Monthly Tips
October
Plant
Dig out individual holes or large areas and mix in compost. Then plant your spring flowering bulbs at the depth indicated for the particular bulb. Bulbs can be “layered” with the deepest and largest planted first and then covered. The next layer is planted above and covered. In this way blooms will be followed by later blooms in the same patch.
Prune
Now is an excellent time to prune trees. Pruning will not stimulate growth or promote disease in fresh cuts this late in the year. Cull out crossed or rubbing branches, broken or odd shaped branches and poor symmetry.
Clean Up
Rake up leaves and dead plant material from gardens and flower beds. This will help keep fungi and disease from being harbored in the old material. Remove leaves from the lawn as soon as the bulk of the leaf drop has stopped. Some trees (Oaks) take forever to drop their leaves.
Mow
Mow low until growth stops.
Apply
At months end, apply a winter fertilizer to your lawn which will promote root development and store nutrients in the soil for early spring growth.