October 2018 Maintenance Tip
Plant new additions to the garden by the end of this month. This will give them plenty of time to establish before winter. Get Super Fall Savings on Trees, Shrubs, Grasses & Perennials at Niemeyers!
- Water established gardens as needed, they need to go into winter with sufficient moisture.
- Weed…sounds repetitive…but keeping up with the weeding all season gives you more time to plant in the Spring!
- Plant Bulbs for early spring color. Bulbs are a welcome addition after a long, dreary Winter.
- Deadhead and cut back spent perennials as needed.
- Rake leaves especially on your lawn to keep the grass looking healthy.
- Rescue houseplants and tropicals when the evening temps begin to drop into the 50’s if you wish to “winter them over”. Rinse them off with the hose and spray with insecticidal soap to help prevent bringing unwanted pests with them.
- Be Aware of the first frost sometime around October 15.
- Cut back and dig cannas after first frost, but before the ground freezes.
- Cut back any perennials that have been “hit” by frost and turned mushy. Wait to cut back Perennials that haven’t been affected by the first frost and prune them after several killing frosts in November. Leave any perennials with Winter interest and food for the birds until early Spring. Cut them back in March and April.
- Mulch tender plants once the ground is frozen (usually in early December).