What to do in the country in October November. The most important work in the garden and vegetable garden in October. What to do at the dacha florist in October
Important little things
which I often forget:
- Carefully drain the water from the hoses, even if they are reinforced.
- Drain the water from the barrels and turn them over, or cover them with something from above.
- Open the taps of the centralized water supply by 45 degrees.
Rice. 1. If the faucet opening is located vertically upwards, then cover it with additional polyethylene and wrap it.
- Put a small supply of firewood near the sauna stove. Will be drier than when stored outside. If you come to the dacha in winter to take a steam bath, it will be easier to kindle.
- For winter visits, you can hide a shovel near the gate so that you do not have to crawl behind it in the snow through the entire plot to the barn.
Repair work
- We repair so as not to waste precious time on them.
- We check and strengthen the frame of greenhouses under polycarbonate and glass.
- We inspect and repair manual and in advance.
- If you have a motor cultivator, a chainsaw, a gas trimmer, you need to drain the fuel from them.
House
- Turn off gas.
- grease door hinges, locks, latch and wicket hinges.
- Pour water from the kettle, washstand, vases, bottles. Sometimes even one and a half liter bottles burst, and on the first visit to the country, you have to mess around with drying the floor and rugs.
- Close the vents. Even if gratings are installed in the holes, excess moisture inside the foundation is useless.
Rice. 2. We close at least a plank with an emphasis or a bottle. Watering cans are also turned upside down for a reason. I grow petunias in them. For the winter, containers for flowers must also be turned over, otherwise the moisture accumulated in the ground can break them.
- Decompose poisonous bait from rats and mice.
- Hang blankets and pillows on strong ropes stretched higher under the ceiling. Raise the mattresses of the beds and place them vertically. Mice love to nest under them for the winter.
- clothes and bed sheets try to take it out or hang it on ropes. If this is not done, the mice will gnaw holes. Checked repeatedly and discarded many favorite sweaters.
- Take out all the seeds from the dacha, because at sub-zero temperatures they can lose their germination. Once, my collection of sunflower seeds, forgotten at the dacha, was completely cracked by mice, and for some reason the husks were laid out on a sofa and chairs with soft upholstery.
- We are taking away food supplies, otherwise in the spring they will fit only for the garden http://site/produkty-na-ogorode.htm, and cereals will be an excellent treat for rodents.
- We draw the curtains so that potential thieves do not look at the left household appliances. Or better yet, hide it in a stash.
Lawn
- We cut before winter, so that in the spring there is less cleaning, and so that.
Rice. 3. We rake the foliage.
- We align the molehills after the mole frolic on the lawn. We sow the formed bald spots with a lawn mixture, but this is best done on frozen ground.
Rice. 4. Heaps of earth in the photo are molehills. We do not trample them, but we rake them with a fan rake, using the crawled out earth to level the surface of the lawn.
Garden and flower garden
- We carry out necessarily water-charging watering of bushes and trees at the rate of 3 buckets for a young specimen and 10 buckets for an adult tree or bush. Autumn rain will not provide this.
- We feed with phosphorus and potash fertilizers, loosen the soil around the trunks.
Rice. 5. You can weed around the bushes during these works.
- We stock up covering material for tree trunks and perennial flowers that require protection from freezing: non-woven agrotex or spunbond are in the lead, but in the absence of it, you can use spruce branches, old cotton burlap, and even tights, however, under them the plants will rot if not in time clean up in the spring.
Rice. 6. To protect against hares, I stick sticks vertically and obliquely around especially valuable young seedlings.
- Make sanitary pruning of old branches of bushes and trees. Cover large damage with garden pitch. Remove dried fruits, old exfoliated bark, dry leaves with cobwebs from the trees and burn them. Whiten the stems.
- We are finishing. I mulch only those flowers that do not have any leaves above the ground. I spud roots that protrude too much on the surface of the soil, for example, in phloxes.
- I sign fresh bulbous plantings on the plates.
Rice. 7. Not relying on memory, I sign perennials that have just been transplanted to a new planting site: lilies, phloxes, peonies, lupins.
