Gardening Tips for October 2025

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Watch The Gardening Tutor Video: Pansies 101 - How to Choose, Plant, and Care for Pansies.

• Annuals* - Calendula, Pansies and Iceland Poppies (for best success, plant these by the second week of October while the soil is still warm from summer).
• Perennials – Many frost hardy perennials, such as Echinacea, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Hardy Hibiscus, Coreopsis, Achillea are on sale now at local nurseries. They may be finished flowering and look tattered but planted now they will be back next year.  
• Trees - Lagerstroemiaindica (Crape Myrtle), Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn', Chionanthus retusus (Chinese Fringe).
• Bulbs - Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-the-valley), Alliums, Muscari, Freesia, Scilla peruviana, Sparaxis. Narcissus (Daffodils).
• Veggies - Buy garlic now for planting in November. Swiss Chard and Spinach as 6 pack plants.  
• Products - Frost cloth (before frost arrives and stores run out). Bonemeal for planting bulbs next month.

 *Here in Sonoma County the first 2 weeks of October is the optimal time to plant some winter flowering annuals, such as Pansies, Iceland Poppies, and Calendula. New plantings (especially Pansies) may need protection during heatwaves. For best bloom, plan ahead so cool-season annuals are planted where they get good winter sun. Other winter bloomers, such as Primroses and Bellis perennis can wait to be planted when the weather cools.

Note: There are only about 4 weeks until the beginning of frost season here in Sonoma County. Frost season runs from approximately the end of October through mid to late April.

• Bulbs - Buy spring blooming bulbs now while the selection is still good at the nursery. Choose bulbs that are heavy for their size and blemish free. Store the bulbs in a brown paper bag in a cool dark place until ready to plant in November. Areas where bulbs will be planted can be prepared now to make planting time more fun!
• Planting - This is plantapolooza time in Sonoma County for frost tolerant trees, shrubs, perennials and veggies. Keep plants watered well until rains arrive in earnest. Many perennials, such as Hemerocallis (Daylily), Monarda (Beebalm), Rudbeckia, Agapanthus, can be divided now and replanted. When trading divisions with other gardeners be careful to inspect the soil around the roots of the transplants to make sure no pests travel to your garden.
• Pruning – One last shearing for Nepeta and Erigeron (instead of shearing to 3 inches as is best the rest of the year, shear to 5 inches for a little frost protection), start pruning Hosta leaves back as they fade, keep removing spent flowers from Fuchsias, prune off spent flowers from Roses unless the rose has amazing looking rosehips (seedheads) than leave those for winter interest, Elaeagnus can be lightly pruned for shape. When you’re ready to learn more about pruning and other plant care Contact Mary for an Appointment.
• Fertilizing/Mulching - At this time of year gardeners tend to want to fertilize all their plants but frost may arrive at the end of the month here in Zone 9. Pushing new growth now may mean extra frost damage to your plants. Instead of liquid fertilizer, add a layer of compost as mulch on top of the soil. The benefits of a thick (at least 3 inches) layer of mulch are many. Especially important is the mulch layer helps with erosion control and keeps soil a little warmer during winter. Mulching also helps suppress weeds! Watch The Gardening Tutor Video: Mulch vs. Compost.
• Pests - Mealybug and aphids can be controlled with insecticidal soap. When pesticide is needed, please avoid using Broad Spectrum pesticides whenever possible. Instead, use pesticides such as baits or pheromone traps that are for a specific pest. Also, start with the least toxic (water spray-for aphids) and step up to insecticidal soap or Neem oil. Always consider what can be done to improve the growing conditions to keep pests from populating a plant. Remember for fungus, Neem is more a preventative than a curative. So, spray Neem on plants that are prone to getting powdery mildew Before you see any mildew. This is especially true for Dahlias and Zinnias (a good tip to remember for next year). Also, be careful when spraying Neem oil on new leaves as they can be damaged by the spray.  
• For More October Tips See October 2024 Tips.

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ALL CONTENT by Mary Frost (no AI).