October Gardening Guide for Zones +8

This October garden guide lists out all of the things you can either start from seed or transplant right now. Get tips and tricks on each crop to get the earliest start on your fall garden. Time to direct sow seeds or plant transplants for fall and winter crops. Here is what I am sowing or transplanting during the month of October in my zone 9B garden. Zone 8 is 2 weeks ahead of me, while zone 10 is 2 weeks behind me. 

Check out the video version of this guide here:

Brassicas - October is the perfect time to transplant these crops. I don't recommend that you direct sow them from seed right now because we have such a small window of cool weather to grow brassicas, or it causes issues like bolting. You can sow seeds for the smaller brassicas, like tatsoi, bok choy, or Napa cabbage OR seeds for brassicas that are grown to eat their leaves (non-heading), like kale or mustards. If you want to grow the large heading type of brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels Sprouts, then use transplants only. Add fertilizer in the planting hole for any "heading" type brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. You want to promote as much rapid growth at the beginning as possible. The bigger the plant, leaves, and stem, the bigger the "head" will be at harvest time. 

Check out my YouTube video on how to grow large heads of cauliflower.

Asian Greens - This includes bok choy, tatsoi, komatsuna, Chinese broccoli, mizuna, etc... All of these types of greens have a higher heat tolerance than the above brassicas. It is safe to start direct sowing. I prefer to grow them in a spot that gets lots of morning sun with some afternoon shade. You can transplant them as well. I add a big sprinkle of blood meal in the planting hole or sprinkle around the base of direct sowed seedlings once they grow the first set of true leaves. Blood meal is high in nitrogen and is all these greens need to promote lush leafy growth. 

Lettuces - These are sensitive to heat. Either direct sow at the end of October, or start in seed trays (I like the 72 cell seed trays) now, with the intent to transplant in about 4 weeks. Just like the Asian greens, I add a big sprinkle of blood meal in the planting hole or sprinkle and work into the soil where I direct sow seeds. 

Check out my YouTube video on how to grow lettuce and Asian greens from seed to harvest.

 

Carrots - Everyone in zones 8 and up can start direct sowing seeds for carrots. You can start harvesting at 3 months but I find they are still too small for my liking so wait until they are 4 months old. They taste sweeter with a little bit of frost, so planting them now would be perfect timing so they get a little frost before harvesting. In October I recommend you focus on the carrot cultivars said to be heat tolerant like Kuroda carrots or the dark colored cultivars like Cosmic Purple. Dark colored vegetables (like purple, blue, and black) tend to be a little more heat tolerant than the other colors. I wait until November to plant the regular carrot cultivars like Danvers because they don't grow so well if exposed to a lot of heat which some days in October can still be very hot. I sprinkle seeds and gently press them into the soil surface. Keep the soil moist at all times or they will not germinate properly. Carrots like loose sandy soil in order to grow nice and straight roots. They also need full sun so they capture enough energy to grow big roots. 

If you need expert tips on how to grow carrots from seed all the way to harvest, check out my How To Grow Carrots Guide.

Beans - Direct sow seeds right now. Bush beans are great for smaller gardens. My favorite bush bean cultivars are Harvester and Golden Yellow Wax. If you have a trellis, grow some pole or vining beans, which are great because you don't have to bend down to harvest the pods. Some of my favorites for a standard green pole bean is Kentucky Blue or if you want something more uniquely colored, I recommend the Purple Podded pole bean. 

Check out my How to Grow Green Beans (bush & pole beans) from seed to harvest YouTube video.

Flowers - Direct sow lots of flower seeds. During the fall, I focus on plants that will support the Monarch butterfly migration. I'm planting flowers that a rich nectar sources for the adult butterflies and planting tons of milkweed to support their caterpillars. Try to get milkweed that is native to your area. Just FYI, milkweed tends to get covered in aphids and red/black milkweed bugs. It will look gross but please  don't spray any treatments or you will also kill the Monarch butterfly caterpillars. 

