Gardeners Checklist: Here Is What To Do the Week of Oct. 23

By Ron Kujawski

• Don’t let down your guard when it comes to deer ticks (also called blacklegged ticks). They are still around and as prevalent as ever. Apply an insect repellent containing DEET to your clothing when working outdoors, and be sure to do a body check for ticks at the end of the day.

• Mix some high nitrogen organic wastes such as grass clippings, manure, and vegetable trimmings into the compost pile. The nitrogen in these materials will speed the decay of high carbon/low nitrogen materials such as leaves, straw, sawdust, and corn stalks. If you don’t have high nitrogen wastes to mix into your compost, add one pound of urea per cubic yard of compost.

• Cut down and bury the yellowed tops of asparagus plants. This will help in the long term control of Asparagus Beetle, a major pest of asparagus.

• Keep planting spring flowering bulbs, but place a mulch of shredded leaves or pine needles over the soil. This will allow the bulbs time to develop roots before the ground freezes.

• Insert stakes or, preferably, plant labels next to perennial plants as you clean up flower borders. This will help locate perennials that come up late in spring and keep you from damaging those plants when working in the borders next spring.

• Harvest leaves from sage, chives, oregano, and parsley before freezing weather kills the shoots. Dry the leaves in a dehydrator or in paper bags for use in seasoning your culinary creations through the winter. Such freshly dried herbs will have more flavor than store bought seasonings.

• Gather acorns, cones and dried seed heads for making holiday decorations. Be quick because all the squirrels in the neighborhood will be competing with you, although I don’t believe that their decorations will be as attractive as yours.

• Make a list of leftover vegetable and flower seeds. The list will come in handy when deciding on new seed orders this winter. Some seeds such as leek, onion, and parsnip usually don’t remain viable for more than a year, so it is best to order these new each year. Of course, the viability of any seed will depend on how well it is stored. In general, the viability of seeds is best preserved if they are stored in a cool, dry environment. I put my leftover seeds in canning jars or zip-lock bags, along with a packet of de-hydrating gel, and place these in a cool corner of the basement. If you don’t have many seed packets, you could store them in the refrigerator.

You can make your own de-hydrating agent by wrapping a tablespoon of powdered milk in tissue paper. Place it in the jar with the seeds.

Ron Kujawski began gardening at an early age on his family's onion farm in upstate New York. Although now retired, he spent most of his career teaching at the UMass Extension Service. He serves on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Advisory Committee. His book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, is available here.