Category Archives: October

What you should plant in October.

Bulbs, Fall, Garlic, October, Planting by Month, Seasonal Planting

October is Approaching – Time to Plant Garlic

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Well, it’s that time of year again, and it came so quickly this time!  Wasn’t it just yesterday when I was digging my year’s garlic harvest out of the ground and hanging it to cure?

Anyhow, for those of you who grow your own garlic, I hope you ordered early in the year as many of the good suppliers are sold out at this point.  You will still be able to purchase garlic seed at a local hardware store, but it won’t be the same as buying from Fillaree or Territorial Seed.

The first couple of weekends in October will be the optimal time for planting garlic so get your gardens prepared now so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.  Remember that garlic bulbs need to be fed during their growth periods prior to the winter freezes (if you get those) and also need plenty of water as well.  Don’t over water, but definitely do not let the soil dry out either.  The better you treat your garlic bulbs early on, the bigger and stronger the bulbs will grow!

Composting, Cover Crops, Fall, Manure, October

My good friend, Fall…

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Even in the south, my good friend Fall visits and gives me those wonderful cool mornings I can enjoy on the patio, sipping a cup of hot coffee, while watching the sun rise. Today was just one of those mornings, although I was running late for work, so I didn’t get to go outside. There is always tomorrow!

Anyhow, it was a brisk 61 degrees here in Round Rock, with the slightest of fog, so what a nice morning! I will live vicariously through my wife on this one, since I know she’s going to sit outside with her cup.

Also, this is the perfect time of year for fall crops down here. My kale, chards, lettuce, cabbage, and mache are well underway, giving me hope for a decent batch of salad greens before next year. Also, if you haven’t done so, this is just about the last week for planting garlic family plants for a spring harvest. Get those bulbs in the ground now! I have three stages of garlic already growing so I can spread out my needs throughout next spring.

For those of you who forego the fall crop route, now is the time to get your fresh manure worked into your beds so it will compost over the winter and be ready to provide your spring garden with plenty of nutrients. Here is a nice table of nutrients across various manures:

Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Calcium Magnesium Organic
matter		 Moisture
content
(N) (P2O5) (K2O) (Ca) (Mg)
FRESH
MANURE		 % % % % % % %
Cattle 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.1 16.7 81.3
Sheep 0.9 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.3 30.7 64.8
Poultry 0.9 0.5 0.8 0.4 02 30.7 64.8
Horse 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.12 7.0 68.8
Swine 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.03 15.5 77.6
TREATED
DRIED MANURE		 % % % % % % %
Cattle 2.0 1.5 2.2 2.9 0.7 69.9 7.9
Sheep 1.9 1.4 2.9 3.3 0.8 53.9 11.4
Poultry 4.5 2.7 1.4 2.9 0.6 58.6 9.2

Personally, I use horse manure for my fall fertilizing and then throw in a cover crop of rye grass to hold in the nutrients. I have a good friend who has horses and doesn’t mind me coming out to clean up stalls every so often. Regardless of what manure you use, I would highly suggest using a cover crop over the winter and turning it in when it flowers, before it goes to seed.

I’m looking forward to the next few months.