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Help for the Home Gardener

 

Our website is currently being updated to a new layout. The formatting and links on some pages may be affected. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

 

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Visit the Center for Home Gardening

Stop by the Center for Home Gardening and get your gardening questions answered by our expert staff and Master Gardener volunteers at the Plant Doctor Desk, or check out our houseplant display and other home gardening resources! Be sure to also take a stroll through our 23 outdoor demonstration gardens, which include a vegetable and fruit garden, cut flower garden, an experimental garden, and a newly renovated native prairie garden.  

Plant Doctor Desk (Walk-In) 

  • Hours: Open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (April-October)

Horticulture Answer Service (Phone & E-mail) 

October Gardening Tips

  • Be sure to adequately water plants, especially evergreens, if conditions are dry throughout fall.
  • Mulch trees and shrubs using the "donut" method as opposed to the "volcano" method which can damage trees and cause the roots to girdle.
  • Plant daffodils and other spring bulbs by mid to late October. Tulips can be planted until the ground freezes.
  • Spring bulbs forced for indoor bloom can be potted up now and stored in a cool, frost-free place until it is time to bring them indoors; usually 12-15 weeks. 
  • Plant garlic and shallot bulbs through October.
  • Dig up sweet potatoes before a bad freeze. 
  • Lawn seeding should be done by mid-October.
  • Houseplants and other tropical plants should be brought inside by early-mid October or before nightly temperatures reach below 50oF.