North Mississippi Gardening Tips
October, 2002
NOTES FOR OCTOBER
October nights in north Mississippi bring the first real chills of the fall and signal the beginning of the end of the warm growing season. The "Old Farmer's Almanac" states that for the south we can expect October temperatures to average 61 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 3 degrees below the normal. It also states that precipitation for this month will be two inches above average. Who knows? I always try to be ready for anything-freezing one day, burning up the next-typical fall weather in north Mississippi. As the weather cools it brings back vivid harvest-time memories of my younger days spent on our family's farm. It must be something that I inherited from all those farmers in my family tree-when fall arrives I just naturally go out and look for stuff to harvest. Mama would say those kinds of traits were "born in ye." Usually "born in ye" traits were bad, such as, being mule-headed, a greedy-gut, prone to pitching a fit, or being just sorry as in "he's so sorry he wouldn't say suey if the hogs had him." Mama also would laughingly attribute these undesirable traits exhibited by her children to "ye daddy's side of the family." Obviously there is no control over this inherited "harvesting" behavior; so, when the weather gets right, birds fly south, squirrels store nuts and I gather things. After I gather everything in sight, I begin to do those chores that prepare the garden and landscape for the winter ahead. In this month's report I will share some of these fall chores and some handy tips with you.
GATHERING AND USING THE HARVEST
Now's the time to gather the last of the tomatoes, peppers and other warm season vegetables before old Jack Frost nips you in the bud. For north Mississippi the median dates of the first freeze are October 27-November 3. What to do with all those ripe tomatoes? One suggestion, especially for those who like their tomatoes in salads, is to slice the tomatoes lengthwise (slicing lengthwise rather than crosswise prevents you from cutting through the ovary walls and releasing the pulp and juice) place in a single layer on cookie sheets, freeze, remove from pan and store in plastic bags in your freezer. Then, a few minutes before you serve a winter salad, take them from the freezer and leave them on the kitchen counter for a few minutes, just until they have thawed a bit but not yet soft. Chop them and use them to garnish your salad.
Be careful when slicing those last few hot peppers. Capsaicin, the powerful compound that gives hot peppers their fire, can set your hands on fire! This compound is located mainly on the light-colored ribs inside the peppers. Slicing through these ribs releases this compound. It makes my eyes water, my nose run and even chokes me to the point that I have a coughing fit! If you are as sensitive as I am to this stuff, wear latex gloves to protect your hands while slicing hot peppers. As I slice and remove the ribs and seeds some of the capsaicin is released into the air. To keep this airborne fire out of my nose, eyes and mouth, I place a small box fan to blow the "hot air" away from my face and out an open window above my kitchen sink. All of this rigmarole keeps me cool and safe. If, by chance, I do get that burning sensation on my hands I have found some relief by soaking my hands in vegetable oil, rather than water.
Don't store potatoes near your fall apples because apples give off ethylene gas, which causes potatoes to sprout.
If some of your stored onions start to sprout this winter, pot one up, put on the windowsill and cut the top back periodically to use as green onions. Another harvest onion tip: Need only half an onion? Slice the top of the sprout end and store the root end. The root half will keep longer in the fridge.
Freeze whole leaves or stems of herbs such as parsley, chives, oregano and rosemary in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they're frozen, pack in plastic bags and return to freezer. This winter when you need "fresh herbs" remove herbs from freezer, chop while still frozen and add to your recipe. Still have a bounty of basil, chives and other herbs? Why not make some herbal vinegars to give as holiday gifts? It is really simple and who doesn't appreciate a gift you made yourself? Recipes abound in herb books and other cookbooks. Check out the herb information on the Mississippi State website located at msucares.com.
LAWNS
If you want to overseed your warm season turf with a temporary winter lawn grass such as annual or perennial ryegrass you have all of this month to sow the seed. Waiting later than this month in north Mississippi may not allow enough time for the grass to germinate and become established before freezing temperatures arrive. Seed perennial ryegrass at 8 to 10 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet; seed annual ryegrass at 10 to 12 pounds.
BULBS
If you have already purchased spring flowering bulbs, wait until the ground cools before planting for us that means late October or November. Until that time keep the bulbs cool--the vegetable crisper of the fridge, a cool, dry basement or other similar environment will work well.
TREES AND SHRUBS
Generally speaking, no pruning, fertilizing or otherwise doing anything to stimulate new, tender growth on trees and shrubs right now! Why? Because the new growth that will result from fertilization and pruning now will not have sufficient time to harden off before cold weather and will be very susceptible to winter kill. Enjoy the fall color, the evergreens and basically leave them alone!
PERENNIALS AND ANNUALS
By this time, I have usually removed the sad-looking summer annuals and replaced them with fall annuals like marigolds, pansies, flowering cabbage and kale, colorful lettuces and other interesting fall plants found at my favorite local garden center. Try something different this year. Don't just plunk down a few mums and leave it at that. Garden centers and nurseries are broadening their selections of fall plants and you should be adventuresome and give some of these a try. Even though we have only a few weeks until we could potentially have a killing frost why not try a pot brimming with Lysimachia 'Goldilocks', Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow', Helichrysum 'Icicles', Argyranthemum 'Butterfly' and Nemesia 'Bluebird.' Place in a spot that really has a visual impact and enjoy. Who knows? You may set a trend for your neighborhood to move the fall garden beyond the bourgeois mum!
Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes North Mississippi Gardening Tips monthly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.