Mulching when you grow blueberries provides multiple benefits. It protects roots from freezing temperatures, while also improving the soil to suit the blueberries' needs. Do this key task each late fall or early winter, and your plants will be healthy year after year and provide a bountiful crop.

Here is how to winterize blueberry bushes quickly using only mulch, which you can do in many climates, though some plants may need a bit more attention. Be prepared to mulch blueberries in the ground and in pots – the latter of which need extra protection for winter, which we cover here too. A bag of pine bark mulch, like this one at Lowe’s, is a perfect mulch for blueberries.

Mulch Blueberries Thickly to Protect the Roots

Blueberries are very cold-hardy fruits, but their exact tolerance depends on the variety. The hardiest, northern highbush, can tolerate temperatures below -20°F and is suitable for colder regions. At the other end of the scale, southern highbush blueberries can get damaged once temperatures go below freezing, and are better suited to climates with milder winters.

When you plant blueberries, they will always need protection for their first winter in the ground, as the plants will not be fully established. Going forward, even hardy blueberries can reap the rewards of a layer of winter mulch to protect the plant’s shallow roots. A layer of mulch each fall insulates the soil from freezing, retains moisture, smothers weeds, and provides essential nutrients as it breaks down.

Because most of a blueberry's root system is in the top 12 inches of soil, it is vulnerable to deep winter frosts and to drying out in summer.

The addition of organic matter as mulch each year gives them a buffer against the cold – which is vital if you live in climates with deep winter frosts – and improves the soil structure, allowing it to hold onto more moisture at the warmer times of year.

Blueberries prefer acidic soil, with a pH around 4.5-5.5. You can help create the ideal conditions for them by using certain types of mulch each winter.

Mulching with pine bark, pine needles, or wood chips (such as this Miracle-Gro wood mulch at The Home Depot) helps to make the soil more acidic. It won’t dramatically lower the pH alone, though, so it is recommended to test the pH of the soil every few years (get a soil test kit at Amazon) to make sure it is right for your blueberries.

Spread a layer 3-4 inches deep right out to the drip line – the circle on the ground underneath the bush’s branches. But leave a small gap a few inches wide around the base. When you pile the mulch against the stem, it usually leads to rot over winter.

If you grow blueberries in a climate that gets extremely cold winters, you can give plants an added insurance policy against the cold by wrapping them in frost cloth or burlap. You can get horticultural fleece at Walmart to protect plants from frost.

You Must Protect Blueberries in Pots

Growing blueberries in pots is an achievable way for anyone with alkaline soil to cultivate the fruit. You can grow the berries in containers filled with ericaceous compost (available on Amazon) and get a harvest of blueberries to enjoy.

However, while bushes in the ground can tolerate freezing temperatures, it is a different story in pots. You always need to winterize blueberry bushes in containers, as the roots are far more susceptible to cold and frost than when growing in the ground.

Depending on your garden and climate, it may be as simple as moving pots together for winter against a protected wall where they can benefit from a warmer microclimate.

Alternatively, you can mulch over the surface of the soil and wrap the pots in frost cloth, burlap, or use winter pot covers, such as the pot protection bags on Amazon.

However you winterize blueberry bushes in containers, always raise them off the ground with pot feet to ensure the pots drain well over the colder months. You can get a pack of rubber pot feet at Walmart.

What to Shop

To encourage new growth and get a blueberry bush to fruit strongly, you do want to prune blueberries each winter. However, it is not a job for early winter. Instead, do it in late winter or early spring, just before the plant is starting to wake up for the new season.

If you want new bushes to add to your collection, you can do two jobs at once and propagate blueberries from hardwood cuttings at the same time as pruning the plants.

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Generally speaking, jade plant care is super straightforward and these plants thrive with less attention. This is even more true in fall and winter, where less water will prevent issues like root rot. Although, they do need to be placed somewhere with brighter light and warmth to support growth and keep them healthy through to spring.

I find quite a few things in my houseplant care kit can help with ticking off essential tasks this month, including my Amazon soil moisture meter. Here's exactly what to do with a jade plant in November

1. Water Once a Month

When it comes to watering a jade plant, approach it the same as other succulents. These plants store water in their fleshy foliage, so they can be left to dry out in between watering.

That's why you should pull back on watering this month and over winter, really only needing to top it up every 4-6 weeks. More frequently than this can risk root rot as cooler temperatures mean the soil stays wet for longer.

The best thing to do is always check the soil before watering. I like to use a soil moisture meter (like this from Walmart) which will identify when it's time to top up your plant's water level.

2. Relocate to Somewhere Brighter

Jade plants thrive best in 4-6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight, but this is harder to achieve indoors during fall. That's why November calls for relocating your jade plant to a brighter spot in your home.

A windowsill that gets lots of fall sunlight is ideal, providing as much natural light exposure as possible for your jade plant. In summer, this may turn your jade plant red from stress, but in fall and winter it ensures they have sufficient light.

Leaving your jade plant in a lower light position can cause houseplants to grow leggy and weak. If needed, you can use a grow light (like this from Amazon) to provide supplemental lighting.

3. Keep Away from Drafts

Jade plants are not very tolerate of cold temperatures, so it's important to be aware of cold drafts this season. Leaving your jade plant in the path of draft and fluctuating temps can result in leaf drop, shriveling, and mushy foliage.

Ideally, 65-75°F is the optimal range for your jade plant indoors during winter, but you should most importantly avoid 50°F and below. A room thermometer from Walmart can help monitor this.

If needed, a seedling heat mat (available from Amazon) can be used to keep your jade plant warm. Other methods to keep houseplants warm in winter include wrapping pots with a breathable material, like this burlap from Amazon.

What to Shop

Other fall houseplant care tasks to keep in mind for your jade plant in November include holding back on fertilizer and regularly checking for pests, especially on the undersides of leaves where they hide.

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There are a number of plants whose appearance is enhanced once temperatures have dropped and they have fully matured; whether that's through their statuesque seedheads, rich foliage, late blooms or beautiful berries.

Discover the species landscape designers and professional gardeners recommend including in your fall gardening plan for spectacular seasonal interest.

1. Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii)

This pretty clump-forming perennial grows well in full sun, and can cope in partial shade. With its tiny pale-blue panicles in spring and summer, Arkansas bluestar can liven up flower beds and borders, and particularly suits a prairie or cottage garden. However, autumn is when its spiky foliage transforms into something far more spectacular.

'Arkansas bluestar is one of my absolute favorite perennials, and while it has lovely little blue flowers in spring, the fall foliage will knock your socks off,' says New York-based landscape designer, Kat Aul Cervoni, founder, Staghorn Living.

'The leaves are incredibly fine and feathery, giving the plant this soft, almost cloud-like appearance. In fall, the entire thing turns a brilliant golden yellow peppered with oranges and a bit of red - when planted in a large drift, it's absolutely spectacular.

'I especially love how it contrasts with the heavier textures of other late-season perennials and ornamental grasses. I tend to treat this perennial like an ornamental grass or shrub amidst other perennials, due to its superb movement, volume and texture.'

This Narrowleaf Bluestar from Plant Addicts is fast-growing and un-fussy about soil, although it likes a neutral pH level. It can grow to around 3' tall and wide and grows well in zones 5-8.

2. Korean Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha)

Ornamental grasses are a wonderful choice for those who like linear structure, soft texture and movement over blousy blooms and bold colors in the garden. They're also brilliant for autumnal interest but the choice is vast. Korean feather reed grass is a species that Kat favors for its ability to add flair to the fall garden with its feathery tufts.

'If you're not growing ornamental grasses for fall interest you need to jump on the bandwagon,' says Kat. 'Calamagrostis brachytricha aka Korean feather reed grass is particularly gorgeous because its fluffy, almost bottlebrush-like plumes really come into their own in late summer and fall.

'This variety is wide and fluffy in contrast to “Karl Foerster” which is famously upright and architectural. As the season progresses, the plumes mature into these beautiful soft, silvery-tan tones that give a beautiful glow when the low autumn sun hits them.

'I love using grasses like this to bring movement and softness into a planting design, especially when so many other perennials are starting to look a little tired and crispy this time of year.'

This Korean feather reed grass from Lowe's is low-maintenance and suitable for zones 4-9. It can reach 3" tall and wide and produces fluffy pink plumes in the fall.

3. Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

Popular in wildlife gardens for its ability to attract pollinators and songbirds, this native shrub offers structure and color across three seasons. Give Aronia arbutifolia plenty of space, as it can grow up five to ten feet tall and three to five feet wide. It prefers wet soil, so add mulch to the soil to retain moisture.

'I'm a huge fan of incorporating shrubs that offer more than one season of interest, and this is one of my faves,' says Kat. 'While red chokeberry does offer delicate clusters of white flowers in spring, the real show starts in fall, when the foliage turns brilliant shades of red and the branches are covered in glossy red berries.

'The berries can persist well into winter, which makes the plant especially valuable once the leaves have dropped. It's also native to eastern North America, and the berries are an excellent food source for song birds, so I love seeing who comes to visit our shrubs for a snack.'

Native to southern Canada and the Eastern U.S., this Brilliantissima red chokeberry from Plant Addicts lives up to its name with its vivid fiery fall foliage.

4. Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Another ornamental grass that puts on a dazzling display through fall is pink Muhly grass. Native to the southern US and Mexico, this densely-tufted perennial explodes with a profusion of pink plumes in late summer that enhance the landscape throughout fall.

It can be grown in containers, beds and gravel gardens and thrives in well-drained soil with full sun.

'In summer this grass is unassuming with its thin straight green blades, but as the season changes over to fall this grass is a showstopper,' says Laura Janney, CEO, The Inspired Garden Masterclass. 'The plumes reach out with soft billowing clouds of pink that just float through the fall garden.

'These gentle pink puffs create a beautiful contrast against the straighter lines and textural structures in the fall garden.'

This pink Muhly grass from Lowe's comes in a 3 gallon pot and is hardy in zones 6-10.

5. Ornamental Brassicas

We often look to selected perennials, shrubs and grasses for a reliably attractive transition into autumnal interest. Yet, despite being an annual (or biennial in some zones), frilly ornamental brassicas, such as cabbages and kale, are a favorite for Laura at this time of year.

'Ornamental cabbages are a must in our fall gardens as they add so much color and unique texture,' says Laura. 'Their soft yet sturdy, waxy leaves, and rounded growth make them a standout over any other fall planting.

'Brassicas are so incredibly cold-tolerant, sometimes we see them last through winter and into spring the following year. The best part is that as the temperature drops the colors get richer and more vibrant.'

This ornamental kale from Trees.com will liven up beds, borders and pots with its vibrant pink and green ruffles.

6. Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana)

Shrubs and trees that burst with beautiful berries shimmer on crisp fall days, when other plants are losing their lustre. And while red and green is a gorgeous color combo, for something a little different, a shrub that stands out is Callicarpa americana.

Otherwise known as Beautyberry, by fall, this plant's inconspicuous flowers have transformed into clusters of mauve-magenta fruits, loved by birds.

'This shrub’s foliage is understated in the summer but come fall it puts on the real show,' says Laura. 'It has small clusters of magenta berries that have a pearly, almost metallic sheen. These little iridescent little jewels just glow up the garden and its texture is unlike any other plant in autumn.'

Easy to grow, this beautyberry bush from Plant Addicts can reach 3-6' tall and wide and is suitable for zones 7-11.

7. Coneflower (Echinacea)

We wouldn't exactly say that coneflowers (echinacea) look better in the fall than in the summer, but they do have their own kind of beauty once the petals have dropped and the statuesque seedheads remain. This striking plant is definitely one to grow for multi-seasonal appeal.

'One of our favorite summer staples is coneflower, as it continues to not disappoint in the fall,' says Laura. 'We love leaving the seedheads as their texture just adds so much interest to the fall and winter gardens.

'When the petals drop, you are left with a sturdy dome with hard-edged bristles, making a beautiful contrast to the softer textures in the garden.'

You can find coneflower seeds at True Leaf Market.

8. Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)

Despite its common name, this plant is not a cranberry species; it is so called due to its resembling brilliant red berries. It's actually a viburnum native to the northern U.S. and parts of Canada – and grows well in zones 2–3 in moist, well-drained soil.

'Highbush Cranberry is a Prairie garden favourite that truly shines as autumn arrives,' says horticulturalist, Sharon Murphy, founder, Gardening with Sharon. 'Its attractive maple-like leaves turn beautiful shades of red, burgundy and orange as temperatures cool, while clusters of bright red berries add a spectacular splash of colour.

'The berries often remain into winter after the leaves have fallen, providing food for birds and adding beauty to the winter landscape.

'Give it plenty of room to develop its natural shape – mine is planted where its brilliant fall foliage and colourful berries take centre stage during the fall months.'

This Wentworth Viburnum from Plant Addicts will produce beautiful bright red berries and can grow up to 8-10" tall.

9. Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma)

This clump-forming low-maintenance perennial suits many types of garden styles from cottage and wildlife to city and courtyard spaces. Cushion spurge is drought-tolerant, great for pollinators and has showy fall foliage that can bring much to the late-season landscape.

'Cushion spurge is a wonderful four-season garden plant that deserves a place on the fall garden list,' says Sharon. 'In spring, its rounded form is covered with brilliant yellow bracts, but its beauty doesn't end when the flowers fade.

'As temperatures cool in autumn, the foliage can develop beautiful shades of red, orange and purple, adding a final burst of colour to the perennial border. Its compact, mounded shape also provides lovely structure among taller grasses and perennials.

'Once established, cushion spurge is drought tolerant and requires little maintenance. Although, wear gloves when pruning, as its milky sap can irritate skin.'

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As you can see, there is so much more to rely on than gorgeous deciduous trees, for a fabulous fall display in the garden. Consider what would suit your space and seasonal conditions and liven up your landscape with color, texture and structure, while there is still time.

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On your property, you may have trees to prune in November for health, size, or safety reasons. It can include keeping statuesque shade trees safe from disease, trimming arching ornamentals away from buildings and power lines, and ensuring popular backyard fruit trees are productive.

Yes, it pays to dedicate time to clearing your yard and planting in November, but it is also a good time to prune. To keep your trees safe, only prune on dry days, hold off if a severe freeze is on the horizon, and always use clean, sharp pruning tools. If in doubt, keep your pruners or loppers sharp with a pocket-sized sharpener like this on Amazon.

Northern Red Oak

The Northern Red Oak is one of the faster-growing oaks used in landscaping. Native to the eastern and central United States, it grows tall and broad and is a popular shade tree with bright red fall foliage.

Because of its rapid growth, it is recommended to assess a Northern Red Oak every 3 to 5 years, as it may require regular maintenance pruning to keep it safe and looking its best.

Oak tree pruning is best done during dormancy, and mid-November is often the start of the season in many climates. Winter pruning reduces the risk of oak wilt, a devastating disease spread by sap-sucking beetles that are active in spring and summer.

This winter pruning guidance applies to all native oak trees, all of which are susceptible to oak wilt. However, red oaks are most susceptible, and trees can die within months of any infection.

American Sycamore

The American sycamore is the largest deciduous tree in North America and can reach 75 to 100 feet tall. If you’ve got the space, an American sycamore can be a specimen tree for privacy or shade. It also has an extra trick up its sleeve – dramatic peeling white bark.

Regularly checking and pruning the tree helps maintain healthy, well-formed branches rather than weak joints that become a potential danger to property or people during storms. If you spot any dead, diseased, or damaged branches, prune them when the tree is dormant from late fall to early spring.

An old American sycamore may need professional climbers to tackle the tall canopy. In some cases, it may be possible to trim smaller trees or lower branches yourself. Here, an extendable pole pruner, such as this 27-foot pole pruner at Lowe’s, is a sensible option so you can cut safely from the ground.

White Ash

The native white ash, which can reach 50 to 80 feet tall, has been extensively planted as a shade tree.

However, the tree is very susceptible to the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has killed millions of ash trees across the US over the last quarter of a century.

If you have a white ash, or any other native ash, including green ash, prune only after leaf drop and when the tree is dormant. November offers the opportunity to prune and deal with any corrective issues when the beetles are not active.

To reduce the stress on the tree, make minimal cuts only for health, structural, or safety reasons and never remove more than 25% of the canopy in one year.

Always use the right tool for the branch size when doing any pruning. For example, use a pruning saw for the largest branches. This Corona folding pruning saw at The Home Depot can cut large limbs up to six inches in diameter.

American Elm

An American elm is a tall tree with an arching, shapely canopy. Its spreading habit makes routine pruning necessary if it grows close to buildings or power lines for safety reasons. The large limbs also make it important to inspect trees before winter for broken branches or deadwood that may drop in storms.

American elms are highly susceptible to the destructive Dutch elm disease, spread by elm bark beetles. The beetles are inactive from late fall to early spring, so elm trees can be lightly pruned in November.

Once the leaves have dropped, it is easier to see any dead, damaged, or diseased branches and any weak branch unions that may pose a risk in high winds. Promptly removing deadwood is always important with elm trees, as deadwood is a haven for elm bark beetles.

Mountain Ash

Mountain ash, also known as rowan, is not a true ash tree. It is in the genus Sorbus and belongs to the rose family. It gets its name because its leaves are similar to those of an ash tree.

A mountain ash has creamy-white flowers that attract pollinators, followed by bright berries – which can be red, orange, yellow, or pink – and these fall fruits provide food for birds.

