• Good time to ready cold frame for use. Use mixture of two parts garden loam, one part sand and one part compost or aged manure to replace soil lost in transplants.
• Clean crusty clay pots in a mixture of one cup white vinegar and one cup household bleach in one gallon warm water. Soak until loose, up to 12 hours; use steel wool on stubborn pots.

• Send off garden seed orders now, take advantage of seasonal discounts.
• Never fertilize in dry soil, could burn plant roots. Water about two hours before fertilizing.
• Good air circulation is necessary for cacti and succulents. Indoor garden should be well ventilated, not drafty.

• Transplant small (2-3 feet) dormant dogwood trees. The larger the tree the greater the risk of death due to transplant shock.
• Don't leave stubs after pruning. Stubs usually die and are entry points for decay fungus.
• Fertilize naturalized bulbs. Broadcast 5 pounds of bone meal per 100 square feet.

• If the soil in your garden stays muddy after a rain, consider building raised beds. They are good replacements for rocky, or compacted soil, and are easy to work.
• Plant early vegetables now, such as onions, sugar snap peas, lettuce, spinach.
• Prune roses now for winter kill and fertilize.

• About mid-month plant cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, beans, chard, okra, and tomatoes.
• Don't use grass clippings treated with herbicides as mulch or compost.
• Set out flowering bulbs, i.e., canna, gladiolus, dahlia, tuberous begonia.
• In case of late frost protect plants with plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off.

• Prune spring flowering shrubs soon after blooming.
• Broken branches and suckers from tomato plants will often root if stuck into loose moist soil.
• Water garden early enough in the day so that leaves will dry before nightfall.
• Protect yourself, spray garden chemicals only on calm days and wear protective clothing. Wash hands and clothing thoroughly after using garden chemicals.
• Garden plants need one inch of rain or equivalent per week.

• Plant a second crop now for fall tomatoes. You will probably have to grow your own plants from seed or root suckers.
• Harvest squash, beans, and cucumbers regularly, plants will continue to produce.
• Soak the garden about once a week, encourages deeper roots and makes stronger plants to withstand drought.

• Time to start planting the fall garden, edible-podded peas, Chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips.
• Don't forget to water. Give your garden a once-a-week soaking. Continue to harvest regularly.
• This is a good time to get a soil test (every two years.)

• Autumn is a good time to transplant needle evergreens.
• First fall lawn fertilization may be done now.
• Store leftover garden seeds for next year in airtight bags in a cool dry place.
• Hang garden herbs to dry in the attic or screened porch or other dry well ventilated locations.

• Bring house plants inside — avoid early frost — check for bugs before bringing the pots in the house.
• Start a compost pile with your leaves, remember do not use grass clippings treated with a herbicide during the summer.
• Time to plant spring flowering bulbs. Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs after leaves drop, or wait until spring.

• Look for gypsy moth eggs, tan fuzzy patches that look like a piece of camel hair coat, 1" long and 1/2" wide, attached to trees, rocks, fences, lawn furniture.
• Second fall lawn fertilization may be done now.
• Rough spade or till your garden plot, add organic matter and lime if indicated by soil test, and put the plot to bed for the winter.
• If you house plants need water every day or two, it's a sign they are potbound; use a new pot about 1-2" deeper and wider.

• Protect roses by mounding dirt around their bases, add a cover of 4-6" of mulch. Order roses now for spring planting.
• Don't use fertilizers containing nitrate of soda or sulfate of ammonia to melt snow on your concrete driveway and walks. They cause breakdown of concrete surfaces.
• When Christmas cactus buds show signs of opening, start a regular watering program and keep plant cool for the best show.
• Sunflower seeds attract chickadees, tufted titmice, finches, cardinals, and grosbeaks. Suet attracts woodpeckers and goldfinches.

Source:  The Virginia Gardener, published by the Department of Horticulture, Extension Division, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

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