Herbs - It is ok to either transplant or direct sow seeds for all sorts of herbs right now. I'm taking advantage of the cooler weather to grow lots of traditional European/Mediterranean herbs like chamomile, basil, dill, oregano, parsley, and sage. If your in zones 9 and up where it doesn't really get that cold, your ok to continue planting the more tropical type of herbs like Thai basil, Cuban oregano, and papalo. The #1 tip I can give about being successful growing herbs is that they do not like very wet soil because they are easily susceptible to root rot. They like it on the drier side, mimicking the dry conditions of the Mediterranean. Growing them in grow bags really helps since the soil dries out quickly. Also, I am able to move them into a spot that gets afternoon shade during the summer because they really struggle once temperatures get above 90F. A lot of herbs are perennial so if you can get them to survive summer, they will continue producing for many months. 

Zucchini, Squash, Pumpkins- You can grow some squash right now but you have to be very careful on the cultivar. The best option is to transplant right now. But there are a few cultivars that you can direct sow seeds right now, during the early part of October and still get a harvest depending on when you first winter frost arrives. Take care of these squash plants because any issue will cause a major set back in harvest time. Monitor very closely for worm damage and spray with BT. Also, fertilize every week with small doses of an organic granular fertilizer, like 1/8 cup of Jobes or Espoma brand to encourage rapid growth.

If you want to try direct sowing seeds, pick the earliest maturing varieties you can find. Some examples include:
50 days - Grey Zucchini and Alexandria Zucchini
60 days - Early White Patty Pan squash, Yellow Crookneck, or Black Beauty Zucchini

Check out my How to Grow Squash and Zucchini From Seed YouTube video tutorial.

Cucumbers - In warmer climates, the Asian cultivars of cucumbers grow better during the high heat of summer. But now that things are cooling down, I can grow market or pickling types of cucumbers very easily. Direct sow 2-3 seeds per mound OR I make a trench in a straight row right under my trellis, sprinkle in seeds pretty densely, and grow a bunch of cucumbers. Have BT spray handy in case you get worm damage and spray with 1 cup hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water if you get powdery mildew or other leaf diseases. My personal favorites for pickling are Beit Alpha and Wisconsin 58 SMR.

Check out my YouTube video tutorial on How to Grow Cucumbers from seed to harvest, for more tips.

Heat Tolerant Greens: Molokhia, New Zealand Spinach, Longevity Spinach, Okinawan Spinach, Katuk, Malabar Spinach, Yerba Mate, Sisso Spinach, Suriname Spinach. & South Sea Salad Tree:  If your in zones 9 and up, you could sow seeds or plant some of the more tropical heat tolerant greens. The good thing about these greens is that they produce a lot over many months. Some are even perennial in warmer climates. So you don't have to keep succession sowing like with lettuce. Molokhia, Malabar Spinach, and New Zealand Spinach are easily grown from seed. The rest are usually propagated by cuttings not seed. 

What to Transplant in October
Everything that can be transplanted during the month of October. 

Tomatoes - I personally feel like its too late to start seeds or transplant tomatoes in October unless your in a frost free area, like zones 10-11. You might be ok transplanting some early season tomato cultivars, micro-dwarf or cherry tomatoes. Everyone else, should of started seeds back in July to transplant in September. 

Below is a link to my YouTube video tomato playlist which will give you loads of info like heirloom tomato reviews, how to trellis, prune, and take care of tomato plants. 

Onions/Leeks/Chives - Its time to transplant lots of onions. Onions are sold as seeds, transplants, or sets. In my experience, growing my own from seed or purchasing transplants has given me the best results. This year I started all of mine from seed way back in August because they take a solid 2-3 months to be ready. They are now ready to pull apart and transplant. It is too late to start them from seed right now, so buy transplants instead. When shopping for onions you will notice they are labeled as short day, long day, and intermediate day. Make sure you choose the correct kind for your area. Google "short day onion maps" to look at a map of the USA and kind of figure out what kind you need to grow in your area. If your located in the southern parts of the united states zones 8 and up, your probably going to have to grow short day onion cultivars like me. Leeks are either started from seed or you purchase transplants. Chives are very easily started from seed right now. Just direct sow them around. Below are the names of some companies that sell transplants. If you know of any companies that sell onion transplants, please comment on this blog post.