When you grow a rowan tree, it is usually a compact, shapely, low-maintenance tree. It may need regular shaping and pruning to manage the size, improve air circulation and light penetration, and to remove dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches. If they need a trim, prune rowan trees during dormancy from November to February.

Start by focusing on the 3 D's and any crossing or congested branches. Remove them with sharp pruners or loppers, such as the Fiskars PowerGear tree loppers at Walmart. This is often all that is required to open up the canopy and keep the tree healthy for the following year.

Apples and Pears

In November, the window for pruning many fruit trees opens, including apples, pears, and quince trees. Knowing when to prune fruit trees is crucial. Pome fruits such as these are pruned during dormancy, unlike stone fruit trees such as plums, peaches, apricots, and cherries, which shouldn’t be pruned in winter and should instead be trimmed in summer.

As for how to prune fruit trees, each needs to be assessed and treated individually. However, always start by removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches, followed by any crossing, rubbing, or growing inwards towards the trunk.

When pruning apple trees, shortening last year’s branches encourages lots of fruiting spurs – but only on spur-bearing varieties, so check your type. And shortening long branches can help them support fruit. But don’t remove too much wood when pruning pears or apples in winter, or you might end up with lots of watershoots to remove next year.

A good set of sharp pruners should be the go-to tool for thin branches, shortening spurs, and removing watershoots. I have had a trusty pair of Felco F2 pruning shears that I have used for pruning fruit trees for more than a decade. You can get a pair of Felco F2 pruners at Amazon.

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Always assess the weather before pruning trees, especially during colder months, to avoid pruning trees during or before periods of extreme cold.

If you make the pruning mistake of cutting before a deep freeze, frost can get into the pruning cut and cause dieback. Check the forecasts before pruning any trees in November, especially in colder, northern hardiness zones.

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Fall is a busy time for containers. Summer bedding comes out, spring bulbs go in and tender plants need moving somewhere sheltered as the weather gets colder. A narrow trowel (like this one from Walmart) or hori hori knife (such as this West Elm one) is ideal for planting into existing displays. And a dibber or bulb planter is useful for getting spring bulbs in at the right depth when planting bulbs in pots.

Some of the most useful picks are the less obvious ones. Wayfair's Cast Iron Plant Caddy has locking wheels to help with moving heavy pots into a sunnier or more sheltered spot. Planter feet (like these terracotta ones from Lowe's) lift containers off the ground, helping them drain in wetter weather, while a waterproof potting mat (like this Target one) keeps soil off the patio when you're repotting. For something more design-led, Terrain's Enameled Steel Watering Can and Red Pig's Garden Hand Rake from Anthropologie look good enough to leave out on display.

We've rounded up 16 of the best container garden tools, covering everything from digging and pruning to watering and moving pots. Many will come in handy if you're planting a winter container and want to keep your patio looking good until spring.

Once your tools are sorted, it's worth thinking about how to protect container plants from winter weather, as pots are more exposed to frost than plants in the ground. Avoiding common winter container gardening mistakes, such as poor drainage or forgetting to mulch, will also help your plants cope as temperatures drop.

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You don't need lots of expensive stems to create something special, either. A few leafy branches, some berries, and fragrant herbs can be just as beautiful, particularly when they're gathered together in a loose, natural arrangement.

There's also something meaningful, I feel, about using what you already have. Thanksgiving is all about gathering together, sharing food and appreciating what we have, and I think a garden-gathered centrepiece captures that spirit beautifully. In this weekend's episode of Petals & Roots, which you can watch below, I show you my tried-and-tested method for creating a garden-inspired garland that is textured and fragrant.

What You Need

• Paper-covered wire, which you can find at Amazon
• Alternatively you could use natural twine, or paddle wire, available from Walmart
• Floristry scissors or pruning shears, such these Fiskars bypass pruners from Ace Hardware
• These Martha Stewart dual sided gardening gloves from QVC may also come in very handy, especially if working with spiky foliage or berries
• A selection of evergreen foliage, berries and woody herbs

Inspiration for Making a Thanksgiving Foliage Garland

For me, a garland makes a wonderful alternative to a traditional vase of flowers. It runs along the centre of the table, creating a beautiful focal point without feeling too formal, and its low, relaxed shape means everyone can still see one another across the table.

Every garland will be a little different, depending on what's growing in your garden, which is part of its charm. Simply work with the shapes and textures you find, letting the materials guide you, and you'll create a centrepiece that feels personal, seasonal and connected to your garden.

To start, take a length of paper-covered wire or twine roughly 3-4 ft long, then cut a second length of wire that is longer than the first, and knot them together at the top.

You can see my exact instructions for creating layered foliage bundles in the video above. The trick is to mix up your leaf shapes, textures and colors, adding in berries or a contrasting fall shade at regular intervals.

The best kinds of foliage to use are evergreens with structure, such as bay, which has the added bonus of fragrance. I also love conifer for its shape, and lemon cyprus, which releases a zesty scent when cut. Woody herbs are great, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and even lavender.

Other foliage I would use if I grew them are eucalyptus, pittosporum, blue spruce and myrtle. I love cotoneaster for red and orange berries at this time of year, but you could also add holly, berried tree ivy or rosehips.

Once your garland is complete you can have fun styling it on your Thanksgiving table.

Garlands lend themselves beautifully to being wound around candles, and a few antique-style holders with taper candles in soft fall shades would work really well with a natural design like this.

You could always make some rustic bundles of fresh rosemary to place on napkins, too, or you might be inspired by my napkin micro posy idea from a previous Petals & Roots episode.

What to Shop For Your Thanksgiving Table

Petals & Roots is a bi-weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every second Sunday on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.

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Whether your Christmas cactus is already showing tiny flower buds or is yet to show any signs of flowering, now is the time to fine-tune your Christmas cactus care routine. A few simple adjustments to watering, light and temperature will help keep your plant healthy and encourage a beautiful display of festive blooms just in time for the holidays.

1. Water Carefully as Flower Buds Develop

Unlike desert cacti, Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera) come from the humid rainforests of Brazil, so they need more moisture than you might expect. Knowing how to water a Christmas cactus is particularly important in November, when indoor heating can cause soil to dry out more quickly.

Check the top inch of soil and water when it feels dry, allowing any excess to drain away. A slim-spouted Fiskars Indoor Watering Can from Home Depot makes this easier, while a VIVOSUN 3-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon can help you check when your plant actually needs a drink.

Don't be tempted to water more just because your home feels dry. Instead, check the soil regularly and adjust as needed. If your Christmas cactus is already producing buds, try to keep the soil lightly moist to avoid stressing the plant and causing flowers to drop.

2. Give It Plenty of Bright, Indirect Light

Christmas cacti thrive in bright, indirect light, so knowing where to place a Christmas cactus can make all the difference to its flowering. An east-facing window is ideal, while south- or west-facing windows may need a sheer curtain to protect the stems from strong afternoon sunshine. The Room Essentials Sheer Window Curtain Panel from Target is an affordable way to filter sunlight while keeping your room bright.

As November brings shorter days, it's also important to think about darkness. Christmas cacti are short-day plants, meaning they need long, uninterrupted nights to trigger flowering. If your plant hasn't started budding, aim for 12–14 hours of darkness each night. Keeping your Christmas cactus in the dark overnight is particularly important if it's in a room where lamps are regularly switched on.

During the day, a raised display can help your plant make the most of natural light. I love the look of this Hearth & Hand Wood Plant Stand from Target, which is a stylish way to show off cascading Christmas cactus stems. Once buds appear, keep conditions consistent and avoid moving your plant around.

3. Keep Temperatures Cool to Encourage More Blooms

Cooler temperatures are one of the secrets to getting a Christmas cactus to flower. While these tropical plants enjoy warmth during the growing season, a cooler spell in fall helps encourage buds to form. If you're wondering how to make a Christmas cactus bloom, aim for daytime temperatures of around 65–70°F and nighttime temperatures of 55–65°F.

A cooler bedroom or enclosed porch can be a good spot, provided temperatures don't drop too low. A digital thermometer, such as the TempPro Indoor Thermometer and Humidity Monitor, available at Home Depot, makes it easy to keep an eye on changing temperatures and check that your plant is getting the conditions it needs.

Once flower buds appear, move your Christmas cactus back to a comfortable room with temperatures around 65–70°F. Avoid placing it near heaters, fireplaces, or vents, and try not to move it repeatedly between warm and cool rooms, as sudden changes can cause developing buds to drop.

4. Stop Fertilizing and Resist the Urge to Repot

By November, your Christmas cactus should be moving away from leafy growth and focusing its energy on flowering. If you've been feeding it throughout spring and summer, now is the time to stop. Knowing when to fertilize a Christmas cactus is important, as too much feeding while buds are developing can interfere with flowering. Once the blooms have faded and new growth begins in spring, you can resume feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food for Cactus, available at Amazon.

It's also worth resisting the temptation to repot a Christmas cactus before the holidays. These plants actually prefer being slightly root-bound, so there's no need to disturb them unless there's a problem with the roots or drainage.

If your tropical plant does need a new home, wait until after flowering, ideally in spring, and use a well-draining potting mix such as Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix. Choose a pot only slightly larger than the existing one, with drainage holes.

5. Protect Developing Flower Buds

If you've spotted tiny pink, red, or white buds forming at the tips of your Christmas cactus, you're already on your way to a beautiful festive display. At this stage, consistency is key. Keep your plant in bright, indirect light, water when the top inch of soil feels dry, and avoid sudden changes in temperature or location. If you notice buds falling off, it can be a sign that your plant is stressed by fluctuating temperatures, overwatering, or being moved too frequently.

It's also worth deciding where you'll display your Christmas cactus over the holidays. A bright living room, dining table, or windowsill can make a beautiful setting, but keep it away from fireplaces, radiators, and drafty exterior doors. If you want to use your plant as a festive centerpiece, wait until its buds are well developed before moving it. A pretty Threshold ceramic planter from Target is a lovely way to dress it up for the holidays. Once the flowers begin opening, individual blooms can last several days, giving you a colorful display throughout the festive season.

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A little extra attention in November can make all the difference to your Christmas cactus come December. Keep an eye on watering, find it a bright spot away from direct sunlight, and make sure it's not getting too warm. Once those little flower buds appear, try not to move your plant around too much.

Get the basics right now, and hopefully you'll be rewarded with a beautiful burst of color just in time for the holidays.

These designs bring a playful twist to your backyard lighting ideas, and there's plenty of styles to choose from. Clusters of glowing toadstools give planters a woodland feel, firework and dandelion stakes create a soft burst of light above trailing foliage, and spooky silhouettes offer a subtle nod to Halloween. Many work just as well beyond October, so they can stay in place throughout the season.

If you want to add rustic charm, Pottery Barn's Solar Blossom Lawn Stake is perfect for fall pots with its copper-toned stems, while Terrain's LED Mushroom Stake Light Strand adds character to a planter or garden bed. Amazon's Solar Black Cat & Pumpkin Moon offers a seasonal touch, and Wayfair's Fairy House Statue brings a little enchantment to pots and planters.

We've rounded up 16 of the best whimsical solar lights across a range of styles and price points, from stakes that push straight into the soil to lights that sit neatly on top. And best of all, there are no wiring or outlets needed.

Once you've added your lights, help the planting stand out by adding some of the best fall flowers for pots. And to keep your containers glowing as the nights draw in, it's worth knowing how to make solar lights work in winter.

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Having managed community and kitchen gardens for nearly 20 years, I have grown all manner of vegetables to provide a year-round supply. However, in colder areas, growing under the protection of an unheated greenhouse or row covers becomes essential.

In some areas, winters can be unforgiving and blighted by frost, snow and gales. But with some planning, skeletal trees, topiary, and exposed seed heads can create a striking winter garden and add interest even in the harshest weather. However, from my experience, gardening with cold hands can be miserable, and a pair of winter work gloves (available from Amazon) can make all the difference.

Rhubarb

Prized for its pink stems, rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) is easy to grow and a great addition to a kitchen garden. It grows from crowns under the soil and is a perennial that can last 10-15 years, if looked after well.

Used in crumbles, pies and compotes, you can harvest rhubarb stems from late April until early July, after which it should be allowed to recover. You can grow rhubarb from seed, but planting rhubarb crowns is a more reliable method and will produce harvestable plants more quickly.

Rhubarb crowns are planted whilse dormant from fall until the spring and can be planted at any time as long as the ground is not frozen. Which, depending on your location, makes rhubarb an ideal vegetable to sow in November.

Rhubarb 'Victoria' crowns are available to purchase from Amazon.

Arugula

Rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa), also known as arugula, is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and, depending on your USDA zone, is suitbale for fall sowing, as it tends to bolt in hot weather.

Under the right conditions, arugula germinates within a week, and its young, tender leaves can be picked around 4 to 6 weeks after sowing.

However, sowing arugula in November needs some consideration. In USDA Zones 8 and above, it can generally tolerate winter conditions with little or no protection from the cold. In colder areas and frost pockets, you will need to protect rocket with row covers, available from Lowe’s, or grow it in an unheated hoop house or greenhouse.

You can purchase arugula seeds from True Leaf Market.

Shallots

Although November is a busy time for planting onion sets, it is also a good time to sow shallots (Allium cepa Aggregatum Group). Developing smaller bulbs than onions, shallots have a sweeter, less pungent taste, which makes them ideal for adding raw to a salad or using to flavor a delicate sauce.

As with onions, you can grow shallots from seed, but for a shorter time to harvest, you can grow them from sets, available from Amazon to plant now and harvest early next summer.

If your garden is in USDA zone 6 or below and the ground is not frozen, you can plant them now and cover them with a layer of mulch or fleece to protect them from the cold and any birds, who relish pulling them up.

Shallots grow best on a fertile, free-draining soil in full sun. Any areas prone to waterlogging should be avoided as this can encourage the sets to rot, especially over the winter.

Peas

Like arugula, peas (Pisum sativum) prefer cooler weather and are typically sown in the spring to crop a few months later. That being said, there are a handful of hardier pea varieties, which can withstand low temperatures and be sown in November for an early harvest next year.

However, for a November sowing in colder parts you will want to choose a hardy round pea variety, such as 'Douce Provence' or ‘Meteor’ rather than wrinkled types, as they are less prone to rotting in wet soil over the winter. While handling the cold well, sowing them 4-6 weeks before the first frost of winter and protecting young shoots from hard freezes and heavy snow with frost cloth or cloches available from Amazon, is advisable.

Developed for impressive yields in cooler climates, pea ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’ is available to purchase from True Leaf Market.

Mizuna

Another vegetable to sow in November is mizuna (Brassica rapa subsp. nipposinica). A Japanese brassica, mizuna produces serrated leaves with a peppery flavor, perfect for adding to salads or stir-fries.

A cool-season mustard, it germinates between 45-80°F, making November an good time for sowing outdoors in warmer parts or in a hoophouse or greenhouse in colder zones. Seedlings appear within 7-10 days, and baby leaves, which are best eaten raw, are harvestable in around a month.

With shallow roots, mizuna is also suitable for growing in containers, whether on a sunny patio or a windowsill.

Organic mizuna seeds are available to purchase from Botanical Interests.

Pak Choi

Also called bok choy, pak choi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) is a type of Chinese cabbage grown for it leaves and stems. Commonly used in stir-fries and soups, baby pak choi leaves can be harvested in as little as 4 weeks from sowing.

With a tendency to bolt over the hottest months, sowing it in the spring and fall provides it with the cooler weather it thrives in.

Tolerating light to moderate frosts, in colder USDA zones, growing pak choi under the cover of a cold frame, available from The Home Depot, or a greenhouse is recommended to protect it from hard freezes.

Known for its impressive cold hardiness, rosette tatsoi bok choy seeds are available to purchase from Botanical Interests.

Microgreens

If the weather is keeping you from gardening outdoors, why not try growing microgreens? Full of flavor and nutrients, microgreens are easy to grow and can be harvested in as little as 7-14 days.

From arugula to mustard and broccoli to bean sprouts, there are many microgreen varieties to choose from, all you need is a seed tray or small container and a clear plastic bag to cover it. Alternatively, you can purchase a microgreens tray kit, available from Amazon.

Microgreens generally germinate and grow best with at least 12 hours of light per day and at 65°F to 75°F. A warm, sunny windowsill is ideal. Alternatively, in locations with fewer daylight hours, you can grow microgreens under grow lights, available to purchase from Lowe’s.

What to Shop

Head to our essential seed sowing kit to find everything you need to grow these cold-hardy crops.

As we approach the colder months, natural food sources for wildlife become more limited and feeding birds in winter is key to supporting your local bird population.

During winter, high-calorie bird food, such as nuts, seeds and suet, helps sustain them and keep them warm, especially when the ground is frozen or covered with snow. But don’t forget to place feeders well out of reach of cats and foxes.

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As days grow shorter and indoor heating changes conditions inside our homes, your plant needs a little extra attention. I have the Thanksgiving Cactus from Plant Addicts, and November is an important time to ensure it has everything it needs to look its best for the holidays.

If flower buds have already appeared, keeping your plant's environment consistent will help them open. If your cactus hasn't started flowering yet, there are still steps you can take to encourage blooms, depending on its growing conditions.

Thanksgiving cactus care in November is all about getting the balance right. Too much water can leave roots sitting in soggy soil, while sudden changes in temperature, light, or humidity can cause developing buds to drop. Here's what to do with your Thanksgiving cactus in November to encourage a spectacular flush of blooms and keep your plant looking its best throughout the holiday season.

