GardenFoundation LLC Garden Log Last revised: April 25, 2001.

October 2000 Log

Weeding - Don't Stop Just Yet
As much as you might be weary of weeding, don't stop your efforts yet. You have probably noticed that the growth rate of weeds is starting to slow down, just like everything else in the garden. But if you stop being diligent NOW, your weeds will have a chance to set seeds for next year. I promise you, if you let that happen, you will make a lot of extra work for yourself next year. Do yourself a favor - keep your resolve and keep pulling. Your reward will come next year when you don't have to start weeding as early in the Spring as other folks, and your overall weeding duties will be lighter.

Bird Call
October is a great month for watching birds! The Fall Migration is at it's peak, and if you're lucky, you will be seeing many new species and old friends. If you have the time, take an hour and observe the different feeding habits of the different species. Some birds prefer to perch & peck (such as goldfinches), some birds like to grab a snack and take it to a "safe" place to eat (such as chickadees), and some birds like to scratch around on the ground to see what they can find (such as juncos). If you are in a position to do so, accomodate these different feeding preferences by having different types of bird feeders. In my backyard, I have several types of tube feeders, some tray feeders, some "regular" feeders, some suet feeders - plus, I toss scraps on the ground. I also offer a variety of feed: left over dry cat food, black oil sunflower seed, thistle (niger) seed, walnuts, filberts, raw peanuts in the shell, small peanut pieces, sunflower hearts, "finch mix," and suet cakes. My reward is an amazing variety of bird life that not only brightens up the day with song & colorful feathers, but they keep down the population of pests.

Put Your Beds To Bed!
I usually put my garden beds to bed towards the end of October. What do I mean by this? It means I spread a thin (1/2" or less) layer of compost on the top of my garden beds, topped off with some leaf mulch. But before doing that, I clean things up a bit. Although I do usually leave a few bare stalks sticking up here & there for the birds to perch on, I pull off the dead leaves of the perennials & put them in my "to be shredded" pile. I level out any areas of the beds that may have heaved up or sunk, and generally eyeball everything to make sure it looks dormant (or close to it), and that things look as they should. I then spread the compost on the beds, and then the fun begins! I have a Black & Decker blower/vacuum/mulcher. It is electric powered, and is lightweight enough for me to handle. I use this device to shred the fallen leaves from our maple tree, turning them into wonderful leaf mulch (along with other items from my "to be shredded pile"). When the bag is full, I sprinkle a thin layer of leaves on top of the composted beds, and repeat the process until there are no more leaves to shred. Not only do the compost & leaves add organic matter & nutrients to the soil, the birds just LOVE to scratch around in my beds once they are covered in this fashion, looking for things to eat. By putting your beds to bed, you will enrich your soil, attract birds, and will protect your garden from the ravages of excessive cold and soil-compacting rain.

EEK! Where Are All These Spiders Coming From?
As the cooler weather sets in, some garden creatures aren't content to "go quietly into that good night." Spiders are notorious for taking it upon themselves to just move into the nearest house as a Winter hideaway. Now, I'm all for the Live And Let Live philosophy in the garden, but personally, I freak out if I find a spider in my house. I draw the line of tolerance where the interior of my home begins, and I suspect I'm not alone. I've provided a few links to help the bravehearted identify the harmful spiders you may encounter, although, to be honest, I can't bring myself to spend any time going over the images! A few spiders that may move in are actually poisonous, such as the Hobo, Brown Recluse / Fiddleback, and Black Widow. Anyways, have fun looking at these websites! I have the shivers just writing this! BLECH! http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/misc/images/blkyellarg.jpg , http://www.desertusa.com/july97/du_bwindow.html , http://hobospider.org/widows.html , http://www.highway60.com/mark/recluse.html , http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/brown_recluse.html , http://www.hobospider.org/ , http://casswww.ucsd.edu/personal/ron/CVNC/byline/bugs_97nov.html

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© Copyright 2000 - Judy J. Crawford - GardenFoundation LLC
Last revised: April 25, 2001.