Weather makes October a great time for gardening

October is a good gardening month. As we settle in our Indian summer, the rest of the nation is concerned about frost on the pumpkin. Expect balmy weather with daytime temperatures in the 80s and 50s at night. These temperatures translate to good vegetable growing, planting of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ground covers. October is also a very colorful month for roses and mums, as they begin to bring down the curtain of another year. Here are some tips to make October even better.

Winter flower power: Sow poppies, larkspur, Johnny-jump-up, sweet peas, forget-me-not and wallflowers. Transplant calendula, dianthus, English daisy, lobelia, pansy, phlox, snapdragon, stock, sweet alyssum, sweet William and viola.

Bulbs: Purchase bulbs early for good selection. Chill tulips and hyacinths six weeks to get bigger and prettier blooms next spring. Scatter sweet alyssum or Johnny-jump-up seeds over the bulb beds for color until bulbs bloom.

Christmas plants: Place poinsettia and Christmas cactus in a dark closet for 15 hours a day at temperatures around 60 degrees for the next 12 to 14 weeks. When poinsettia flowers start coloring, put out for display. Keep cactus in dark and on dry side through November.

Houseplants: Bring houseplants in and cut back water and fertilizer to encourage dormancy.

Vegetables: Plant lettuce, spinach, chard, parsley, beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel sprouts before Columbus Day. Thin seedlings to recommended on seed packets and feed them.

Roses: Make last feeding of roses around Halloween. Remove side buds on hybrid teas for bigger roses. Expect blooming to take place until frost.

Mums: As mums show color, discontinue feeding and stake them up to show them off more.

Fall is for planting in Las Vegas: Research finds root systems (we always forget about the roots) continue to develop through the winter, so plants are able to withstand next year's inferno.

Nuisance bugs: Expect roaches, crickets and black widow spiders camping along foundations, patios, carports, walkways and mulched beds. Spray areas or use a pest control operator.

Stop Bermuda grass: Where Bermuda is a weed, spray with Roundup and replant lawn. If it's in your flower beds, use a squeegee sponge to wipe chemical on the weed.

Eradicate weeds: Pull up weeds. Make the job easier by watering infested area before pulling. Once weeds set seeds, you'll be hoeing them for years.

Soil protection: Prepare soil so it can mellow for next spring's garden. Organic material such as planting mix and compost becomes the key to successful gardening in our climate.

Herbs: For herbs through winter, plant chives, germander, lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme and winter marjoram in pots, with perennials or among vegetables.

FALL GARDENING CLASSES

It is the perfect time to get your garden in shape. Master gardeners are offering free gardening classes on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 S. Maryland Parkway. You'll learn how to design a desert landscape Wednesday, care for your interior plants on Oct. 17, and get tips on hiring a landscaper on Oct. 24. Register for all classes, or pick the session you plant to attend. To reserve a space, call 257-5555. Only preregistered individuals will receive handouts.

MESQUITE MEAL -- IT'S A GRIND OUT THERE

Many desert plants such as the mesquite we include in our landscapes produce edible seeds and pods. Join Laura Eisenberg of the Springs Preserve who has done extensive work with mesquite's edible seeds and pods. She'll show you a healthy alternative for your diet as she shares different items she has prepared to tickle your taste buds.

Many people think mesquites are poisonous, but the American Indians have lived off the plant all their lives. You'll also take home several recipes to try and there might be other surprises as well. This program is at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The cost will be $9 for nonmembers and $7 for members.

FALL VEGETABLE GARDENING

Join Don Fabbi, master gardener, to find out how to be successful by planting fall vegetables. He will be at Plant World Nursery, 5311 W. Charleston Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. A fall vegetable garden will be your best garden in Las Vegas.

Q: I live in a new area in the southwest and want to plant a fall veggie garden. I have not yet seen any bees in my yard. Does that mean that I need to pollinate my plants by hand and if so, how?

A: Fall and early spring vegetables do not need bees, as you are eating their roots, stems, leaves and immature flowers. They never get to where they need pollinating. It's summer crops such as watermelon and squash that need bees. Plant flowers with vegetables, then the bees will come.

Q: My yard is quite small and parts seem to get lots of sunlight. It is the southwest exposure. Can I go ahead and plant my fall vegetables there, or plant them in the shade?

A: Fall vegetables need at least five hours or more sunlight, so they will do fine. Next spring tuck them under trees to give them relief from the excessive summer sun.

Q: I need to replace some dead plants in my desert landscape, but not sure what will survive during the winter. Will cactuses survive the colder temperatures this winter?

A: Fall is for planting trees, shrubs, ground covers and even cactus and succulents. Yes, we do have some cold snaps, but on the average temperatures are conducive for fall planting.

Q: Do I need to worry about cockroaches in my compost pile?

A: No, if you build up the heat in the compost and keep it hot. To keep heat up, turn it often, add such as a compost starter to keep the microorganisms happy and that should take care of them.

Q: Are there any trees we can plant that will give us some autumn colors like we had back East?

A: Yes. Consider Chinese pistachio, Chinese tallow, Modesto ash, ornamental pear and persimmon. If you want shrubs, try barberry, fountain grass, crape myrtle, glossy abelia, nandina, pomegranate, rosemary and strawberry bush. For ground covers, include blue fescue, bronze ajuga, rock cotoneaster and wintercreeper. And for vines, plant Boston ivy and Virginia creeper.

Linn Mills writes a gardening column each Thursday. You can reach him at Linn@reviewjournal.com or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve at 822-7754.