October Checklist

• Continue watering gardens, shrubs and trees if rainfall doesn’t reach an inch or more every week or 10 days. It’s important for plants to go into cold weather with adequate moisture, especially those newly planted.

• Rake or shred tree leaves, especially large ones like maple and sycamore, to prevent them from matting down and smothering grass. Compost leaves and other plant debris. You can also run over the leaves with a mulching mower, which chops them into small bits. These finely chopped leaves can be left on the lawns, where they will break down and add nutrients to the soil.

• Keep the area around apple (including crabapple) and other fruit trees clear of fallen fruit, twigs and leaves to reduce insects and disease carryover.

• Continue mowing lawn as needed.

• Have bags of soil ready to mound on roses for winter protection. Do not mound or cover roses until after the leaves drop and the soil is near freezing, usually in late November or early December.

• Don't prune trees and shrubs until they have gone dormant.