What to Do in the Garden Now
Gardening in October depends on local climate, but there are some chores everyone can do this time of year. It’s a great time, for instance, to have your soil tested by your local extension office and to make any necessary amendments. Clean up beds and rake and compost leaves. Plant new trees and shrubs and save dry seeds from vegetables and flowers you want to propagate or share. Here are some specific regional garden chores for October:
Northwest Region
In the cooler interior of the Pacific Northwest region, you’ll want to:
Harvest your fall planted greens, like spinachAdd yard waste to the compost pileStart protecting plants from frost as needed
Along the coast:
Thin out any root vegetables you planted earlier in the fall and start harvestingPlant appropriate veggies including onions (and relatives), radishes and other root crops, cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens, and peasPlant cover crops
Western Region
In most areas of the West, like California, you can:
Plant onions, garlic, radishes, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, beets, and peasHarvest vegetables, including root veggiesClean up fruit if you have an orchard
In Southern California:
Plant warm-climate bulbs and chill cool-climate bulbsTransplant winter veggiesWater well during this dry monthPrune fruit trees
Northern Rockies and Plains
In the colder growing zones of the Northern Rockies and Plains states, October is the time to:
Harvest root vegetables with the first real frostProtect rosesPick applesProtect bedsRake and mulch leaves
Southwest Region
In the colder regions of the high desert:
Harvest fall planted greensClean up the garden and work on compostStart protecting cold-sensitive plants
In the hotter parts of the Southwest, now is the time to:
Plant cool-season veggiesDig up summer bulbs and store for winterPlant strawberries for the winterPlant herbs
South-Central States
Warmer regions of the South-Central region are much like the southwest:
Plant cool-season vegetables and strawberriesStore summer bulbsKeep harvestingClean up orchards
In the cooler parts of the South, like northern Texas:
Clean up the garden and make compostProtect plants as neededThin cool-weather root vegetables, like radishes and carrotsPlant garlic and onions
Upper Midwest States
October begins to get cold and frosty in parts of the Upper Midwest:
Plant spring bulbs before the ground freezesDivide perennials as neededWinterize rose bushesHarvest apples
Central Ohio Valley
There’s still much to do across the Ohio Valley region. In these middle states in October, you can:
Clean up the yard and beds and make compostHarvest apples and clean up orchardsStart protecting plants from frostDivide perennials as neededPlant spring bulbs
Northeast Region
The Northeast varies in climate so pay attention to which area you’re located. In northern areas like Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont:
Harvest root vegetablesKeep wateringHarvest applesProtect rosesPlant garlicTidy up the yard before it snows
In the warmer states:
Harvest greens and applesClean up the yard and make compostProtect vulnerable plants as the first frost approachesPlant garlic and onions
Southeast Region
In most of the Southeast region you can:
Water plants wellPlant cover crops in vegetable bedsHarvest sweet potatoesPlant perennialsPlant cool-weather veggies
In South Florida:
Water as the air gets drierTransplant winter veggiesPrune fruit trees
