Sooke garden to-do list: October – It’s Tuck-In Time

Collect fall leaves to add to your garden as mulch.

By Loretta Fitz

An October to-do list for gardeners in and around Sooke*

• Plant garlic once the soil has started to cool.

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs.

• Plant broad beans.

• Begin collecting leaves to use as mulch.

• Remove fallen/diseased fruits, vegetables, leaves and branches from all garden areas.

• Apply protection measures for tender plants.

• Take advantage of end-of-season sales on trees, shrubs, perennials, and spring-flowering bulbs, and plant them as the weather cools.

• Prepare for fall clean-up by cleaning, sharpening, and lubricating cutting tools.

• Drain hoses.

• Do a light cleanup around the garden.

And, of course …

Continue to build compost with fruit and vegetable scraps, dried leaves and plant trimmings, seaweed, manure, and as wide a variety of other seed-free ingredients — both brown and green — as you can find. Remember, the compost feeds the soil, and the soil feeds the plants.

Remove weeds as soon as you see them. They deprive nearby plants of water and valuable nutrients.

Take steps to prevent pests and diseases from ruining your plants. Monitor plants vigilantly, keep tools and work areas clean, follow appropriate planting, growing and pruning techniques, and keep dead/diseased plant material out from under fruit trees and out of beds and containers. Companion planting, floating row covers, slug patrols, etc., can be helpful during the main growing season. 

Take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of your garden and the fruits of your labour!

* This list is for general reference only. The timing of many tasks will be affected by weather and related factors. Please be guided not only by local area conditions, but also by conditions within your own gardening microclimate.