What's blooming in October? What else can you plant and sow in October? Which vegetables are in season in October? An overview of our tips for gardening in October.
When October is just around the corner, the year is slowly coming to an end. In the garden calendar in October, however, there is still no sign of the approaching end of the year. On the contrary: there is still plenty to do for gardeners in this autumn month. So not only the harvest of many autumn vegetables is part of gardening in October. In fact, you can still plant fall vegetables. In addition, the garden also needs sufficient care during this time. We have summarized the best gardening tips for October for you here.
Sowing and planting in October
Even if the temperatures are slowly falling and the climate is getting cooler in the gardening month of October, the beds don't have to be empty. In fact, there are a few vegetables to plant in October. But what else can be planted or sowed in October? We have compiled the best plants for growing in October for you here.
What else can you plant in October?
Autumn has arrived in the garden in October and we are slowly preparing for winter. Nevertheless, the beds do not have to be empty - the opposite is the case: you can still plant a lot in October. For example, the gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) benefits from planting in October as it can take advantage of the winter moisture in the soil to grow. Anyone who owns a rhubarb plant (Rheum rhabarbarum) can also plant it in October. It is best to work a generous amount of compost into the soil beforehand, as the plant is a heavy feeder. Also for hardy fruit trees such as apple (Malus domestica), pear (Pyrus) or plum (Prunus domestica ) autumn planting in October is ideal, as this gives them more time for their roots to grow - in contrast to spring planting.
But what other vegetables can you plant in October? On the one hand, the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is well suited for planting in October because, unlike the potato, it ishardy and will reliably sprout next year. On the other hand, you can also plant onions (Allium cepa) and garlic (Allium sativum) in October without any problems. In the ornamental garden, bulbous and bulbous plants such as tulips (Tulpa), snowdrops (Galanthus) or daffodils (Narcissus ) are planted. Trees and shrubs are also best planted in October, as they then show better root growth. In addition, bare-root rose bushes (Rosa) are best planted in October, because they then sprout much earlier than roses planted in spring.
Fruit: apple, pear, plum, rhubarb, gooseberry, sour cherry, sweet cherry, plum
Vegetables: garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, onion
Ornamental Garden: Wallflower, Mullein, Daffodil, Rose, Snowdrop, Tree Peony, Tulip, Winterling
What else can you sow in October?
October is so cold and unfriendly that there is nothing left to sow? Wrong thinking - in October some plants can actually still be sown. Robust Asian lettuce and leaf mustard like Mizuna (Brassica rapavar.nipposinica) can even be sown outdoors. The less well-known vegetables Guter Heinrich (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) - a wild vegetable similar to spinach - and chervil beet (Chaerophyllum bulbosum) - are just as cold-tolerant tuber vegetables. You can sow them outdoors without any problems until the end of October. The rare sea kale (Crambe maritima) is sown outdoors in pots in October to be grown indoors from March. Hardy spinach varieties (Spinacia oleracea) can also be sown in October in the bed or in the greenhouse. Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) and lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta) can also be grown in the greenhouse in October.
In the ornamental garden, cold germinators such as phlox (Phlox paniculata), torch lily (Kniphofia) and bergenia (Bergenia) ) seeded. Monkshood (Aconitum) can also get a spot in the bed in October. But be careful: it is highly toxic and should not be left within the reach of children. In addition, October is ideal for spreading a hardy green manure such as mustard (Sinapis). Also annual, hardy plants such as cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas)you can sow in October.
Outdoor: lamb's lettuce, garden cress, mustard, spinach
In the greenhouse: Asian salads, Good Henry, chervil beet, sea kale, mizuna, spinach
Ornamental Garden: Larkspur, Bergenia, Monkshood, Torch Lily, Lady's Mantle, Maiden in the Green, California Poppy, Corn Poppy, Cornflower, Phlox, Giant Balsamine, Marigold, Daylily, usuryflower
Seasonal vegetables in October: what can you harvest now?
If you want to harvest fresh fruit and vegetables in October, you don't need to be afraid of empty beds. In addition to numerous types of vegetables, many types of fruit and some salads are also ripe for harvest in October. In addition to many types of cabbage, the classic seasonal vegetables in October include parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) and salsify (Scorzonera). Also lettuce like chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) and lollo rosso (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) are still in season in October. In the greenhouse you can harvest the last cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) in October. We are particularly happy about the aromatic hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) and walnuts (Juglans regia) as well as chestnuts (Castanea sativa ), with which October presents us. Those who prefer it a little sweeter can try apples, pears and grapes (Vitis vinifera).
Vegetables: Cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, fennel, carrots, potatoes, turnip greens, pumpkin, corn, horseradish, pak choi, peppers, parsnips, leeks, radishes , Radish, Brussels sprouts, beetroot, red cabbage, black salsify, celery root, spinach, pointed cabbage, runner beans, celery, rutabagas, tomatoes, white cabbage, savoy cabbage, sweetcorn, courgettes, onions
Salad: chicory, iceberg, lollo rosso, radicchio
Fruit: apples, pears, rowan, rose hips, hazelnuts, elderberries, kiwi, chestnuts, medlar, quince, rowan berries, walnuts, grapes, plums
In the greenhouse: Cucumbers
What's blooming in October?
