Change

October 2014

Pickaway to Garden

 

Change

 

By Paul J. Hang

 

 

An old philosopher once said that the only permanent thing is change. Actually the old philosopher was Heraclitus and I don’t know how old he was when he said that. He did say it over 2,000 years ago so I guess it is at least an old saying rather than an old philosopher. At any rate I believe he probably uttered that in the month of October. Is there another month that sees so much change?

 

The most obvious change is the color of the leaves followed by the shortening days. Days shorten and the nights lengthen as the year goes over to the dark side. Daylight Savings Time used to end in October until it was changed to November. The green of Maples turn to red, Hickory to yellow, Ash to wine. Next we notice the change of temperature as the mornings take on a frosty feel. If we haven’t experienced it by the time you read this, frost should be happening soon. Average date of first frost is October 20^th here in South Central Ohio. That means that there is a 50/50 chance of frost occurring by that date.

 

The next obvious change is the leaves falling from trees and shrubs. The hills south and east of town will soon reveal their true shapes, once stripped of their dress of vegetation, and show their bare limbs. The Oaks and Beech retain just enough skimpy lingerie cover to insure some modesty in the woods. Our wardrobe will also be changing.

 

Some changes in October are to be celebrated, apples into cider, cabbage into kraut, grapes into jelly and pumpkins into pie. What better use to put a pumpkin than pumpkin pie, unless it is our local pumpkin donuts? How about all those surplus tomatoes? Why not “change” them into jars?

 

Freezing temperatures bring a change that most gardeners welcome, an end to gardening. I must confess to a sense of relief when the growing season ends. Admittedly the work doesn’t necessarily end, there are still chores that should be done, but you can quit if you want to. The gardening chores that are required in the growing season e.g., watering, weeding, deadheading, etc. are finished. In a couple months we will begin to fantasize about the coming season but for now we can change from a gardener to a seed catalog reader.

 

If all these changes are unsettling remember that they happen every year. It is comforting to know that the seasons return. We just need to recall another philosopher of the Ancient Greeks, Parmenides, who said “Change is an illusion.”

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Hot caps and covers should be made handy in case a frost or freeze is forecast. Remember that the coldest temperature usually comes a little after sunrise. The earth radiates heat away and the sun hasn’t climbed high enough to begin heating us. You might still save some plants even if you slept in after it became light. Often we have a few more weeks of growing weather after the frost. Saving your veggies may enable you to extend the harvest.

 

Consider bringing in the houseplants that you put outside this summer if you haven’t already. Make sure you don’t bring in any bugs with them; a good blast of water from your hose can wash most of them off. Bring the pots into a sheltered spot for a week or so to help the plants acclimate before shocking them with the warmer temperatures of your home.

 

In October, and even into early November, plant garlic and shallots. Cloves from store bought garlic may not work as some are treated to delay sprouting. You can also order favorite varieties from seed catalogs. Separate the cloves and plant 4 inches apart. Harvest garlic around the 4^th of July.

 

Dig up your tender corms and bulbs as soon as they are frostbitten. Dahlias, glads, tuberous begonias and cannas should be dug and stored in a cool dry place. Most basements are too warm. Caladiums should be stored at  65-70 degrees. Go to ohioline.osu.edu and bring up Factsheet HYG-1244-92 to get specific information on storing Summer Flowering Bulbs.

 

You can still divide day lilies and iris. Cut back the iris leaves to four-inch fans. Stop feeding your roses but don’t stop giving them water. Consider cutting back your roses halfway. If you have dormant roses you can still plant them.

 

Spring bulbs can be planted as soon as you get them. Plant them at a depth three times their length; place some bulb food in the hole with them. For a better display plant them in groups, not single file. Now is also the time to plant garlic and shallots.

 

If you planted trees this year protect the trunks from gnawing rabbits and other varmints with hardware cloth or the plastic wrap made for this purpose. Even older trees can benefit from this if you’ve experienced this damage in the past.

 

In you don’t accumulate a lot of leaves consider just shredding them with the mower and leave them scattered on the lawn.

 

It is still the best time to fertilize your lawn. Use a high nitrogen soluble product.