- We bend tall raspberry bushes and tie. I didn’t bend down the raspberries for the winter just once, and, as luck would have it, this year the winter turned out to be little snowy, and almost half of my raspberry bushes froze out and, of course, there was very little harvest.
Rice. 8. I tie the bushes with cotton ribbons.
Garden
- We are preparing beds for sowing, which we will carry out in November on frozen ground.
- Unoccupied beds are also not bypassed. Supporters of traditional farming dig up the soil without breaking up large pieces of earth, and apply phosphorus and potash fertilizers. I also scatter almost ready-made humus in advance, or at least two-year-old compost, so that there is less trouble in spring. I do not close it in the soil, as it is better to do it in the spring. Will ripen on the spot.
Rice. 9. I don’t pull out annual weeds, but leave them to rot in the garden.
Leaves are already falling outside the window, which means that autumn is gaining momentum and very soon the cold will come. We have compiled a list of things to do in October for you. So that this autumn month will be remembered for the whole cold winter. And so, what needs to be done in October.
To-do list:
1. Buy a bright umbrella. If you don’t have a bright umbrella yet, then you should get one as soon as possible. Yellow and orange umbrellas will keep you warm in the heaviest rain.
2. Bake cookies in the form of autumn leaves. Treat your friends and loved ones delicious cookies in the form of autumn leaves, cones or acorns.
3. Replenish delicious and fragrant tea. Serve biscuits with delicious tea. Discover new flavors of fragrant tea.
4. Throw a fun Halloween party. The end of the month promises to be cheerful and scary. Be sure to throw your own Halloween party and invite all your friends to it.
5. Prepare a pumpkin dish. The crop has already been harvested, which means that you can arrange culinary experiments. Pumpkin can be cooked tasty soup or bake a big pie.
6. Choose a warm October day and have a picnic in the park. You need to have time to enjoy the last warm day of autumn. Take a warm blanket, hot tea and sandwiches with you.
7. Rustle autumn leaves. It's so amazing to step on fallen leaves and hear them rustle under you.
8. Plenty to ride a bike. We use the last October days to the maximum, we ride a bicycle, because winter will come very soon.
9. See how the birds fly south.
10. Arrange an autumn photo shoot. Treat yourself to memories of this autumn. Arrange an autumn photo shoot on fresh air or in the autumn scenery of a photo studio.
11. Collect a bouquet of autumn leaves. A bouquet of autumn leaves can be used as a prop for a photo shoot or as a gift to your parents.
12. Collect and dry the herbarium. Remember how in childhood we collected a herbarium and laid it out in books.
13. Enjoy a new harvest of honey. The bees have been working all summer and collecting delicious honey, now it's time to enjoy it. And hot milk with honey will help not to get sick this autumn.
14. Bake Apple pie cinnamon. We continue to improve our culinary skills and our next step is to cook the most delicious charlotte.
15. Arrange romantic evening with a loved man. Don't forget about your loved ones. Arrange a romantic evening for them with candles and a warm blanket.
16. Cook mulled wine. The most warming drink of autumn and upcoming winter is mulled wine. Come up with your own unique recipe and surprise your loved ones with it.
17. Get a warm sweater. Perhaps many of you have already completed this point, and who has not yet, then go to the closet in search of the warmest sweater.
19. Go to a cafe with friends. Invite your friends to an interesting cafe where you have never been before. And be sure to order a new drink for you.
20. Have your own October Fest. Have fun at your October Fest.
21. Get out your favorite rubber boots. Not all shoes will last heavy rains This is where rubber boots come in handy. If you have not yet acquired this element of the wardrobe, then you urgently need to arrange shopping.
22. Draw an autumn landscape. Add some creativity to your life. Golden very - this is a great opportunity to learn how to draw.
mauritianlife.com
October is one of the best months to visit Mauritius. At this time, the hot season begins there and there is no rain, at least in the northern and western parts of the island. So you can bask on the beaches, swim in the warm Indian Ocean, go diving, surfing and admire the Mauritian nature in its very bloom.
