Gardering in october

What to do in the garden in October?

The garden in October is the perfect time to clean and prepare your garden for wintering. Here’s what you can do this month:

Taking care of your garden in October

October is a great time to plant or move trees. Planting deciduous trees, especially at this time of year, allows roots to set in before the dormant winter months.

Soil preparation is essential to give your tree or shrub the best possible start in life. If the soil is too cold, the roots will not have the chance to form completely.

It is good to aerate the soil before planting to allow air to reach the roots sufficiently.

Dig a hole about three times the size of your tree’s roots before positioning your tree or shrub.

To avoid air pockets in the soil, be sure to completely cover the roots. For container trees, soak them for a good half hour before planting.

3 plants to give color to your garden in October

Erable of Japan

The maple trees of Japan are known for the particular shape of their leaves, which come in several shades, from beautiful burgundy to sandy yellow. For a smaller space, opt for Japanese maple which is ideal for container cultivation. In pot, these miniature trees offer spectacular red foliage, perfect for any autumn garden.

The Camellias

Often described as the queen of winter flowers, while the rest of your garden in October is dormant, camellias offer color and majestic presence to your plot during the coldest months. Beautiful evergreen foliage, whether it is planted in October or spring, it offers a splendid spectacle.

The Pyracantha

Nothing signals the beginning of autumn better than the spectacular Pyracantha (thorn of fire). Deep, rich reds and golden oranges cluster together to create a hedge of abundant bronze berries. Pyracanthas are perfect for planting against a fence or garden wall to create an amazing colour carpet.

Preparing the garden for the fall

Garden maintenance

The great autumn cleaning begins with the extirpation of the remaining roots. Turn around, plow the soil and take the opportunity to cut again along the aisles.

In order to prepare the vegetable garden for next spring and improve the quality of the soil, here are some natural techniques: 

Place neutral cardboard boxes, straw bundles or wooden planks without clearing the land where you want to grow the following May. Then cover with mulch. The grass will be clear and the soil compact enough to accommodate a new vegetable garden.

Commercial tarpaulins are convenient especially if you want to reuse them next year.

Take the opportunity to cover the lettuce, scaroles, with a winter veil to face the morning frosts.

If in the garden in October the tomato stalks still produce flowers, they should be removed. This will allow the plant to focus on the last green tomatoes until they mature.

Note that: Fungi play an active role in improving the living conditions of plants. To help them proliferate, use woolly carbonaceous materials such as straw or wood.

Which vegetables to plant in October?

The ideal is to plant seasonal vegetables, here is a small list:

  • Cabbage
  • Radish
  • Onion
  • Leek
  • Lettuce
Fruits and vegetables of the month of October
Fruits and vegetables of the month of October

Crops of the vegetable garden in October

Carrots, leeks, red beets, cucurbitaceae come to maturity. This is the

Autumn is the perfect time to harvest sweet fruits and festive nuts. Fruits such as apples and cranberries are delicious seasonal treats.

Apples that are ready to be picked can be delicately twisted and detached from their stems before frost and cold winds reach them.

Or why not go fruit hunting with the children to pick chestnuts and acorns.

Be careful not to confuse the bristling and rough outer shell of chestnuts with conches, which are not edible. You will recognize a chestnut with its small pointed tail and its brown and smooth shape.

You’ll want to get there quickly before all the hungry wild animals arrive!

Water basin and bodies

To avoid the formation of mud, the dead leaves that float on the surface are to be removed gradually, without waiting for decomposition. 

What to remember: The garden in October is stirred, sanitized, decluttered to maintain and extend all its wealth. He dresses up in the colors of autumn to blossom better next spring!

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