Gardeners Checklist: Here Is What to Do on the Week of Oct. 7

By Ron Kujawski

A frost or hard freeze can be an effective wake-up call for complacent gardeners at this time of year. As such, it’s best to prepare for the inevitable by taking on these early fall gardening tasks:

* Pick up hoses, including soaker and drip irrigation hoses, which have been used in gardens this year. While draining hoses check for cracks and other damage. Store hoses where they will not be exposed to freezing temperatures.

* Empty rain barrels, watering cans, buckets, bird baths, and other water-filled containers that are outdoors. As water freezes it expands and can easily crack or break these containers. And the birds will survive, albeit as dirty birds.

* Keep weeds with mature seed heads separate from other garden debris that is destined for the compost pile. Compost piles need to develop and sustain internal temperatures of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 days to kill most weed seeds. Those temperatures are difficult to obtain in backyard compost piles without a lot of effort, i.e. starting with a good mix of green (high nitrogen) and brown (high carbon) materials, frequent turning of the pile, and constant temperature monitoring.

* Pull up tomato stakes and other garden structures, and use a wire or stiff-bristled brush to remove clinging soil. Next, wipe down the surfaces with a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach in nine parts water). Then do a quick rinse with water before storing in a dry location.

* Scrub soil from all garden tools before spraying metal surfaces with WD-40 or a light weight oil to protect them from rusting.

* Collect soil samples from gardens and lawns for testing at the University Soils Testing Lab. Instructions for sample collecting and handling, mailing address and fees easily can be obtained online. Fall is a good time to correct soil pH problems and nutrient deficiencies, especially phosphorus.

* Order the 2025 UMass Garden Calendar before Nov. 1 and get free shipping. This calendar gets better and better every year, and the pictures are awe-inspiring. For images in the calendar, details and ordering info, click here.

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As chilly weather is now a daily occurrence, we’ve accelerated our harvesting efforts and the kitchen table is often piled high with fruits and vegetables. There’s more than needed for immediate use, but that is part of our annual gardening plan. Much of what we grow is intended to be preserved for winter consumption. Over the years we’ve developed preferences for the method of preserving specific fruits and vegetables. For example, we freeze blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peppers, peas, cabbage, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. We used to freeze green beans but found them to be rubbery when thawed. Now the beans are canned and/or pickled. Likewise, tomatoes tend to lose flavor when frozen, so these are canned. Canning is our preferred method of preserving many fruits, including peaches, pears and cherries. In recent years we’ve taken to drying certain crops. We use a dehydrator for apples, small plum tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. A few of the herbs, such as basil, cilantro and parsley, are also frozen in ice cube trays. Yes, all of these efforts are time consuming, but the rewards will come this winter in the form of a secure feeling, knowing that we have our home-grown fruits and vegetables to sustain us.

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.