Welcome to our first full month of the Fall season!
With the mild temperatures finally arriving, we will again be able to spend “quality” time in our gardens and to complete the needed tasks preparing for the colder days as well as for the arrivial of Spring.
There are five tasks we need to complete before we enter into the holiday season. They are: Pruning, irrigation adjustments, fertilizing, mulching, and planting.
October is the best month to prune palm trees before cold weather arrives. This will allow new fronds to acclimate and to become more “frost-resistant”. Flowering plants and bushes should have their spend blooms pruned away (dead heading). This will stimulate new blooms past Thanksgiving, Delay heavy pruning, however, until mid-late December. For deciduous trees, wait until all leaves have fallen off before pruning. If pruning pine trees, wait until late November. If pruning fruit trees, wait until the end of harvest.
Check and adjust your irrigation system for clogs and leaks. Clean or replace damaged emitters, where necessary. Be aware that that you are following the 3 day a week watering schedule and that you readjust to one 30 minutes early morning watering on each designated day.
October is the final month to fertilize plants in order to replenish nutrients and strengthen root systems. During the summer months, soil pH levels increase and iron content may diminish. Therefore, add both sulfur and iron to the soil to lower alkaline levels and to prevent “chlorosis”.
October is a good month to add organic mulch to your landscapes. This will keep your soil properly moist and warm during late fall and winter. Adding rock mulch now will be easier to do since temperatures are cooler and landscapers are less busy.
With new pants arriving at the nurseries, now is a good time to plant additions (except for palms!) to your landscape. Daytime temperatures are still mild and there is sufficient sunlight to encourage both plant and root growth.
In order to protect these additions from predators, consider spraying the plants with peppermint oil and/or applying blood meal to the soil.
Have any questions? Contact me at: Theplantwhisperer28@gmail.com
Howard Galin is a University of Nevada certified Master Gardener and the Chair of the SCA Garden Club House Call Program.