In the Garden: October

Autumn is officially here. The days are growing shorter and there’s a refreshing nip in the morning air. Summer gardening will soon be a memory and we’ll be spending much less time outdoors over the next few months. All of us – people, plants, and wildlife – are getting ready to hunker down for winter.
October is the perfect time to plant garlic, as well as seeds or seedlings of cool weather greens like spinach, hardy lettuces, Swiss chard, kale, and bok choy. They’ll be happy in outdoor pots or beds, in an unheated greenhouse, or beneath a low plastic tunnel in your garden.
Spring flowering bulbs should be planted between now and late November. Place them pointy end up in well-draining soil, in holes three to four times as deep as the width of the bulb. I use an auger that attaches to a power drill: it creates individual planting holes in mere seconds.
October and November are the traditional months for cleaning up the yard for fall and winter, something I’ve never enjoyed doing. I’m happy to say that current research encourages gardeners to do far less in the fall, which benefits our gardens as well as our wildlife.
Like us, our animal friends – the deer and coyotes and raccoons, birds and hummingbirds, beneficial insects and essential pollinators – are also preparing for the change of seasons. They’re entering the time of year when they’re most in need of a steady supply of food and water and a safe habitat.
Our local wildlife has had to learn to live side by side with all of us, narrowing their feeding grounds and causing them to rely more heavily on us for their survival over the colder months. Their entire lives are spent outdoors, in the forest, near the roads and in our yards. As good stewards of the earth, we should consider their needs in the coming months.
Treading lightly while putting our gardens to bed in the fall helps provide food and habitat for the thousands of species of non-humans – above and below the ground – with whom we share our community while also protecting and preserving our soil and groundwater.
Doing less when preparing our yards for fall and winter allows us to give up the notion that we should cut everything to the ground or remove all the past-their-prime plants. Empty beds and bare soil invite soil erosion, root rot, and depletion of essential soil fungi and minerals. Overly cleared yards create excessive water runoff that carries away nutrients, mulch and topsoil, contributes to blocked and flooded ditches, and decreases the amount of water that is stored below ground in your own yard.
We encourage diversity and preserve species by leaving most dying-back plants in place until spring. Insects lay their eggs in the stems and branches of these plants, to repopulate our gardens next year. Birds depend on the seeds of faded flowers like sunflowers, coneflowers, cosmos, and rudbeckia for winter food. Leaving these plants standing for the next few months saves time and effort, and results in healthier soil for planting next year’s food and vegetable gardens.
If you have unoccupied birdhouses, clean them and put them back in the yard for winter shelter. Overwintering birds will snack on non-hibernating insects, slugs, and snails. If you provide feeding stations for birds and hummingbirds during the warm months, think about your winter plans and whether you’ll be here to keep the feeders clean, filled, and frost-free all winter long. If not, take them down now so that the birds can find a new source of winter food before the end of October.
If you have a lawn of any size, or a grassy meadow, the cooler months are a good time to let the grass grow taller to protect the soil and the many underground inhabitants. Taller grass helps prevent weed seeds from sprouting in your lawn. Consider letting dandelions remain in the ground, as they are the first food available for ground bees and bumblebees in the spring; without this necessary food, native bees will have nothing to eat. Dandelions provide many benefits to your soil, increasing tilth and creating essential air pockets beneath the ground, thereby making it more permeable for water and nutrients.
Collect tree leaves as they fall and spread a one- to three-inch layer over empty garden beds, the soil between your plants, trees, hedges, and any other bare soil in your yard. This, too, builds soil structure and helps prevent weeds. Do not shred the leaves first, as you want a light, fluffy layer in place so that water can pass through. Add a second layer of leaves after the first freeze. Small branches or chicken wire will help keep the leaves in place.
Have a wonderful October doing less in your garden!