Monthly Checklist: October

Lawn Care

There’s still plenty of time to seed your lawn this month if you haven’t already, in fact, the cooler temperatures in October will allow you to water less frequently.

• Ken Matthews Blend Fescue Seed is a custom fescue blend based on the recommendations from Virginia Tech and is blended especially for the Hampton Roads area.
• You can overseed warm-season lawns (like Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede) with Annual Winter Rye to have some color in your lawn during the winter months. 
• Apply Jonathan Green New Seeding Fertilizer to newly seeded or overseeded lawns for better root development and green-up. It can be applied on the same day as grass seed.
• Jonathan Green Veri-Green feeds established lawns or lawns that were seeded at least 30 days ago.

Insect & Disease Control

Continue keeping an eye out for any insect and fungal problems on your plants. As we progress into fall and cooler temperatures, pest problems will lessen but weather in Hampton Roads can be unpredictable this time of year.

• Because it’s Organic, Neem Oil is perfect for controlling disease and insects on your veggies, herbs, and fruits.
• Rose Shield protects your plants against fungi, insects, and mites. Best used on ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials.
• Quickly control fungal diseases like powdery mildew, rust, leaf curl, and more with Copper Fungicide.
• Protect plants for up to 6 weeks with RoseRx, a systemic control that is applied to the soil and absorbed by the plants.
• Eight Insect Control kills multiple types of insects.
• If you have any outdoor plants you are planning to bring inside over winter, treat them with Houseplant Insect Control to kill off any potential stowaways in the soil before you bring them into your home.

Garden Beds

Get your beds ready for fall planting!

• Add organic matter and amend clay or sandy soils with Lobster Compost.
• Apply Preen to prevent weeds in your garden beds.
• Mulch your garden beds and around trees and shrubs. Not only does mulch make your garden look tidier, but it also acts as a layer of insulation, keeping root systems and dormant bulbs toasty during winter.

Fertilizers

Remember to thoroughly read your label to know how often you need to fertilize. With cooler temperatures on their way, avoid fertilizing plants that are about to go dormant. Focus on feeding cool season veggies and annuals.

• Plant Tone is an all-purpose fertilizer for all your plant needs.
• Feed your newly planted vegetables and herbs Garden Tone.
• Apply Bulb Tone to feed your newly planted spring-blooming bulbs.
• Feed your flowering cool-season Pansies and Snapdragons with Flower Tone.
• Use Dynamite Slow-Release Fertilizer once when you plant your cool-season veggies and annuals, then sit back and relax while it feeds for up to 9 months!

Pond Care

As fall sets in, the amount of care your pond needs will decrease. Keep an eye on the water temperatures. 

• Microbe-Lift adds beneficial bacteria to improve the conditions of your pond by removing pollutants.
• Switch to feeding your fish with Spring & Fall Fish Food once your pond’s water temperatures drop below 60°. Remember to stop feeding entirely once water temperatures drop below 50°.
• Netting keeps falling leaves and other debris out of your pond over winter, resulting in less spring clean-up for you!

Animal Repellents

While these products are useful year-round, you may notice more hungry critters feasting on your plants than normal as their other food sources begin to go dormant.

• Liquid Fence can be sprayed directly onto your plants or around entire garden beds to protect against hungry deer and rabbits.
• Create a powerful barrier around your plants to protect them from deer with Deer Scram.
• Repels All is an excellent all-purpose repellant if your critter problems go beyond the standard deer and rabbits.
• Hot Pepper Wax is a spicy, natural alternative to repels all and is safe to use on veggies and herbs (but make sure you rinse off your edibles before you eat them, or you’re in for a spicy surprise!)
• Drive away moles, voles, and other ground-dwelling rodents naturally with Mole Max.

Miscellaneous

• Fill new raised garden beds, or refresh existing ones, with Coast of Maine Raised Bed Soil. It works great in containers too.
• Coast of Maine Potting Soil is perfect for indoor containers, outdoor containers, and hanging baskets.
• Use Fertilome Root Stimulant to encourage new root development and to prevent transplant shock in new plantings.
• Protect new plants from hungry voles with Vole Bags, mesh bags that protect root systems from getting munched on.
• Keep your feeders and suet cages full, as winter approaches food sources will be harder to find for birds and they’ll thank you for keeping them fed!

Click here for November’s checklist.