1. Give It Plenty of Bright, Indirect Light

Your Thanksgiving cactus still needs plenty of light in November, even as the days become shorter. As a tropical plant, it thrives in bright, indirect light, which supports healthy growth and helps it maintain developing flowers. However, harsh direct sunshine can scorch its fleshy green stem segments.

When deciding where to place a Thanksgiving cactus, an east-facing window is often an excellent choice, providing gentle morning sunlight without the intensity of the afternoon sun. A bright north-facing window can also work, provided it receives sufficient natural light. If your only option is a south- or west-facing window, use a sheer curtain to filter stronger rays.

Avoid placing your plant in a dark corner simply because it's flowering. Although Thanksgiving cacti need long nights to initiate blooms, they still benefit from bright, indirect light during the day. If natural light is limited, consider the Great Value 2ft LED Grow Light from Walmart, which provides supplemental light for indoor plants.

If strong afternoon sunshine is unavoidable, a light-filtering curtain, such as this sheer curtain panel from Home Depot, can help soften the sunlight.

2. Adjust Your Watering Routine

Getting watering right is one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving cactus care in November. Although these plants belong to the cactus family, they originate from tropical Brazilian forests rather than arid deserts, meaning they need more moisture than desert cacti but are still vulnerable to waterlogged soil.

Do check the potting mix before watering. When the surface begins to dry, water thoroughly until excess moisture drains through the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. A Fiskars Indoor Watering Can from Walmart is a practical option for watering houseplants precisely.

As temperatures drop and daylight decreases, your plant may need less water than it did in summer. However, avoid letting the potting mix dry out completely for extended periods, particularly when flower buds are developing, as this can cause stress and contribute to bud drop.

Check the soil regularly rather than following a rigid watering schedule. A well-draining potting mix and a container with drainage holes are essential. If your plant needs repotting after flowering, Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix from Amazon is one option, although adding perlite can improve drainage further. Avoid repotting in November unless necessary, as disturbing the roots can stress a plant that's preparing to flower.

3. Keep Temperatures Consistent to Protect Flower Buds

If there's one thing your Thanksgiving cactus won't appreciate in November, it's sudden changes in temperature. Fluctuations can stress the plant and cause flower buds to drop before they open. Aim for daytime temperatures of around 65–70°F and cooler nights of 55–65°F to help support flowering.

Keep your plant away from drafty windows, exterior doors, heaters, fireplaces, and heating vents. Although a sunny windowsill may seem ideal, temperatures beside the glass can drop considerably on cold nights, while nearby heating sources can create excessive warmth and dry air.

If your plant is close to a heat source, move it to a more suitable spot before buds develop. Once flowering is underway, avoid relocating it unnecessarily. An indoor thermometer and hygrometer from Amazon can help you monitor room temperature and humidity, making it easier to spot fluctuations that could affect your plant.

Consistent temperatures, adequate light, and careful watering will give developing buds the best chance of opening, helping your Thanksgiving cactus look its best for the holidays.

4. Maintain the Right Conditions for Flowering

By November, many Thanksgiving cacti will already have formed flower buds. If yours is still producing green growth without any sign of flowers, pay closer attention to its light exposure and nighttime conditions.

Thanksgiving cacti are short-day plants, meaning long, uninterrupted periods of darkness help trigger flowering. If your plant hasn't developed buds, try providing around 12–14 hours of darkness each night, alongside bright, indirect light during the day. Cooler nights can also encourage flowering, although these conditions typically need to be maintained for several weeks, so results may not be immediate.

A programmable outlet timer from Amazon can help manage supplemental grow-light hours if you're using artificial lighting. Once buds have appeared, however, avoid making sudden changes to your plant's environment. Consistency is more important than trying to force additional flowers.

Indoor heating can also reduce humidity, which Thanksgiving cacti appreciate at moderate levels. If your home is particularly dry, group your plant with other houseplants or use a small room humidifier from Amazon. Avoid leaving the pot sitting in water or relying on frequent misting to compensate for dry air. Good drainage and air circulation remain essential for healthy roots.

5. Hold Off on Fertilizing and Pruning

November isn't the time to encourage your Thanksgiving cactus to produce lots of new growth. Instead, focus on maintaining healthy stems and supporting developing flowers. If you've been feeding your plant regularly during spring and summer, pause fertilizing while it's preparing to bloom and throughout its main flowering period. Resume feeding when active growth returns, using a balanced houseplant fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food from Amazon and following the label instructions.

Avoid major pruning, too, as cutting back healthy stems now can remove potential flowering points and reduce your display. If your cactus has become unruly over summer, wait until after flowering to prune, which can encourage branching and a fuller shape. Only remove broken, diseased, or dead segments in the meantime.

Once flowers open, clear away fallen blooms and check occasionally for pests or unhealthy stems. Otherwise, resist the urge to fuss over your plant. With consistent care, your Thanksgiving cactus can continue flowering for several weeks, bringing beautiful color to your home throughout the holiday season.

Shop November Thanksgiving Cactus Care

November is the time to focus on keeping your Thanksgiving cactus healthy and creating the ideal conditions for a beautiful holiday display. Provide bright, indirect light, water when the potting mix begins to dry, and protect your plant from cold drafts and sudden temperature changes. If buds have appeared, consistency is key; if you're still waiting for flowers, longer nights and cooler temperatures may help encourage blooming.

With the right care and a little patience, your plant can reward you with weeks of colorful flowers, making it a beautiful addition to your home throughout the holiday season.

For interior designer, author and philanthropist, Charlotte Moss, that realisation inspired the defining feature of her Virginia landscape: a rill drawing on memories of gardens across Europe, which naturally emerged and took hold to shape this elegant space.

Framed by tall copper beech trees and grasses that sway in the breeze, it forms the centrepiece of a garden designed for gathering and entertaining. A place shaped by Charlotte's love of architectural detail, where every element has a story behind it.

When I first came to this property in Virginia, there was only a small fenced-in garden containing primarily peonies and some other flowers and herbs. The rest of the property was dominated by trees, and I knew the landscape needed altering.

We needed to remove old trees and plant new ones, including magnolias, sycamores, large boxwoods and apple trees.

We added a small, all-green parterre garden off the flower room. I had always envisioned a water feature and expanded hardscape, with terraces for entertaining, for sitting and listening.

Inspired by European Gardens

The visual memories from my travels are inescapable. Given an opportunity to craft something new or re-envision something, those memories return and end up surfacing. It's not a forced gesture; those memories just become a part of you.

The espaliered apple and pear trees against the house directly influenced by a garden I visited in France years ago. I love their shape and the way they add definition to a wall – and the fact that they fruit is a bonus.

My iris garden is in an old brick garden from the original house that I maintained. There are brick pathways between wide borders where the irises are grown. At each corner are Italian limestone columns connected with chain and other bronze supports, where climbing roses now trail over the chains, creating a 'rose fence'.

I first saw this at Eyrignac, in the Dordogne region of France, and thought it was brilliant. Because it's not really a fence that says, 'don't come here'; it calls you to it.

Rousham Gardens in Oxfordshire, UK, and other rills in Europe, were the clear inspirations for the water feature here.

The upper rill connects to the main pool, which then connects to the lower rill, ending in a round basin with a tall obelisk. I wanted the rill to be embraced by tall copper beech and framed by grasses that moved in the breeze, so we would have both movement and sound.

The first time I became more aware of sound, or the sound of water in a garden, was when my husband pointed it out to me at the Keukenhof gardens in the Netherlands, when we went to see the tulips at their peak. He noticed that we didn't have that in our garden in East Hampton, which, of course, I quickly remedied!

It has become such an integral part of the sight and sound of our garden there, so between that and seeing the rill at Rousham, I realised it would be the primary feature in Charlottesville.

The copper beech trees, Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea', were chosen to contrast with the ginkgos, magnolias and other beech trees in the landscape. I wanted them to align with the rill and give me height in the lower part of the garden.

And it's the way they draw your eyes to them. They are like the guardians of the rill, the way they stand tall. I also have two several-hundred-year-old beech trees, one of which I can climb into.

A Space to Entertain

I'm in the garden every time I'm here. There's never a time when I'm not in the garden.

It plays such an important role when we're hosting. What it provides is freedom of movement, fresh air, the romance of cocktails at sundown and the sound of water.

We have a big stone sofa flanking the central pool where people sit, and we use the terrace for tables to dine or have drinks.

I approach garden design in much the same way as interior design. They both should be welcoming, just like rooms in a house. There should be corners in gardens where you find yourself sitting or are simply drawn to.

In a house, the rooms are defined for you, but in a garden, when you are making a new one, you have to create those spaces yourself.

Whether it's a large bench under a tree or a pergola at the end of a walkway, I want places in a garden where I can sit by myself, with someone else or entertain.

As for my favourite gardening tools, I love my clippers. I have a pair of Niwaki Japanese clippers, and another pair from G Lorenzi that are bamboo and steel.

They feel good, they get the job done and they're both attractive in their own way. One is very stylish and the other much more functional. Niwaki's are clean, simple and ergonomic, and the steel and bamboo just look so darn good.

Hands down, my most meaningful garden memory is of my maternal grandmother, who had irises in her garden.

I remember thinking what amazing flowers they were, and how ephemeral they were because once you cut one, it doesn't last very long. So, you are compelled to be present, to be there, to see them, talk to them.

The memory that stays with me is my grandmother putting one in a vase and my thinking it was stingy because she only did one. It wasn't until later that I understood that all it takes is one iris, just one.

The garden is also connected to my flower room at home. The windows along the side of the flower room look right into the green parterre garden beside the house.

But the garden room isn't only for flowers. It's where plants live when they're being rotated, orchids coming back into bloom, plants to be repotted, and it houses all of my baskets and vases.

When creating this garden, I found someone who could help me execute the vision I wanted and I stuck to it. You have to know what you don't know and hire the people who can help you get there.

In this case, John Howard, a landscape designer from Atlanta, embraced the project and executed it brilliantly.

Gardening has taught me patience. I've learned that I have the patience to wait for certain things to come into bloom or to grow.

Now, having said that, I have no patience for growing things from seed!

Charlotte's new book Charlotte Moss: At Home in Virginia, published by Rizolli, is available to order now from Amazon.

Garden Diaries is our series where we share inspiring stories of designing and cultivating a stunning garden space. We explore how creatives, designers and tastemakers have grown a deeply personal space, inviting creativity, learning and happiness in their gardens, and how they live in these spaces.

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Think of the month as a chance to let plants settle in while the garden takes a breather. I start with the plants that benefit most from getting their roots established before spring, then choose varieties suited to your winters.

There is still plenty to enjoy outdoors while you plan for next year’s growth, especially with a few thoughtful winter garden ideas. If there's one tool I grab for practical work, a long-handled bulb planter from Amazon can make a November planting session kinder on knees and wrists.

First, Let Your Zone And Soil Set The Pace

A calendar is a useful prompt, not a promise from the weather. November can mean a mild, rainy spell in one yard and frozen ground in another. Check your zip code against the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: it shows average annual extreme minimum winter temperatures, helping you judge whether a perennial or woody plant is likely to withstand local winter cold. It does not tell you when your first frost will arrive or whether a particular spot is windy, exposed, or prone to standing water.

In warmer parts of Zones 7–10, planting may continue well into November and, in some places, beyond. In colder Zones 3–6, the window for planting in the ground is narrower; prioritize hardy, dormant stock and work only when soil is workable. A fistful of soil that clings in a wet lump is asking for a rain check. Compacting soggy soil can make it harder for new roots to spread.

The same rule applies everywhere: match the plant to the site, water it in after planting if the soil is dry, and keep mulch a few inches away from trunks and crowns. For a seasonal overview, H&G’s fall gardening checklist covers other jobs that can prepare a yard for winter.

Plant Bare-Root Trees And Shrubs While They’re Dormant

Bare-root plants arrive without a pot or soil around their roots, usually while dormant. That makes them a useful, often economical choice for adding fruit trees, roses, hedging, and ornamental shrubs.

In many temperate regions, November is a good time to plant them because the air is cool, and roots can begin settling in before spring growth. The ground must still be unfrozen and well drained.

Keep bare roots from drying out between delivery and planting. Soak them according to the supplier’s directions, then dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots naturally. Set the plant at the depth it grew before, backfill with the original soil, and water thoroughly.

I know it seems the right thing to do, but try to resist improving the planting hole with a rich pocket of compost; roots need to move out into the surrounding soil, not linger in a small, pampered area of ground.

For a fruiting addition, browse bare-root fruit plants from Amazon. Before choosing, check the mature size and pollination requirements for the variety. H&G’s guide to fruit to plant in November has more bare-root options.

Get Spring Bulbs Into The Ground

Tulips (Tulipa sp.), daffodils (Narcissus sp.), crocuses (Crocus sp.), and many alliums (Allium sp.) are still worth planting in November if your soil has not frozen. In colder regions, get them in as soon as you can; in milder climates, there may be more time.

Bulbs need time to make roots before spring, so don’t leave the box in the garage until the first flower catalog arrives. Having said that, I planted some of mine as late as December last year with great results.

Choose firm bulbs and a site with good drainage. A common rule is to plant spring bulbs two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall, but check the variety’s instructions. Plant with the pointed end up, water once to settle the soil, and add a light layer of mulch if winter temperatures fluctuate sharply.

If the soil is heavy and holds water, improve the bed’s drainage or plant in a container with drainage holes as bulbs can rot in persistently wet ground.

A handheld bulb planter from Lowe’s can speed up planting small groups, though preparing a whole bed is easier with a trowel or any of these bulb planting tools. For more detail, see H&G’s guide to how to plant tulip bulbs.

Add Hardy Perennials For A Better Spring Start

Hardy perennials can be planted in November where the soil remains workable and the plant’s tag lists a suitable hardiness range. Coneflowers (Echinacea sp.), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia sp.), and many salvias (Salvia sp.) are examples to consider, but varieties differ, and a plant suited to one region may struggle in another.

Look for locally recommended cultivars and avoid planting tender perennials just before a hard freeze.

I like the long view of planting perennials now: you make a small investment in roots, and spring can bring a border that feels as though it has been there all along. Water after planting, then mulch lightly once the ground cools. Don’t pile mulch over the crown or against stems.

If you’re planting into a raised bed or a windy site, check the soil periodically during dry spells as cool weather does not mean new roots need no water. For a strong, pollinator-friendly selection, coneflower plants from Plant Addicts are one place to start.

Choose Vegetables That Can Handle The Season

November planting for food depends especially on climate and timing. In milder regions, gardeners may still plant garlic (Allium sativum), hardy leafy greens, or fava beans (Vicia faba) for an early start next year.

Garlic cloves can go into well-drained soil before it freezes. In colder areas, a loose straw mulch can help moderate temperature swings. Fava beans are best reserved for milder or sheltered gardens, since seeds may rot in cold, waterlogged soil.

If your outdoor growing season is over, sow greens such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) or arugula (Eruca vesicaria) in a greenhouse, cold frame, or bright indoor spot instead. Choose varieties suited to cool conditions and provide enough light, remembering that a windowsill is not automatically a greenhouse simply because it is near a window.

A garlic planting set from Botanical Interests can help you find planting stock and varieties, while cold-hardy vegetable seeds such as arugula seeds from Burpee offer options for protected growing. H&G’s US-focused guide to vegetables to plant in November explains which crops can overwinter and where regional conditions matter.

Make Room For A Few More Plants

A November planting plan does not need to be a grand redesign. A bare-root rose (Rosa sp.) beside a path, a few bulbs tucked under a deciduous tree, or one new perennial at the edge of a border can all make spring feel closer.

If you have only a patio, choose a frost-tolerant container plant suited to your zone and use a pot with generous drainage. Containers cool and dry differently from garden soil, so their plants may need extra protection during hard freezes.

Before planting, loosen compacted soil and mix compost into the wider bed if it needs organic matter. A bag of Miracle-Gro compost and soil improver from Lowe’s is useful for refreshing a small planting area, just make sure to follow the label and avoid filling a tree’s planting hole with compost alone.

Keep a simple record of what went where. By spring, bulbs and dormant perennials can be remarkably good at making a gardener doubt their own memory.

What to Shop

November rewards a little selectivity. Plant what suits your zone, take advantage of workable soil, and leave the rest for a better moment. The garden may look quiet now, but a few well-placed roots are already preparing the next act.

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Growing dahlias is hugely popular. It is no surprise, with a glorious range of blooms in a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, and sizes to choose from. If you live in a climate with frosts, you need to lift and overwinter dahlia tubers indoors. This is when moisture, temperature, and proper care make the difference between healthy tubers and mushy ones.

I have grown, lifted, and stored dahlia tubers throughout my horticultural career, and have made blunders. To help you avoid falling foul of common dahlia storage mistakes, I chatted with experienced growers about how they store their tubers over winter. The process starts with chopping down the stems after the first frosts and lifting the tubers from the ground with a strong garden fork – I like this Berry & Bird stainless steel digging fork on Amazon.

Not Removing Excess Dirt

When you lift dahlia tubers from the soil, they usually come up with a lot of soil attached. It is important to remove all this excess soil before storage, though how thoroughly to do this varies among growers. What isn’t in doubt is the dangers of storing them with large clods of soil still attached.

Lindsey Chastain, an experienced gardener and homesteader, recommends that all loose soil be removed before you store the tubers. She adds: ‘If you have soil on your tubers before you store them, that can harbor disease organisms.

‘It can also hide soft spots or damage that cause tubers to go soft during storage, potentially infecting others in your collection.’