In October, the garden is often at its most beautiful thanks to the colorful autumn colours. But some trees and shrubs not only impress with their magnificent play of colors - the European leadwort (Plumbago europaea) still shows its violet flowers in October. Also the large-flowered St. John's Wort (Hypericum'Hidcote') tirelessly displays a large number of golden yellow cup flowers in October. Numerous climbing plants are also in bloom: The flowers of the ivy (Hedera helix) are quite inconspicuous at first glance, but they attract numerous beneficial insects. The countless white flower spikes of the shilling knotweed (Fallopia aubertii) and the beautiful flowers of the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) are also popular with bees and the like. Rose lovers will also get their money's worth, because many varieties still show their extravagant flowers even in October.
But which flowers bloom in October? Autumn chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum Indicum hybrids), stonecrop (Sedum) and garden dahlias (Dahlia) shine in the herbaceous borderx hortensis). The poisonous monkshood (Aconitum x arendsii) also presents its striking blue flowers in October. The autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) with its light purple flowers proves to be a dangerous beauty in October. Heather species such as bell heather (Erica gracilis), which bloom well into winter, are particularly popular in October. A classic that no garden should be without is of course the sunflower (Helianthus annuus): the large yellow flowers light up the garden when they bloom in October.
Trees and Shrubs: European Leadwort, Large-flowered St. John's Wort, Butterfly Bush
Climbing plants: ivy, golden clematis, creeper
Perennials: Stonecrop, Garden Dahlias, Bell Heather, Autumn Anemones, Autumn Asters, Autumn Chrysanthemums, October Coneflowers
Flowers: Autumn Crocus, Sunflower
More work in the garden in October
Of course, gardening in October isn't just about planting and harvesting different fruits and vegetables. In the gardening month of October there is still a lot more work to be done in the garden: cutting, raking leaves and fertilizing are of course also part of it. We have summarized all the garden work that still needs to be done in October for you here.
Storage apples: Storage apples like the Boskop slowly ripen in October and have to be picked. Proper storage is crucial to ensure that they survive the winter well: Only perfect apples are stored in airy crates in a dark, 1 to 5 °C cool room.
Replanting trees: You move an old treenot - a boy but already. If you notice that a tree is not in the ideal place, you should use October to move it. Prerequisite: The tree has been in this location for less than five years. Trees that have been in one place for a long time are not only more difficult to move, they usually don't survive the change well either.
Prepare the bed: If you plan to start building a new bed next year, it is worth planning heavy and digging up clay soils. Winter frost further breaks up the soil clods, making final spring preparation easier.
Watering strawberries: If strawberries (Fragaria) were planted in summer, these must be kept sufficiently moist until winter to develop sufficient roots. If the garden is rather dry in October, don't forget to water the strawberries.
Dig up gladioli and montbretia: Since both montbretia (Crocosmia) and gladioli ( Gladiolus) usually do not survive the frost in winter, the tubers should be dug up in October. The tubers can easily be overwintered at 10 °C in a box with sand or earth.
Pruning autumn raspberries: Pruning of autumn raspberries (Rubus idaeus ) on the plan. Luckily, this isn't particularly complicated: All harvested shoots are cut off at about ground level.
Overwintering in potted plants: In potted plants such as fuchsias (Fuchsia) or oleanders ( Nerium oleander) that have been outside in the summer should move indoors again by October at the latest. Depending on the requirements of the plant, they can be wintered there in light or dark at warmer temperatures. You can find out more about the right winter quarters in our special article on overwintering potted plants.
Fertilize the lawn: If you haven't fertilized your lawn yet, you should definitely do so in October. An autumn lawn fertiliser, such as the Plantura Autumn Lawn Fertilizer, not only provides your lawn with all the important nutrients, but also ensures that it becomes more frost tolerant.
Dividing Rhubarb: Rhubarb should be divided every eight to ten yearsbe carried out so that the plant remains vital. Gardening is best done in October, when the leaves are already brown. Sections are cut off with a sharp spade and planted in a new location.
Fertilize houseplants: By the beginning of October houseplants should be fertilized one last time before they enter their dormant period. A good houseplant fertilizer such as our Plantura organic houseplant fertilizer is best suited for this. Only indoor plants that flower in winter, such as the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), should still be fertilized after October.
Removing leaves: Foliage plays a major role when gardening in October: Damp leaves can be particularly damaging in beds or on lawns not only look ugly, but even cause damage, because grass in particular quickly begins to rot under it. You should also remove the leaves in the garden pond, otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the pond and decompose into sludge. Nevertheless, you don't just have to throw away the leaves: piles of leaves in small wild corners help garden animals like hedgehogs to hibernate. You can find more recycling options for leaves in our article "Autumn Leaves in the Garden: 5 Great Tips & Tricks".
Find out how fall gardening continues in our November gardening article.