October is here, and it’s a great month to plant some amazing flowers and veggies that will give you a head start for spring!
Many gardeners think it’s time to hang up their tools when the weather gets chilly, but fall is actually the perfect season to dig in and get your hands dirty!
In your veggie patch, think about planting onions, garlic, broad beans, and peas to fill in those bare spots.
It’s also the start of the bare-root planting season, so now’s the time for bare-root apple and pear trees and shrubs like blackcurrants and gooseberries. For flowers, you can plant hardy annuals and perennials that need the cold to grow.
You see, there are different kinds of plants that thrive when planted in October. So, what are you waiting for?
Read these planting tips and start digging!
1. Garlic Is The First One To Go
Gardeners, we can all agree on one thing – garlic is a must-have in the garden!
If you plant garlic cloves in fall, they’ll grow roots before the winter arrives, giving them a head start on the spring-planted ones. And what’s also great is that you’ll be able to harvest them by early summer!
For a tasty variety, pick a mix of softneck and hardneck types (each offering unique flavors and uses). If your soil is heavy, consider planting the cloves in multi-celled trays or small pots first before moving them outdoors.
Related: If You Want To Plant Garlic, The Most Beneficial Crop, Do It This Fall
2. You Can Also Grow Various Salad Mixes
Salad mixes are one of the easiest things to grow!
If you plant them in October, you might get a small harvest before winter, but once it gets cold, the plants will take a break. They’ll start growing again in March, so you’ll get to harvest fresh salad leaves early in the season.
Just plant them straight into the soil or in pots. If the weather looks rough, cover them with a cloche or move the pots somewhere sheltered, like a greenhouse. Right now I have plenty of salad in my greenhouse just waiting for salads and sandwiches!
3. Plant Wallflowers Now And Enjoy Their Blooms Early In Spring
Veggies are not the only ones you can plant in October. In fact, now is the perfect time to plant spring bedding plants like wallflowers!
Get them in the ground or in pots so they can produce magnificent blooms in early spring. They love well-prepared soil and make a lovely pair with daffodils.
Related: 10 Jobs To Do In October For A Thriving Garden
4. If You Like Cut Flowers, Then You Need To Plant Honeyworths
If you love cut flowers, I would recommend planting Honeyworths. This is a fantastic choice thanks to its lovely blue-green leaves that beautifully complement other colors in your garden or vase.
And we are not the only ones that find these flowers adorable – bees and other pollinators absolutely love their bell-shaped blooms.
To get started, sow the seeds in individual pots or multi-celled trays now. Just keep them nice and cozy over winter in a cold frame, and they’ll be ready to plant out come spring.
5. Or You Can Go For Something Like Currants And Gooseberries
You can also find currants and gooseberries as bare-root plants from October to March at great prices!
Be sure to plant them right away when they arrive (this helps them settle in before the cold). If you’re not ready to find a permanent home for them just yet, you can always keep them in a temporary spot until you’re ready to plant.
Related: When And How To Prune Blackcurrants For A Huge Harvest
6. Don’t Skip Out On Cauliflower
Although cauliflowers are not the easiest veggies you can grow, they are definitely worth the trouble. I mean, they are super delicious and also have plenty of health benefits!
If you were planning to grow one in your garden, now’s the time to get started. Try sowing early-summer varieties like ‘Snowball’ to overwinter. Plant the seeds into multi-celled trays and thin them out to one seedling per cell.
Keep them comfortably under cover in a greenhouse or cold frame, and you’ll be ready to plant them outside next spring.
Related: What Are The Cauliflower Growing Stages? Check Out The Answer Here
7. Save Some Money On Apples And Pears
I already mentioned that October is the ideal time for bare-root planting, which means you can get trees and shrubs at a fraction of the price compared to potted plants!
There’s a great selection to choose from, so you can get standard ones or opt for dwarf rootstocks. Some varieties can even thrive in pots, so you can place them anywhere you want.
So, go ahead – plant and save!
8. Complete Your Fall Veggie Patch With Broad Beans
If planted in October, broad beans will start growing before the winter arrives. Then, they’ll take a little nap until spring.
When the weather gets nicer, they’ll come back and give you an early spring harvest – even a few weeks ahead of beans sown in spring!
You can either sow them directly into the soil or use multi-celled trays to transplant them later. If you’ve already sown some in September, get those plants in the ground right now.
If you’re reading this in October and have some empty spots in your garden, it’s time to get planting!
Choose any of these plants and you’ll either get to harvest tasty crops or enjoy gorgeous blooms (it’s a win-win either way).
Also read: Plant These Spring Bulbs In October And Enjoy A Wonderful Flower Display Come Spring