October Gardening Activities

Posted on October 8, 2024October 8, 2024 by trisha

Plant pansies, violas and snapdragons in mid-October for fall and winter color. Ornamental kale, parsley, red mustard and Swiss chard are other great choices for containers and flower beds this time of year.

Fruits and Nuts–Planting season for strawberries starts in South Alabama. Clean up orchard areas.
Shrubs–Shrub plantings can be made. Water when needed. Note varieties of camellias in bloom. Mulch shrubs that do not have mulch.
Lawns–Continue to mow lawns until no new growth is noticeable.
Roses–Continue insect and disease control practices.
Annuals and perennials–Visit flower shows and gardens. List desirable varieties of mums. clean up flower beds immediatlely after killing frost.
Bulbs–Plant tulips, hyacinths, daffodils,, crocuses, Dutch irises, anemones, and ranunculuses. Watch planting depth. Dig caladiums; clean and store in warm place.
Miscellaneous–Renew mulch around shrubs and rose beds. Loosen mulches that have packed down. Spray with oils before freezing weather to control insects. Remove all dead stems and trash from flower beds. Transplant into small pots any cuttings taken earlier.
Vegetable Seed–Plant turnips, mustard, kale, rape, spinach, and onion sets.

Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama Gardening Calendar

October “Gardening in Small Spaces”

Posted on October 12, 2018October 16, 2018 by audrey

Our program this month was presented by Mr. Glenn Huovinen. Mr. Houvinen, a Master Gardener in Autauga County, is working on his Advanced Master Gardener certification in “Gardening in Small Spaces”. His program was very informative, outlining the process of drawing a plan, getting a soil test, deciding what you like to eat and want to grow, and whether to grow in a raised bed or containers. He also explained about hooking up a rain barrel to your gutter system to help with watering. Mr. Huovinen talked about how to air prune and irrigate pots. He even touched on the art of Espalier for growing fruit trees, since this is a very space saving technique. I think everyone enjoyed his program on Gardening in Small Spaces.

Autauga County is partnering with Chilton County, along with Shelby County, to host the AMGA Conference at the Clanton Performing Arts Center in May 2019. Mr. Huovinen set up our scrolling banner displaying the activities and speakers we have lined up for the Conference. He talked about the great venue for the conference without having to change rooms or choose which speaker you want to hear.

We are excited and working hard on getting everything scheduled and set up. We have some excellent speakers, one being Joe Lamp’l from the television series “Growing a Greener World”, which is an award-winning PBS series. He was also host of Fresh from the Garden on DIY Network, and has been on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and the Weather Channel. The Conference is open to the public, but you must pre-register to attend. Registration starts in January, more information will follow.

Gardening as We and Our Gardens Age

Posted on March 17, 2018March 23, 2018 by trisha

“Gardening as We and Our Gardens Age” was the program topic for the March Chilton County Master Gardener meeting. Mike Rushing, Jefferson County Master Gardener, gave an informative and entertaining program on how we can continue to enjoy gardening as we age and experience changes in our abilities. We should evaluate changes in our gardens such as mature trees that create shade and perhaps remove a few or limb them up to provide more sun. He told us to eliminate plants that we consider high maintenance, plants that do not perform well for us, and plants that are dead or dying. Be sure to keep those plants that thrive. Another suggestion was to create smaller garden areas that one can reasonably maintain. Mike also suggested hiring someone to do the tasks you do not enjoy and to work smarter not harder.