Plant garlic and horseradish.
Gardening Tasks by Month for Davenport, IA
Gardening Tasks for October
Davenport, IA
Check your houseplants for any insects or diseases, and treat when necessary.
Store your harvest in a root cellar or cold basement.
Keep on top of autumn leaves. Shred and add them to your compost pile.
Test your garden soil if you have not already done so. Make any necessary changes to improve it for next spring.
Keep mowing your lawn for as long as it grows. Pests such as voles and field mice will damage your lawn and plants if they have long grass to hide in.
After a frost, dig up dahlias.
Test your garden soil and make any necessary changes to improve it for next spring.
Be sure to remove any leaves from your lawn to help reduce lawn problems. When you do, shred the leaves and compost them.
Protect fruit trees from animals and pests.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips, hyacinth, and snow drops. Consider covering with chicken wire to deter animals.
Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs.
Harvest any remaining vegetables sensitive to frost, included winter squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.
Look for slug egg masses under mulch and destroy.
Remove weeds, debris, and dead or diseased plants, as well as plants that had disease problems this year. Insects and diseases can overwinter in these plants.
Transplant trees and rosebushes.
Water trees, shrubs, and evergreens until the ground freezes. Apply a layer of mulch around these plants to help reduce winter injury.
Improve your garden soil by adding manure, compost, and leaves to provide it with more organic matter.