Gardening Calendar - Colorado State University Extension Tri River Area Mesa Delta Montrose Ouray Counties

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Week 1
The Cranberry Girdler, one of the sod webworms that damages turfgrass often feeds during the cool fall.	Boxelder bugs will begin to invade homes with cooling of the weather To store potatoes through the winter, wait to harvest until vines have been dead ten to fourteen days for the skins to thicken. Harvested before the soil freezes, however, preferably when the soil temperature is above 45°F. and not wet.	Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower often continue to grow into November in this area. Continue to water these vegetables to keep them growing for a late fall harvest.	Geranium brought in for the winter should be sprayed for Geranium Budworm if not done so earlier. Place these plants outside on a warm day and spray with Orthene, Talstar, BT or other approved insecticide.	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Collbran is 3 October. Garden areas where plants suffered from root rot may need to be treated with a soil fungicide drench to prevent this problem from occuring again next year. If possible, have infected plants diagnosed for the problem.	Blackberry and raspberry will continue to produce fruit in the warmer portions of the Tri River Area. Continue to water until these plants are frosted and remaining fruit is shriveled.	The Dial-a-Garden Message (970 244-1706) provides additional gardening information on a weekly basis.
Week 2
Cheatgrass germinates and begins growth as a winter annual. Sprays of a glyphosate herbicide or contact herbicide applied now to young plants will prevent this weed from being a problem next summer.	Peonies, chrysanthemums and other hardy herbaceous perennials can be cut back to the ground at this time if not done so previously. Add these dead stems and leaves to the compost pile. Soak these flower beds and then mulch with two to three inches of bark much for winter protection.	If you had problems over the summer with fungal diseases in your Kentucky bluegrass lawn, core aerate this fall. This helps relieve compaction and allows more oxygen into the root zone, improving the overall health of the turf.	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Ouray is 9 October. A fungicide spray should be applied to all stone fruit trees and shrubs (peach, apricot, plum, cherry and nectarine) infected by Coryneum Blight. This fungus overwinters in infected leaves and stems.	Applications for the Tri River Area Master Gardener program should be available by mid October. Apply now to reserve your space in this excellent educational program.	Compost and manure should be worked into annual vegetable and flower gardens this fall. Apply these material to a depth of two inches and work it in to the soil as deep as possible. Avoid cattle manure as this is normally high in salts.	Winter wheat seeded into annual flower and vegetable gardens this fall after adding organic matter will provide a cover this winter and a green manure crop that can be worked into the garden next spring before planting. The Winter wheat will germinate this fall, become established, lay dormant over the winter and begin new growth next spring.
Week 3
Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Cedarege and Delta is October 13. Wasps and Hornets will continue to be pests as they abandon their nests.	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Fruita is October 14.	Leaves left on the lawn compact and cause suffocation. Remember that roots need oxygen in order to live. Rake up those leaves from time to time, and use them to refresh your compost pile, or to begin a new one.	Pits or trenches dug into garden areas this fall would allow the deposition of coffee grounds, potato peelings and other compostable materials during the winter. Cover these materials with soil after the holes or trenches are about one-half full and these materials will compost in the spring and summer months.	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Montrose is October 17. Continue to mow the lawn at the same height as it was maintained during the summer. Turf allowed to go into the winter without being mowed is more likely to suffer from disease problems during the winter and spring months.	Perennials may still be divided, but you should do so soon. Your plants will do best if they have time to become established before the ground freezes. A layer of 3 to 4 inches of a coarse organic mulch will help to keep the soil temperature warmer later into the season, giving these plants a better opportunity to establish. Bark mulch or wood chips work well.	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in parts of Paonia is October 19. Check climatic data for information.
Week 4
	Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Uravan is October 21.	Avoid watering too frequently as we go into the dormant season. Excess water stimulates new growth, which will not be hardened off properly for winter. These succulent plants will be susceptible to winter kill. Soak your plants deeply when you do water, but don't water as often. Check with a probe or trowel to determine your plants' water needs.	Turf should be watered twice during October as long as the ground is not covered with snow. If snowmold was a problem this past spring, a fungicide treatment before snow covers the ground is recommended. If the lawn suffered from winter mite injury, a spray effective on mites is recommended prior to snow.	If you collect seeds from your yard, label them before storage. Many seeds look very much alike! Take notes about what worked best in which location. Keep the notes with the seeds, and keep photographs also, if you have them available.	Grand Junction has two weather stations, one reports an average date of the first hard freeze (28 ^o) F on October 25.	The removal of fallen leaves and other debris is critical for controlling the spread of fungus diseases in trees and many other plants. These pathogens overwinter in the leaf litter. Spores from infected leaves and other plant debris can reinfect plants next spring.
Week 5
Average date of first hard freeze (28 ^o) F in Gateway is October 27.	Turf areas should receive a late season fertilization with nitrogen between the 15th of October and December 15. This application of fertilizer should be twice the amount normally used and should be watered in.	Many perennial weeds continue to grow after frost has killed tender flowers and vegetables. Fall is an excellent time to apply a herbicide to these weeds to help prevent their regrowth next year.	Applications are now available for the Seedling Tree Program. These seedling trees and shrubs are provided at minimal cost, for use as windbreaks, wildlife habitat, and for reforestation projects. You must have at least two acres of land, and agree not to use the trees or shrubs for landscape or ornamental purposes. Please call our office at 970 244-1834 for further information.	Water all trees (to include fruit trees), shrubs, grapevines, and perennial flowers and vegetables before irrigation (ditch) water is no longer available.	There is still time to plant the spring flowering bulbs this fall. Planting them on the south or west side of the house will result in the earliest blooms, which can be damaged by frosts; a cooler site will result in a longer bloom period.	The stalks of dahlias should be cut back after killed by frost; leave a six inch stub. Leave the roots in the ground for a couple of weeks before they are dug. Dig the clumps carefully. Don't break the roots. Allow them to dry, shake off the soil, and pack in sawdust or vermiculite. Store in a cool, dry spot until next spring.