PLANTING
October starts warm but ends cool. Toward the middle of
the month, nights turn a little crisp and the trees and shrubs
begin to glow with the scarlets and golds of autumn. There's even
a little rain, but not enough, so watering is still the most
important job.
This is prime time to renovate or replace the lawn. If you
only fertilize the grass once a year, do it now so it can go into
the winter with a healthy system.
Fall means you can plant everything. This is the best time
to plant trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers, especially
those that will get only minimum water next season.
Annuals for bloom during the winter and early spring should
go in now as bedding plants. Good ones are fairy primrose,
snapdragon, stock, viola, pansy, lobelia and calendula. Near the
coast you can plant cineraria. Small plants or those planted too
late will just sit and sulk until spring before they will put on
their show.
Plants from six-packs should be planted only during
the first half of the month, after that purchase plants in four
inch containers. The only annuals you will be successful at
growing from seed will be sweet alyssum and early-flowering sweet
pea (if you sow them early).
Annuals placed over bulbs will give a colorful show during
the winter before the bulbs pop up. Choose colors that complement
the bulbs, such as blue violas with yellow daffodils, salmon Primula obconica with purple tulips, or purple and white fairy
primrose with pink tulips.
Perennials are an excellent buy this month, since the price
of a couple of six-packs is only half the cost of one plant in a
gallon can next spring.
All of the popular spring-flowering bulbs can be planted
this month, but wait to plant the tulip and hyacinth until
November or December, since these produce better flowers during
the cooler weather.
Use either bone meal or superphosphate in the
soil below the bulbs. Our soils are deficient in phosphorus and
it is most difficult to get this element down into the root area
after the bulbs are planted.
Japanese iris will be arriving in the nurseries this month.
This iris does especially well all over Northern California.
If you haven't done so, now's the time to sow cool-season
vegetable crops such as beets, cabbage, carrots, chard,
lettuce,
radishes, spinach, sugar peas, and turnips. Plant garlic bulbs
and onions from sets or seeds. Set out young plants of broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chives and parsley.
MAINTENANCE
CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Pull weeds, exhausted annuals and
spent vegetables. Rake up leaves and fruits lying on the ground.
Load up your compost pile (but not with diseased debris). By
removing food and hiding areas you will eliminate many over
wintering pests and diseases.
Plant a cover crop if you have any bare soil. A good mix is
fava beans, purple vetch, crimson clover, and winter rye (these
seeds are available at many local gardening shops, also at
Nilsen Feed and Grain on Broadway in Eureka). The
first three are legumes that add nitrogen to the soil; the rye
adds carbon, which keeps the nitrogen from leaching away. The
plants' extensive root growth improves the soil structure. Twice
during the winter cut them back to 6 inches, and when the favas
(the ones with the big leaves) begin to bloom, cut them down
completely. Till them in a couple of weeks later.
Divide perennials and share with your neighbors and friends.
I'll bet they're still your friends, even though they pretended
to not be home last week and saw you leave that shopping bag full
of zucchinis on their porch and slink away (that's the last time
YOU plant six zucchini plants). Anyway, cut back the straggly
perennials and scratch a little compost into the soil around
them.
After dahlia and tuberous begonia foliage dies back, dig up
the tubers. Clean and store them in a cool, frost-free place out
of the direct sun.
To keep the roses blooming, trim off spent flowers, cutting
down to a five-leaflet leaf.
Don't prune anything yet. Wounds heal slowly now. Wait until
later in the dormant season.
Cuttings should be made of pelargoniums, fuchsias and
hydrangeas. In the case of the first two, this is a safety
measure, because every so often a severe freeze wipes out your
favorites. Use 2- to 3-inch-long tip cuttings of pelargoniums,
and hardwood cuttings of the same length for fuchsia and
hydrangea.
Be on guard for a resurgence of slugs and snails in cool
October weather. Hand pick them or put out bait.
PERFECT PARTNERS
There are three plants in my garden that are planted
together and they get attention from everyone all year long.
Comments are made on the shape, the colors and the fragrances.
They are the Lavandula stoechas 'Lavender Otto Quast' also seen
as 'Quasti'; Thymus citriodorus (Lemon Thyme); and Origanum
vulgare (Oregano).
The lavender is a striking explosion of silver
stems and year-round purple bracts and flowers. The thyme and the
oregano flowers have similar color and alternate bloom.
The lavender is about two feet high and two feet across. The
thyme sort of cascades down under it. The oregano is about
eighteen inches tall.
These plants are not fussy about soil but require good
drainage. I planted the lavender and two thyme plants in a piece
of 36" drain pipe about two feet long and set on end. The oregano
is planted in a hollow cinder block set in front of it. They like
being watered regularly. Shear the plants in the spring and
replant after three or four years because they get burned out and
never look as nice again.