I have always used a wooden stick to dislodge packed soil from between the tubers and a soft brush to remove excess dirt. Some growers wash the tubers with a garden hose to rinse off the soil, but they then need to dry completely before storage.

Shelly Deaton owns EarthSpoke Farms, a dahlia farm that grows nearly 10,000 dahlia plants and over 400 cultivars, and she claims a thin layer of soil can form a protective barrier. ‘The soil acts as a protective layer around the tuber skin and can help keep tubers from drying out and shrivelling during storage,’ says Shelly.

The advice is to remove large clods and lumps of excess soil, but don’t necessarily feel the need to wash and scrub the tubers completely clean, as this brings extra pressure to dry them.

Not Drying Them

After cleaning excess dirt off the tubers, don’t just store them right away and think the job is done, especially if you have rinsed them clean.

Drying them is a crucial step in the process for all types of dahlias to ensure they come through winter unscathed. Skip this step, store them damp, and you’re guaranteed to be left with mushy dahlia tubers.

‘After rinsing, we make sure the tubers are dry before putting them into storage,’ says Shelly Deaton from EarthSpoke Farms. ‘Dahlia tubers already contain a lot of moisture, so putting them away wet can create condensation and encourage rot.’

To dry the dahlia tubers after cleaning and reduce your chances of mold, rot, and squishy tubers, place them in a dry, cool, well-ventilated spot for at least 48 hours and up to a week.

When they are ready, they should feel dry to the touch and firm. If any tubers feel soft at this stage, cut them off with pruning snips (available at Burpee) to preserve the rest.

Not Using Breathable Containers

Airflow is crucial to keeping tubers in good condition over winter, so use breathable containers rather than sealed or airtight containers. Breathable containers allow excess moisture to evaporate, while airtight ones trap moisture and humidity, creating condensation and ideal conditions for mold and rot.

Open crates or cardboard boxes with holes (you can easily poke some holes yourself) make perfect winter containers for dahlia tubers. Fill the containers with packing material that provides moisture and keeps the tubers insulated.

‘Vermiculite or dry wood shavings can help keep the moisture balanced, and both are pretty affordable online or at your local hardware or garden store,’ recommends Christina Stembel, the CEO at Farmgirl Flowers.

You can get a block of dried wood shavings at Ace Hardware, or a box of organic vermiculite at Amazon, to use for packing your tubers.

Shelly Deaton uses coconut coir at her dahlia farm. She claims: ‘We like coconut coir because it creates an environment that somewhat mimics being protected in soil while the tubers are dormant. Through a lot of trial and error, we've found this method works very well.’

You can get a block of organic coconut coir at Amazon

Not Finding the Right Temperature

Dahlia tubers are particular about how they like to spend winter. If it is too cold, they can freeze, causing damage and rot. If it is too warm, they may prematurely sprout. This makes finding the right spot crucial.

‘If you aim for between 40 and 50°F for most tubers, that's going to be a sweet spot,’ says Lindsey Chastain, adding that the location also must be cool and dark.

Shelly Deaton says she keeps her tubers ‘at approximately 40–45°F with high relative humidity around 90%’ over winter. Christina Stembel from Farmgirl Flowers is keeping hers at 42°F right now.

‘A breezeway, basement, or garage can work in most places as long as it doesn't get too cold,’ adds Christina. ‘You can get an electric space heater that will keep it at that temp for you as well, which is a good solution if you live in one of those places that dips well below that.’

Not Checking on Them

Don’t just pack your tubers into boxes, put them away in a garage or basement, and forget about them until spring. You might be in for a nasty surprise when you unpack them and end up with no dahlias to plant.

Many moisture, temperature, or pest-related problems can occur during storage. If one tuber starts to soften and rot, it can quickly infect others, potentially wiping out your entire collection if left until spring.

The experts recommend checking your stored tubers at least once a month. ‘If you catch a problem early – whether they're beginning to shrivel, showing too much moisture, or developing rot – you have a much better chance of correcting the storage conditions before you lose more tubers,’ says Shelly Deaton.

The dahlia farmer adds: ‘We recommend keeping a thermometer and humidity gauge wherever you're storing your tubers and checking them regularly throughout the winter.

‘An infrared thermometer can also be useful for checking individual storage containers because the temperature inside a container may be different from the ambient temperature of the room or cooler.’

Get an infrared thermometer gun at Amazon

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You don’t always need to lift dahlia tubers. If you live in US hardiness zones 8+, you can leave them outdoors, mitigating the risk of making these dahlia storage mistakes.

Provided your soil drains well, you can leave dahlia tubers in the ground and mulch over them with a two-foot layer of straw (you can get a straw bale at The Home Depot) to protect them from low temperatures.

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More often than not, people remove pumpkin seeds from the flesh and throw them away. But you can plant them, cook with them, or use them to feed birds in your garden. The seeds need to be cleaned and prepared after scooping them from the pumpkin, but it’s quick and easy.

If you know how to grow pumpkins, then why not use as much of the resulting fruit as possible? Rather than just throwing them in the trash, think more sustainably and put these versatile seeds to good use. Here are five ways to use leftover pumpkin seeds after Halloween. (And if you want to grow a wider range of pumpkins next year, this pumpkin seed variety pack on Amazon has organic seeds for six diverse types.)

1. Save Seeds to Plant Next Year

The seeds you remove from a pumpkin can be cleaned, stored, and planted next year to grow your own pumpkins again. Harvesting and collecting seeds from vegetables and flowers is a great sustainable way to garden, and saving pumpkin seeds to replant is something I do every year at home.

It is best to save seeds from heirloom pumpkin varieties, as you know what you are getting. Rather than hybrid pumpkins, which are more of a gamble, as you cannot guarantee the exact type that will grow from the seeds.

After you harvest the pumpkin seeds, rinse them in a strainer to remove any bits of pulp and let them dry. Lay them out in a single layer on a dry paper towel and leave them for a few days – they need to be fully dry before storing or risk going moldy.

Once dry, store the seeds in breathable paper envelopes or airtight glass jars. These seed envelopes available on Amazon have space to write the type and the date they were collected.

2. Add the Seeds to Your Compost

Leftover pumpkins can be turned into garden fertilizer by chopping them up and adding them to a home compost pile. It is an eco-friendly way to deal with leftover Halloween pumpkins.

You can add every part of a pumpkin to a compost pile, including the flesh, skin, seeds, stems, and any foliage. However, it is best to boil or crush the seeds before composting pumpkins to prevent unwanted sprouting.

If you just add the seeds to the compost, they are likely to sprout unless the pile gets really warm. The compost needs to reach temperatures over 130°F for extended periods to guarantee that most seeds won’t survive. This can be difficult over winter, unless you do hot composting rather than traditional cold composting. You can get a hot composter bin at Amazon.

Boiling the pumpkin seeds or crushing them into smaller pieces before adding them stops them from germinating. It ensures you won’t face a crop of surprise pumpkin plants growing from the heap next year.

3. Roast the Seeds for Snacks

Pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious and rich in minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Roasting them makes them even more nutritious, as the body can absorb and digest the minerals more efficiently.

When you roast seeds from a pumpkin you grew at home, you know they are super-fresh and have gone only from your garden to the kitchen.

After scooping the seeds from the flesh, wash and dry them well. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Bake them at 300°F for 30-45 minutes, tossing them halfway through, until golden.

Enjoy them after cooling, or store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Roasted sunflower seeds make excellent garnish or can be added into soups, salads, or granola.

4. Use Them to Feed Birds

Birds can also enjoy leftover pumpkin seeds as a snack. They make a high-energy food source full of beneficial nutrients and are ideal for feeding birds during the winter.

You can feed birds raw or roasted pumpkin seeds. If you do roast them, don’t salt or season them. It is best to crush the pumpkin seeds into smaller pieces, so they are easier for birds, particularly smaller ones, to eat.

Pumpkin seeds can be served on their own or mixed with other seeds (like this wild bird feed at Walmart). Don’t leave out large amounts, as pumpkin seeds can spoil quickly in wet weather, especially raw ones. Leave them out in small amounts to reduce waste and avoid attracting other wildlife.

5. Make a Sweet Treat

Brittle is a hard sweet confectionery usually containing nuts – picture the classic peanut brittle. Different variations, though, can also be made with seeds, including leftover pumpkin seeds.

Why not use some leftover seeds for nutritious roasted snacks, save some to plant, and use the rest for a candy treat? Call it the best of both worlds.

Clean and dry the seeds to remove any pulp. Mix butter and sugar in a pan until it dissolves and turns a dark golden color. Then add the pumpkin seeds, put the mixture into a roasting tray, and press down with another tray. Let this cool and then break it into pieces.

Pumpkin Growing Kit

Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween; they can last for many months if stored properly. The key to long storage life is curing pumpkins after picking to harden the skin, keeping them in a dry, dark, cool place, and always storing them off the floor. Get those factors right, and you can store pumpkins for up to six months.

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If the soil does not drain well, your spring bulbs may never emerge. They are more likely to rot than burst into bloom next spring. So don’t waste time or effort planting bulbs this October unless the soil is known to drain well. To do this, test the drainage and amend the soil if required.

If your soil simply isn’t suitable for planting bulbs, there are still ways to enjoy them, such as growing in pots instead. Many regions will see lots of fall and winter rain, so check before planting to make sure the soil is right. You don’t want to condemn spring bulbs to a miserable winter in waterlogged soil. When you can plant, a strong bulb planter like this on Amazon makes the job much easier.

Why You Don’t Plant Bulbs in Waterlogged Soil

Bulbs do need moisture to begin developing roots and establish themselves after planting. In the fall, natural rainfall is usually enough to trigger growth, though in drier regions you may need to water. But it is a fine line; bulbs like soil with light moisture, but don't want to sit in waterlogged soil.

The bulb planting mistake of overlooking drainage is a common factor in why many fail to emerge. If you plant bulbs in waterlogged soil in the fall, they sit in cold and wet soil over winter, which leads to one inevitable consequence: rotting.

‘The bulbs store their moisture and all of the nutrients that they need to grow in the fleshy tissue, so when they are waterlogged, that rots first, and fairly quickly,’ warns garden expert Lindsey Chastain. ‘Also, waterlogging blocks off oxygen, so they're sitting in this wet soil without enough oxygen, and that's going to cause them to rot.’

When you have clay soil, it makes growing spring bulbs more difficult, as its dense particles drain slowly and often waterlog in winter. Some plants can thrive in clay soil, but many will struggle, including most bulbs, unless you try to improve the situation.

Ways to Improve Waterlogged Soil

If you have any concerns or doubts about drainage and whether you should plant in October, there is a simple DIY test you can do on any soil type. Dig a hole 12 inches deep and 8-12 inches wide and fill it completely with water.

‘If water still stands in a planting hole an hour after you fill it, choose a better-drained spot, plant in a raised bed, or work in compost to loosen the soil,’ says Damon Tang, founder of US Grow Zones, a free planting-calendar site that lets people look up US hardiness zones and frost dates by ZIP code or city.

Adding organic matter, such as compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold, is the best way to improve garden drainage in sites with heavier soils. Organic matter improves soil structure by binding the tiny, dense particles found in clay soils together, creating larger pore spaces to boost drainage.

As organic matter breaks down over time, you’ll need to do this annually to improve garden soil and track the rate of drainage until it reaches a satisfactory level. In the fall, incorporate organic matter into the planting site at least a week before planting bulbs.

Shop Organic Matter

Other Options if All Else Fails

Sometimes the soil will not play ball and never suit bulbs. Since you should never plant bulbs in waterlogged soil, what else can you do? Thankfully, two simple, proven methods allow you to grow spring bulbs without drastically overhauling flower beds.

‘We generally plant all of our bulbs in raised beds or in pots because of the amount of clay that we have,’ admits Lindsey Chastain. ‘It just kills off any bulbs that we plant directly in the ground because the soil just does not drain well.’

Raised beds are a great option for bulbs because you can control the makeup and create well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Fill a raised bed with a mix of topsoil and compost, and it will drain well and provide essential nutrients for your plants.

Containers are also a perfect route if you cannot plant bulbs in the ground. Favorites including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and alliums are among the easiest spring bulbs to grow in pots. You can even get a long display by planting a bulb lasagna.

Choose deep pots and fill them with a well-draining potting mix, such as this organic potting mix at Burpee.

David Denyer, an award-winning florist and flower expert at Eflorist, describes containers as a ‘good option’ for spring bulbs, but advises that it is ‘essential’ that any pot has drainage holes at the bottom to prevent waterlogging.

‘I'd also suggest raising pots slightly off the ground with pot feet or bricks, so they don't sit in water all winter,’ he adds. You can get a pack of strong, rubber pot feet at Walmart.

Planting bulbs can be tiring and repetitive, especially if you’ve got lots to put into the ground each fall. As a former professional gardener who planted thousands every year, I can attest to this.

Thankfully, there are many bulb planting tools available that can make the task easier. Long-handled bulb planters (available at Walmart), dibbers, hori-hori knives, or auger drill bits are among the options available to help make mass bulb planting a more enjoyable experience.

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You can easily end up covered in soil, mud, and more doing many quintessential fall gardening jobs. I have ended up with muddy knees on countless occasions when weeding flower beds or cutting back perennials in the fall. That is where a long waterproof garden apron with split legs like this one on Walmart comes in super handy for stopping you from getting dirt everywhere while you work.

Rain is a given in fall, but it doesn’t always need to stop play and halt you from ticking jobs off your fall gardening checklist. This is where watertight accessories make a difference too. A pair of waterproof boots like these rubber boots on Amazon helps your feet stay dry in the rain and prevents you from ruining other footwear in muddy borders. This folding garden kneeler, also on Amazon, keeps you from having to kneel on muddy ground while offering a comfortable platform to work on and pockets for your weeding tools.

You'll likely need different tools for different tasks. Better than laying an array of tools on the ground and risking losing them, or going back and forth, this garden cart from The Home Depot or heavy-duty canvas tool bag from Wayfair is perfect for carrying your favorite gardening tools. You’ve got somewhere to keep tools or accessories, and no need to trudge repeatedly to the garden shed or garage as you move from task to task.

Here are 16 useful gardening accessories for fall to help you get everything you need done and stay comfortable while doing it:

Pruning is a typical fall gardening job, with lots of perennials to cut back and shrubs that need trimming. You usually need a range of pruning tools for different jobs, from pruners for general cutting to a pruning saw for large tree branches.

Whatever tool you use, and whatever size stem or branch you are cutting, your tools must always be clean and sharp. They will work better, make cleaner cuts, and avoid spreading diseases around the garden.

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The secret to enjoying these beautiful blooms in the depths of winter is a little forward planning. You can plant hyacinth bulbs now and given the right conditions they will bloom profusely in late-January and February.

Planting hyacinths indoors is a rewarding project that doesn't require a garden or a great deal of space. Here's how to get started, and what you need to know to give your bulbs the best chance of flowering in winter. (And for a super spring-like pastel display, try these apricot passion hyacinth bulbs, from Burpee.)

Choosing the Right Hyacinth Bulbs

When you come to buy your bulbs, you'll see there are a vast number of hyacinth varieties to choose from.

You might also find there are two potential types of bulbs: prepared (sometimes also known as indoor) and unprepared. The difference is that prepared bulbs have already been heat-treated and chilled to encourage them to flower earlier than unprepared bulbs.

Unprepared hyacinth bulbs have not undergone this additional preparation, so they need a naturally cool period before they will flower. They are generally intended for planting outdoors in fall, but the good news is they can also flower indoors if given the right conditions.

They typically take longer to flower, making them less suitable if you're hoping for an early January display, but blooms will definitely be making an appearance by February.

Opt for pastel shades and warm colors to brighten the mood in winter. This cotton candy mix of hyacinths from Amazon is gorgeous.

How to Plant Hyacinths for Indoor Flowers

As I demonstrate in the video above, you can plant up indoor hyacinths in a wide range of ceramic or terracotta pots and bowls. I like to use vintage containers, but rustic pots would work just as well.

If your pot doesn't have drainage holes, add some horticultural charcoal, which you can find at Amazon, to the bottom. This will help to prevent the roots from getting waterlogged.

You can use regular potting compost for this kind of planting, but I prefer bulb fibre compost, or coco coir from Amazon, which is very similar.

I would also recommend a scoop, such as the Martha Stewart soil scoops from QVC, especially if you are potting up indoors, to keep your hands clean and mess to a minimum.

Fill your containers a little over half full with bulb compost, then place the bulbs close together with the tip pointing up and the roots facing down. Cover with a little more compost, then ensuring the tips are poking through I top them with fresh moss from the garden as I love the natural finish this gives to the pots.

You might want to consider wearing light gloves when handling the bulbs; these Martha Stewart gardening gloves from QVC are ideal.

How to Care for Indoor Hyacinth Pots

If your bulbs are not prepared, the next steps are crucial. Pots need to be put in a cold, dark place, such as an unheated garage or shed, for around 10–12 weeks.

The temperature should ideally remain around 40–48°F, and the compost should be kept lightly moist but never waterlogged.

Once shoots have started to emerge and reached 1.5in in height, you can move them into a brighter indoor spot to encourage flowering.

Bear in mind that timing can vary with the variety and growing conditions, so starting early is essential if you're hoping for flowers by late January or February.

What to Shop

Few things feel more uplifting in the depths of winter than the sight and scent of fresh flowers at home. Group several hyacinths together for a colorful seasonal display, or let a single flowering bulb bring a simple, fragrant touch to a bedside table or windowsill. It's an easy way to welcome a little of spring's magic indoors, weeks before it arrives outside.

