The best plants to plant in October are garlic, spinach, kale, and spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils. You can also tuck in peonies and bare-root fruit trees. Each one sets roots before winter and rewards you in spring or summer.
I put garlic cloves in the ground on October 15 one year in zone 6. By mid-July of the next year, I pulled up bulbs that were 3 inches across with thick papery skins. The fall start gave them a long lead time over any spring planting.
Fall planting works on a smart bit of plant biology. The soil holds warmth from summer for many weeks after the air turns cold. Roots grow well in this warm soil even when the top of the plant sits still. The plant builds a strong base before the deep freeze hits.
Come spring, these fall-set plants race ahead of any new crop. A garlic clove from October sits two months ahead of one planted in March. Tulip bulbs from the fall send up the first flowers of the year while a spring planting fails to bloom at all.
Here are the top October garden vegetables and other plants to set in the ground this month.
Hardy Bulb Vegetables
- Garlic cloves: Set them 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in a sunny bed.
- Best timing: Plant 4 to 6 weeks before the first hard freeze in your zone.
- Harvest window: Pull bulbs the next July when the bottom leaves turn brown.
Cold-Hardy Greens
- Spinach and kale: Sow seed half an inch deep for harvest through mid-winter.
- Lettuce and mache: Tuck in under a low tunnel for fresh salad all winter long.
- Radishes and turnips: Quick 30-day crops ready before the deep cold sets in.
Spring Flower Bulbs
- Tulips and daffodils: Plant 6 inches deep with the pointed end facing up.
- Crocus and hyacinth: Set 4 inches deep in clumps of 10 to 15 bulbs.
- Allium and fritillaria: Drop in 8 inches deep for big spring blooms.
Bare-Root Trees and Perennials
- Fruit trees: Apple, pear, and cherry settle in well with the cool fall soil.
- Peonies and iris: Tubers and rhizomes set roots before the ground freezes hard.
- Berry canes: Raspberries and blackberries take to fall ground with ease.
Time your fall planting 6 weeks before the first hard freeze date for your area. This gap lets the roots grow without pushing too much top growth. Top growth in the fall makes the plant prone to harm when the cold hits.
Water the new plants well the first week or two if rain stays light. The soil should feel damp 3 inches down at planting time. Mulch with 3 inches of straw or leaves once the surface starts to freeze at night.
Skip any warm-season crops at this point in the year. Tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash all need warm soil and long days to grow. Save those for the spring and put your fall energy into the hardy plants that will thank you with strong growth next year.
Read the full article: Frost Protection for Plants: Complete Guide
