October is planting time for many things in the South. All the way from the Virginia seaboard to the Texas plains it is considered the best time to plant daffodils. Here in the South we need many more of these bulbs.
In late winter. February and March, no other flowers give its such an invigorating breath of approaching spring and require so little attention.
Watering
One can never tell about the seasons, but for most in the South, October is usually a dry month, and unless adequately watered, much plant life will suffer. Observe your perennials and soak them occasionally during long, dry periods.
Many perennials put on new growth in the fall; if moisture is lacking, plants will be weak next spring. Shrubs and trees planted last season may die quickly if their roots get too dry. Be sure not to neglect the azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons, whose flower buds are developed in the fall.
Lack of ample moisture will result in faulty bud centers and few flowers when the season arrives. The roots of azaleas are Very near the surface, and the plants die quickly when moisture is insufficient.
Caladiums
Dig caladium tubers when leaves start to die.
Allow the tubers to dry for several days, shake off the soil, and store in a warm place in a flat of vermiculite or spread in a single layer on a shelf.
Caladiums can be left in the ground in Florida, although it is risky in the northern part of the state as they may rot.
Chrysanthemum Care
October is always a critical month with chrysanthemums. The heavy crop of blooming Chrysanthemum requires considerable moisture for proper development, so keep the soil moist.
You may continue light feedings until the color is showing in the buds; some growers feed even later, but too much food when the flowers unfold may result in weak, floppy flowers that will not hold long after opening.
Weekly sprayings of malathion will keep the cucumber beetle under control. Unless you spray, these insects will probably ruin your crop of flowers. This spray will also take care of practically all other harmful insects.
Bulbs
In the Deep South, one sometimes hears reports that new plantings of daffodils do not give good bloom after the first year; even though the flowers are produced in sufficient quantity, they are much smaller than those of the first season.
Over the years it seems the trouble lies mainly with the giant-flowered varieties. The bulbs tend to split or divide as the tulip bulbs do.
Deep planting will correct a part of this trouble. Bulbs planted 6″ inches deep instead of the usual 3″ or 4″ inches will have a more relaxed environment during our hot summers, and splitting will be minimized.
Bulbs of varieties that have medium-sized or small flowers multiply satisfactorily with us and give normal-sized flowers from year to year.
For general garden use. many gardeners consider varieties with medium-sized flowers more satisfactory than those with massive blooms.
Plant tulips, daffodils, and other hardy bulbs in the middle and upper South.
Chill tulip bulbs in the Gulf area and farther south in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for 4 to 6 weeks before planting. Don’t count on bloom for more than one year in the far South.
From Orlando to Atlanta, plant anemones, ixias, sparaxis and ranunculus. Ixia and sparaxis are also good for pot culture.
Plant cannas (try some of the new small varieties), Eucharis x Grandiflora (for shade or filtered light), gladiolus, and gloriosa lily in south Florida.
Camellias
Camellias are now coming into bloom and will be a part of the garden picture until late April. Both the variegated rose red and white and the carmine forms of Camellia japonica Daikagura are now coming into flower and will bloom through January.
Camellias sasanqua, with evergreen foliage and mostly single flowers, will also continue through January.
Question: Several persons have told me that camellias should not be planted under pecan trees and that leaves from these trees are injurious when used as mulch for camellias. Is this true?
Answer: I have heard the same thing many times but do not think there is a foundation for the report. On the Gulf Coast, several large camellia nurseries have been developed in old pecan orchards without removing the trees used for shading the camellias. Both camellias and pecans appear to be happy over the arrangement.
Lawns
Feed the lawn if you did not do so last month. This is especially important if you overplant with winter ryegrass.
Rye is grown from seed, gives fast coverage, and a green carpet during winter.
However, it is annual and will die out with warm spring weather.
Feed centipede in south Florida, but only if you have not fed it this year. Once a year is enough for a centipede – more will kill it.
Spray for armyworms and sod web-worms in lawns; both chew on grass. In south Florida, keep on the alert for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass. Diazinon gives good control.
Annuals
Sowing Annual Seeds
While a few annual varieties are planted earlier, October is the primary planting month for hardy annuals in the South. Here we could take a note from nature. Suppose you grew these plants last year, and there has been plenty of moisture.