Plus, it's simple to keep bulbs going long after winter with our guide on what to do with indoor hyacinths after flowering.

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I hold my hands up and admit I’ve never really nailed down a perfect orchid care routine. There are several in my bathroom, and I've had them for years. Some years they bloom; others they don’t. I would love to reinvigorate them, and while searching for a potential solution, I found this crazy keiki cloning paste on Amazon.

This nutrient-based cloning paste actively encourages dormant buds along flowering stems. Bare stems can then produce new shoots and flowers, and new stems can even be used to propagate new orchid plants. It seems like a really simple way to breathe new life into your orchids, and the paste has received thousands of positive reviews.

What Is Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste?

Crazy keiki cloning paste is made in the USA. It is a paste made from natural wax and a blend of beneficial hormones, compounds, nutrients, and vitamins to encourage growth on all types of orchids, as well as any other houseplants with above-ground nodes.

The product differs from rooting hormone pastes or powders traditionally used to propagate plants from cuttings. It will help encourage new growth and additional blooms on healthy orchids. However, it will not bring an orchid back to life if the plant is suffering from underlying health issues caused by watering, temperature, or a lack of light.

How to Use Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste

The crazy keiki cloning paste encourages the development of dormant buds and keikis. Keiki means ‘child’ in Hawaiian. These are small versions of the plant that appear along the flowering stem, and are identical clones of the mother orchid.

Anyone wanting to propagate orchids can divide plants, start new plants from older ‘back’ bulbs, or grow them from these keikis. Many orchids naturally produce these babies to multiply.

If you want to gift your favorite orchid to a friend or family member, a new keiki can be cut from the plant once it has aerial roots a few inches long. Repot it into a container filled with a specialized orchid potting mix (available at Amazon).

You don’t need to encourage keikis just to start new plants; they can stay put and breathe new life into an existing orchid. It can revitalize leggy orchids, encouraging new buds to develop on bare stems. Leaving a keiki on the parent plant creates a spectacular display as multiple flowering spikes can bloom simultaneously.

How you use the crazy keiki cloning paste depends on your plan for the keikis. Apply it higher up the plant for more blooms, and lower down if you wish to grow a new houseplant from cuttings.

It is easy to use. Apply the paste to a node after cutting or peeling a small section of the stem. When successful, new buds form in 3-4 weeks, and a new keiki emerges within eight weeks. It only takes one application, as the natural wax keeps the paste in place even with regular watering and misting, keeping the orchid healthy and happy throughout the process.

However, it is not a miracle cure and won’t save an unhealthy, wilting orchid. If your plant is unhappy, if it has orchid root rot from incorrect watering, or if orchid flowers are falling off due to stress, then make sure it recovers before using the product.

An unhealthy orchid can’t safely support new growth – any plant must be thriving to use the paste. And don’t get carried away using it on too many nodes at once. Pick one or two nodes, as overuse will stress the plant.

The crazy keiki cloning paste is for more than just orchids. It can be used on many other indoor plants, too. This includes a weeping fig, monstera, pothos, string of hearts, tradescantia, and more. If the plant has above-ground nodes, it is a suitable candidate.

What Shoppers Say

The crazy keiki cloning paste has got 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 6,700 reviews at the time of writing. It is praised for its effectiveness across different houseplants, with reviewers reporting positive experiences with pothos, peperomia, philodendron, and orchids.

One review claims it ‘works like magic,’ and other users note similar happy experiences.

‘It’s only been about three short weeks, and I’m already seeing an absolutely unbelievable amount of new growth,’ says one five-star reviewer. ‘Seriously, these plants are practically exploding with life. I'm genuinely astonished at how quickly and effectively it’s working its magic.’

Others admit that the crazy keiki cloning paste worked ‘much faster’ than expected. One shopper who used it on a Pearl and Jade pothos says: ‘The nodes started sprouting in just a couple of weeks and now have full clusters of leaves.’

Some reviews mention how small the bottle is, containing just 7ml of paste. However, happy users report that a little goes a long way.

‘I like that they include Q-tips to apply it. You really don’t need a lot, so I don’t mind that the bottle is very small,’ says one such review. ‘I’ve used probably about a quarter of the container on multiple nodes on five plants.’

As expected, there are mixed reviews among the thousands on Amazon, including some that say it didn't work.

There are many variables with propagation, and success or failure can come down to plant health, how the product was used, where the plant is located, and how it is cared for after application. Lots of mitigating factors may cause the product not to work, so success is never guaranteed. However, there are many more positive reviews than negative.

What to Shop

One particularly tricky aspect of orchid care is watering, which always remains one area people struggle to get right. One way to water orchids is to plunge the plant into water weekly, then let it drain well.

To tell if your orchid needs water, look at the roots. Hydrated roots are green; if they are gray or white, they need more water, while if they are brown, that usually means the plant is being overwatered.

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October is a key month in the mint-growing calendar, and while mint is one of the most easy-going garden herbs, needing little more than an occasional trim, you can get so much more from this tasty plant with a few timely late-fall tricks.

Learning how to grow mint is simplicity itself, but making the most of its harvest with a drying tool like this simple hanging mesh herb drying rack from Amazon will take your herb-gardening game to a whole new level. Here are more of my expert tips for what to do with your mint plants in October.

Prune Back

In late fall, mint, like most other plants, is entering a period of dormancy. So it makes sense to cut it right back, thus directing the plant's remaining energy into preserving a health root system rather than attempting any new growth at a time when that foliage is likely to be scorched by winter frosts.

Pruning back mint in fall is a simple job. Just take a pair of clean, sharp pruners, like the Corona ComfortGel stainless steel snips from Lowes, and chop back all of the stems to around 2in (5cm) from the soil.

Don't throw away these stems and leaves – we'll get to what to do with them later. For now, pop them in a bag, whatever kind you have to hand will do.

Clear Away Debris

At this time of year, there's plenty of dead and decaying organic matter lying around the soil around your plants. It's here that insect pests and fungal spores can overwinter. So it's a good idea to have a little clear-up around your mint plants after you've cut them back. It will stand them in good stead for the coming year.

With a garden cultivator or trowel, scrape gently around the crown of your plants, removing any fallen leaves, mulch or weeds. You can throw these on your compost heap. It's worth mentioning here that most varieties of mint are completely hardy, and tolerate temperatures down to 5°F (-15°C) without problem.

If you live in an area where you expect temperatures to dip below this, then do give your plants a fresh 2-4in (5-10cm) layer of mulch after removing the built-up debris from this year.

If your mint is growing in pots, extreme cold can freeze the roots solid, so wrap the pot in some bubble wrap or horticultural fleece. Alternatively, you can bring it into a greenhouse or to the shelter of a south-facing wall near the house.

Divide And Repot

If your mint plants are in any way congested, October is a great time to remedy this, as you can divide them up at the point they are going into dormancy without causing undue stress to the plants. Mint is just one of many plants that benefit from being divided up in October.

You'll likely be growing your mint plants either in a patio container or in their nursery pots sunk into the ground (this stops them getting out of control and taking over your flowerbeds). So, if they're filling their space, you'll need to either dig the nursery pot out of the soil or the mint plant out of your container.

If you're tackling a big old mint plant that's been in its container for a while, a hori hori knife can be super helpful: you can be brutal and just carve straight into the plant and soil to get it out.

When you're dividing any of your mint plants, you really don't need to worry about being gentle. Mint is tough, so hack the roots apart into as many separate plants as you like and once they're in their new pots (filled with a little multipurpose compost such as MiracleGro from Lowes) , they'll spring back into life.

If you have too many divisions, pot them up and give them to friends, remembering to label them. Do make sure anything surplus is left to dry out and die before adding it to your compost heap, or it will regrow.

Pot Up A Section For Indoors

One great little tip for this time of year is to pot up a section or two of your mint and bring it indoors. That way you'll get early shoots of fresh green mint to use in just a few weeks time, over winter.

Growing mint indoors isn't tricky. All you'll need is a bit of potting compost (any will do really, as mint isn't fussy). Pop it in a nice bright spot, such as a windowsill or conservatory, and you'll soon see new growth emerging.

Keep the compost damp but not wet, and harvest when you have enough leaves: perfect for the occasional cup of mint tea over the winter months.

Make Use Of Your Last Harvest

So you've cut back your mint plants and kept the clippings safe. What's next? Well, of course you can dry mint leaves to use in teas, dressings and dips – or even in bags of pot pourri to keep your wardrobe smelling beautifully fresh.

First you'll need to give the stems and leaves a wash in cold water to remove any dirt or insects. Then shake off as much water as you can (I use a salad spinner like this one from Walmart – also brilliant for everyday salads of course) or pat the leaves dry with kitchen paper or a tea towel.

The best method to preserve the flavor of mint is air drying. You can use a mesh hanger like the one I mentioned earlier, spreading everything out into a single layer and leaving it in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

In 7-10 days you should have properly crisp mint leaves (they need to crumble when crushed) that can then be stored in airtight jars or bottles – these mini Mason jars from Walmart are cute. It's also worth mentioning that these jars of mint can make great Christmas gifts, maybe as part of a homemade hamper.

What to Shop

Getting your mint plants in order in October is actually quite a fun job to do on a sunny autumn afternoon. It's really little more than a bit of light pottering.

And the big bonus is that you'll end up with your own dried herb supplies to add to the larder or to give away as gifts over the holidays.

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I think of it as giving a new plant time to learn its address. A cold snap is rarely the whole problem; frozen ground, dry soil, and wind can combine to leave evergreen foliage thirsty when its roots cannot drink.

There is also pleasure in the small rituals of overwintering a garden, from tidying leaves to collecting seeds. Before you head out, a burlap roll from Lowe’s can be useful for building a simple wind screen.

1. Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

Arborvitae are popular for good reason, a row of them can make a backyard feel private without making it feel fenced in. But newly planted trees, especially taller, narrow cultivars, may be vulnerable to winter burn while their roots establish. The foliage can lose moisture to wind and winter sun even when the soil is frozen.

In October, give the root zone a slow, deep soak if rain has been scarce. Then spread a couple of inches of mulch beneath the canopy, keeping it several inches away from the trunk. If the site is open to prevailing winds, set stakes around the tree and attach burlap as a screen on the windward side. I prefer a screen to binding the whole plant as it takes the sting out of gusts while leaving room for air to move.

If the tree has several leaders or a loose shape, use soft ties to bring branches together gently before heavy, wet snow arrives.

Don’t cinch them tight; the aim is to limit splaying, not turn the arborvitae into a parcel. A burlap shrub wrap from Amazon can provide material for a screen. For more fall care, see H&G’s guide to protecting trees from winter weather.

2. Boxwood (Buxus)

Boxwood (Martha Stewart's favorite shrub) brings a satisfying sense of order to a border, even when the rest of the garden has decided to become a pile of leaves. Yet a newly planted boxwood hedge can suffer when dry winds pull moisture from its evergreen leaves before the roots are established. In colder zones, exposed plants may also face sun and temperature swings that scorch foliage.

Water thoroughly before the ground freezes, especially after a dry fall. A layer of mulch helps steady soil moisture and temperature, but leave a clear ring around the stems to discourage rot. In windy or particularly exposed spots, build a loose burlap screen on the windward side. If the plant is in a container, move it to a sheltered position and insulate the pot; roots in pots experience colder, faster temperature swings than roots in the ground.

For a new hedge, water each plant individually rather than assuming a quick pass with the hose has reached the whole root ball. A watering bag for trees and shrubs from Amazon can release water slowly around larger plants. H&G’s advice on when to cover plants for frost is a useful guide to timing covers around actual conditions.

3. Rhododendron

Rhododendrons keep their leaves through winter, and those broad leaves can lose moisture in drying wind and winter sun. A new plant is at extra risk because its roots have not yet explored much of the surrounding soil.

Choose a sheltered spot and a variety suited to your USDA hardiness zone; cold tolerance varies considerably across this large group.

In October, check that the soil is moist but drains freely. Rhododendrons dislike being waterlogged, so a generous watering is helpful only if excess water can escape. Mulch with pine bark or another suitable organic material to protect the shallow root zone, leaving the crown clear. If winter winds hit the site directly, a screen made with stakes and breathable burlap can reduce exposure without pressing fabric against the foliage.

I would also avoid a late-season feed that encourages a flush of tender growth just before the cold. Give the plant a calm autumn, not a growth spurt. H&G’s guide to protecting plants from frost covers the basics of choosing and using breathable protection.

4. Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata)

Japanese holly is often clipped into neat shapes and used as a boxwood alternative. Its small leaves can make it seem unbothered by everything, but new plants still need time to establish, and exposed sites can bring a combination of drying wind and cold soil. Hardiness depends on cultivar and local conditions, so check the plant label before choosing a spot.

Keep the root ball watered through dry fall weather, then mulch around the plant once the soil is cool. If you have planted a row, pay particular attention to the end plants as they may be more exposed to wind than their neighbors. Use stakes and breathable fabric to make a partial windbreak where needed, and check ties after storms so they do not rub or tighten around stems.

For a small plant or a brief freeze, a frost cover may help, but take it off during mild spells rather than leaving the shrub sealed in. A plant frost cover from Amazon is a convenient choice for short-term protection. H&G’s guide to winter protection for plants in containers has useful advice if your holly is growing in a pot.

5. Yew (Taxus)

Yew is famously adaptable once settled, whether it is allowed to grow into a dark, elegant screen or clipped into a more formal shape. “Once settled” is the important part. A recently planted yew has a smaller root system than an established one, so drought, wind, and frozen soil can leave it vulnerable to winter burn.

Water deeply when fall rainfall is insufficient, then mulch the root zone to help soil retain moisture. In an exposed position, place a wind screen on the side that receives the worst weather.

Young trees with a single trunk may also benefit from a stake if wind could rock the root ball; use a flexible tie and check it periodically. A stake should steady the tree, not hold it rigidly in place.

One of the kindest things you can do is keep an eye on the soil rather than watering to a calendar. Damp soil needs no extra drink, while a dry spell before the ground freezes is the moment to act. Tree stakes and soft ties from Lowe’s can help stabilize a young specimen. For broader seasonal guidance, H&G’s steps for overwintering a garden offer a useful checklist.

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Evergreens do not stop losing moisture just because the garden looks dormant. Water newly planted specimens during dry spells while the ground is workable, mulch around the root zone without piling material against stems, and use breathable screens for plants exposed to wind or winter sun.

In October, those small preparations can make the difference between a settled-in shrub and one that starts spring with brown tips and a complaint.

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Native to Mexico, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are tropical plants that respond to changes in daylight to produce their signature red, pink, white, or cream-colored bracts. These are modified leaves rather than flowers, with the plant's tiny yellow flowers clustered at the center.

As fall brings shorter days and longer nights, poinsettias naturally begin preparing to flower. If you're hoping to encourage a plant you've kept from last Christmas to develop its colorful bracts again, October is the time to pay particular attention to its light exposure, watering, and temperature.

October Care for Your Poinsettia

Getting your poinsettia care right now can help ensure your plant is healthy and ready for the holidays. Here are four things to do with a poinsettia in October to encourage a beautiful holiday display.

1. Give Your Poinsettia the Right Amount of Darkness

If you want to encourage a poinsettia to develop its colorful bracts in time for Christmas, October is the month to start managing its light exposure. Poinsettias are short-day plants that respond to long, uninterrupted periods of darkness to trigger the process that produces their signature color. To rebloom, they generally need around 14 hours of complete darkness each night for eight to 10 weeks, alongside plenty of daytime light.

Starting in early October, place your poinsettia in complete darkness from about 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. A dark closet or opaque cardboard box works well, provided no light reaches the plant. You could also use room-darkening linen blackout curtains from Target to help darken the room.

During the day, where to place a poinsettia is equally important. Return it to a bright window where it can receive six to eight hours of natural light, away from cold drafts. Continue this routine until the bracts begin to show color, typically in November. A stylish plant stand, such as the Wood Plant Stand Side Table from Target's Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection, is a practical way to elevate your poinsettia and make it a focal point in your holiday decor.

2. Find a Bright, Warm Spot for Your Plant

While poinsettias need long, uninterrupted nights to develop their colorful bracts, they also need plenty of light during the day to remain healthy. Position your plant near a bright window where it receives good natural light without prolonged exposure to harsh direct sunlight. An east-, south-, or west-facing window can work well, provided the leaves don't touch cold glass.

Temperature is equally important. Poinsettias are tropical plants that dislike cold conditions, sudden temperature changes, and drafts. Aim for daytime temperatures of around 65–70°F, keeping plants away from exterior doors, drafty windows, heating vents, and fireplaces. Temperatures below 50°F can cause damage, while freezing conditions can kill the plant.

If your poinsettia has spent the summer outdoors, bring it inside before nighttime temperatures fall below 50°F. A simple way to monitor indoor conditions is with the AcuRite Digital Humidity and Temperature Comfort Monitor from Home Depot, which displays room temperature and humidity.

3. Adjust Your Watering Routine

As temperatures change and indoor heating begins to affect your home's environment, it's important to pay attention to how much water your poinsettia needs. The aim is to keep the potting mix lightly moist without allowing the roots to sit in water.

When it comes to watering a poinsettia, check the soil regularly and water thoroughly when the top 2–3 inches feel dry. Allow excess water to drain away completely, and empty any water that collects in the saucer or decorative outer pot.

