Gardener’s To-Do List for October

Zone 9

• For spring bloom, broadcast wildflower seeds over soil that has been lightly cultivated.
• Plant fast-growing, frost-resistant veggies: radishes, mustard, spinach, ‘Tokyo Market' turnips, and corn salad.
• Divide and transplant bearded irises, daylilies, phlox, cannas, and Shasta daisies.
• Harvest sweet potatoes after tops wither, but before the first hard frost.
• Harvest winter squash, pumpkins, and peanuts before frost.
• Clean up fallen fruit in the orchard.
• Build a hot compost pile to kill pathogens lurking in garden debris: Use a high-nitrogen material, such as grass clippings or seafood shells.