University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Fall News
Article
PLANTING
GARLIC AND OTHER OCTOBER GARDENING TIPS
Charlie Nardozzi,
Horticulturist and
Leonard Perry, UVM Extension
Horticulturist
Cleaning
garden tools, digging and storing dahlias, and planting garlic are
some of the
gardening tips for this month.
Begin
preparing tools for storage by cleaning them once you're finished
with them.
Wipe the soil off shovels, spades, and trowels using a rag or wire
brush, then
wipe blades with an oiled cloth. Make sure pruners are free from
dirt and plant
debris, and wipe down the blades with the oiled cloth. Empty any
pots of dead plants
and soil, adding the debris to the compost pile unless the plants
were
diseased. In that case, dispose of the plants in the garbage or a
location far
away from your garden. Rinse pots, or better yet, soak them in a
bucket of
water to which some bleach (one part to nine parts water) has been
added. Soak
for a half hour or so, then rinse well.
When
the first frost blackens the foliage of dahlias (or if a hard freeze
is
predicted), cut off the stems about 6 inches above the tubers.
Carefully dig
the clumps with a spade or fork, and rinse them off. Let them dry
out of direct
sun and wind for a day (not too long or they'll begin to shrivel).
Store the
tuber clumps whole, or carefully separate the tubers from the stem,
making sure
to include any "eyes" (small, raised nubs near where the tubers
attach to the main stem) with each tuber. These are the future
sprouts. Store
tubers in ventilated plastic bags filled with peat moss,
vermiculite, or
sawdust. Place bags in a box and keep them in a dark, 35- to
50-degree F
location. Check every week or two to
make sure they aren’t too wet, or shriveling from dryness.
Plant
garlic now for harvesting next summer. Purchase garlic sold
specifically for
planting, locally adapted varieties from garden stores being best.
Commercial,
non-organic, supermarket garlic may have been treated to inhibit
sprouting.
Break the garlic head into individual cloves, keeping the largest
ones for
planting. (Use the small cloves for cooking.)
Add compost before planting. Plant cloves about 2 inches deep, and
3 inches
apart with the pointed side up. Try some different varieties to see
which you
prefer. Mulch the bed well with straw.
Avoid
pruning woody plants now because it will encourage a flush of new
growth that
may be damaged by the upcoming cold temperatures. Instead, wait
until late
winter or early spring to prune most trees and shrubs. (Exceptions
to this rule
are spring-blooming shrubs, such as lilacs and rhododendrons, which
should be
pruned after flowering.)
If
you test your soil and add any needed amendments now, the soil will
be ready
for planting when you are in the spring. Some amendments take time
to break
down and become available to plants. If you have a nearby state
university Extension
Service office, you can take advantage of their low-priced soil
testing
service. Or get a do-it-yourself kit. Most plants prefer a slightly
acidic soil
with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 (a pH of 7 is neutral). New England soils
tend to be
acidic and frequently require the addition of lime. Soil can vary
even within a yard, so if you notice different characteristics of
the soil in different beds, test them separately.
If
you haven't yet done so, cover your late crops of lettuce and
spinach with
polyester row covers to keep them warmer as the night temperatures
dip close to
freezing. The covers also will keep the leaves from getting damaged
by any
heavy rains.
(Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally known horticulturist,
author, gardening consultant, and garden coach; CharlieNardozzi.com).
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