- Air temperature: 26-27°C.
- Water temperature: 22-25°C.
- Visa:
- Cost of living: from 938 rubles per night.
- : from 113,277 rubles.
sancristobalgalapagos.gob.ec
The Galapagos is another great island destination for an October getaway. There, as in Mauritius, at this time the weather is warm and dry, but the main thing is that the unique nature of these places is still in all its glory.
The "peak" season for birds and fish lasts until the end of October, but there are noticeably fewer people on the archipelago. Therefore, you can safely snorkel and dive and just explore the islands, almost the entire territory of which is a national park.
- Air temperature: 25-27°C.
- Water temperature: 23°C.
- Visa: .
- Cost of living: from 881 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 22,671 rubles.
tio.by
Although the Canaries are considered a year-round resort, for beach holiday it is better to go there in summer or not too late autumn. October suits perfectly: the ocean is still very warm, which means that you can swim and lie on the sand all day long. It can be black (volcanic), yellow or white depending on the island.
The easiest way to get to the main island of Tenerife: there are direct flights from Moscow.
That is why there will be many compatriots (and tourists in general) there. The second most popular island among vacationers is Gran Canaria. If you crave a more secluded getaway, head to Lanzarote (and be sure to visit the local volcanic national park with alien landscapes) or relaxed Fuerteventura, an island favored by windsurfers thanks to steady winds.
- Air temperature: 20-23°C.
- Water temperature: 18-19°C.
- Visa: not required within 90 days.
- Cost of living: from 514 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 11,661 rubles. But you can save money on buying tickets if you use Aviasales.
agenttura.com.ua
Hot and crowded Istanbul is empty by mid-autumn, and the temperature in the city drops to a very comfortable level. So at this time you can explore the ancient city and its surroundings without fuss.
If you are a connoisseur contemporary art or are related to design, there is another reason to go to the Turkish capital. This is the Istanbul Design Biennale. It will run from September 22 to November 4.
Of course, only the bravest can swim in the sea. But it is quite possible to drive along the empty coasts, sunbathe and, perhaps, climb into the water on a particularly fine day in October.
- Air temperature: 27-31°C.
- Water temperature: 26-27°C.
- Visa: not required within 90 days.
- Cost of living: from 974 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 20 355 rubles.
tel-kohnhed.com
October is ideal for visiting Israel: the sweltering heat is no longer there, and the water of all three seas washing the country warms up to a very pleasant temperature. You are free to choose any coastal city for your vacation, but Tel Aviv will be one of best options. There you can swim, and plunge into the cultural and nightlife: after all, this is the capital of Israel's entertainment.
In addition, Jerusalem is located about 60 km from Tel Aviv. It, along with other ancient sights, is worth visiting in October, when there is not yet such an influx of pilgrims as in winter.
- Air temperature: 14-20°C.
- Visa: Schengen.
- Cost of living: from 1,836 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 12,593 rubles.
wallpapersdsc.net
October in Paris is rich in events. Firstly, a large-scale gastronomic event takes place in the culinary capital - Taste Week. During it, French food tastings, master classes and themed days are organized: festivals of choukrut, spices, cider and fish. The week ends with the chestnut festival, which is celebrated on a grand scale throughout the country.
If you are going to Paris primarily for taste, lay a separate line in your budget for this.
Assume that you can have a snack within 10 euros, but a full lunch or dinner will cost 20 euros and more.
- Air temperature: 17-22°C.
- Visa: Schengen.
- Cost of living: from 1,542 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 15,793 rubles.
umbriaon.it
Another grand culinary feast takes place in Perugia, Italy. The period from October 18 to October 27 is the time of the Eurochocolate chocolate festival, when sweet tooth and chocolatiers from different countries come to the city.
The program is rich: there are shows, and the creation of sculptures from chocolate, and festivities, and, of course, fairs and tastings where you can try chocolate products of all stripes. If you decide to attend a holiday, take looser trousers: they will surely come in handy.
- Air temperature: 10-17°C.
