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October To Do's:
~ Plant spring flowering bulbs now. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, and maybe a
couple new varieties are available and ready to plant now. Planting bulbs
is as easy as digging a hole. Daffodils are recommended for the
beginner. They are easy to grow, come back every year and hungry deer and
pesky rodents don't eat them. Kennedy's recommends to plant bulbs such as
daffodils in groups of 5 or 7. It is easier to dig one big hole than
several small holes. Give your knees a rest and use a long handled shovel
to dig the holes in a zig-zag pattern. Place the bulbs (usually pointy
side up) at the bottom of the whole. Depth varies by bulb type, our
display at the store instructs you. This clump style of planting is much showier
than planting a straight row. Also if one bulb fails you still get a great
show in spring.
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Rewards of fall bulb planting
Red tulips in Kennedy's display gardens
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| Tip #1 - plant bulbs between perennials such as hostas (shown here)
and daylilies. The bulbs give you spring color and most perennials give
you summer color. Don't plant bulbs where you plant annuals
because they end up getting dug up and mixed up. |
| Tip #2 - if you are going to plant tulips, look for
"Darwin" types. These are more likely to come back year
after year. Daffodils are even more reliable. |
~ Freshen fall planters and garden beds. Mums provide the most color for the buck, but don't overlook the kale, which continues to get more colorful as the temperature drops. They last until the snow falls. Design tip: plant kale at an angle, slightly tilt them towards the direction you are viewing them from. They look best when you are able to view the dramatic colors layered around the center of the plant. Kale can also be planted as deep as you want. Remove any yellow leaves. For the most dramatic look plant them in masses close together. Also be sure to see our selection of Coral Bells while they last. They are hardy perennials that often survive even if planted in October. Mulch them heavily for best results. You'll be
rewarded with colorful foliage in the dead of winter. Kennedy's also has a collection of min-evergreens that can be mixed into planters to give you extended life through the winter. And don't forget you can get a splash of color for your autumn scene from sugar pumpkins or min-gourds.
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Mums, kale, ornamental peppers, swiss chard and some
bittersweet vine and min-pumpkins for color |
~ Fill in any bare spaces in the lawn with grass seed. Early October is not too late to sow new seed as long as soil temperatures remain warm and frequent water is applied. In fact, fall is ideal because as the cold approaches, weeds slow down and new grass seed will have a head start on filling in bare spaces before weeds seeds germinate next spring.
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Tip - make sure your blend of seed, such as Quick
Turf, contains at least 30% perennial rye grass for a quick and more
reliable germination this fall. |
~ Fertilize trees, shrubs, blueberries, etc. with a slow release fertilizer, such as Holly-Tone.
~ Make your vegetables happy next year by adding manure, compost or seaweed to the vegetable garden. If you had any disease issues in the vegetable garden, be sure to remove all plant material and the roots now to prevent further spread next year. For serious disease such as the tomato late blight, special precautions may be needed
(click here for more on late blight).
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If you are interested in receiving
information on new plants & products, garden tips, coupons, and our
events, lectures, sales, and specials click to our contact
us page.
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