Wrapping Up the Season: Your Essential End-of-Season Gardening To-Do List

A few things you will want to do this month in your garden:

1. Plant Something New if You’d Like: Take your pick from the October planting list.
2. Harvest Remaining Produce: Continue harvesting any remaining warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Be sure to pick them before the first frost, which can occur later in October in some parts of Tennessee.
3. Mulch and Compost: Apply a layer of mulch around your plants to help insulate the soil and retain moisture. Also, consider adding fallen leaves and garden debris to your compost pile to create rich compost for next year.
4. Divide and Transplant: If you have perennial plants that need dividing or relocating, October is a suitable time to do so. It gives them time to establish roots before winter.
5. Clean Up Garden Beds: Remove spent annuals, weeds, and any diseased plant material from your garden beds. This helps reduce overwintering pests and diseases.
6. Pruning: Prune back perennials that have finished flowering, but avoid heavy pruning that could stimulate new growth susceptible to frost damage. Also, prune dead or damaged branches from trees and shrubs.
7. Lawn Care: Continue with lawn maintenance tasks like mowing, fertilizing, and overseeding cool-season grasses. Consider aerating the lawn if it’s compacted.
8. Protect Tender Plants: If you have tender perennials or potted plants that can’t tolerate freezing temperatures, bring them indoors or provide winter protection.
9. Plan for Spring: Order seeds, plan new garden layouts, and make any necessary amendments to your garden soil.

Remember that the specific tasks you undertake in your Tennessee garden in October can depend on your location within the state and the microclimate of your garden.