October is one of the best months for yard and garden activities.
Temperatures have dropped, the sun isn't quite as intense, and we just have more energy to tackle those long overdue outside chores.
Summer damage control
Prune back any sun-scorched, dried-out stems and branches. Flowers that have faded also should be removed with the help of sharp hand pruners.
Do some shaping of flowers, ground covers and shrubs that have grown tall and leggy during the summer, but be prudent. This isn't the time to cut plants back severely. Wait until late winter for large pruning jobs.
Time for light fertilizing
Summer rains and frequent irrigation have depleted the soil of nitrogen needed to keep all but native desert plants green. So now is the time to make light applications of nitrogen in the form of a nitrogen-containing plant food to green up plants and get them healthy before winter.
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The quickest way to correct a nitrogen deficiency is to apply a water-soluble plant food that's high in nitrogen.
These water-soluble plant foods come in powder or liquid form. They're diluted with water and poured around the base of nitrogen-starved plants.
Granular ammonium sulfate fertilizer also can be used to quickly correct nitrogen deficiencies.
If you prefer an organic source of nitrogen, try blood meal, cottonseed meal, poultry manure or activated sludge. All are relatively high in nitrogen but are slower-acting than water-soluble forms.
Adjust watering schedule
With the cooler weather of fall and winter comes a slowdown in plant growth. As a result, plants need less water; it's time to cut back.
A good rule of thumb is to double the number of days between waterings. So let's say you're irrigating your citrus tree once every seven days — then double it and water once every 14 days through late fall and into winter.
Don't, however, adjust the length of your watering time.
If you've been irrigating your citrus tree for three hours every seven days, then continue watering for three hours, but do it every 14 days.
Planting new citrus
In Tucson, October is one of the best times to plant citrus trees. The weather is relatively mild, and there's still time for newly planted trees to get established before cold weather arrives.
Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes all can be grown in Tucson. However, lemons and limes are the most cold-sensitive and should be planted only in the warmer parts of the city.
If you have room for only one citrus tree in your yard, I recommend planting a Minneola tangelo. It's a cross between a mandarin orange and a grapefruit, and it's probably the sweetest and juiciest of all the citrus fruits.
Minneola tangelos are a deep reddish-orange, and the fruit has a distinctive bell shape. The popular name for the Minneola is honeybell.
Gardening
Advice by John P. Begeman
» Watering guide
How much water do your plants need?
The length of time for watering depends on the type of plants you have and the depth that the water should penetrate:
• Trees — to a depth of 3 feet.
• Shrubs — to a depth of 2 feet.
• Smaller ground covers, perennials and annuals — to a depth of 1 foot.