Overwatering is a common cause of problems with poinsettias, as consistently saturated soil can damage the roots and lead to root rot. However, letting the plant dry out completely can also cause wilting and leaf drop. A poinsettia in a warm, bright room may need water more frequently than one in a cooler space, so check the soil rather than following a rigid schedule.

Good drainage is particularly important if your poinsettia sits inside a decorative holiday container. Remove the nursery pot before watering and allow it to drain fully before returning it to its display. A self-watering planter from Amazon, with drainage holes, is a practical option for helping excess water escape while protecting your surfaces.

A soil moisture meter, such as the XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon, can also help you monitor moisture levels and avoid overwatering.

4. Check for Signs of Stress and Encourage Healthy Growth

October is also a good time to check your poinsettia for signs of stress. Look for yellowing leaves, wilting, or unexpected leaf drop, which can indicate problems with watering, temperature, or growing conditions. Remove fallen leaves and inspect the foliage for houseplant pests.

If you're trying to rebloom a poinsettia you've kept since last Christmas, continue providing appropriate care while the bracts develop. A balanced houseplant fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose Soluble Plant Food, can support healthy growth when used according to the label instructions, but avoid overfeeding.

Remove dead or damaged leaves with clean Fiskars pruning snips from Amazon, and if you spot pests, consider a suitable treatment such as Bonide Insecticidal Soap from Lowe's, following the product directions.

Poinsettias can be challenging to rebloom indoors, as success depends on the variety and receiving the correct combination of daytime light and uninterrupted darkness. If your plant remains green for longer than expected, inconsistent darkness may be the reason.

Once the bracts begin to develop color, you can stop the nightly poinsettia in the dark treatment and return the plant to its usual bright position. Continue watering as needed and maintain a stable, warm environment to help the display last.

October is an important month for poinsettia care, particularly if you're hoping to encourage a plant to rebloom for the holidays. With the right balance of daytime light, uninterrupted darkness, careful watering, and protection from cold drafts, you can help your poinsettia stay healthy and prepare for a colorful Christmas display. If you're buying a new plant for the season, choose one with healthy green foliage and vibrant bracts, and protect it from cold temperatures on the journey home.

Perennial weeds can be a chore to eliminate as they can survive season after season. Common weeds like dandelions, bindweed, couch grass, and more overwinter thanks to their deep roots, then come back strong again next year. When you remove perennial weeds in October, it pays dividends come spring, as you won’t battle them at a busier time and can focus on other tasks.

Tackling perennial weeds needs to be on your fall gardening checklist. Here is why you should remove perennial weeds in October and the essential weeding tools to make the task super-efficient. This long-handled Grampa's weeder tool on Amazon is one such example. It helps you remove weeds root-and-all without bending or kneeling.

Fall Weeding Saves Time in Spring

It is a smart move to dedicate time in the fall to targeting perennial weeds. Putting in the effort now can dramatically reduce how much weeding you need to do early next year. As spring gardening offers more enjoyable tasks, including planting and sowing seeds, a few quick fall weeding sessions free up time to do them instead.

Perennial weeds are extremely hardy and can come back for many years. Digging out the roots and rhizomes now stops them from hunkering down over winter and then producing new shoots in spring that you need to deal with.

Dealing with them in the fall stops them from bulking up and coming back stronger. Perennial weeds prepare for winter by storing nutrients and sugars in their deep underground roots, rhizomes, or tubers. These reserves, stored deep in the soil, help them survive the winter and return with vigour in the spring.

When they do, they compete with other plants, seedlings, and bulbs for water, nutrients, and light at this crucial time of the season. Other plants across your garden will be thankful for less competition once they wake from their winter slumber.

October can be a good time to get rid of weeds. As many other plants die back in the fall, it makes spotting and removing weeds easier across your flower beds or raised beds.

Dealing with weeds in the fall is less tricky than in spring, when you need to carefully navigate around newly sprouting perennials and bulbs. In spring, differentiating between the new sprouts can be tricky; you need to know which are desirable plants and which are undesirable weeds.

You want to kill weeds, not plants. Unless you are blessed with a keen eye, you risk removing flowers, especially if you welcome self-seeding flowers in your borders.

The moist fall soil is loose, making it easy to remove deep taproots and spreading rhizomes. As any fragments left in the soil, such as from snapping, will resprout, any conditions that make it easier to remove them whole are greatly appreciated. Provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, you can get ahead and weed.

How to Remove Perennial Weeds in October

The crucial point to remember with perennial weeds is that they must be completely removed to stop them from coming back. The entire root network must be dug up, whether it is a deep taproot, rhizome, or spreading root ball. If you don’t get rid of it all, it simply resprouts.

It means no quick slicing at the soil surface and moving on. This form of weeding takes time, but doing it properly prevents having to come back in spring and do it all again.

Perennial weeds can regrow from any fragments of root or rhizome left in the soil, even the tiniest pieces. This is what makes weeds like bindweed, dandelions, and dock so hard to remove, and why attention to detail is crucial.

Therefore, choosing the right type of weeder is critical. Use a gardening tool that efficiently removes the entire root network, like a trowel, standing weeder, dandelion weeder, or hori-hori knife, such as this stainless steel hori-hori knife weeding knife on Amazon.

You can’t use a garden hoe or a similar tool to slice the top off perennial weeds and be done with it – the root will remain under the surface. This weeding mistake actually activates dormant side buds, and the weed comes back with a vengeance.

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It is better to deal with perennial weeds sooner rather than later – you want to get rid of weeds before frost arrives. After doing your weeding, cover the area with a two- or three-inch layer of mulch to protect your soil and benefit plants in beds and borders. The best fall mulching materials include compost, leaves, or wood mulch, such as this Miracle-Gro all-natural mulch at The Home Depot.

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Although repotting is essential when a plant outgrows its container, forgetting to do so can become a common indoor plant mistake, potentially leading to yellowing leaves and stunted growth. A plant becomes pot-bound, or root-bound, when its roots grow densely around the inside of its container, eventually leaving little room for further growth. However, the good news is not every plant minds having restricted roots, and some even prefer these conditions.

Knowing which varieties are happy in a snug pot can help you spend less time repotting and more time enjoying your indoor greenery. If you’re looking for houseplants that are easy to care for and won’t need frequent moves into larger containers, these are the varieties worth adding to your collection. (Many will be even happier if placed on a humidity tray over winter, such as this highly recommended one from Amazon.)

Spider Plant

This has to be one of the easiest indoor plants you can grow at home, needing very little attention and coping well with neglect. You can get away with not repotting your spider plant for a couple of years at a time.

'Spider plants like to be root-bound and will protest when they are potted into too big of a container by dying back,' says Julie Bawden-Davis, indoor plant expert at Healthy Houseplants.

When spider plants live in a pot too-large, they may suffer from houseplant root rot as the potting soil takes longer to dry out. Even when living in a smaller pot, these plants will produce plenty of baby plants so you can easily propagate spider plants from cuttings.

'Repot when roots are coming out of the drainage holes and water rushes through the pot quickly,' Julie advises.

When your spider plant starts turning yellow, it's time to inspect the roots and see if it needs to be placed in a bigger pot.

African Violet

Even some indoor flowering plants prefer to have their roots kept snug, and African violets are a good example. These compact, colorful houseplants are relatively easy to grow and don't need a particularly large pot to thrive.

'African violets like to be snug in their pots,' notes Lisa Eldred Steinkopf from the Houseplant Guru. 'Yet, because they drop their lower leaves, they will form long stems,' she adds.

While there's no need to rush to repot an African violet simply because its roots are filling the container, leggy growth and a bare stem can be signs that it's time for a little attention. If your plant is shedding its lower leaves or your African violet is drooping, check whether the stem has become elongated and exposed.

'Then they need to be re-potted, burying those stems under the potting media, where they will grow new roots,' explains Lisa. 'Most standard African violets need only a 4-inch pot,' she adds.

With the right-sized container, African violets can remain happy for quite some time without repotting. As a general guide, check them annually for signs of elongated stems, crowded roots or declining growth, rather than automatically moving them into a larger pot. A lack of flowers alone doesn't necessarily mean they need more space, as light and watering conditions can also affect flowering.

You can keep a track of how often to water your plants in fall with a moisture meter; we recommend this battery-free model, available from Amazon.

Jade Plant

While there are many fast-growing succulents, jade plants are better choices for those looking for a slow-grower. Growing at a rate of only two inches per year, it's no surprise you don't need to repot jade plants often.

'Like many succulents, jade prefers to be root-bound. Repotting too soon will lead to too much wet soil and root rot,' notes Julie. 'Repot when water rushes through the pot when you water and the soil dries out quickly between watering,' she adds.

Potting mix drying out quickly is a common sign your plant is ready for repotting. This is because when a plant becomes too pot-bound, their roots are unable to absorb enough water and nutrients.

However, jade plants don't need watering too regularly and can be left to mostly dry between watering. You can get away with only repotting your jade plant every three to four years.

You can find beautiful 'sunset' jade plants available at The Sill.

Alocasia

With their dramatic, often beautifully patterned leaves, alocasias make a striking addition to a houseplant collection. These tropical plants can also be happier with their roots slightly snug in their containers, meaning they don't need repotting as frequently as you might expect.

'Though these are tropical indoor plants, alocasias grow better on the root-bound side,' notes Julie.

Moving an alocasia into a pot that's much larger than its root system needs can leave excess compost holding too much moisture, increasing the risk of root rot. A slightly snug container can help you manage watering more effectively, although being severely root-bound isn't ideal either.

On average, you may only need to repot alocasias every 18 months. Rather than repotting on a strict schedule, look out for signs that your plant needs attention. 'Repot when watering doesn’t seem to moisten the soil sufficiently,' says Julie.

This stylish olive ceramic planter from Amazon has built in drainage holes, and would be ideal for an alocasia.

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Hoya

If you're after a plant that offers beautiful indoor blooms and doesn't need too much attention, it's worth considering hoyas. These unique plants are native to southeast Asia, Japan and Taiwan, and can live in the same pot for as long as five years.

'Hoyas like to be snug in their pots. They often wait until their roots fill the pot to initiate flowering,' explains Lisa.

So, if your hoya isn't flowering, it might just be because it isn't mature enough yet or you've repotted it too soon. 'If they're up-potted too frequently they may not flower well,' says Lisa.

It's best to wait until your hoya's roots are poking out or the soil isn't absorbing water well to repot your plant.

Snake Plant

This is a classic among the best indoor plants and one many choose as a bedroom plant for its air-purifying qualities. Caring for a snake plant is incredibly easy, including the lack of repotting it needs.

'Though not a true succulent, snake plant is much like a succulent in that putting this plant into too much wet soil will quickly lead to root rot, so it is best to let the plant remain root-bound until it becomes top-heavy and water rushes quickly through the soil, leaving the plant lacking water,' explains Julie.

Although, it is important to repot your snake plant as needed. 'Snake plants do have large rhizomatous roots. If in full sun and healthy the plant will break a pot with its roots,' warns Lisa. 'Usually, snake plants aren’t given enough sun to do this, as they are touted as low-light plants,' she adds.

You can find the stunning 'zeylanica' snake plant at Trees.com.

Christmas Cactus

With their colorful blooms appearing around the holidays, Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus are wonderful houseplants to enjoy through fall and winter. Happily, both are relatively content in snug containers, so there's no need to rush to repot them every year.

You can distinguish the two by the shape of their stem segments and their typical flowering times, with Thanksgiving cactus generally blooming earlier than Christmas cactus.

'If repotted too often, these cacti may not flower well. They will put energy into filling the pot with roots before it uses its energy to flower,' explains Lisa.

If you're hoping to make a Christmas cactus bloom in time for the festive season, leaving it in a comfortably snug pot can help. However, flowering also depends on the right conditions, including sufficient darkness overnight and suitable temperatures as buds develop.

As a general guide, aim to repot your Christmas cactus, or Thanksgiving cactus, every couple of years, or when it has clearly outgrown its container or the potting mix needs refreshing. Choose a pot only slightly larger than the existing one, with good drainage, to avoid leaving the roots sitting in excess moisture. A dedicated Christmas cactus fertilizer, such as the TPS one from Amazon, is also handy to have in your toolkit when growing these seasonal plants.

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoes are popular as indoor plants that flower all year round, with blooms in colors such as pink, white and orange. As a succulent, these plants tend to grow slowly and will last in a pot-bound situation for some time.

'This succulent plant prefers to remain on the root-bound side and is highly susceptible to root rot if you fail to let it remain root-bound,' says Julie. 'You want the soil to dry out between watering, which is impossible to do if the plant is in too big of a pot,' she adds.

It can be hard to know how and when to water houseplants, but the general rule with succulents is less is more. Keeping your kalanchoe in a smaller pot can help keep it at a happy moisture level and prevent it becoming oversaturated.

Aim to repot your kalanchoe every couple of years, making sure to wait until after it has finished blooming.

It's important to note these houseplants can cope well with being pot-bound for some time, but they won't necessarily remain happy in the same sized pot forever. Always watch out for things like roots emerging from drainage holes and yellowing foliage as signs your plant needs a bigger home. Nevertheless, the houseplants compiled here enjoy being somewhat pot-bound and won't need regular repotting.

If you're new to owning houseplants or simply want some that don't need a lot of maintaining, try growing some of these plants. When you do get around to repotting your houseplants, it's better to do so in early spring before active growth kicks in. There are also lots of houseplants that can cope with other limiting growing conditions, such as the best cold-tolerant houseplants which will do well in the chillier spots of your home.

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From afar, each plant may appear to be healthy and thriving but it's well worth taking a closer look. If you spot a peppering of black spotted yellow leaves, now is the time to take urgent action.

A crucial element of rose care and growing these romantic plants, is identifying and dealing efficiently with pests and diseases. Black spot is perhaps the most prevalent threat to rose health but thankfully October is the best time to deal with it. A thorough clear up now, and for that this Telescopic Leaf Grabber from Walmart is handy, will encourage good plant health and help prevent the disease reoccurring the following season.

Why Clear Up Diseased Rose Leaves

There's no ignoring blackspot once it appears on your roses. Purplish blotches first appear on the leaves and spreads with a raggedy edge while the rest of the leaf gradually yellows and falls.

'Black spot is caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, which can overwinter on infected leaves and plant debris beneath roses. If that material remains in the bed, rain or irrigation can splash spores from the infected debris onto the rose’s lower leaves,' advises Wes Harvell, Rosarian, Jackson & Perkins.

Hard to kill and with constantly evolving strains, this rose disease spreads through rose foliage and stems, severely weakening the plant and drastically reducing blooms. Even new cultivars that are bred to be blackspot resistant have eventually succumbed to the harmful spores, as the disease adapts over time.

Knock Out Roses, including Peachy Knock Out from Perfect Plants , are well regarded for their disease resistance, having been genetically tweaked to make it harder for problematic fungal spores to take hold.

Blackspot spores are quick and easy to spread through wind and water, so eliminating the source is a wise measure, as Wes advises.

'Removing and destroying infected leaves at the end of the season can reduce one of the sources that could cause a new infection to begin. October is a particularly useful time to pay attention to clean-up because roses in colder climates are beginning to enter dormancy and shed foliage naturally.'

Quick And Easy Leaf Clear Up Tricks

Removing blackspot infected rose leaves and stems is a task on the fall gardening checklist that is well worth spending time on.

'Start by removing infected leaves still attached to the rose, then thoroughly rake and collect fallen foliage and debris from around the base of the plant,' advises Wes. 'Avoid doing this work while plants are wet, as moisture help black spot spread.'

Gently removing blighted leaves by hand is the simplest and most effective method, but wearing thick gloves, such as these Pro Rose Gloves from Lowes, is a must, as Wes suggests. 'Wear protective gloves when working around roses, both because of thorns and because you’re handling diseased material. Also, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handing a black-spot-infected rose so you don’t accidentally spread fungal material elsewhere in the garden.'

Gathering fallen rose leaves can be a laborious job to do by hand, and there are plenty of leaf-clearing tools to use, but it's crucial to disinfect and clean garden tools afterwards, to prevent transferring spores around the garden. Retainer Cleaner and Lubricator from Walmart is handy option for pruners, loppers and garden snips.

Always avoid using a leaf blower near infected rose leaves as this is an easy way to spread the spores.

How To Safely Dispose Of Infected Foliage

What to do with infected rose foliage is a popular question many gardeners ask. Given the ease with which the spores spread it is imperative that they are disposed of efficiently and responsibly.

'Do not compost them and don’t leave them lying in the garden,' insists Wes. 'Put black-spot-infected leaves directly in the trash because spores can survive on fallen foliage. If diseased material remains beneath the rose, it can become a source of reinfection.'

He also suggests that it's well worth refreshing your mulch afterwards too. 'Adding a layer of mulch can help prevent rain or irrigation from splashing fungal material from the soil back onto the foliage.' One of the best mulch for roses is cedar bark chips - find this naturally insect repelling mulch at Walmart.

Bag up infected leaves and place them in your household garbage. If you have large quantities of foliage check your municipality's official website for curb-side pickup programs and drop off sites for municipal recycling.

While most garden cuttings can be successfully home composted, this is not advised for blackspot as most heaps do not produce the high or constant heat of 140°F (60°C) needed to destroy the fungal spores.

Instead, you can bury them in the soil, leaving them to rot down naturally. Just be sure to chose a spot where they will remain undisturbed and dig down to a depth of 1 ft (60cm).

