Mid-October Garden To-Do List
I think we can finally agree that it’s fall in Middle Tennessee. Of course we’ll still get plenty of warm days over the next couple of months, but evenings are becoming downright chilly and you can see the effects of the shortening days on our garden plants. Their leaves are yellowing or showing signs of fungus and blight while fruit and flower production is slowing down.
All month long we are talking about “the first frost” and anticipation of this moment dominates our thinking about the garden. When will it come? Will my tomatoes ripen in time? How about that one watermelon I’ve been patiently waiting for? It can feel like a suspense movie with a ticking clock and no idea when the alarm will go off.
I am the type of person who wants to savor every last minute of the summer garden. I leave my beans and peppers growing until the 11th hour, and only when I see the forecast set to drop below 32, do I finally give in and harvest the green tomatoes.
But there is another way. You can also just decide that you are done with the warm season veggies and remove them on a day that’s convenient for you. The frost can come whenever it likes, your garden is ready.
Whether you are done with summer or still hanging on, there are still a few things to do in the garden. Let’s get out in this lovely cool weather and enjoy the slowing down of nature and try to do some slowing down ourselves.
Planting: Squeeze in one last sowing of lettuce, radishes, spinach and arugula from seed. They may or may not provide much harvest before the dead of winter, but often these little plants are set to take off and give you an early harvest next spring.
At the end of October, it will be cool enough to plant garlic for harvesting next summer. For more details on growing this easy, but unusual crop, read the full Grow Guide.
Harvest: Lettuce and arugula you planted in September should be ready to eat. With days in the 80s, we’ve seen some lettuce bolting. As soon as you see the stems elongate, harvest the entire plant and eat it before it tastes bitter. Plant more in its place.
Last month’s planting of cilantro is probably big enough to start cutting from. Parsley has been putting on some nice fresh growth after all that rain, and radishes will be ready soon.
Keep harvesting your tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, squash and beans. I picked cucumbers in three gardens this week! October in Nashville.
Dig and cure your sweet potatoes.
Thinning: We often plant seeds like radishes, carrots, and beets very thickly to ensure that we have enough plants make it through germination and sprouting. Once the seedlings are well established, have a couple of “true” leaves, and are putting on size (2 or more inches tall), it’s time to thin them to their final spacing. We want their roots to have room to fatten up under ground. Typical spacing is 1-2 inches for radishes and carrots and 3-4 inches for beets. Simply snip the unwanted seedlings at soil level with a pair of scissors. Avoid trying to pull them out, as this can dislodge the plants you want to keep.
Seed saving: If you want to save seeds from flowers or other plants, make sure to let them fully mature on the plant before cutting. For more details on some easy varieties to try saving seeds from, check out this blog.
Pests: Keep an eye out for aphids (spray off with water) and caterpillars (spray affected plants weekly with BT).
Feed: If you haven’t yet added compost to your garden beds this fall, do that now. You can also add a layer of leaves to your beds to serve as insulation and to slowly break down and feed the soil over winter.
Journal: While it’s fresh in your mind, write down your reflections on the season. What tasted great? What do you want more or less of next year?
