You can still expect some warm weather during October, so keep watering the garden until the fall and winter rains begin. As temperatures drop, less water is needed for plants. Check your soil periodically by digging gently into the soil next to the root, about 6 inches down (deeper for bigger plants).
When To Stop Watering Plants in Fall. When the air and soil temperatures consistently fall below 40 F, it's time to stop watering. The ground can't absorb water once the top few inches freeze. Continue to water your plants up until this point so they're as well-hydrated as possible going into winter.
To support plants through this season of transition, make sure they get adequate water until the ground freezes. This is especially important if the summer season has been hot and dry, and for newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials. In fall, plants do not need as much water as they may have needed in summer.
Continue to withhold water from both evergreen and deciduous trees in the first part of October, which will help prepare them for winter. Resume watering late in October, after the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. In zones four and five, plant spring bulbs. Continue to divide perennials as needed.
A thorough watering twice a month during mid-late fall should be sufficient for most soils, though if you have slow-draining clay or rocky soils, you may find that just once a month is enough.
Quick facts. Water your garden so that your plants always have enough moisture. On sandy, well-drained soil, you may need to water twice a week. For soils that hold moisture, such as heavier clay soils, or loamy soils rich in organic matter, watering once a week is fine.
Sufficient moisture is critical to avoid drought stress; however, overwatering promotes disease, leaches nutrients and wastes time and money.
Fall Feeding for Fertile Fields Fall Fertilization of your shrubs, garden and plants leads to a beautiful, healthy spring garden — it's the ideal time for feeding if you do it right.
Contrary to traditional wisdom, many experts now consider late fall, or about a month after the first killing frost, to be the ideal time for applying fertilizers. We now know plants utilize nutrients throughout the year in different ways.
October is a good time to plant shrubs because the cooler temperatures of fall aren't as stressful on plants. When the air temperature is cool but the soil still retains some warmth, plants are encouraged to put out root growth.
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
The optimum temperature for roots to absorb water and nutrients is around 68°F. At that temperature, the water in the substrate still contains a lot of oxygen, and it is also exactly the right temperature to trigger the pump mechanism in the roots.
The best time to water outdoor plants is in the morning when temperatures are usually cooler. This gives the plants time to absorb the water so they can get through a long, hot day. The second-best time is late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Try not to water at night.
Delaying your garden's clean up until the spring is a boon for all the creatures living there. Instead of heading out to the garden with a pair of pruning shears and a rake this fall, wait until the spring temperatures are in the 50s for at least 7 consecutive days.
If you decide to incorporate leaves into garden beds, it's best to do this in the fall. This will allow for plenty of time for the leaves to break down before you plant in spring.
Compost, a crumbly soil-like material, is alive with worms and beneficial fungi and bacteria. It enriches soils, provides nutrients and increases the soil's ability to hold moisture. Several inches of compost can be piled on top of vegetable beds in autumn. Worms and other organisms will slowly work it into the soil.
Fall Fertilizer Timing
For the majority of cool-season lawn owners, apply fertilizer anywhere from September through early November. The further north you garden, the sooner you'll feed your lawn. Fine-tune the timing for your locale by talking with your local extension service or garden center.
When To Fertilizer Your Lawn in the Fall. The best time to apply your last fertilizer application is between August 15 and October 1. Ideally, your last lawn feeding should take place six to eight weeks before the average first frost in your area.
When To Winterize Your Gardens. The best time to start winterizing gardens is after the first hard freeze in the fall. A hard freeze occurs when the temperature gets below freezing overnight, killing off tender annual plants and vegetables.
One of the quickest, first signs of overwatering your plants is to observe occurs at the tip of the leaf. If the tip of the leaf is turning brown this is a sign of overwatering. Too little water will result in your plant's leaves feeling dry and crispy to the touch while too much water results in soft and limp leaves.
During extremely hot weather (daytime temperatures above 90F and nighttime temperatures above 70F), try to water daily or every other day. In a 10x10-foot garden, this would mean giving your plants 8 to 9 gallons of water each day.
It is ideal to water lawns about one inch of water per week. To determine how long you need to water to get one inch, place a plastic container in your yard and set a timer. On average, it will take 30 minutes to get a half inch of water. So, 20 minutes, three times per week will give a lawn about an inch of water.