Controlled burning of blackspot infected leaves can be carried out in some areas, but always check the local fire codes, active burn bans and neighbourhood permissions before proceeding. A lidded yard incinerator, such as this Yard Tuff Burn Cage from Lowe's is a neat and safe choice.

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Tackling this rose care task in October will not only encourage healthier plants and more plentiful blooms next year, but save you time and effort discouraging persistent rose pests too.

A classic plant choice for cottage garden ideas, why not seek more design inspiration from landscaping with roses.

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Meet the Expert

Waking up to an unexpected early frost can take many gardeners by surprise. It can also take out a number of vulnerable plants before their time, if we're not properly prepared.

Knowing how to protect plants from frost and which ones to prioritise can extend the life of ornamentals and edibles that may still be growing when temperatures suddenly drop. Find out which of your prized plants to keep an eye on and what to do to save them from a cold snap according to experts. This decorative thermometer from Lowe's also makes monitoring outdoor temperatures easy.

Recognizing a Frost Risk

There are certain signs we can look out for that hint that an "unexpected" frost may be on its way.

'I start paying attention when overnight temperatures are forecast to fall into the mid-30s, since frost can form on plant surfaces even when the official air temperature is a few degrees above freezing,' says landscape designer, Kat Aul Cervoni, founder, Staghorn Living. 'After a frost, the most obvious signs of damage are darkened, water-soaked, limp, or translucent foliage which then often turns brown or black.'

'A frost cloth, sheet, or cold frame is usually able to protect plants when the air temperature is above 30°F,' says Kate Copsey, author, New York & New Jersey Gardening. 'Between 30 and 32°F, frost is less severe and frequently spotty.

'Cold air is dense and rolls downhill, so the coldest air settles in valleys or at the bottom of a slope. Garden plants at the lower end of a slope can be killed while plants higher up are fine. The areas directly around walls benefit from a few extra degrees of heat which keeps them warmer a few days longer.

'These very site-specific areas of warmer/cooler air are called “microclimates.” Winds that move the air around help keep frost from settling, and cloud cover keeps some of the warm fall heat from escaping.'

1. Tender Annuals

Most gardeners are philosophical about tender annuals. Realising they have a limited life expectancy, many people are content to let them go when the time comes. However, that doesn't mean we have to give up on them earlier than necessary. With a little effort, it is possible to extend their life a little longer.

In New York, some of the first plants landscape designer, Kat Aul Cervoni pays attention to when an early frost looms, are coleus, impatiens, begonias, zinnias, and basil.

'Many of these can get zapped with even a light frost, and some plants, particularly basil and coleus, can show chilling injury before temperatures actually reach freezing,' says Kat.

'Lightweight frost cloth or horticultural fleece is ideal, but an old bedsheet works perfectly well in a pinch. The key is to drape the material all the way to the ground and secure the edges. You're trying to trap some of the warmth radiating from the soil overnight, not just wrap the foliage.

'I would avoid placing plastic sheeting directly against foliage since it can transfer cold to the leaves where it touches them, plus it's easy for plants to overheat beneath it once the sun comes out.'

This burlap frost blanket from Lowe's is breathable, durable and can be cut to the size you require.

2. Late-Season Flowers

Many late-season flowers, such as New England Asters, Golden Rods and Sedum can survive an early fall frost. However, dahlias don't usually fair so well. These beautiful blooms can benefit from frost protection.

'Dahlias are a big one for me,' says Kat. 'Mine are often still blooming beautifully in October, and a single frost can blacken the foliage and bring the show to an abrupt end.

'For delicate plants like dahlias, I prefer using stakes or hoops to support the fabric so it doesn't crush the flowers or stems; keep this in mind if you're considering things like towels, which may be too heavy for plants.

'Put covers on before temperatures drop in the evening and remove them the following morning once temperatures have risen above freezing - the least amount of time covered is ideal.

'Soil that is moderately moist retains heat better than very dry soil, so watering dry beds earlier in the day before an expected frost can help too.'

At H36" tall, this green metal stake from Lowe's can provide a frame to drape a frost cloth over smaller plants, as well as support growth.

3. Warm-Season Vegetables

Where gardeners and growers are less philosophical about losing plants to an early frost is with edimentals and edibles. Most warm-season crops that are still managing to hang on in balmy fall weather will require over night protection. Cold frames are useful here. However, a frost cloth or fleece can be protective too.

'Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and beans are particularly susceptible to early frost,' says Kat. 'These are warm-season crops that generally won't tolerate freezing temperatures so will definitely need protecting if you want to keep them going longer.

'On the other hand, crops like kale, spinach, and many brassicas can handle light frosts quite well which makes them excellent choices for a fall veggie garden.'

'Cool-weather crops such as kale and chard can tolerate frost very well,' says Kate. 'Salad crops and cabbages don’t do so well, so cover these when a light frost is forecast.

'If they’re in a cold frame, keep the lid down on frosty nights but lift it again in the morning, as even in October the sun can burn crops if they’re enclosed in a cold frame.'

This premium cold frame from Burpee enables you to extend the growing season for salad leaves and many other edibles.

4. Container Plants

The container plants most at risk of damage by an early frost will not only depend on the type of plant and the region its growing in, but the location of the container within your yard. Some gardens have microclimates, with cold and warm pockets in different areas, putting some pots more at risk than others.

'Cold air settles in low spots, so the lower parts of your garden might experience frost while another escapes entirely,' says Kat. 'Pots deserve special attention because their roots are more exposed and don’t benefit from the same insulation as in-ground plants.

'Tropical plants, tender herbs, and summer annuals in containers are especially vulnerable – for me, my porch ferns are the main ones I have to mind. I generally move anything particularly valuable or frost-sensitive into my garage overnight, but an enclosed porch, or another sheltered location works too.'

A south or west-facing wall can offer protection too, as heat will be absorbed during the day and released at night.

'If you can move containers, that's almost always my first choice,' says Kat. 'If they're too large to move, group them together in a sheltered location, ideally close to the house and away from wind.

'Cover the foliage with frost cloth and, if a more significant freeze is expected, insulate the containers as well. However, protecting a container from a single frosty night is different from overwintering it outdoors. A plant that's hardy in the ground may not be reliably hardy in a pot through an entire winter.'

This 12"x12" timber plant trolley from Lowe's makes transporting containers from one place another much easier. if you're unable to move your containers, this burlap frost blanket from Lowe's makes a versatile protective cover.

5. Young Plants

Fall is a good time to plant many cold-tolerant species, such as pansies and violas. Cold-hardy young plants can be protected from an early frost, by planting them in sheltered positions, such as in front of a south or west-facing wall, watering them in the morning and applying a layer of mulch to the soil.

'Newly planted tender or marginally hardy plants may need extra attention because they haven't had as much time to establish,' says Kat. 'That said, a newly planted hardy perennial isn't necessarily at risk from a light frost simply because it's young - so no need to take real action there.

'It's not necessary to cover the entire garden. Focus on tender plants that are still actively growing, flowering, or producing food that you want to keep going. It’s also ok to let go.'

Shop Plant Protection

The best way to protect plants from an early frost is to pay attention to the weather forecast and prioritize the plants you most want to save by planning ahead. That can be as simple as moving containers out of known frost pockets, covering crops with a cold frame or protecting favorite flowers with fleece.

'We also have to know when to call it,' says Kat. 'Frost cloth can help get plants through a light frost, but it isn't going to save a tropical annual through a prolonged hard freeze. Sometimes the better option is to harvest the remaining vegetables, cut your dahlias for a final bouquet, and let go.'

Drainage is integral to successful container gardening. If drainage holes get blocked, the pot fills with water, and plants suffocate. It can mean a death knell for plants during wet winters, especially when this excess water freezes and encases them in a block of solid frozen soil.

You need them in the base of pots, but you must also remember to check drainage holes before winter. It takes little to no time to assess if they are clear and unblock them if needed. A set of pot feet (like these on Amazon) is also a winter essential for keeping potted plants healthy over the colder months.

Winter Dangers of Blocked Drainage Holes

All pots and planters need drainage holes to allow excess moisture to escape. However, not all containers you can buy have them. That is why it’s crucial to check every pot before planting in it. Thankfully, it is simple to add drainage holes to planters with an electric drill (available at Ace Hardware).

Over time, though, drainage holes can block. This can be due to compacted soil, debris, pests, roots, or a buildup of crystallized minerals or salts. It becomes important to check that pots drain properly, especially ahead of winter. Blocked drainage holes are a simple winter container gardening mistake to avoid – it takes little time to check and fix.

Blocked drainage holes and wet, freezing winter weather can kill plants. Just as you make efforts to protect pots from frost, you also must think about preventing pots from waterlogging.

When pots waterlog, the plants are starved of oxygen. When the soil gets fully saturated, all the air pockets fill with water. This means a lack of oxygen, which starves the roots and causes rot.

Symptoms of a starved plant include yellow foliage, wilting, and then dieback. Under the soil surface, decaying roots turn black, mushy, and have a sour smell. The waterlogged soil also becomes a breeding ground for fungal diseases, including botrytis and wilt.

Any plant sitting in waterlogged soil during winter not only risks rotting, but also freezing to death. All that moisture in the soil can freeze solid during a frost. Any plants in containers are more susceptible to frost compared to those in the ground, but even hardy plants won’t survive sitting in a pot full of frozen soil.

The pots are also at risk as frozen soil expands and breaks them. When water in the soil, and any moisture in a porous pot material, freezes and expands, it can lead to your favourite terracotta planters shattering during winter.

How to Avoid Problems

It takes little time and effort to protect container plants from winter weather and keep your pots from waterlogging. It can be a five-minute job to add to any fall gardening checklist – though it may take longer depending on the size of your pot collection.

It starts with taking each pot and checking that the drainage holes are clear and functioning as they should. You may be able to tell by looking at the plant or the soil. More often than not, though, it will require lifting or tilting the pot to see the base.

Blocked drainage holes are easy to spot, and thankfully they are also simple to clear. Take a chopstick or wooden skewer (you can get a pack of wooden skewers on Amazon) and push it through each hole before twisting it to clear any debris that may be blocking it.

Once the holes are unblocked, go around and remove any plant saucers that are underneath the containers. They aren’t necessary for winter and, in fact, can create potential risks. Removing them ensures the pot will not sit in water or frozen water through the winter.

Containers also should not sit directly on cold, wet paving or concrete, which essentially seals the drainage holes. Instead, place them on pot feet to raise the containers off the ground so they can drain freely over winter.

To protect pots and planters from frost, consider moving pots together for winter. Grouping them together in a protected spot creates a beneficial microclimate that traps heat and shelters them. If you put them against a wall or beneath an overhang or eave, this also shields them from rain.

Finally, check your plants over the winter. Look for signs of overwatered plants, including discoloration, wilting, or mold growing on the soil surface. If you worry that they are getting too much rain, move them somewhere sheltered from the elements.

What to Shop

We mentioned that porous materials like terracotta and clay are vulnerable to cracking and shattering during the winter.

This makes fiberglass, fiberstone, resin, and wood among the best container materials for winter gardens, as they are more resistant to freezing temperatures. To protect containers against the worst of winter, wrap them in covers, such as these winter pot covers on Amazon.

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Snake plant care at this time of year is all about moisture management, as they can rot easily from overwatering. Likewise, cleaning their sword-shape foliage can be beneficial for deterring pests and improving light exposure. You should also stop fertilizing by the point if you haven't already, as your snake plant's roots won't be able to absorb the nutrients and it could result in root burn.

With the right houseplant care kit to hand (a soil moisture meter from Amazon can't be underestimated this season), you can give your snake plant everything it needs for a smooth seasonal transition. Here's exactly what to do with a snake plant in October.

1. Stop Watering Regularly

Something you may not know about snake plants is that they're akin to succulents. Their fleshy foliage stores water, which aids them in their native semi-arid habitat. But, just like succulent mistakes, this means they are susceptible to overwatering – especially in fall and winter.

'In October, the best thing you can do for a snake plant is to ignore it,' says plant expert and interior plant designer, Shane PliskA. 'As the days get shorter, the biggest danger to snake plants is overwatering. Make sure it is dry in between watering,' he adds.

You can use a soil moisture meter (also available at Walmart) to check your snake plant's soil. Only water again once it has fully dried out, otherwise you risk root rot and mushy foliage.

'As temperatures cool, scale back watering to once every 3-4 weeks. Don’t pour water into the leaf rosette to avoid rot,' suggests Marina Prokaten, plant expert at Plantum.

2. Clean Its Leaves

Snake plants have iconic sword-shaped, glossy foliage. While it may not be obvious from far away, a closer look will reveal this foliage captures dust which can make your snake plant appear duller, block light, and encourage houseplant pests.

That's why it's important to clean houseplant leaves regularly. In fall especially, this will reduce the risk of blocked pores and allow your snake plant to soak up as much light as possible, where daylight is otherwise limited this season.

'Clean the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to remove the dust. Keeping the foliage dust-free ensures the plant absorbs as much fall light as possible,' Marina says.

I like to use houseplant dusting gloves (like this from Amazon) which are made of microfiber and pick up dust in one swipe.

3. Keep Away from Heat and Drafts

One of the key things to keep in mind with fall houseplant care is where your plants are located. In particular, indoor heating sources and cold drafts need to be avoided, as these dramatic temperature fluctuations can cause discoloring, drooping, and even the death of your plant.

'With central heating turning on in October, move your pot away from radiators and heating vents to avoid dry heat stress,' Marina says. 'It’s also best to ensure the leaves don't touch cold windowpanes at night,' she notes.

The ideal indoor temperature for snake plants is 60-75°F, which you can monitor using this Walmart room thermometer.

4. Stop Fertilizing

If you haven't already, you should stop fertilizing your snake plant in October. The plant is slowing down for winter dormancy and won't actively grow over the next few months. This means it doesn't need supplementary plant nutrients from a fertilizer.

'The roots aren’t able to absorb all the nutrients from fertilization as the plant enters dormancy, which can damage the root system,' Marina says.

It could risk root burn, make your snake plant turn yellow, and even kill off your snake plant.

Instead, use this time to stock up on snake plant fertilizer (like this one from Amazon) so you're ready to start feeding it monthly from spring next year.

5. Don't Prune Now

Now is also not a good time to prune your snake plant. It could encourage some new growth which will only struggle through fall and winter's cooler temps and darker days, resulting in a weakened plant.

'Fall is not the best time to repot or prune a snake plant. If there is something that is damaged or broken, then you can go ahead and prune it, but major pruning is not recommended this time of year because the plant is not in a growth phase, so it will take a lot longer for it to heal,' says Lindsey Chastain, homesteader and founder at The Waddle and Cluck.

'I recommend only repotting your snake plant if it's outgrowing its pot, and I would do that as early in October as possible,' she adds.

If you do need to remove any damaged leaves, use sharp houseplant pruning tools (these Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon will work well for snake plants) and make a clean cut at the base of the leaves.

What to Shop

If you find your snake plant is drooping, it may be due to one of the common snake plant problems, including rotting and insufficient lighting. By making some adjustments soon after spotting symptoms, you can nurture your snake plant back to good health.

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October is an important time to grow lavender successfully, particularly if you live somewhere with freezing winters. I have the Phenomenal Lavender from Plant Addicts growing in my own garden, and preparing plants for colder weather is all about getting the basics right, from good drainage to knowing when to cut back on watering. Different lavender varieties can also have different cold tolerances, so it’s worth understanding what your plant needs to make it through winter.

How to Care for Lavender in October

Whether you’re growing lavender in pots, borders, or landscaping with lavender to create a fragrant, pollinator-friendly garden, these five simple October tasks will help protect your plants through winter and encourage a beautiful flush of blooms next year.

1. Hold Off on Heavy Pruning

If you’ve already trimmed your lavender after flowering in late summer, there’s usually no need for another major cut in October. Instead, focus on light maintenance: deadhead lavender by removing any remaining spent flower stems, using clean, sharp pruning shears such as the Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears from Amazon. This helps keep plants looking tidy without encouraging a flush of tender new growth just before winter.

Pruning too late can leave new growth vulnerable to frost, particularly in colder parts of the country. Avoid cutting into the woody stems, as lavender often struggles to regrow from old wood, and cutting back too far can permanently damage the plant. If yours looks leggy or overgrown, wait until spring to assess its shape and remove any winter-damaged growth. In colder regions, it’s best to avoid fall pruning altogether.

2. Check That the Soil Drains Properly

One of the most important things to do with lavender in October is make sure its roots aren't sitting in wet soil. Lavender thrives in sunny conditions with excellent drainage, and excessive moisture during winter can lead to root rot. Choosing the right soil for lavender is especially important if your garden tends to hold water after rain.

‘Lavender thrives when its roots can breathe, so good drainage is especially important as temperatures drop and fall rain arrives. I'd focus on keeping the soil relatively dry and avoiding anything that allows moisture to collect around the base of the plant,’ says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens.

If your garden has heavy clay soil or becomes waterlogged after rain, consider growing lavender in a raised bed or container instead. You could improve suitable garden soil with a horticultural grit, such as Soil Sunrise Lavender Potting Soil Mix, to help improve drainage, or choose a specialist mix such as Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Citrus Potting Mix for container-grown plants, checking the product label before use.

3. Reduce Watering as Temperatures Drop

Established lavender growing in the ground is drought-tolerant and rarely needs additional watering in fall unless conditions are unusually dry. As temperatures cool and growth slows, the plant generally requires less moisture than it did during summer. Knowing when and how to water lavender is especially important in October, when cooler weather and seasonal rain can leave roots vulnerable to excess moisture.

