in the vegetable patch
Last garden tip of the month till spring...
October is the month to plant your garlic and fava beans. October also marks the end of the growing season for most vegetable gardeners. First frost beckons around the third week of the month, and over-wintering greens may need the protection of a cloche. Clean and sharpen your gardening tools and make sure all plant debris is removed from the vegetable bed to prevent pest and pathogen buildup. Cover the beds with a layer of compost or green manure to protect the vegetable beds. This will also be the last garden tip until February, when we can start actively planning and working the garden again.
For a detailed planting calendar, please refer to
- Seattle Tilth's The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide;
- PDF from Oregon Tilth https://tilth.org/app/uploads/2015/02/OT_PHCalendar_Archive.pdf
- Oregon extension service https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/monthly-garden-calendars
- Washington State University extension service https://extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/fall-and-winter-vegetable-gardens-for-western-washington
garden Borders and beyond
October is bulb planting time. This is the month when you can put spring bulbs in the ground. Fall is also the time to plant trees and shrubs. Deciduous shrubs and small trees can be moved and transplanted after they go into dormancy, after leaves drop. To support wildlife, you may want to consider not doing too much tidying up of the garden borders. Leave seed heads up for the birds. The silhouette of seed heads and panicles of ornamental grasses provide visual interest through the late fall and winter months, especially after a snowfall. The vegetation will also provide shelter for wildlife.