- Water temperature: 13°C.
- Visa: Irish or British.
- Cost of living: from 1,102 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 7,933 rubles.
universestars.com
Dublin is another European destination worth visiting in October. In the first half of the month, the annual theater festival takes place in the Irish capital, and towards the end - the Bram Stoker festival, dedicated to the creator of the gothic novel "". Of course, at this time the city is filled with a vampire atmosphere, on different venues thematic performances, film screenings and parties are held - just before Halloween.
From Dublin, you can also go north to Belfast, where an international art festival takes place almost the entire month, or south to Cork, where a traditional jazz festival will take place in the last days of October.
4. Delhi, India
- Air temperature: 30-33°C.
- Visa: Indian, you can get it online. Dashahr.
- Air temperature: 0-10°C.
- Water temperature: 7-11°C.
- Cost of living: from 500 rubles per night.
- The cost of a flight from Moscow and back: from 20,032 rubles.
The celebrations last almost 10 days, this year they start on October 8th. At this time, the Indians have fun, exchange gifts and perform a number of beautiful rituals.
Do you dream of seeing how the city is filled with colors, light and fireworks? Then go to Delhi. Although the celebrations will take place in all corners of India, so no matter where you are at this time, you will not hide from the beauty.
bayarbaikal.com
In October, Baikal has relatively comfortable weather, but there are practically no people due to the end of the tourist season. At the same time, golden autumn creates real miracles with Baikal nature. If you are a photographer, a romantic, a mushroom picker, or just a person tired of the bustle of the city, then here you will definitely be able to fully.
You can stop very close to the lake, for example, in the village of Listvyanka, or in the busier Irkutsk - and make forays into nature from there. It is better to take care of excursions in advance (after all, the end of the season, programs will be curtailed), but at the beginning of the month, many of them are still available.
The first frosts are already appearing at night, although most of The harvest has been harvested, but there are still unfinished business. Today we will tell you what to do with a summer resident during the second month of autumn.
Bringing beauty
Nature is slowly preparing for the onset of winter, why don't we do it too? First, let's put things in order in our area. Put all the tops from the harvested vegetables (if you do not have a household) in one place. It is advisable not to dump it in a heap, but to lay it in layers. Send all unnecessary foliage and dry grass there. Over time, natural debris will come in handy to fertilize the soil.Lawns should also be prepared for cold weather. They need to be mowed, otherwise you will not have an even, beautiful green carpet in the spring, since it is difficult for the grass to break through the dry turf.
You can also reduce spring worries: transfer some of the cases to October. For example, plant perennial flowers in already empty flower beds. But be careful, you need to plant those that bloom in spring.
Sending for the winter
Speaking of empty flower beds. We all change often houseplants in summer time outside. So, it's time to bring them home. The land for flowers can be fertilized (with various additives that are easy to find in specialized stores or use last year's humus if it remains). This will prevent the appearance of possible diseases. And your green pets will not have to deal with ailments.In addition, right now you can upgrade your plants. Transplant a flower from a small to a larger pot. And if you met, for example, the rose of your dreams in a flower shop, then do not pass by and be sure to buy it immediately. And after a week, transplant into your pot and soil.
Don't forget garden trees
We cut off all diseased, dry and broken branches. And be sure to remove everything that attacked during the harvest period (fruits of apples, ranetok, etc.). Pests (worms) live in the already rotten carrion, if all this is not destroyed, then harmful larvae will fall on the tree and infect root crops in the spring. The most effective method of dealing with uninvited guests is instillation. Bury the entire carrion to a depth of 35 - 40 centimeters. At the end of October, it is desirable to free trunks and branches from lichens. To do this, you need a 7% or 10% solution of ferrous sulfate. For one liter of water, use three tablespoons. Spray trees with liquid. After a few days, the lichens should fall off on their own. If autumn did not please with rains, then all vegetation must be shed well. Trees should not be allowed to winter dehydrated. Frost can dry them out. Young growths are especially vulnerable.Speaking of growth. In October, plants, if desired, can be planted. But all young trees must be covered so that rodents do not destroy it. You can tie them with spruce branches or burlap. And be sure to spud the base of the strapping by 15 centimeters.