Dixondale Farms

Practical Plants (Ships within Florida only)

Cody Cove Farms (Ships within Florida only)

Hoss Tools - Onions, potatoes, garlic, & strawberry crowns

FedCo Seeds - Onions & potatoes

Check out my tutorial on how to grow onions from seed:

 

Garlic - Growing garlic in the south can be very tricky but it is possible. Pay attention to the type of seed garlic you are purchasing. Hard neck varieties grow best in northern areas while soft neck cultivars are best for southern areas with mild winters. The other issue that makes growing garlic a little difficult is that it requires a long period of cold to produce large bulbs. Since it doesn't get that cold in my area, garlic is placed in the fridge for a few weeks to mimic a cold period. This process is called "vernalization". I am planting elephant garlic that I got from the grocery store which doesn't require vernalization. I am also growing a few different varieties of soft neck garlic. Below are links to a few companies that sell garlic cloves for planting. If you know of anymore, please comment below. 

Practical Plants (Ships within Florida only)

Cody Cove Farms (Ships within Florida only)

Hoss Tools - Onions, potatoes, garlic, & strawberry crowns

Keene Garlic

Check out my tutorial on how to grow elephant garlic:

Strawberries - Start planting strawberry bare roots in October with December being the last month. There are certain cultivars that are best for growing in the south so be very careful and do your research to make sure your purchasing the correct strawberry crowns. I highly recommend that you purchase crowns from local/native nurseries that would carry the kind that grows well in your area. Place your orders asap because they always sell out. I sell strawberry bare roots so check out my website. If I don't have stock, below are some of the companies that also sell strawberry bare roots. If you know of any, please comment below. 

Jerra's Garden (ships to all states)

Practical Plants (Ships within Florida only)

Cody Cove Farms (Ships within Florida only)

Nick's Edibles (find him on Facebook only)

Check out my tutorial on how to grow strawberries from bare roots:

Potatoes - If you are zone 8, you can start planting potatoes. Zones 9 and up, wait until November. But with that said, it is time to order your seed potatoes if you need some. Again, I highly recommend you purchase them from local nurseries so you get the varieties that perform best in your area. I plant potatoes in grow bags because its easier for me to control the vines and then I just kick the bag over at harvest time. Below are the names of some companies that sell seed potatoes. If you know of anymore, please comment below. 

Hoss Tools - Onions, potatoes, garlic, & strawberry crowns

FedCo Seeds - Onions & potatoes

Check out my tutorial on how to plant seed potatoes in grow bags.

Ginger, Shampoo Ginger (Awapuhi), Turmeric, & Galangal - If your in zones 9-11, it is safe to plant these root crops outdoors because our ground does not freeze so these plants will survive the winter. I grow them in containers or grow bags because they easily spread via underground rhizomes. If your gardening in an area that gets snow or your ground freezes, then grow them in a pot and bring in doors once temperatures begin to fall below 40F. Or you can dig up the rhizomes before your first winter frost arrives, and then replant in spring once all danger of frost has passed. They are very ornamental, with broad tropical foliage, so treat like a houseplant if you bring inside. I have plants or sometimes rhizomes for these crops on my website.

Check out my how to grow shampoo ginger guide for more details.

 Tropical Fruit Crops - If you are in zones 9 and up, you can still plant fruit trees and plants right now, so they get a little established before winter arrives. This includes: Pineapples, papayas, Barbados cherry, Grumichama, Jamaican strawberry tree, ice cream bean, bananas, plantains, passionfruit, blackberries, muscadine grapes, mulberries . Keep them watered until they are established.

Below are a few YouTube video tutorials on how to grow Barbados cherry, pineapples, and muscadine grapes if you want to learn more about growing some of these fruit crops at home.