- Gradually begin to bring your soon-to-be indoor plants inside for a few hours each day, check for pests before beginning to bring them indoors and ensure you place them in an area with ideal light exposure.