It is also time to cover strawberries and other shrubs. For this, hay or a special film is ideal, which is not difficult to find in any country store.
Getting ready for spring
Autumn is the time when it is best to take care of the soil. Yes, yes, it is at this time of the year, and for example, not in the spring (as many believe).So, almost the entire crop has already been harvested, so it's time to prepare the beds for the next garden season. To do this, you need to dig them up. Of course, one must remember garden tools. Before putting away work tools for winter storage: wash, dry and repair (if necessary). And only after that send them for the winter.
The summer season has come to an end, but, my dear summer residents, this does not mean at all that we can now relax and sit back. You will drink tea with jam and look at summer photos in winter, but for now you need to prepare for it.
In the garden in October there is still a lot of work to be done. We are slowly preparing the beds so that we can only sow them in the spring, if you have been going to plant trees or bushes all summer, but only now you have acquired them - plant them, do not pull.
But in the mode of chronic time pressure, it is possible (and it is more correct!) to dig seedlings. So they will survive the winter perfectly, and in the spring plant them in pre-prepared pits.
This is better than doing everything "bluff" and dooming the plant to a difficult winter. And in general, do not do everything in a hurry, think over landings and work in advance, because then it will be more expensive for you to redo it. In general, more than one fine day is still needed to work both in the garden and in the garden.
At the beginning of October, the warm days of golden autumn can still please us with their bright bliss. This is the time when leaves fall from the trees and cover the cooling ground with a lush warm carpet.
And at the end of the month, “manna” from heaven is already pouring into the beds. And then even the most persistent summer residents will want home comfort.
The summer was generous, there was enough warmth for us, and for the flowers, and for the harvest. And now we need to have time to prepare the sites for winter so that the frost does not spoil the bushes and trees, does not destroy the perennials.
So what do we need to do so that the new season will please with an excellent harvest and how not to miss something.
October is "garden month"
Falling leaves dance in the garden. How clever is nature! So that the roots do not shiver in the ground, the trees themselves make sure that they are at least a little warmer.
From this observation, we, dear summer residents, can draw a very useful conclusion: before the onset of winter, it is good to cover perennials featherbed from fallen leaves. For this, birch leaves are best suited.
If you have not had time to complete it yet, hurry up to make them in the first half of October, because frost is just around the corner.
We are harvesting the last harvest of apples and pears of late varieties
To keep them longer, we collect the fruits dry, immediately after the dew has subsided and always with the stalk. We carefully examine the harvested crop and all the fruits that do not have mechanical and other damage, put them in boxes lined with paper, sprinkle with sawdust, or you can wrap each fruit in parchment paper or paper napkins, which will significantly improve the storage mode, because if any fruit and rot, it will not infect the rest.
I advise you to first put the boxes with fruits in the barn, and only then, with the onset of cold weather, transfer them to the basement, where they will be further stored at low positive temperatures.
If we immediately put the apples and pears removed from the tree in storage, then due to the temperature difference, the fruits may sweat and the likelihood of spoilage increases. It is best to put boxes in the basement when the temperatures in the basement and outside are equal.
Early October finishing cleaning chokeberry . Its berries make excellent jams, as well as jams and juices.
We also clean up remontant varieties raspberries.
Last of fruit crops remove quince, as it ripens quite late - only in mid-October. It is hardly edible fresh, because the pulp is very tough, but still there are lovers who really like it, especially for its unique flavor.
But quince can be used to make amazingly tasty processed products: jam, jams, marmalade, juice with pulp.
Fruit tree seedlings in the nursery
Continue planting fruit trees and shrubs, but we try to complete it before mid-October, as plants planted later fall into the risk zone.
Autumn is the best time to buy planting material. At this time, mass digging of seedlings takes place in all nurseries, so in autumn there is the most diverse and large assortment of planting material and, accordingly, the best opportunities for selection.
