What to plant: Cool-weather annuals like pansies, violas, snapdragons can be transplanted now. Also, you can direct seed cornflower, nasturtium, poppy, nigella, portulaca and sweet peas.
If you don’t have a winter garden, consider planting a cover crop to be tilled in next spring.
Direct seed peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, and carrots.
Early in the month you should buy your new bulbs and refrigerate them for six weeks before planting them in the garden.
October is also good time to consider reducing the size of your lawn. You can still rejuvenate a lawn with over-seeding.
Put your spent annuals and vegetables (disease-free, of course) in your compost pile.
Add compost to the beds that had the annuals and vegetables you are pulling out, before re-planting in those beds.
This is also the month to dig, divide, and re-plant overgrown perennials that have finished blooming. Be sure to clear out any weeds that developed in the perennial bed.
Check azaleas, gardenias and camellias for leaves yellowing between the veins. Apply chelated iron if this condition is present.
If you had gladiolus, dahlias or tuberous begonias they should be dug up and cleaned after the foliage dies. Store the corms and tubers in a cool, dry place.
Be sure to deadhead your roses following the October bloom.
Keep your compost bin covered with a plastic tarp when rains begin.