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Wood County Master Gardeners, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
Wood County Master Gardeners, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
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October Gardening

Plant

  • Best month to dig and divide spring-blooming perennials including violets, oxalis, hardy glads, Shasta daisies, daylilies, iris, coneflowers, gloriosa daisies, ferns, hostas, hardy amaryllis, ornamental
    grasses, loosestrife, mondograss and liriope.
  • Transplants of winter and spring color can be set out after midmonth, including pansies, pinks, snapdragons and flowering cabbage and kale.
  • Take cuttings of hard to find tropical annuals early in month to be sure they are rooted for over wintering indoors.
  • Trees and shrubs planted now will establish well before next summer.
  • For fall/winter vegetables plant beets, carrots, swiss chard, garlic, leaf lettuce, mustard, radish, and spinach early in the month.

Prune

  • Remove all seed, leaf and stem stubble from perennial beds. You may have to cut plants back partially at first, then completely to ground as frost nears.
  • Keep mowing lawn at recommended height; letting grass grow tall weakens it.
    Remove dead or damaged limbs from shade trees, and cable any that are at risk of breaking in ice and wind.
  • Major pruning of tree limbs is better if held until winter.

Fertilize

  • Feed cool season grasses as soon as they are growing.  Warm season turf can also be fed, but early in month. For both, use a high quality fertilizer. Half of its nitrogen should be in a slow release form.
  • Apply water soluble plant food to new winter color plantings.
  • Water new perennial plantings deeply using a liquid root stimulator.

 

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