October gardening tips | Brevard County, Florida

Fall weather is here! October is the best time for planting your cool weather crops and flowers as there is less heat and less pressure from insects and diseases.

Plant Veggies and Herbs

Fresh herbs + veggies will add great taste to your holiday meals, and there is no better time to plant them than now! Plant all your cool-weather vegetables and herbs right now. If we sell them, it’s time to plant!

Add fall color to your hanging baskets and container gardens.

When it comes to choosing seasonal accents for your garden, the possibilities are as vast as your imagination. Coleus, celosia, chenille plant, rudbeckia, ornamental grasses, and sweet potato all make good seasonal accents.

Explore our large selection colorful annuals and perennial here.

If you ever need more information or want to explore creative container gardening ideas, don’t hesitate ask our knowledgeable associates.

Plant new bulbs and divide existing perennials and bulbs.

Right now is a great time to plant bulbs for a beautiful spring garden! Make sure to cover them with a lot of organic matter for the best results.

Apply a pre-emergent herbicide to keep weeds in check.

If you have a space prone to weeds, now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed killers to prevent them from popping up.

It’s time for fall feeding

In Brevard County, we observe a fertilizer ban from June 1st to September 30th to protect our local waterways. As October arrives, so does the opportunity to give your garden a little boost of nourishment.

Lawns, shrubs, flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables greatly benefit from a well-timed fertilizer application. We recommend using natural, slow-release fertilizers like Espoma, which provide essential nutrients to your plants while minimizing environmental impact, or better yet, create your own organic fertilizers at home.

Shade the Holiday Plants!

Make sure your holiday plants, including poinsettias and Christmas cactus, aren’t getting any artificial light. These plants need long nights in order to produce blooms.

Mums the Word

Nothing says “autumn” better than chrysanthemums. Set them in containers or out in the garden to provide a great pop of fall color.

If the weather is still a little warm, make sure you keep them well-watered, especially if they’re in pots, and provide some shade during the hottest parts of the day to prevent heat stress.

annuals + perennials to plant now

herbs + vegetables to plant now

We have lots of great events happening at Rockledge Gardens this month to celebrate fall. Check out our Events Page and follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay informed.

See ya in the gardens.