Lunar sowing calendar for the gardener and gardener for October 2022

Plan of work in the garden and vegetable garden for October

In October, summer cottage work is coming to an end, but there is still a lot of work to be done. It is in the middle of autumn that you need to carry out agrotechnical measures that will provide you with a good harvest for next year. So it’s not time to be lazy – it’s time to get down to business!

Garden work in October

It seems that in October there is nothing to do in the garden – the harvest is harvested, the leaves have fallen, the trees and shrubs have gone to rest. But no, this is a misleading impression. It is the garden in October that requires the most attention. And here’s what you need to do.

Carry out dehumidification irrigation. This is the name of the last watering. Its purpose is to saturate trees and shrubs with moisture so that they overwinter better. It is carried out when all the leaves have flown from the trees.

The main requirement for water-charging irrigation is that it must be very plentiful so that the soil gets wet to a depth of 50 cm. To do this, pour under each tree:

• on sandy soils – 4 – 5 buckets;
• on loam – 6 – 7 buckets;
• on clay soils – 8 – 9 buckets.

And remember the main thing: water-charging watering should be done in any case, even if it rains – they, as a rule, soak the soil shallowly.

Remove leaves. Summer residents often argue: is it necessary to rake fallen leaves from under trees and shrubs? Proponents of organic farming insist that they should be left, because they are a great mulch! In nature, no one cleans them. And they are right – leaf litter perfectly protects the soil from freezing in winter, helps to retain moisture in the soil during drought, and over time, decomposing, they become an excellent fertilizer. But all this only works if the leaves are healthy.

Unfortunately, there are practically no healthy plants in our gardens – they are infected with fungal diseases. And the spores of these pathogens often overwinter on fallen leaves. And in the spring they infect the gardens even more. Therefore, there is only one way out – to rake all the leaves and burn them. Ash, by the way, can be used for plant nutrition – it is an excellent natural fertilizer.

Plant trees and shrubs. October is the ideal time for planting seedlings with an open root system (OCS). Approximate dates – the middle of the month. But it is better to be guided by the weather – you need to start planting when the leaves of adult fruit trees begin to fall off, and the last days of planting should be 20-30 days before the onset of stable cold weather (1).

Theoretically, any trees and shrubs can be planted in autumn, but it is still better to postpone the planting of some crops until spring. For example, stone fruits – plums, cherry plums and apricots. The fact is that in the spring their root neck often warms up. And the chances of supporting her are higher if the seedling has not really taken root. And this is exactly what happens during the autumn planting.

Garden work in October

Dig up the beds. Many summer residents are too lazy to do this, because the work is laborious, and very in vain. It is necessary to dig beds and here’s why (2):

• the earth will be saturated with moisture – clods of earth (and they do not need to be broken) in the winter hold snow on the site, and in the spring the water supply will remain on the beds, which means that seeds will germinate better and seedlings will take root;
• the structure of the soil will improve – during digging, the soil is saturated with oxygen, the processes of decomposition of organic matter are faster in it and, as a result, fertility increases and the structure improves;
• pests will die – they dig into the soil for the winter, and after digging, most of them will end up in clods of earth, and in winter they will die from frost.

Sow seeds of cold-resistant crops. Podzimnie crops are very profitable – the seeds germinate in the spring at the optimum time and give more yield, besides, the amount of work in the spring is significantly reduced, when there is already an emergency.

You can sow before winter:

• root vegetables – carrots, beets, radishes, root parsley and parsnips;
• green vegetables – leafy lettuces, wild garlic, borage and sorrel;
• spicy herbs – dill, parsley, cilantro, lovage.

October harvest

In October, cabbage is harvested from the garden. There are no specific dates here, you need to focus on the weather – heads of cabbage are harvested when the air temperature is stable in the region of 0 to 5 ° C. And it is important that the day is clear – it is not advisable to remove the cabbage in the rain, it will not be stored well.

Heads of cabbage can be cut with a shovel or cut with a knife, leaving a part of the stalk 2–3 cm long (3). But it is even better to pull them out along with the roots and send them directly to the cellar – in this form they will lie much longer. And also in heads of cabbage intended for storage, you need to leave 3 – 4 healthy green leaves (3).

Folk omens for October

• Warm October – to a frosty winter.
• From what date in October it will snow, from the same date in April spring will open.
• From what date frosts begin, from that date it will begin to warm in April.
• The first snow in October falls 40 days before real winter.
• If in October the moon is often in circles (halos), then next summer will be dry.

Popular questions and answers

About work in the garden and garden in October, we talked with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Sources of

1. Kamshilov A. and a group of authors. Gardener’s Handbook // M .: State Publishing House of Agricultural Literature, 1955 – 606 p.
2. Ilyin O.V. and a group of authors. Vegetable grower’s guide // M.: Rosselkhokhizdat, 1979 – 224 p.
3. A group of authors, ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 – 208 p.