Fall Garden Chores...

[jtjohns]

We're still a few weeks away from overnight frosts here (hopefully), but it's time to start prepping the garden for winter. During October I need to:

• pull up the last tomato plants and toss (not going into compost)
• pull up squash vines and harvest last of the peppers
• harvest herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley and lemongrass)
• weeding, weeding and more weeding...
• knock amaryllis bulbs out of their pots and store in perlite for winter
• empty and put away birdbath for winter
• disconnect rain barrels
• plant some more daffodil bulbs for next spring

Mulching and dealing with the million falling leaves will keep until November...

What's on your garden to-do list?

~JJ

[purplemoon2008]

Let's see...it's quite long...where to begin?!

~ pull up all remaining veggie plants and turn under
~ harvest (more) basil
~ harvest gourds (baaaad year for those!)
~ pull out stakes
~ cut back perennials
~ clean bird bath for the season
~ pull out garden flags

Hmmm....guess it's not too bad! I'm not planting any bulbs or fall plants, so it looks like it might be pretty easy!

[OHeather]

Hmmm...maybe if I type a list I will actually do these things in a timely manner. I'll have to try after I make dinner though.

[kristen.c]

This is my first time having a yard and I'm still figuring out what I need to do! We do have a birdbath but I had no idea it had to be put away. I will definitely do that now!

I need to harvest the rest of my potted herbs. I like to puree them with a little oil and then freeze them in ice cube trays for Winter meals.
I'm also thinking I want to dig up the black-eyed susans and mums from the side of the house and move them to the front. I'm planning on using the bed they're in now for an herb garden next spring.

I think that's pretty much it, but then again I'm not really sure!

[purplemoon2008]

We do have a birdbath but I had no idea it had to be put away. I will definitely do that now!

Yes, no matter what it's made of (ceramic, concrete, plastic, etc.) If you don't want to put it away, and the top (the bath portion), comes off, you can just tip it sideways and lean it against the pedestal part ~ facing inward, that way no water/snow will freeze in it and potentially crack it. I have a HUGE concrete one and I do the leaning thing, because with my luck, I'd end up breaking it en-route to the garage!

[IFALLSMICHELLE]

We have harvested the last of our peppers, tomatoes and sweet corn. It is going to frost tonight most likely for the first time. Have to figure out what to do with all the produce???

We will harvest our carrots sometime this month and winter squash too.

I need to plant daffodils and tulips bulbs I already purchased.

I brought in all my houseplants from outside. Trimmed them today and found places for them inside.

Remove dead flowers and vegetable plants after frost - put in compost bin.