In the spring, only one remains planting material, which could not be sold in the fall.
If you are planning to rejuvenate or expand the garden, then purchase the seedlings right now, in the fall. Winter-hardy varieties of apple trees, raspberries, currants, gooseberries are best planted immediately in a permanent place. And seedlings of other less winter-hardy fruit crops would be better to dig in for spring planting.
Many amateur gardeners still prefer to buy seedlings in the spring, because they do not know how to properly store them until spring. And it's not that difficult.
So that the seedlings are well preserved until spring, dig them on your site, choosing a well-heated high place for this, which will not be flooded with melt water either in spring or in winter during thaws.
Then, in the selected area, we dig a ditch in the direction from east to west, about 50 cm deep and 100-120 cm wide (dimensions depend on the size of the seedlings).
We make the southern wall of the ditch inclined, and fold the excavated earth to the north side. We lay the planting material obliquely in one row, so that the entire root system and a third of the trunk are in the groove.
The crown should be oriented to the south. This arrangement greatly reduces the risk of getting burnt by the stems of seedlings from the bright sun in February-March. Gently spread the roots along the south sloping wall of the groove.
Just remember to write down the sequence of varieties and the quantity of each variety in the direction from east to west. Then in the spring you can easily determine the varietal affiliation of each seedling. For safety, you can also hang a thick foil label on each seedling, with the name of the variety squeezed out on it.
Now you can fill the seedlings with earth, trampling it tightly to the roots. If the weather is dry at this time, then the earth should be well watered.
General lawn cleaning
In winter, the lawn has the hardest time, in this regard, we will try to prepare it well for the cold.
If after the last haircut the grass has grown strongly, then it is necessary to cut it, but not too short, leaving a height of 5-8 cm.
Sprinkle the seeds on the formed "bald patches". The ants will not have time to pull them apart, and in the spring the seeds will have time to sprout before the first haircut.
Be sure to feed the lawn with potash fertilizers, thanks to which our lawn can safely survive even severe frosts.
There is no place for fallen leaves, grass felt and debris on the lawn, so we take a frequent rake and thoroughly “comb” our lawn.
If the autumn turned out to be too rainy, then it is necessary to pierce the turf with a pitchfork to the maximum possible depth. This is done in order to divert excess water to the lower layers of the soil.
Otherwise, as soon as the frost hits, the wet lawn will be covered with an ice crust, and by spring, ugly bald spots will form on it.
October pruning
There are plants that do not tolerate spring pruning. These are many berries, including actinidia, in which sap flow begins early in the spring.
Therefore, it is better to cut them off in early October, since by this time the plants have finished all their vital processes and are ready for winter. But there is still time for wound healing (before the onset of stable frosts).
We talked about pruning currants, gooseberries, raspberries in previous articles, so now we will learn how to do it. annual pruning actinidia. Actinidia trimming procedure:
first we cut out all the thin and broken shoots, and then the weak and thickening crown;
we remove 1-2 vines that have been fruiting for 3 years, cutting them to a powerful branch of a young vine located lower to the ground;
we shorten the vegetative shoots to the desired length when they occupy the free space intended for them on the support;
we cut generative-vegetative shoots that form on last year's growths, up to 30 cm long;
we evenly distribute on the trellis all the shoots remaining on the vine, so that they can later grow freely and scattered light passes through them in a leafy state.
Works in the garden
Gardeners are trying to complete all seasonal work by mid-October, because not everyone had enough time in September to cope with harvesting and preparing the garden for winter.
Harvesting late vegetables
At the beginning of the month, we dig out the remains of the color, and then, after the Intercession, and later white cabbage. We cut down the heads of cabbage and take them out of the garden.
If frozen water with ice is found on the top of the leaves, then we remove the covering leaves, dry the heads of cabbage and put them in storage.
And if there are pockets of rot, we cover them with a mixture of sand, slaked lime and chalk. After white cabbage, we begin harvesting late Brussels sprouts. To keep better and longer Brussels sprouts, it is recommended to dig it up with roots and dig it in the basement in a large deep box in wet sand, or hang it upside down on the crossbar. The temperature in the basement must be maintained at +1...+2 degrees.
