Prescott Garden Keeping - October Edition

Late summer continues and just gets better and better here in the high country.

This year, we are still experiencing those crazy warm days but it's perfect in the mornings and evenings.  That means that I am still not adjusting my irrigation schedule just yet, as I write this post. 

But in a week or so, hopefully we'll be back to more normal October temps which means I'll tweak my system down to 80% and then continue to bring it down over the next few weeks until we begin to get those consistent freezes and chilly day-times. 

That's when you will want to power down and drain your drip and irrigation systems for the winter.

I'm beginning to receive all my perennial plant orders for my autumn planting - and I've still got a list of a few things I'm going to source and order this week.  

Mostly I'm just spending as much time outside to enjoy the pefection of the landscape and this season.  Here's to lotsa porch sittin'!

I've got your detailed October Checklist for you here - to help you get organized and stay on track.  Keep reading...
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​We don't do garden maintenance at The Whiskey Porch, but I wanted to put together a series of garden keeping checklists to help keep you on track.  Whether you are going to do it all yourself, or bring in a maintenance crew to do much of it for you, these monthly guides should be useful to you if you live in and around Prescott, AZ.

All of these checklists are very specific to the micro-climate that I am in here in downtown Prescott.  So, there will be slight variations for you depending on your specific location, as well as what you grow.  Generally speaking, these lists will relate to USDA Zone 7b.  

Each year can bring a slightly different cycle to the seasons.  And occasionally, of course, we have wild years with entirely unexpected weather patterns.  Sometimes we have our first hard freeze in late October, but most often not until early December.  Keep this in mind when planning your monthly tasks.

These checklists apply generally to a landscape garden which includes primarily perennials, as well as veggies and herbs.  

​Let's get to it.
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​PLANTS & PLANTING  🌱

• Continue to plant cool-season blooms like snapdragons, pansies, ornamental kale etc.  And seeds for beets, broccoli, sprouts, carrots, leeks, onion, etc.  Good time to set out your garlic and shallot starts as well.
• If you have beds that have space, consider a cover crop for the winter to help improve your soil like rye, oats, and even fava beans.  I adore fava beans and cannot get them anywhere locally, so I will be sowing that this year in my culinary herb beds.  We'll see what happens.
• It's time to put your spring blooming bulbs into the ground now.  Select good locations with the right amount of spring sun exposure or shade, and be certain that you have well-draining soil so that they don't rot.  Last year I made the mistake of potting up a whole bunch of snowdrops and left them in a protected area that turned out to be too dark and shady.  Good reminder!
• Great time to continue planting new trees and shrubs - just be sure to keep them properly watered until everything goes dormant.
• Finish harvesting your veggies and cut, dry and/or freeze your herbs before the hard frosts.

​WATER  💦 

• The temps should be coming down nicely by now, so it's time to decrease your watering schedule.  If you're lucky enough to have a controller with a "seasonal adjustment", you can begin to cut back from 100% in increments as it cools off.  You won't want to turn off your system entirely until we are in November/December generally.
• If we begin getting hard frosts and chilly day-time temps you will want to consider disconnecting your hoses from the house.  Frozen water in the valve can break pipes and valves.  Trust me - I know.  I usually just leave the hoses hanging, pull off the sprayer and keep it nearby in a protected cabinet, and disconnect the hose from the house.  This allows the water to drain out and still allows you to easily access them to water occasionally during the winter if there is no snow or rain.

​CRITTERS 🦌

• Skunks.  Why they reappear in late September and October I'm not certain, but I try hard to deter them from areas near the house.  And make certain that there are no spots where they can nest on the property like under decks, or foundations, etc.
• Birds.  There's a lot of activity now in the garden with many different bird species, so it's a good time to keep refilling those feeders and fresh water.

​MAINTENANCE  ✂️

• Frost protection.  If you want to extend your season a bit, be ready with that frost fabric you ordered in September.  Our average first frost is in mid-October.  But day-time temps are still typically gorgeous so you can pull the fabric off in the mornings.
• Pre-emergents.  This is a good time to finish applying pre-emergents to your walkways, gravel drives, and other unplanted ground cover areas.  I am very careful to use non-toxic products and if I can manage areas with occasional weed pulling that I prefer that to heavy treatments.
• Light cleanup.  As your perennials and annuals begin to die back or go dormant, you can begin to clean things up.  Add material to your compost pile if you have one as long as it's disease and pest-free.  I like to leave much of the perennials up even when they go dormant do offer shelter for birds and other garden friends.  Also, I leave anything that will produce berries over winter or where I want to offer some cover to nearby plantings that might be more tender or newer to help them survive the winds and colder temps.
• Autumn fertilization.  The end of this month is the perfect time to apply a well balanced general landscape fertilizer to everything.  This well setup these plants for coming back strong in the spring.  I am careful to use organic products and those that are a light mix of elements.  Nothing heavy.  Alternatively, it's also the perfect time to top-dress your beds and landscape with organic material like worm castings, etc.  Consider having your soil tested so that you know what is missing.
• Systemics.  I use these sparingly, but have found that it's a real must for some ornamental pear trees, a few of my mid-sized shrubs, and also the Japanese maples.  It's not cheap, but getting a good quality product can really help get ahead of the thrip, spider mites and such in the spring.  One option - Criterion-75-WSP-Systemic-Insecticide and I also like the Bayer 3-in-1 shrub and tree systemic.
• Finish dividing spring and summer blooming perennials as needed.  Those plants that just flowered in late summer or fall can wait to be divided until early spring.

​OTHER - PLANNING  📝

• Soil Testing.  This is a good time to collect samples of the soil in various beds to have them tested.  This way you can get that information and make a plan before early spring for amendments to get things in balance.  I will bring my soil samples over to the UofA Extension Office and work with them.

​GARDEN KEEPING JOURNAL ☑️

​You'll find all the other monthly checklists with tips and suggestions here:

Monthly Checklists

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​Got questions about where to start?

​We specialize in exceptional, custom design services for Prescott homeowners - architectural and landscape design.  Are you wanting to refine and area or do a complete landscape overhaul?  Give us a call.  

​Learn more about our services here:

Design and Consult Services

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Can't get enough of this goodness?

You can find lots more good stuff and inspiration on our Garden Resources page if you just can't get enough of the garden now.

More Inspo

I've been getting wonderful feedback from local gardeners and followers.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy that - keep it coming! 

If you have ideas, suggestions, or questions just go ahead and drop a comment below, or head to the Contact Page to send me a note.

I hope you are enjoying the results of your efforts this season as much as I am.  And, if it didn't go so well, don't despair!  There's always next season, and planning for that starts now...  

Peace and contentment,
~Miriam