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Perennials, Annuals and Vegetables
Plant bulbs, plant bulbs, plant bulbs! The sooner the better, both for the availability of varieties as well as getting them in the ground well in advance of winter.
Lift and divide existing hardy bulbs, if necessary, as well as overgrown or crowded hardy perennials, replanting into soil amended with compost.
It is a prime time to also move that peony you have been wanting to relocate.
Plant the newest crop of pansies ("Winter Pansies") to add some fresh color to the garden or containers.
This is the month to plant garlic and onions for next summer's harvest. Plant in soil that has good drainage and lightly mulch to help suppress weeds, as well as preventing the fall and winter rains from beating down and hardening the surface of the bare soil. Don't worry about any top growth that appears — it will survive (or not) through the winter, in any case will not harm the overall growth of next year's crop.
There's still time to pop in another round of lettuce/greens. Especially if using a row cover, cold frame or other protective device, which will extend their availability for harvest even longer.
Clean up strawberry beds, removing unripened or rotted fruit, dead leaves. Cut down asparagus plant stalks and mulch well.
There is still time to plant an over wintering COVER CROP on unused vegetable beds or other bare areas that won't be planted until spring. The fall and winter rains can beat the top layer of bare (even amended) soil into hard clay consistency, effectively undoing all your hard work in preparing the area. Planting an annual clover, cereal grass or legume cover will soften the rain's blows, and in some cases even fix additional nitrogen into the soil for greater fertility. Tilling in this "green manure" in the spring while it is still quite short will not be difficult and will add still more organic matter to the soil, improving the tilth and texture even further. It is truly one of the best things you can do for your soil At Portland Nursery, we carry several types of cover crops, suitable for every soil condition and situation in your garden.
Consider using those falling tree leaves for your winter mulch (see General Tips).
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Lawn Care
While the soil is still warm it is a great time to seed a new lawn, in advance of the fall rains that will aid germination. Shorter days mean slower top growth, allowing plants to store more nutrients and be in optimum condition for good, healthy growth next spring.
It's still okay to give existing lawns one last feed before winter. Using a granular, organic/slow-release fertilizer will make the nutrients readily available to the grass when spring arrives and the demand is high.
As the top growth slows and leaves begin to fall, mow the lawn at a shorter height than the rest of the year.
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Trees, Shrubs and Fruit
If your rose blooms into the fall, it is okay to feed it one last time with a granular, organic/slow-release fertilizer like Whitney Farm's Rose & Flower Food. By being slow-release, it ensures that the plants have the right nutrients as they go into dormancy, and will have food readily available when they reawaken in spring. Also, LEAVE THE HIPS ON THOSE ROSES! They are an important signal for the plant to go into dormancy. Afterward, they are a good source of food for birds.
Save those falling leaves for winter mulching — you can go over them with a lawn mower to cut them up into a finer consistency, if desired. NEVER place mulch up against the trunk of trees or shrubs, and never apply more than 2-3" of mulch (see General Tips on mulching).
Time is running short for the fall application of beneficial nematodes, as the weather gets steadily cooler. As it gets closer to the end of the month, check to see if that window of availability is still open.
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General Tips
Cover ponds with bird- or other type of netting to catch leaf drop from nearby trees — much easier to remove!!
On the subject of mulch: Those things that are planted/transplanted in fall should be mulched now — the mulch holds warmth in the soil longer, giving the plants more time to get established and protecting them in the winter. Mulching already established plants should not be done now, because the additional warmth could promote weak, late growth that would be damaged in winter, or prevent a plant from going into necessary dormancy before winter. So mulch already established plants in early winter.
Fall leaves make excellent mulch. Keep them bagged/dry for winter mulching. Running over the leaves with a lawn mower will shred them into a more workable consistency, and enable them to break down more quickly. Leaves left intact may need to be removed in spring, as a nice little layer of leaves makes a dandy hiding place for (gulp) slugs.
Don't apply more than 2-3" of mulch. And NEVER place mulch against the trunk of trees and shrubs — it creates the perfect breeding ground for molds and funguses, and offers a hiding place for pests that attack the bark of plants.
Remember, with mulch you are trying to protect the roots, especially the more delicate tip roots, which are at the underground perimeter of the plant.
It is also time to take advantage of great bargains on plants (like those at Portland Nursery).
Start collecting those catalogs and plant books for winter reading....
Last, but not least, it is the month to attend Portland Nursery's annual Apple Tasting!
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