In October , many northern gardener ’ thoughts turn to winterclean - up . But do n’t scrub up your trowel just yet — many plants fly high when planted in the fall , even in the North , and our weather for the first 10 day of the calendar month looks lovely . Here are a few to summate to your shopping list to engraft in October .
Bulbs . Of course , many bulbs can be plant in October , especially in the first two weeks of the month . daffodil , crocus and the small bulb , such as glory of the snow , grape vine hyacinth orIris reticulata , will have plenty of time to grow theme and get established during October ’s temperate weather . tulip can be planted very recently in the season . As long as you’re able to dig in the soil , you’re able to engraft tulips . If you are looking for information on electric light , you might want to check outCornell University ’s Bulb Research Program . ( I heard about it on one of myfavorite garden podcasts . ) Cornell has conducted enquiry on many bulb practices , such as forcing or in - ground planting . One interesting tidbit : You do not have toplant bulb as deep as many packages suggest ! I was relieve to listen that since I never dig an 8- or 9 - in yap for electric light .
perennial . Can you plant perennial in October ? Well , some of them . I ’ve had expert luck planting aboriginal perennials in fall and , if the weather stays warmish for the next few week , you could definitely plant perennials . in general , planting in October is okay for give - blooming perennials . Those that blossom after in the class get better when planted in saltation . With perennial , there areadvantages and disadvantagesto planting in October .
Tulips add a welcome pop of color in spring.
Garlic . Unless you have a hoop - house or other cover , surrender is the end of the veg season , except for garlic ! industrial plant cloves in the garden in October for a capital harvest next springtime . This articlefromNorthern Gardenerhas all the information you need on grow Allium sativum in Minnesota .
Cover harvest . It ’s probably too previous to engraft cover crops now , but regard this technique for your vegetable garden next twelvemonth . Usually , cover crops are planted as gardeners harvest and pick up the vegetable garden . Mostcover cropstake a week to 10 day to germinate , will mature for a few weeks , then die over winter . This living mulch suppresses weeds in pin and spring and feeds the territory . For more on cover crops , tally out theMSHS webinar shopfor an excellent presentment on fall garden preparation and cover cropping .
What will you plant in October this year ?
October is an excellent time to plant a tree.
Mary Lahr Schier is a longtime garden writer .
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