Your October to-do list for the garden will depend on where you live. Knowing what to do in the garden for the month will help you prep it for the winter and make sure you’re hitting all the appropriate regional garden chores.
What to Do in the Garden Now
Gardening in October depends on local climate, but there are some chores everyone can do this time of year. It’s a great time, for instance, to have your soil tested by your local extension office and to make any necessary amendments. Clean up beds and rake and compost leaves. Plant new trees and shrubs and save dry seeds from vegetables and flowers you want to propagate or share.
Here are some specific regional garden chores for October:
Northwest Region
In the cooler interior of the Pacific Northwest region, you’ll want to:
- Harvest your fall planted greens, like spinach
- Add yard waste to the compost pile
- Start protecting plants from frost as needed
Along the coast:
- Thin out any root vegetables you planted earlier in the fall and start harvesting
- Plant appropriate veggies including onions (and relatives), radishes and other root crops, cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens, and peas
- Plant cover crops
Western Region
In most areas of the West, like California, you can:
- Plant onions, garlic, radishes, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, beets, and peas
- Harvest vegetables, including root veggies
- Clean up fruit if you have an orchard
In Southern California:
- Plant warm-climate bulbs and chill cool-climate bulbs
- Transplant winter veggies
- Water well during this dry month
- Prune fruit trees
Northern Rockies and Plains
In the colder growing zones of the Northern Rockies and Plains states, October is the time to:
- Harvest root vegetables with the first real frost
- Protect roses
- Pick apples
- Protect beds
- Rake and mulch leaves
Southwest Region
In the colder regions of the high desert:
- Harvest fall planted greens
- Clean up the garden and work on compost
- Start protecting cold-sensitive plants
In the hotter parts of the Southwest, now is the time to:
- Plant cool-season veggies
- Dig up summer bulbs and store for winter
- Plant strawberries for the winter
- Plant herbs
South-Central States
Warmer regions of the South-Central region are much like the southwest:
- Plant cool-season vegetables and strawberries
- Store summer bulbs
- Keep harvesting
- Clean up orchards
In the cooler parts of the South, like northern Texas:
- Clean up the garden and make compost
- Protect plants as needed
- Thin cool-weather root vegetables, like radishes and carrots
- Plant garlic and onions
Upper Midwest States
October begins to get cold and frosty in parts of the Upper Midwest:
- Plant spring bulbs before the ground freezes
- Divide perennials as needed
- Winterize rose bushes
- Harvest apples
Central Ohio Valley
There’s still much to do across the Ohio Valley region. In these middle states in October, you can:
- Clean up the yard and beds and make compost
- Harvest apples and clean up orchards
- Start protecting plants from frost
- Divide perennials as needed
- Plant spring bulbs
Northeast Region
The Northeast varies in climate so pay attention to which area you’re located. In northern areas like Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont:
- Harvest root vegetables
- Keep watering
- Harvest apples
- Protect roses
- Plant garlic
- Tidy up the yard before it snows
In the warmer states:
- Harvest greens and apples
- Clean up the yard and make compost
- Protect vulnerable plants as the first frost approaches
- Plant garlic and onions
Southeast Region
In most of the Southeast region you can:
- Water plants well
- Plant cover crops in vegetable beds
- Harvest sweet potatoes
- Plant perennials
- Plant cool-weather veggies
In South Florida:
- Water as the air gets drier
- Transplant winter veggies
- Prune fruit trees