- Prepared by: Terry Lewis
Tasks
- Monitor soil moisture after rain and water if needed, especially for trees and shrubs.
- Renovate cool-season lawns – remove thatch and aerate.
- Hand pick snails and slugs in the early morning or use bait. Avoid baits that contain metaldehyde as they are toxic to all vertebrates.
- Monitor drainage after watering container plants to be sure plant roots are not standing in water.
Pruning
- Sharpen your pruning tools in preparation for fall pruning.
Fertilizing
- Do not feed citrus and other frost-tender plants.
Planting
- Fall planting continues.
- Annuals: stock (Matthiola incana), forget-me-not (Myosotis), Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule), pansy, violet.
- Fruits and vegetables: Swiss chard, turnips, snow peas (plant from seed).
- Perennials: lupine (Lupinus) (plant from seed).
- Trees, shrubs, vines: sago palm (Cycas), Ceanothus maritimus ‘Valley Violet', magnolia, myrtle (Myrtus), flowering cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus).
Enjoy now
- Annuals and perennials: dianthus, aster (fall-blooming), Mexican blue sage (Salvia leucantha), pansy (Viola).
- Bulbs, corms, tubers: spider lily (Lycoris), Sternbergia lutea.
- Trees, shrubs, vines: Texas ranger (Leucophyllum), sweet orange (Osmanthus), cape plumbago, snowberry (Symphoricarpos).
- Fruits and vegetables: apples, bok choy, cantaloupe, persimmon, snap peas, tomatoes.
- Fall color: goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria).
Things to ponder
- Use organic mulch around permanent plants and add organic matter into soil to prepare beds for spring planting.
- To discourage spider mites, spray hedges and shrubs with water to clean them and keep them free of dust.
It's not too soon to start thinking about fall garden clean-up. As days begin to shorten and temperatures begin to cool (fingers crossed!), the pace of gardening slows along with plant growth. But there is still plenty to be done during the fall and winter months. In fact, much of what is done in the garden in October and November will set the tone for the following year.
Consider planting a winter garden. Radish, spinach, pea and onion seeds can be planted in October or November. Cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce and turnip seedlings can be planted in November. If you don't want a winter garden, clean up your summer garden and mulch it with straw, grass clippings or chopped leaves. Mulch will discourage weeds and provide soil nutrients for next year's garden.
Planting bare root trees and shrubs during their winter dormancy allows healthy root systems to develop before budding out in the spring. Fall is also the time to plant bulbs and perennials. Squirrels can notice disturbed soil and may dig up tulips and other bulbs. Disguise your work by flooding the soil surface with water and then covering the soil with mulch.
Renovate garden beds by weeding, adding organic matter, and tilling the soil to a depth of at least six inches. Refresh existing mulch around established plantings.
Conduct an irrigation review and adjust your watering schedule to reflect the lower water requirements of fall and winter. Make any repairs (such as fixing broken pipes, hoses, or damaged sprinkler heads) before spring. If you have an automatic system, be sure it is operating correctly.
If you plan to create new garden beds, fall is a good time to do it before you are faced with the rush of spring gardening jobs. And if you plan on creating a new bed in an existing lawn area, a good method is to cover it with a thick layer of newspaper topped with a layer of mulch. This will kill the lawn (as long as it's not a dormant perennial like Bermuda grass) and the bed will be ready to be worked in early spring without the effort of manually removing the sod.
Want to be sure you make the most of the fall and winter months in your garden? Attend our free workshop, “It's A Wrap! Autumn Garden Clean-up, Winter Prep, and Preservation” on October 19th, part of the Master Gardeners' Fall 2024 Workshop Series. For more information, and to register, visit our website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
- Author: Loren Nelson
To piggyback on the show we ran last week on Citrus and Avocados, Rare Fruit Growing will be the topic this week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners. Once again, Master Gardener Greg Rager will be telling you more about the subject he touched on last week. He is interviewed by MG Kris Bonner.
Greg is a long-time member of the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) and Master Gardener who grows and propagates so many different types of rare fruit just outside of Orange County. Learn what “rare fruit” is, how to connect with other gardeners growing interesting and less-common fruit, and information on specific fruits, including some “common” fruits that produce well in Orange County, despite our meager chill hours.
Learn more and listen to "In The Garden" radio show podcasts.
Podcast Topic: Rare Fruit Growing
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/h4>/h2>/h3>/h2>- Author: Loren Nelson
An English Garden in sunny Southern California? Oh, no! Let's go native and get the same effect. UC Master Gardeners of Orange County will show you how to have a garden featuring California Native plants that will rival any other location in color, variety and beauty.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
/h2>- Author: Loren Nelson
An English Garden in sunny Southern California? Oh, no! Let's go native and get the same effect. UC Master Gardeners of Orange County will show you how to have a garden featuring California Native plants that will rival any other location in color, variety and beauty.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
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