Potted lavender needs a little more attention because its soil can dry out more quickly. Check the potting mix before watering, using a moisture meter such as the XLUX Soil Moisture Meter if you're unsure whether the compost is dry. When watering, a Bloem Easy Pour Watering Can from Amazon can help you direct water towards the soil rather than the foliage.

4. Protect Potted Lavender From Freezing Weather

Lavender grown in containers is more vulnerable to cold than plants in the ground because its roots have less insulation. If you're growing lavender in pots, October is a good time to plan where your containers will spend the colder months. Hardy English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) can often remain outdoors through winter, provided the soil drains well and the variety is suited to your climate.

Move pots to a sheltered spot, such as beside a wall, where they can receive sunlight and some protection from heavy rain. If you need to move larger containers, a plant caddy with wheels, such as the Lowe’s Garden Rolling Plant Caddy, can make repositioning them easier.

French and Spanish lavender are generally less cold-hardy and may need to be moved into a frost-free greenhouse or another protected space. Check the plant label for your variety’s specific hardiness requirements.

In colder areas, protect the roots of hardy lavender with an insulating wrap around the pot, such as a breathable Frost Protection Fleece available from Amazon. Once the plant is dormant and the ground has begun to freeze, you can also protect the surrounding roots where appropriate. Avoid heavy, moisture-retaining materials around the crown, as these can encourage rot.

5. Skip Fertilizer and Keep the Plant Tidy

Lavender naturally grows well in relatively low-nutrient soil, so established plants generally don't need much fertilizer. If you're wondering whether to fertilize lavender in October, the answer is usually no. This isn't the time to encourage lots of new growth, particularly if freezing temperatures are approaching. Save any feeding for when active growth resumes in spring, if your plants need it.

Instead, focus on keeping your lavender healthy through winter. Clear away fallen leaves and debris around the base of the plant to improve airflow and help keep the crown dry. A pair of Fiskars Garden Hand Pruners can help remove damaged or dead stems, while Garden Safe Garden Fungicide from The Home Depot is an option to consider only if a specific fungal disease develops, following the label instructions.

Lavender is relatively low-maintenance, but a little preparation in October can make all the difference when winter arrives. Avoid heavy pruning, water only when necessary, and make sure your plants have well-draining soil to protect their roots from excess moisture.

By tailoring your approach to your lavender variety and local climate, you’ll give your plants the best chance of coming through winter healthy and rewarding you with another season of fragrant blooms next year.

Popular varieties tend to sell out quickly. As retailers open orders for bare-root fruit trees and bushes in October, you can secure yours and enjoy many years of glorious homegrown fruit. Some classic, dependable apple, pear, peach, and cherry varieties are sought-after as budget-friendly bare-root plants.

Buying and planting early in the window helps, as it gives the roots time to settle and be primed to grow when spring arrives. Here are our picks for some of the most popular bare-root fruit trees to order in October and get ahead of the rush. Once your tree arrives, you can plant it straight away, as long as the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. If you’ve got lots of planting ahead, this stainless steel border spade at Amazon is perfect for the job.

1. Apple

Thousands of different apple tree varieties exist. A good range of bare-root apples is available each year, and they fall into one of three groups: for eating, for cooking, or for cider. Don’t be confused by the choice; consider the characteristics, taste, and size when picking.

You can find an apple tree to grow for any desire or space. For example, a ‘Honeycrisp’ is a popular American apple variety for eating fresh, while ‘Fuji’ stores well for a long time, and ‘Granny Smith’ is a classic cooking apple.

Popular varieties like ‘Honeycrisp’, ‘Gala’, and ‘Fuji’ are always in high demand each bare-root season. You can get a bare-root ‘Honeycrisp' apple tree at The Home Depot that is hardy in zones 3-8 and naturally compact.

Modern apple trees are grafted onto rootstocks to control their size – so you can get compact trees suited to smaller home gardens. Whatever you choose, plant an apple tree in well-drained, fertile soil somewhere it gets sun but is sheltered from the elements.

2. Pear

Homegrown pears offer a flavor and juiciness that surpass any pears you buy in stores. If you want to grow a pear tree at home, you can get self-fertile varieties, but any tree will do better with a compatible second variety. Pears are classed into four pollination groups, so you need a compatible variety that flowers at the same time to get a pear tree to fruit.

The most popular pear trees across the US are ‘Bartlett’, ‘Kieffer’, and ‘Bosc’. These classic European pears need to be picked early and brought indoors to ripen. However, for something a bit different, Asian pears such as ‘Hosui’ or ‘Shinko’ can be eaten straight from the tree.

You can get a bare-root dwarf ‘Bartlett’ pear tree at The Home Depot to grow in zones 5-8, but it needs a compatible tree to fruit.

The best spot to grow a pear tree is sunny and sheltered. The tree needs fertile, well-drained soil. After you plant the tree, mulch around it with compost, bark, or wood chips, like this organic premium wood mulch on Amazon.

3. Peach

Growing peaches remains popular in warmer southern climates, where growers can enjoy the beautiful spring blossoms and soft, juicy summer harvests. The sun-loving fruit trees need a warm, bright spot where they can bask in at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Popular peach varieties include the widely planted ‘Redhaven’ and the American ‘Elberta’ peach. For growers in colder climates, ‘Reliance’ is a dependable option that tolerates colder temperatures and blooms later in the season.

You can get a bare-root ‘Elberta’ peach tree at The Home Depot.

A key part of getting a peach tree to fruit is providing the right number of ‘chill hours’ – a set period of cold during dormancy. Before planting a peach tree, check the amount of ‘chill hours’ you can provide in your climate and pick a variety accordingly. Get it wrong, and your harvest will be reduced.

After planting trees, consider installing tree guards to protect the trunk from being nibbled by rabbits, deer, rodents, or any other unwanted pests. You can get a pack of easy-to-install spiral tree guards at Amazon.

4. Plum

Plums are another fruit tree where different types fall into categories, namely dessert, culinary, or dual-purpose plums. That makes it important to consider how you’ll use them when choosing between types of plum trees. As with others, while self-fertile varieties allow a crop with just one tree, you’ll always get a better crop with a pollination partner.

The popular plums include ‘Santa Rosa’, ‘Methley’, and ‘Stanley’. ‘Santa Rosa’ is a dessert plum and a cultivar of the Japanese plum that produces sweet red-skinned fruits with yellow flesh. You can enjoy these fruits fresh from the tree, or use them in jams, jellies, or puddings. It is a really versatile variety and a great starting choice for anyone who wants to grow a plum tree. You can get a bare-root dwarf ‘Santa Rosa’ plum tree at The Home Depot.

Plant a plum tree in a sunny spot that is protected from strong winds. They require fertile, well-draining soil. If you have heavier soil, add organic matter (such as this bag of compost and manure at Walmart) to help improve drainage.

5. Cherry

Cherry trees offer a double treat with stunning spring blossoms followed by abundant summer harvests. If you want to grow a cherry tree, many varieties are available as bare-root trees during the dormant months. You just need to decide what type works best for you and your space.

That includes choosing between sweet and sour. Sweet cherries can be eaten straight from the tree, while sour cherries are for baking or preserves. Among the range of cherries, there are also self-fertile and compact varieties that open up opportunities for small gardens and growing fruit trees in pots.

‘Bing’ remains one of the most popular cherry trees, producing the classic dark-red sweet cherry. You can get two bare-root ‘Bing’cherry trees at The Home Depot.

If you have a smaller space but want to plant a cherry tree, ‘Lapins’ is a self-fertile variety that will produce a good harvest on its own. You can also get a bare-root semi-dwarf ‘Lapins’ cherry tree at The Home Depot.

6. Apricot

Apricot trees evoke images of hot summers, but modern varieties are now adapted to thrive in cooler climates. This means anyone in US hardiness zones 5-8 can grow an apricot tree, provided they pick one suited to their climate.

There are also opportunities for growing apricots indoors in a greenhouse or training them against a south-facing wall to take advantage of the extra warmth to provide the perfect environment to get an apricot tree to fruit.

The most popular apricot is ‘Blenheim’. It is the classic summer apricot with orange flesh and a sweet-tart flavor. This variety is suited to warmer climates as it flowers early and doesn’t need a high amount of ‘chill hours’ to fruit. You can get a bare-root two-year-old dwarf ‘Blenheim’ apricot tree at The Home Depot.

Growers in colder regions can opt for ‘Goldcot’, a cold-hardy variety that blooms later. When you harvest apricots from a ‘Goldcot’ tree, they can be baked, cooked, dried, or just enjoyed as a snack. You can also get a dwarf ‘Goldcot’ apricot tree at The Home Depot.

What to Shop

October always offers an ideal opportunity to plant lots of varied additions into your garden. The warm, moist soil in fall means there are many things you can plant in October, including spring bulbs, hardy perennials, trees, and shrubs.

As long as the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, there is a lot of potential for planting, and your new additions should have time to get settled before winter arrives.

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These cute little creatures even allow migrating songbirds in unfamiliar territories to hang out with them, making unusual visitor sightings more possible.

If you would like to attract these hardy feathered heroes to your yard, turn it into a haven for chickadees, with the best plants for birds, like this Pink Crush New England Aster from Plant Addicts. There are other simple steps that can help to create a songbird sanctuary too. Discover the practices ornithology experts recommend.

Chickadee Species And Winter Behaviour

'These remarkably tough little birds can be found throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with seven species occupying distinct ranges across the continent,' explains Miranda Rinck, Engagement Support Specialist, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

'Chickadees spend the winter in flocks searching for food and shelter, with some species up north enduring months of freezing temperatures.'

Miranda tells us that in the north, Black-capped Chickadees can be found coast to coast, including much of Canada and the northern two-thirds of the United States.

'Black-capped Chickadees live in a mix of deciduous and mixed deciduous and coniferous woodlands, as well as suburban areas,' she says.

The west coast is where the Chestnut-backed Chickadee resides. 'These birds can be found in coastal and interior forests from southeastern Alaska down to southern California.'

In the northern boreal forests of Canada and the adjacent United States, you can spot the Boreal Chickadee flocking amongst coniferous forests with spruce and sometimes fir.

'As you venture further south, you can find the Carolina Chickadee with overlapping ranges with Black-capped Chickadees,' says Miranda. 'Out west, the Mountain Chickadee can be found in montane coniferous forests consisting of pine and spruce-fir.'

Lastly, is the southernmost North American species, the Mexican Chickadee. 'This bird can be found in two mountain ranges in the U.S., in Arizona and New Mexico,' continues Miranda. 'However, it is mostly restricted to the mountainous regions of Mexico.'

1. Avoid Pruning Native Pines, Spruces and Firs

Unless you are pruning damaged, diseased or dead branches, the fall is generally not a good time to heavily trim native pines, spruces or firs, for the health of the tree. Another good reason to leave this task until late winter or early spring, is that is ensures respite for chickadees retreating from cold conditions.

'Dense cover provided by shrubs and evergreen trees provides protection from wind, snow, and predators – and can even provide places for chickadees to store their cached food,' says Miranda.

'We recommend avoiding heavy pruning of native pines, spruces, firs, and dense shrubs in October, particularly along woodland edges and in sheltered corners of the yard.'

2. Create Brush Piles

Creating brush piles has so many benefits in a wildlife garden, particularly as these stacks of sticks, twigs, logs and branches provide overwintering habitat for beneficial bugs – and the birds that feed on them. They have other advantages where chickadees are concerned too.

'Chickadees store food by caching seeds in various places,' says Miranda. 'These "hoarding" sites consist of tiny crevices in trees, dead leaves, pine needle clusters, and more.

'By creating brush piles, you can help chickadees find more little spaces to collect their food for the winter. Brush piles in your yard can also provide a great resource for chickadees in the cold to take cover.'

Moving heavy branches and large twigs to a quiet corner of the yard is a breeze with this steel wheelbarrow from Ace Hardware.

3. Amass Piles of Leaf Litter

Sweeping up fallen leaves can feel like a never-ending chore at this time of year. Yet this natural golden treasure serves multiple purposes in the garden. Aside from the alchemy that eventually turns dead leaves into nutritious free mulch for flower beds, piles of autumnal leaf litter can offer a bug buffet for hungry chickadees.

'Chickadees are professionals at foraging for overwintering insects and eggs on branches, bark, and buds; so, leaving your leaves in October can be a great way to help these birds out in the late fall,' says Miranda. 'Leaf litter provides habitat for hibernating insect species, but also places for insects to lay eggs that chickadees eat.'

These steel leaf scoops from Walmart make light work of moving garden debris into leaf piles.

4. Plant Native Trees And Evergreens

Just as foliage on existing evergreens offers up shelter and sustenance for chickadees and other overwintering avians, planting native potted trees (both deciduous and evergreen) such as alder, birch or juniper can provide extra cover too. This should still be possible for those in regions where the ground is soft and the first frost is still six weeks away.

'Planting native spruce, pine, oak, fir and juniper trees can be an excellent way to provide natural food sources and shelter for these birds throughout the year,' says Miranda. 'Not only do some native plants provide seeds, but they also support the insects that chickadees rely on.

'Chickadees spend much of their time foraging in trees, searching beneath bark and among conifer needles for food. Even in the winter, chickadees continue to forage insect eggs and overwintering insects.

'Native plants are one of the best ways to provide food and habitat for chickadees.'

This Colorado Blue Spruce from Trees.com has beautiful silvery blue-green foliage, is suitable for zones 2-7 and hardy to -40ºF.

'There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of cultivars of native species available in garden centers across the U.S.,' adds Jen McGuinness, author, Bird-Friendly Gardening. 'Some cultivars of natives aren’t much different from the true native, but some are significantly altered, causing the plant to become less recognizable to insects, birds, and other wildlife, specifically if the bloom is altered.

'Ecologists agree that some cultivars of natives may hold ecological value—at least more than exotics from the other side of the planet—but it is generally believed that the true native is best.'

This Hazel Alder from Plant Addicts is native to North America and is suitable for zones 4-9.

5. Put Up Feeders

Feeding birds in winter can increase thir survival. For chickadees it's a time they can struggle to find the seeds, insects or invertebrates they usually feed on. Even though these clever little creatures are capable of remembering thousands of places they have hoarded their food hauls, they may not be able to access them, due to icy conditions. So putting up bird feeders can be a lifeline for chickadees.

'In the winter, chickadees need a lot more food to help their energy levels as they fight to stay warm,' says Miranda. 'Leaving out feeders in your yard with seeds such as hulled sunflower seeds, nyjer, safflower seeds, black oil sunflower seeds, or mealworms and suet, can attract chickadees and provide these birds with a supplemental food source to help them in harsh winter conditions when their usual food may be scarce.

'They will often eat at hopper and tube feeders. Although, it is important to routinely clean your bird feeders every one to two weeks to feed birds safely.'

This Audubon Hopper Bird Feeder from Ace Hardware has four ports and an easy to fill swivel top. Keep it topped up with this Black Oil Sunflower Seed from Ace Hardware, a favorite food for chickadees, finches, cardinals and other beautiful songbirds.

6. Provide Access to Unfrozen Water

Natural water sources like puddles and ponds can freeze over during the winter making hydration and preening plumage tricky for chickadees. Maintaining garden bird baths can play a vital role for these cute creatures when it's seriously cold.

'While fresh water is important throughout the seasons, providing unfrozen clean water for birds to drink from in the winter will not only help your resident birds, but may attract others in the area,' says Jen McGuinness.

'Heated birdbaths can be plugged in with an outdoor-rated extension cord to an outdoor outlet (make sure to use a cord protector to keep he plugs dry). The options include a unit that can be inserted into an existing birdbath to keep water above freezing, or an entire basin that keeps the water temperature above freezing.

'Birdbaths (in all seasons) are best located in an area where birds can spot any movement or threat from predators. Having shrubs or a tree line nearby (within 6 to 10 feet) for birds to escape to is beneficial if hawks are also residents in the area.'

This bird bath heater from Lowe's is low wattage at 44 watts and can be placed in a shallow bowl to prevent water from freezing.

7. Adapt A Nest Box

Like bluebirds, chickadees are cavity nesters, which means they will nest – and roost – in tree cavities left by larger birds, like woodpeckers. And although, it's not nesting season, these adorable avians will also use bird boxes to shelter during the winter.

'Since flocks move around quite a bit in search for food, you might not notice a nest box being used every day like in the breeding season, but these boxes can provide a great resource for chickadees to escape from the rain, snow, and cold weather,' explains Miranda. 'Providing a roost box or reconfiguring your nest box in the winter can be a great way to provide shelter and keep these birds warm.'

A roost box differs lightly to a nest box, as it's designed to prevent the birds' body heat from escaping, so has fewer ventilation holes. It may have a few perches inside made from dowel rods and the entrance hole is lower to reduce warm air escaping. A chickadee roost box is often smaller than a nest box too, as these birds tend to roost alone, rather than in groups.

'Some people modify their nest boxes by plugging some of the ventilation holes and adding twigs for perching,' says Miranda. 'If it's easy to take a part, you can also turn the front panel upside down, so the entrance hole is lower. However, if you'd like to go further, it's also possible to provide chickadees with a specially designed roost box.'

This Chickadee roosting box from Etsy is made from cedar and has a 1⅛ inch diameter entrance. It can be mounted on a fence post or wall and comes with mounting screws. The front panel can be removed for easy cleaning at the end of the season.

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