October is one of our favorite times in the yard. There’s still plenty of color, but here in SW Portland, it’s time to start preparing for our wet winter weather, heavy soils and occasional freezes.
Two things at the top of our list are taking care of our dahlias and saving zinnia seeds for next summer.
Dahlias: Wait for the Frost
We let our dahlias keep blooming until frost blackens the foliage. Then we cut them back, carefully dig the tubers and label them immediately. We learned that lesson last year when we thought we’d remember which was which. No we didn’t!
We divide the healthy tubers and store them in our garage where they’ll stay cool, dark and protected from freezing. Portland’s winter moisture can be harder on dahlias than the cold, so keeping stored tubers from getting too wet is important.
Save Those Zinnia Seeds
Before pulling our zinnias, we collect seeds from some of our favorite flowers. We let the flower heads mature and dry as much as possible on the plant, then bring them inside to finish drying.
Once completely dry, we separate the seeds and store them in labeled paper envelopes for spring. If you’re saving seeds from hybrid zinnias, next year’s flowers may look a little different, which is part of the fun.
Get the Garden Ready for Rain
Fall cleanup doesn’t mean everything needs to disappear. We remove diseased or rotting foliage but leave some healthy perennial stems and seed heads for birds and beneficial insects.
We also mulch our beds to protect the soil and help improve our clay-heavy Southwest Portland soil over time. Just be careful not to pile mulch against tree trunks or the crowns of plants.
Our Fall Garden Checklist
Before winter settles in, we’re working on:
- Digging, dividing and storing dahlias after frost
- Collecting and drying zinnia seeds
- Removing diseased plant material
- Mulching garden beds
- Planting spring bulbs
- Clearing leaves from lawns and drains
- Scaling back irrigation and disconnecting hoses
- Watching for areas where water pools during heavy rain
And once the garden is tucked in for the season, there’s one last job waiting for us: getting all those fall leaves out of the gutters!
Contact us for more gardening and real estate tips!