It's October! Autumn is in full swing and this is the month to start prepping your garden for winter. Read on to find out which essential autumn gardening jobs you should be doing this month!
Essential October gardening jobs
Use fallen leaves
As autumn leaves drop from the trees, don't see it as a nuisance. See it as an opportunity as there are several ways that you can use fallen leaves to feed your garden with nutrients:
- Shed fallen leaves with your lawn mower and leave them on the lawn
- Use chopped leaves to mulch roses, garlic and tender perennials
- Collect leaves in bags and fasten them with VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Ties. Move them to an unused area and dump the leaves in a pile to make leaf mold compost.
Plant garlic in pots
Autumn is garlic planting time and it couldn't be easier to do it.
To grow garlic outside, start by making a raised bed with soil and compost and then plant individual cloves 4 to 6 inches apart. Then cover them with chopped leaves, hay or straw to protect them over the winter.
To plant garlic in containers, cover the pot with row cover fabric and secure it in place by wrapping VELCRO® Brand Garden Ties around the pot. Then store the containers in a basement or unheated garage.
Decorate for Halloween
Get ready for Halloween by collecting old corn stalks and bundling them together with VELCRO® Brand All Purpose Straps.
Combine the corn stalks with carved or painted pumpkins, fall flowers such as hydrangeas and some spooky fabrics and spider's webs to create a ghostly fall appearance.
Collect flower seeds
Collect seeds from your favourite annual flowers, such as calendula, verbena or poppies. Pick the healthiest plant, then wait until the flowers have started to dry, but before they drop their seed.
Collect the seeds in bags and let them dry on a cookie sheet. Then store the seed in reusable bags. Write the flower name on the bag. Store bags in a cool, dark location for winter.
Ready to start your October gardening jobs? Pick up a pack of VELCRO® Brand Garden Ties before you get started or stay on our blog for more gardening tips and advice!