Having determined the cabbage for storage, we return to the site and dig out all the stumps with roots remaining in the ground. Don't leave a single root in the ground!
And the point here is not only the cleanliness of the site (although this is also very important), but also the fact that cabbage fly larvae hibernate on the roots of cabbage. And if we do not remove the stumps, then in the spring, as soon as the earth thaws, these larvae will warm up and start a feast on the same roots, invisible to us summer residents.
And in June, as soon as we plant fresh cabbage seedlings, they will be attacked by young, newly born cabbage flies.
We dig up radishes, parsnips and celery, and small root crops of parsley and celery can be left before winter to in early spring it was already possible to have fresh greens on your table.
At the end of the month we collect Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Be sure to leave some of the tubers in the ground for the winter - new plants will grow from them in the spring. Jerusalem artichoke grows well in one place for no more than 5 years, then it is better to transplant it to a new place. It is better to store tubers in the basement, layering with earth so that they do not dry out.
After the onset of frost, you can dig horseradish, because it was by this time that the plant had accumulated the largest number nutrients and it turns out fragrant, sweetish and not so vigorous. We choose the roots cleanly, otherwise the horseradish will grow throughout the area, dry them and put them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.
To dig or not to dig?
Another mandatory autumn procedure is digging the earth. Although more and more often recently it is said about doubts about its expediency. Many proponents of natural farming believe that digging up the soil kills beneficial soil microorganisms and promotes the growth of weed seeds. And our attempt to give air to the roots sometimes destroys these same roots.
To understand to dig or not to dig the earth, of course, it is best to experiment yourself. But at the same time, the type of soil should still be taken into account. So, for example, heavy clay and uncultivated soils need autumn digging. While for light and loose soils, deep loosening with a flat cutter is sufficient.
Soil cultivation in the garden should be started immediately after harvesting, while carefully removing weeds and making the necessary fertilizers.
And if, nevertheless, we decide to experiment, then let's take several beds for our experiment and, without digging, process them with a flat cutter, and then cover them with a thick, even layer of mulch (hay and straw), level and compact well.
The layer should be at least 10 cm. This is not so much, since in the spring, when the snow melts, this layer will not be so large.
From autumn until spring, ideal conditions will indeed remain under this layer for the active growth of soil microflora, which will inhibit the development of pathogenic microbes.
In addition, earthworms will “fatten”, which in the course of their life activity provide nutrition to the soil and loosen it.
Proponents of natural farming believe that in the spring, seedlings and seeds should be planted without removing the layer of mulch, but only lightly raking the mulch and digging holes for the seedlings.
And we sow the seeds in this way: we rake the mulch, make furrows, lay the seeds in them, lightly sprinkle them with earth, and then return the layer of mulch to its place.
Moisture is well preserved under such a layer of mulch, so seeds and seedlings can be watered less often, and in the early spring it is not worth watering at all, since the mulch retains snow moisture well in the soil.
Also, a favorable microclimate is created under the mulch, which contributes to the rapid germination of seeds and the rooting of seedlings.
Finally, breaking down the mulch provides an excellent top dressing. And all this with minimal cost for fertilizer and irrigation. Moreover, we will save our strength, and this is very important for any summer resident.
Getting ready for winter crops
In the first half of October, we plant winter garlic on pre-prepared beds.
In areas with unstable, often changing weather, it is very difficult to guess the timing of planting, but the plants must have time to take root well, but at the same time not give green shoots, otherwise they may freeze. And later plantings can also suffer from frost, as they do not have time to form a root system.
It is best to plant garlic at a time when the average daily air temperature no longer rises above 10 degrees.
For planting, we use cloves of garlic, bulbs and single teeth. We plant the teeth to a depth equal to three diameters of the clove or bulb.
After a slight freezing of the soil on garlic plantings, it is advisable to mulch them with peat compost or cover them with a small layer of fallen leaves.
