October in the Garden

October in the Garden

October isn't just gloomy weather and creeping cold. You might experience reluctance to work in the garden. Even if you enjoyed working during summer, autumn can be a bit demotivating. There's no need to give in to it. Overcome the cold, buy yourself some cheerful colorful gloves, and display your harvested pumpkins on the doorstep.

If you work on fertilizing in autumn, you'll reduce a significant amount of work in spring. The foundation is fertilizing the soil with organic fertilizers. Without organic fertilizers, industrial fertilizers would have only minimal effect. Natural fertilizers create organic matter in the soil, without which the soil would be barren. It wouldn't retain moisture or nutrients.

Knowing how to fertilize correctly is very important!

Fertilizing Principles

The ideal situation would be if we knew the current soil composition every autumn. Since that's not within our capabilities, we should follow generally applicable principles.

Foundation of fertilizing - the basis of fertilization is organic fertilizers. As we know, these ensure better absorption of industrial fertilizers. With organic fertilizers, we provide the soil with strength and fertility. With industrial fertilizers, we supply nutrients and balance their ratio.

Basic nutrients - nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potassium - should be in the soil in a mutually balanced ratio. Different crops have different requirements for the ratio of these elements in the soil. If you don't want to puzzle over the appropriate mixing of these elements, then use Cererit for fertilizing.

Industrial fertilizers - fertilize with them by applying half the recommended dose to all garden crops in autumn. In autumn, use slow-acting fertilizers (e.g., meal), whereas in spring use fast-acting fertilizers (e.g., superphosphates).

Organic fertilizers - liquid manure is applied as a reserve in autumn. It can be used for supplementary fertilizing in the first half of the year. Fermented poultry manure is used for supplementary fertilizing.

Calcium - an important element. Calcium fertilizers are always applied in autumn, once every 3-4 years! More frequently in more acidic soils, less often in alkaline and neutral ones. Light soils should be fertilized with ground limestone, heavy soils with lime.

Trace elements - are important for good and healthy growth of garden crops. Apply trace elements even in minimal doses. Supply trace elements with meal or Cererit.

Autumn in the Garden

What tasks, besides important fertilizing, take place in the garden in October?

Planting roses and ornamental shrubs - cover the soil surface around newly planted woody plants with leaves and peat. Attention - plant woody plants only after they have shed their leaves! Which woody plants should not be planted in autumn (they take root poorly): birch, hibiscus, magnolia, honeysuckle, jasmine and cotoneaster. Also conifers and evergreen deciduous plants. Cut off long and unripened shoots from faded roses. Improve the soil when planting new roses with compost and Vitahumus.

Lawn in October - mow for the last time. For winter it should be only 3-5 cm high. Fallen snow could create compacted areas on it. After mowing, rake the lawn with wire rakes. Also rake up fallen leaves. Rake weedy and neglected areas thoroughly. Do not mow or rake the lawn where you have planted bulbs.

If you didn't manage earlier (in September), you still have one last chance to plant bulbs and perennials.

Dahlias - after the first October frost that burns them, remove their tubers from the soil with a digging fork. Do not dig up in too wet weather. Tubers removed when wet very often rot. Cut the stem to 8-10 cm. Let the tubers dry well. Store in a ventilated place at 10°C. Treat gladiolus tubers the same way.

Recommendation: Label stored tubers with name tags.

Tender plants - protect from winter. Pile a layer of leaves or conifer branches on them. More delicate perennials and grasses also need protection. Tie the leaves of ornamental grasses and yuccas together. Then cover them with leaves and weigh down with stones. Clean beds of annual remnants and remove faded perennial stems.

Garden pond and pool - drain. Clean and fill with leaves. Either leave water lilies in the drained pond covered high with leaves or move them to the cellar. If we have a pond/pool deeper than 75 cm, we can let it freeze. Ice is sufficient protection against frost. To prevent pool walls from tearing, throw a few pieces of wooden logs into them.

Gradually continue weeding and tidying up the garden.

Fruit trees and nuts (dry these) - finish storing harvested fruit and gradually start digging "basins" around trunks. For young trees, dig the soil to the diameter of the crown circumference, for older trees to a diameter of 2-3m. Apply lime around trees - this destroys disease germs. Dig with a digging fork, which will cut tree roots.

Loosen the soil under berry bushes. Pull weeds from under them. Spread compost under bushes, you can lightly dig it into the soil. If October is dry, water both trees and bushes. Provide newly planted trees with mesh protection against wildlife browsing.

Vegetables - that we harvest in October - head cabbage, cauliflower, kale, parsley, carrots, celery, chicory and beetroot.

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Author: Hana Michalíková