UCCE Master Gardeners of Amador County

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Garden Tips for October

• Clean out flower and vegetable gardens to discourage diseases and pests from overwintering in your beds.
• Rake leaves from ditches to make way for the rain that's coming.
• Re-program drip system timers for cooler weather and rain.
• Update your garden journal, noting what worked and what didn't work.  Look around at the fall color you might want to plant for next year
• Mulch or mow leaves on your lawn and add to your compost pile - either an existing one or a new one.
• Apply a thick layer of compost to enrich your soil for spring planting.
• Apply mulch to bulbs and tubers left in the ground.
• Deadhead spent flowers.
• Lift tuberous begonias.
• Lift and divide dahlias, dust with sulfur before storing.
• Divide lilies.
• Cut back and divide spent perennial phlox asters.
• Cover compost bins with plastic tarps once the rains begin.
• Clean out bird houses and bird feeders.
• Cut old berry canes and tie the new canes to support wires. It's easy to identify the old canes now - they're turning brown.
• Finish pruning any fruit trees after the last fruit is removed.
• Check dates of Master Gardener classes.

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