Here's a gardener’s to-do list for October, 2025 across the United States

 

Here's a gardener’s to-do list for October, 2025, across the United States—month of crisp air, golden light, and the quiet beginning of rest. October is a time to tuck in the garden and prepare for the slumber ahead. Let’s walk the rows together, region by region:

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Northeast

• 🍁 Leaf Duty: Rake and compost leaves—or shred for mulch.

• 🌷 Plant Bulbs: Get tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths in the ground before frost.

• 🧤 Protect: Mulch perennials and roses against winter heave.

• 🌾 Final Harvest: Pick green tomatoes before frost; pull up tender plants.

• 🪓 Cut Back: Perennials that attract disease—leave ornamental grasses standing.

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Midwest

• 🧅 Plant: Garlic, shallots, and spring bulbs.

• 🧹 Clean Up: Remove dead vegetable plants; compost healthy debris.

• 🍂 Mulch: Add a fresh layer around trees and shrubs.

• 🧤 Winterize: Wrap young trees against sunscald and rodent gnawing.

• 🌬️ Prepare Tools: Clean and oil tools before putting them away.

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Southeast

• 🥬 Plant: Cool-season vegetables—broccoli, kale, mustard greens, radishes.

• 🌼 Add Color: Plant pansies, violas, snapdragons, and dianthus.

• 🌿 Prune: Trim back perennials and divide overcrowded clumps.

• 🐜 Pest Patrol: Watch for aphids and whiteflies on fall crops.

• 🪣 Irrigate: Adjust watering as nights cool, but don’t let roots dry out.

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Southwest

• 🧄 Plant: Garlic, onions, spinach, carrots, beets.

• 🌸 Fall Annuals: Add calendula, nasturtium, and mums.

• 🌵 Desert Care: Plant native and xeric plants while soil is warm.

• 🪓 Cut Back: Prune warm-season grasses and trim trees if needed.

• 🧹 Rake: Clean up around citrus trees to reduce pest overwintering.

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Pacific Northwest

• 🍂 Leaf Mulch: Collect and mulch leaves for beds.

• 🧄 Plant: Garlic and shallots; sow cover crops in empty beds.

• 💦 Drain: Empty hoses and shut off irrigation systems before freeze.

• 🌧️ Protect: Lift and store tender bulbs like dahlias and gladiolus.

• 🍄 Watch: Slugs and snails are active—use traps or bait carefully.

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Mountain West

• 🧄 Plant: Garlic is your last call—get it in now!

• 🧤 Winter Prep: Mulch young trees; wrap trunks and insulate root zones.

• 🍂 Cut Down: Remove dead annuals, but leave some for wildlife habitat.

• 🪣 Drain Systems: Blow out irrigation to prevent freezing.

• 🪚 Tool Care: Sharpen blades and store tools indoors.

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California

• 🌿 Cool Crops: Plant lettuce, spinach, beets, peas.

• 🌼 Color: Fall flowers like pansies, calendula, and snapdragons go in now.

• 🌱 Prep Beds: Add compost and mulch to rest beds over winter.

• 🌴 Light Pruning: Deadhead and trim—but avoid major pruning until later.

• 💧 Water Wisely: Cool nights mean less watering—adjust accordingly.

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October is a holy hush in the garden. The soil is still warm, the light slants gold, and everything whispers, “Put me to bed gently.” Whether you're planting garlic or just sipping cider beside your compost pile, you’re a part of nature’s great turning wheel.

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