October Gardening Tips

By Jessica Strickland

Wayne County Horticulture Extension Agent

October brings crisp autumn air and prime planting weather in Eastern North Carolina – ideal for refreshing your landscape and prepping for spring.

Lawn Care

• Do not apply any more nitrogen fertilizer to lawns. As soil cools, warm-season grasses being going dormant. Late nitrogen encourages tender growth that increases winter injury.

Trees, Shrubs and Flowers

• Plant pansies now to provide color throughout the winter months.  Plant in well-drained soil and water thoroughly.

• Autumn is a great time to plant trees and shrubs in the landscape. Avoid planting too deep, and keep plants watered until the first frost.

Fruit & Vegetables

• Protect bare garden beds and improve soil health with cover crops like rye or crimson clover to prevent erosion and add organic matter when turned under in spring.

Jessica Strickland is a Horticulture Extension Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Wayne County.

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Optional Photo:

Plant pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) in October to enjoy color in the landscape throughout the winter months. Image by Cindy Christian CC BY 4.0; https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu