October is the perfect month to:

• Clean up the lawn

• Test your soil

• Dig up and store tender summer bulbs

• Prepare and enrich annual beds

• Plant spring flowering bulbs

Fall is the time to remove leaves from the lawn. Leaves left on the lawn, lead to future problems, such as smothering the grass. Go green, compost or shred the leaves and use them for mulch. After raking, spread a thin layer of compost over the lawn and rake once more for even distribution.

If there are areas of the lawn that aren’t performing well, core aeration should revive the area. This is not a quick fix, but aeration of problem areas in the spring and fall will rejuvenate a tired lawn. Spread compost after aerating the area.

October is a great time to test your soil. Soil test are helpful in measuring the pH of the soil, organic matter content and the levels of potassium and phosphorus. The balance of essential elements is required for plant growth. If you have a local Extension Service office, call them and investigate the available services. Many of them offer a low-priced soil-testing service. You can also send a soil sample to a soil lab, or check garden stores for a do-it-yourself soil-testing kit. If you notice different characteristic of soil from area to area, take several samples from different locations and beds and test them separately. If the test results indicate a need for amendments to the soil, make any additions now. Some amendments need time to incorporate with the soil and become available to the plants. Do the work now and your soil will be ready for spring planting.

Now that the tender summer bulbs have finished flowering, you need to carefully dig and bring in gladiolus and dahlias. Spread them out to dry in a well-ventilated area at room temperature for two or three weeks. After the drying process, remove and discard the old corms. Just in case you didn’t know, corms and rhizomes are the names of the roots, or underground stems of these plants. Store the new corms in paper bags in a cool location free from frost. When the foliage has been damaged by frost, Cannas should be allowed to dry in the ground for a brief period of time. After a few days, cut the stems back to three or four inches, dig the rhizomes and dry them at room temperature for several days. Cannas should be stored in vermiculite or peat moss and kept at 40 to 50 degrees for the winter. Cardboard boxes or mesh bags filled with your choice of vermiculite or peat moss are ideal storage containers for the cannas.

Fall is the time to empty annual beds and enrich the soil for next year. Now is also an opportune time to take care of weeds. Bare soil encourages weed growth, so be proactive, cover bare soil with mulch. This is a multi-purpose task; a layer of mulch controls late fall and early spring weed growth, provides organic matter and conserves soil moisture. A simple method to accomplish this job is to add several layers of dampened newspapers and cover with several inches of mulch, compost or manure. Before you cover the soil, check any remaining plants in the bed, and remove any diseased or insect-infested plant materials. Once again, go green and return the nutrients to the soil by lightly tilling in any remaining plants. Now you are ready to cover the bed with the newspaper and mulch. This protects the soil over the winter and will break down by spring planting time.

There is still one fall gardening activity to be done. As the gardening season is coming to a close for this year, it is time to think ahead to next spring. October is the time to plant bulbs for spring flowers. By planting spring-flowering bulbs in the fall, there is adequate time for a solid root system to develop before winter sets in. The ideal soil temperatures should be below 60 degrees, and in most zones, that would be mid-September to October. Most local garden centers have a great variety of bulbs to choose from. You won’t be disappointed when you select bulbs that are large, firm and of good color. Top quality bulbs are the best producers of spring and summer flowers. Depending on the bulbs you choose, you can begin enjoying spring flowers as early as late winter. Crocuses and snowdrops are the earliest to bloom, followed by daffodils and then grape hyacinth and tulips. Planting hyacinth and tulips now will produce blooms in early summer.

Bulbs should be planted in a site with good drainage and adequate sunlight. At least six hours of direct sunlight a day is recommended. Prepare the planting beds by digging up six to eight inches of soil, adding peat moss or other organic matter and mixing in fertilizer. Fertilizer should contain phosphorus and select a special bulb fertilizer. Bulbs should be planted upright, with the pointed ends up. Be sure to pay attention to the recommended depth and spacing guide. Generally, bulbs should be planted three times as deep as the bulbs’ greatest dimension.

You will be rewarded for your efforts when all your flowering bulbs emerge in the spring. All you have to do now is sit back, and enjoy the wonderful fall weather.

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How to Seed Bare Spots And Thin Areas - Provided by Scotts
Summer heat and drought usually cause thin brown spots in the lawn. Luckily, fall is the best time to seed and it’s EASY! Follow these simple steps and you’ll have a thick, green lawn.