October in the Garden
VEGGIES TO PLANT
- Arugula
- Asian Greens
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Swiss Chard
- Collards
- Fava Beans
- Garlic
- Greens (cool season)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Head Lettuce
- Leaf Lettuce
- Mustard
- Bulbing Onions (plant seed)
- Multiplying Onions
- Peas (English, snap, snow)
- Radishes
- Shallots
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Turnips
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Cardoons
- Fennel
- Pole Beans
WHAT TO DO
October is one of the best months to plant wildflower seeds. You will get a higher rate of germination and healthier plants by sowing seed in a prepared site. Scalp any existing grasses and remove the clippings so the seeds can make direct contact with the soil. Keep the site lightly moist with short, frequent waterings until the seedlings are about 1″ tall, then switch to less frequent, deeper waterings until healthy roots are established.
Fall is the best season for planting in Central Texas! Plant all landscape plants, and sow winter cover crops in any unplanted veggie beds.
Garlic is a kitchen staple, good companion plant, and easy to grow. Softneck garlic is better suited for our area, and is best planted in October and November. Shallots, a cousin of garlic and onions are planted here in September and October. Soil preparation is similar for both, read our planting guide here.
Feed existing asparagus, strawberries, and other cool-weather veggies and annuals with a balanced organic fertilizer. Solid fertilizer can be scratched into the soil surface at the beginning of the month, or liquid fertilizers can be applied once a week while watering.
Always be sure to mulch any bare spots of soil, or better yet, plant a cover crop. Cover crops assist in preventing weeds just as mulches do, but they also improve the soil as they grow. Covering bare soil with a living plant helps insulate the soil from temperature fluctuations and helps to crowd out potential weeds. Cover crops can be planted in bare areas around existing crops as well, such as in vegetable gardens and around fruit trees. If it is feasible to till in the cover crop, it becomes known as ‘green manure,’ adding organic matter as well as nutrients to the soil.
The cover crops to plant in fall are red clover, hairy vetch, Elbon rye, Austrian winter peas, or annual rye. Till these in next spring or anytime before they flower, except elbon rye, which should be tilled in before it reaches a foot tall, before it becomes too tough to till. For all cover crops, wait at least two weeks, and preferably three or four, after tilling before planting anything else. This gives the organic matter a chance to decompose. Watering the area will help in the decomposition process. If you are using the cover crop as a “living mulch” around vegetables, wait until the vegetables are established, about 6″-8″ tall, before sowing the cover crop.