Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information Gardening Tips by John Begeman [e-Mail me the monthly tips]    -     [Search the monthly tips]

Index : October Gardening Calendar 1. Plant trees and shrubs 2. Plant cool season vegetables 3. Add color to your landscape 4. Prune roses 5. Cut back watering frequencies 6. Plant citrus trees 7. Grow onions 8. Overseed Bermuda grass lawns 9. Plant spring flowering bulbs 10. Sow wildflower seeds 1. Plant trees and shrubs - Top Plant trees and shrubs of all types early in the month. Warm soil temperatures and cool air temperatures combine to provide ideal conditions for the establishment of new landscape plants. Although not as large initially, trees in smaller 5 to 15 gallon containers will establish and grow faster than those purchased in larger 24 and 36 inch box containers. After planting water daily for two to three weeks, then gradually reduce the frequency of irrigation. - Updated: June 19, 2002 2. Plant cool season vegetables - Top Plant cool season vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower. If temperatures are still warm at the time of seed planting, sprinkling the seed bed during mid-day will cool the soil and improve seed germination of these cool crops. Garden centers have a supply of vegetable plants for setting out in the garden. At the time of planting apply a starter fertilizer high in phosphorous to encourage root growth of your transplants. - Updated: June 19, 2002 3. Add color to your landscape - Top Add color to your landscape with the planting of cool season annual flowers. Petunias, pansies, stock, snapdragons, and calendula are among the best for providing fall and winter color. For shady spots choose geraniums, lobelia, sweet alyssum and fibrous-rooted begonias. Prior to planting, prepare the bed by mixing in lots of organic matter. Compost, peat moss, or aged manure are great sources of organic matter available in bags at local garden centers and nurseries. - Updated: June 19, 2002 4. Prune roses - Top Prune roses to encourage blooming later this Fall. Lightly prune roses by removing the outer one quarter to one-third of the canes. Cut back to just above an outward facing bud. These buds are present where leaves attach onto the canes. Remove all together weak, spindly canes which are less than pencil-sized in thickness. Pruning back healthy canes will result in the production on new, vigorous flowering shoots. After pruning, fertilize rose bushes with a rose or flowering plant fertilizer and water it into the soil. Fertilizer will help rose bushes recover from summer stress and promote new flowering growth. - Updated: June 19, 2002 5. Cut back watering frequencies - Top Cut back watering frequencies as the weather cools. Plants need less water in the Fall, and even less in the Winter. Besides cooler temperatures, shorter days and less sunlight plants slip into dormancy and there needs for water decrease. Do not alter the length of time you water, when you water. Do however lengthen the intervals between waterings. For instance, if you were watering your landscape plants twice weekly for one hour, then reduce watering to once each week for one hour. Later this Fall you may only need water once every other week for one hour. - Updated: June 19, 2002 6. Plant citrus trees - Top Now is the time to plant orange, grapefruit, tangerine and other types of citrus. Choose healthy trees in 15 gallon containers. Plant so that the top of the root ball is level with, or slightly higher than the surrounding soil. Water daily for the first two weeks, then gradually lengthen the time between watering. In the cool of the winter months, newly planted citrus will require watering no more than one or two times per week. - Updated: June 19, 2002 7. Grow onions - Top Grow onions from seed or seedlings planted in mid-October. If you want the best scallions, plant onion sets. These grow quickly into thick, luscious green onions, but rarely perform as well as seeds or seedlings for the later bulbs. Plant Vadalia type Grano 1015Y onions in mid-October and Grand Canyon Sweet 1033Y onions in late October. - Updated: June 19, 2002 8. Overseed Bermuda grass lawns - Top Overseed Bermuda grass lawns with perennial ryegrass to create a winter lawn. Before over- seeding with ryegrass, cut the Bermuda grass as low as possible with a rotary mower. Rake and remove the grass clippings. Next, rake the Bermuda grass with a steel tinned lawn rake or power dethatcher to remove thatch and expose bare soil to accept the seed. Rake up and remove the thatch. Apply the ryegrass seed at the rate of 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Water the lawn to help wash the seed into the soil . Finally, cover the lawn with a thin layer of sand, compost or aged manure and rake it to help settle it over the seed. Keep the lawn moist at all times until seeds germinate and have grown tall enough for the first cutting. Gradually reduce watering as temperatures cool and the lawn becomes established. - Updated: June 19, 2002 9. Plant spring flowering bulbs - Top Plant spring flowering bulbs. Varieties best adapted for Tucson include; amaryllis, narcissus, gladiolus, iris, freesia, buttercup (ranunculus), Lilium spp. (Easter, Formosan and regal lily), Hymenocallis spp. (spider lily), and Zephyranthes spp. (rain lilies). With proper care these bulbous plants will produce beautiful flowers year after year. - Updated: June 19, 2002 10. Sow wildflower seeds - Top Sow wildflower seeds starting in October to have a spectacular show in late spring. - Updated: June 19, 2002 [e-Mail me the monthly tips]    -     [Search the monthly tips]