In that case, you will probably find many volunteer plants of larkspur, poppy, phlox, calliopsis, gaillardia, and others growing lustily in your beds in early October. By winter, these volunteer plants will be of considerable size.
During warm winter periods, they will continue to send their roots down, even though there is little top growth. By spring, the plants will be muscular and husky. If we plant our seeds early, we can get even better results and have many more vigorous plants than can be grown from spring-planted seeds.
In the Deep South, the roots of most of the hardy annuals. Especially larkspur will germinate better if kept in the refrigerator’s cold (not freezing) section for a few weeks before planting.
Sow pansy seeds now. They need a cool growing period and, planted now, should be flowering by Christmas.
Along the Gulf and Florida, sow the seed of all hardy spring-blooming annuals now or set out started plants.
Hardy annuals include the following:
- sweet-alyssum
- calendula
- hollyhock
- larkspur
- lupine
- petunia
- stock
- snapdragon
- sweet pea
Perennials
Divide perennials now if they are overcrowded. They must be settled in place for winter at once. These include:
- Daylily
- Gerbera
- Liriope
- Phlox
- Physostegia
- Shasta daisy
- Verbena
Do not trim the leaves of gerberas. Take care to set new plants so the crown is level with the soil.
Lift foxgloves growing around old plants and give them a permanent location. Fertilize and mulch them well and spring will bring you delicate tall stalks.
In central and south Florida, Shasta daisies are annuals and need to be replaced each year.
In cold areas, verbenas are annuals, but cuttings can be carried over the winter indoors.
Bougainvillea
Let bougainvilleas alone after the rainy season ends. Don’t fertilize and don’t water.
This may seem like harsh treatment, but it produces flowers. Treat them more kindly, and you will have only greenery for your efforts.
Amaryllis
On the New Orleans-Jacksonville line and South, set Amaryllis bulbs with the neck above ground.
North of that line, just cover bulbs with soil and mulch them. If present bulbs arc crowded, divide now; foliage does not have to be trimmed back.
Planting Iris And Daylily
It is not too late to plant bearded irises and hemerocallis, but be sure to water the plants well after planting, even if the ground is moist. Adequate moisture and a little shade will enable plants to recover quickly from the shock of transplanting and start new growth.
Planting Peonies
In the Upper South, place orders for peonies and plant as soon as received. If you have clumps that are to be divided this fall, go ahead and attend to them now.
Cassia
Sometimes caterpillars are annoying on cassia; eliminate them by dusting or spraying with rotenone.
Roses
Prepare beds now for planting rose bushes next month. In the Middle South and north, roses should not be given any more food this season. Along the Gulf Coast and in Florida, additional feeding may be given early in the month to encourage better late bloom.
Continue monthly feeding of established roses in sections where plants grow and flower throughout the winter.
Hollyhock Seedlings
Hollyhock seedlings usually do not show double forms in the same range of colors as the original plant.
Last fall an ambitious gardener lifted his strong hollyhocks and cut the roots with a sharp axe, leaving one root and a stalk on each plant.
From the original 6 roots, he was able to get 24 new ones which are now 6 feet tall with the same color and foliage as the original plant.
Delphiniums and Campanulas
Delphininums and Campanulas are the most desirable flowers but unless 2-year plants are set they will plot to be satisfactory.
Evergreen Podocarpus
There is no finer evergreen for the Middle South and Lower South than podocarpus, which is sometimes listed as Japanese yew.
Podocarpus Sinensis may grow to the size of a small tree when trained to a single trunk, but it is easily kept down for many years if pruning is started early; it may be used in beds, borders, and as a foundation plant where medium-to-tall plants are in order.
Podocarpus macrophylla Maki is more of a bush form that is being used widely in the Deep South for hedges. It responds nicely to shearing and, with light pruning, develops into semiformal plants well suited for foundation plantings and many other uses on the grounds.
White is usually recommended for the sun. Podocarpus seems to be perfectly happy in partial shade, and I have seen it growing very well in full shade.
Questions of the Month
Question: The leaves of my Hydrangea get spotted and look unattractive at this time of year. How can I prevent this?
Answer: Spotting is caused by a fungus, but there seems little point in spraying since the plants drop their leaves soon for the winter. However, dusting sulfur will control fungus.
FGR1060 – by H Mason