Comprehensive October Garden Checklist for the NC Piedmont Region

🌱 1. Plant & Transplant — October's Priority

  • Fall is for Planting! October is ideal for planting new perennials, groundcovers, and cool-season annuals.

  • Divide and transplant established perennials to prevent overcrowding and promote air circulation. 

  • Move plants that may be in the wrong location, (too much sun or shade, not enough room, etc.)

  • You can plant smaller container shrubs this month, but best to plant larger container shrubs and trees in November. 

  • Finish planting fall cover crops by roughly mid-to-late October

  • Begin preparing beds for November tree, shrub and bulb planting

  • Be sure to continue monitoring ANY new plants or transplants for water! Plants still need the equivalent of one inch of water per week, even in fall


🌷 2. Get Ready for Bulb Season in November

  • Purchase spring-flowering bulbs while they are being featured in Garden Centers and online.

  • Design bulb groupings and prepare planting areas.

  • November is the main Spring emerging bulb-planting window in the Triangle, NC area. 


🍂 3. Fall Cleanup — October Is the Time to Start

  • Remove spent annuals and vegetable plants. 

  • Remove weeds before they produce more seed.

  • Remove diseased foliage and plant debris. 

  • Clean up and/ or remove any invasive plants

  • Don't cut everything back! Leave healthy native seed heads and stems for birds.  The time to cut these back is December through March.  When you do cut them back, leave 1 to 2 feet standing for the tiny overwintering solitary bees who are so important to pollination in our area and do not sting!  

  • Leave the Leaves!  Especially in the garden areas and any wooded areas. If still needing to mow any lawn areas, mow the leaves to create leaf mulch to help protect beneficial bees and insects like fireflies, ladybugs and the caterpillars of some of our most beautiful butterflies and moths. 

  • Add mulch to any bare garden areas not covered by leaves. 

For an ecological garden, October cleanup should be more about selective cleanup than making everything bare and tidy.


🥬 4. Vegetable Garden

 You can still Direct Sow in very early October:

  • Spinach 

  • Radishes 

  • Mustard/Asian greens 

 Plant Healthy, Nice Sized Transplants in early October including:

  • Kale 

  • Collards  

  • Broccoli  

  • Cabbage  

  • Lettuce

 Plant later in October:

  • Garlic 

  • Green Onions


🌳 5. Trees & Shrubs — Prepare in October, Plant Primarily in November

October:

  •  Evaluate where new trees/shrubs are needed

  •  Select appropriate plants for the site

  •  Prepare planting areas

  •  Order or source plants

  •  Transplant established plants if necessary


🌻 6. Wildlife & Pollinator Garden

  • Leave native perennial seed heads standing

  • Leave hollow stems for overwintering insects, cutting them down to 1-2 feet tall after December.

  • Avoid unnecessary pesticide applications

  • Leave some leaf litter undisturbed

  • Provide winter food and habitat for birds

  • Remove only diseased or problematic plant material


❄️ 7. Prepare for Frost & Winter

This becomes increasingly important as October progresses.

  • Watch the forecast for the first frost

  • Bring tender houseplants indoors, (spray with Safer Soap if any sign of insects)

  • Protect/ store frost-sensitive containers such as ceramic and terra cotta pots

  • Have row covers ready

  • Harvest frost-sensitive vegetables

  • Check young plants for adequate moisture

  • Reduce irrigation as temperatures cool, but don't stop watering newly planted plants

Mary Berkley