From mid-October to early November we start sowing vegetable crops before winter: carrots, parsley, dill, lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, turnips, celery, onion seeds for turnips.
It is best to start sowing in the pre-winter season, when the soil temperature drops to 2-3 degrees, and experienced vegetable growers sow already when the soil begins to freeze 2-5 cm deep and only slightly thaws during the day. Of course, we will prepare the beds in advance in September and cover them with covering material so that the grooves are not washed away by rains.
It is very important that the seedlings do not appear in the fall, as in this case they will freeze.
But if the seeds leave unsprouted before winter, then neither winter frosts nor spring cold snaps will have a detrimental effect on sowing. And early in the spring, more friendly and even shoots will appear, and the harvest can be obtained 2-3 weeks earlier than with spring sowing.
Another advantage of winter sowing is that we will have time in the spring to carry out other work and sow other crops at a more favorable time.
It is important to pay attention to the following rules for winter sowing:
We choose high areas with loose fertile soil, which quickly dry out in the spring, warm up, and most importantly, do not flood.
Seeds are sown dry.
The seeding rate should be higher than in spring, since most likely not all seeds may sprout.
We sprinkle the seeds not with earth, but with a mixture of good humus with sand, which must be prepared in advance. On top of the planting, you can still cover with dry leaves.
Digging up useful roots
Let's choose a fine day in early October and start collecting roots medicinal plants, which grow in the garden or near it. it best time for collecting dandelion roots, burdock, couch grass, chicory, angelica officinalis and calamus.
We wash the dug roots in running water, blot with a napkin. Then we cut them into sticks and dry them in a well-ventilated area. We store dry roots in kitchen cabinet in tightly closed glass jar no more than three years.
It is also important to do:
We remove and burn vegetable waste
We dig out (in the second decade of October) old, no longer fruitful trees, while trying not to leave roots in the soil. Then you can cut them up and burn them. Next, you need to treat the soil in the places where they grew with a solution of copper sulfate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) and dig it up. In place of dug out old trees, fruit crops are not planted for 3 years, but it is better to sow legumes (peas, beans, lupins). Seedlings can also be grown nearby.
We will feed those plants that did not have time to feed at the end of September, then, if the autumn is dry, we will carry out autumn moisture-charging watering of berry and fruit crops, ornamental perennials.
We weed rhubarb, sorrel, asparagus, batun and other perennial crops, cut off old leaves, loosen and feed. To do this, it is best to mulch them with compost with a layer of 2-3 cm. You can apply complex mineral fertilizer around the plants, in the grooves, and immediately embed them in the soil.
If your garden is located on a slope, then in order to prevent soil washout, we dig deep intermittent furrows across the slope or make earthen rollers.
We prepare pits for planting seedlings in the spring and fill them with fertilizers.
We will prepare the soil in the beds for spring crops - we introduce potassium and phosphorus, manure, ash. It is good to cover the finished beds with a black film to protect the soil and better warm up in the spring.
The beds heavily overgrown with weeds can not be weeded, but simply covered with a dark film and the weeds themselves will die next season.
We drain the water from the vessels, barrels, drain the water from the pipes, fold the hoses and bring everything into the utility room.
We remove all plant debris, dry fallen leaves and tops and lay everything in compost heaps.
We clean ditches, gutters, drainage system from pollution. If necessary, we repair the drainage system, plumbing, paths, buildings.
On a dry sunny day, we will collect all the sticks and supports that we put under tomatoes, beans and other crops. They will still be useful to us in the coming summer season. Before putting them under a canopy, we will treat with a solution of copper sulfate and dry thoroughly.
Regularly, starting from October, we inspect stored cabbage, root crops and potatoes and remove spoiled fruits.
We hang bird feeders in the garden.
We tightly tie the stems of young trees with spruce branches, roofing material, synthetic bags, deepening the lower end of the strapping into the ground. Just do not use straw or reeds for tying, as they are an excellent refuge for overwintering many harmful insects.
Here, perhaps, and all the main work. Work in the country this season is almost completed and now you can relax a bit.
See you soon, dear friends!