Herb seeds such as basil, dill, chives, and parsley can be sown now and grown on your windowsill throughout the winter. Sow spring onion 'Performer' under cloches — they'll be ready to start harvesting in the spring. Sow cauliflower 'All the Year Round' and keep the plants in a cold frame until the spring.
Leafy greens and Brassicas: Lettuces, spinach, and Swiss chard can be planted from seed or from transplant this month. Plant members of the Brassica family, including broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, and cauliflower, from transplant. Kale can also be planted from seed in October.
Flowers (Zones 5-10):
October is a great time to plant those fall flowers. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall and start blooming early spring.
In heavy winter areas, that means from late September or October up until the ground freezes. (If you don't have much frost in your area, you should plant just before your rainiest season begins.
When it's October, people often wonder if it is too late to plant new seed. The good news is if you hurry, seed can still be planted in October with the hope that it will survive the upcoming winter. Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.
Mid-August to mid-October is an ideal time of year to plant new trees, though, that time frame can be stretched into November and December. To be 100% sure, measure soil temperature early in the morning for a few, consecutive days. If your soil is consistently 50° F or higher, you're good to plant.
Pansies and Violas
Fall is the good time to plant pansies and their smaller cousins violas because the still-warm soil temperatures give their roots time to grow enough to survive the winter.
That means it's almost time to start your fall seeds!
It might not feel or taste like it at the moment, but for most areas of the country, July through September are the months you'll want to start your fall/winter seeds indoors to transplant out in your garden 6-8 weeks later.
Fall planting will be much easier, so you should aim for getting your seed down late in the season, but before the ground freezes entirely.
Fall and winter vegetables can be started by seed from late August to mid-September, then transplanted into the garden later. Seeds should be started indoors where temperatures are cooler, then the seedlings slowly transitioned outside once temperatures cool down in early October.
The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
Sunflowers are generally planted in spring or early summer for late summer and fall blooming. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can get a second planting in for mid and late fall flowers. Late season sunflowers may grow a little shorter or produce fewer flowers because there will be fewer daylight hours.
But if you start too late, they won't be mature enough for transplanting into the garden by spring. It takes a little practice, but in time you will be able to create your own seed planting schedule so you know exactly when to start each variety.
Marigolds are a great fall-blooming plant. They produce bold colors and striking flowers and are great for fall landscape displays. Many marigold plantings in the late summer and fall will actually outperform a spring planting in terms of lasting in the landscape.
Chives. Chives are a great herb to grow on your kitchen counter! They come up very quickly—it'll only take 2-3 days for chives to sprout. Additionally, they are quite happy at room temperature, just place it near a sunny window.
Salad Greens
Most greens take about 30 days until the beginning of harvest. The best part about greens is that they are a “cut and come again” vegetable which allows you to harvest greens all season long. Arugula – Give this vegetable a month to grow, and you will have some peppery-tasting greens to add to any salad.
A Chinese bamboo tree takes five years to grow. It has to be watered and fertilized in the ground where it has been planted every day. It doesn't break through the ground for five years.