Garden Tasks for OCTOBER in Acadiana: By Dan Weintritt and friends

Created for use by the Louisiana Native Plant Society with the Acadiana Native Plant Project.

Made in the style of Dan Gill's Month by Month Gardening in Louisiana, Cool Springs Press,

Copyright 1999, 2006

OCTOBER - To Do

While October 1st isn't likely to be noticeably more comfortable

than the day before, Autumn is certainly about to be upon us! Fall

bloomers should be at their peak, as the diminishing days and fewer

hours of sunlight, known as the photoperiod in botany, are telling

everything to bloom now and set seed before winter comes.

Pollinators and migratory birds should be feeding in your garden to

prepare themselves for winter, as well. Birds are eating insects and

seeds; don't do any more deadheading until next year; leave it

for the birds! Make sure you have birdbaths out for thirsty visitors.

Winter rains have not started yet. If you have lots of plants but few

birds, consider adding shelter in the form of trees and shrubs this

winter. Those who are doing true prairie restoration should have

many tall native grasses like switchgrass and bluestems for critters to

shelter in.

Cooler nights and mornings are making the plants ready to start

sending out fresh growth. At this time of the year, they are sending

starches into their root systems to store for winter and be ready for

next spring's growth. This is what makes fall the ideal planting

time. Containerized plants can be put in the ground now. This author

prefers to wait until after the first freeze to dig, divide, and transplant

established perennials, though it can be done now, with supplemental

irrigation. Never dig up plants that are in bloom, they will have to

wait until first frost. You should always trim foliage in proportion to the

amount of rootball that can be lifted, and ensure that plants are well-

watered before and after transplanting.

Those who have concerns about their soil type should get soil

tests in to the LSU AgCenter quickly. Mineral soil amendments are

best applied in early winter, as they need months to take effect. If you

have your heart set on growing a certain plant with particular needs,

you might have to make a soil amendment for it to thrive. Blueberries,

for example, require strongly acidic soils to thrive, whereas Carolina

Buckthorn likes alkaline soils rich in calcium. I have been simply

dropping eggshells around my Carolina Buckthorn for years rather

than buying a $10 bag of calcium, so there are definitely different

ways to tackle issues of soil chemistry. You may choose to amend

your soil for the plants you want to grow, or simply decide to stick with

plants suited for your ecoregion and soil type. Keep in mind that most

developed areas, especially new neighborhoods, may have had all

their native topsoil stripped for the building process, and the lot was

finished off with dirt that is not at all native to the area.

Not all of us fertilize, but for those that do, fertilizing should not

be done going into fall. You do not want to stimulate excessive

growth above ground going into winter. Plants should be moving

nutrients in the other direction at this time, into roots. Rather than

using water-soluble fertilizers, consider top-dressing your beds with

an inch of compost. It will break down slowly throughout winter, and

nutrients will be there in spring when the plant needs it.

Cool season weeds will begin sprouting by the end of this month.

Make a plan to mulch beds that have been troublesome. You can

either purchase bags or bales of mulch like pine straw, or gather fall

leaves next month to put into beds. Make sure you are not moving

invasive plants into your beds along with those leaves, though!