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Gardening doesn't end in OctoberArkansas As the leaves change into their brilliant fall colors and you awaken to a distinct chill in the air, you'll probably be faced with the realization that winter is just around the corner. And that means it's time to put the garden tools away for the year, settle back, relax and wait for spring, right? "Wrong!" says Sherri Sanders, White County agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. "In most areas of the country, you still have many gardening tasks to accomplish, even after the first frosts." She lists a few gardening tasks and projects for October to keep your garden looking it's best for the rest of the season and prepare for winter and spring. --After soil temperature drops below 60 degrees, plant spring bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, Siberian squill, dwarf irises, Anemone and crocus. Select healthy, disease-free bulbs. Add bone meal or bulb fertilizer into the planting hole, as you prepare the soil. --Most spring flowering bulbs should be in the ground by the early part of this month, with the exception of tulips, which may be planted up until early November. Gladiolas, dahlias and other tender bulbs should be dug before the ground freezes, and stored in a cool, dark area. --Be sure that new plantings and perennials which were divided and moved last month are kept watered, if there has been insufficient rainfall. There's still time to set out winter pansies, flowering kale, flowering cabbage and fall mums. --Watch the thermometer on colder nights. A windless, cold, clear night usually means a killing frost. You can keep chrysanthemums and asters blooming for quite a while longer if covered in an old bed sheet placed. --Geraniums, begonias, fuchsias, and other tender plants should bebrought indoors or moved to a cold frame before the first frost. --Mulching fall planted perennials will keep the soil warmer longer, allowing root growth to continue, however, the plants do need time to harden off for winter. Spread a thin layer of mulch after fall planting, and then add a thicker layer once the ground has frozen. Collect and save seeds of wild flowers to sow next spring. --Both Christmas cactus and poinsettias need to be kept indoors in a spot where they get 10 hours of bright light and 14 hours of total darkness, each day. Room temperatures should be around 65 to 70 degrees for the poinsettias, but cooler (around 55 to 60 degrees) for Christmas cactus. The longer your house plants are allowed to remain outside in the fall, the more shock they will go through when they are finally moved indoors --Continue to watch for insect or disease damage and take the necessary steps to control the problem. For more information about fall gardening and yard maintenance, contact your county extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu and select Home and Garden. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture. Date: 10/15/07
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