October What To Do Now Calendar

Care for houseplants –Clean foliage, water regularly and fertilize. Repot as necessary. Go here for complete instructions. Control insect pests with Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use. As temperatures drop below 50 degrees F, bring plants indoors for the winter.

Care for roses –Remove faded flowers, cutting back to the first leaf with five leaflets. Roses, such as floribundas and shrubs, which bloom in clusters, can be lightly sheared after blooms fade. In coldest areas, cut plants back to 12 to 18 inches and apply winter protection as the ground begins to freeze. For more information on protecting roses in winter, click here.

Control indoor/outdoor pests –To control insects like spiders, fleas, ants and multicolored Asian ladybugs, use Bayer Advanced™ Home Pest Control Indoor/Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Use Battery Powered Sprayer, which can be used both outdoors and indoors (indoor use provides up to 9 months' insect protection). If just outdoor ants are your problem, and you prefer to use a granule, use Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Ant Killer Granules. For more information on controlling indoors pests, see this months feature story here.

Control lawn pests –This is your last chance this year to solve your grub problems. Apply Bayer Advanced™ 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus Granules. For more on grub control, click here.

Control lawn weeds –Kill all your broadleaf lawn weeds, including clover, chickweed, dandelion, plantain, nutsedge and your grassy weeds, such as crabgrass, at one time using a single application of Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Weed Killer for Lawns Ready-To-Use. This one product kills over 200 lawn weeds. Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Weed Killer for Lawns Ready-To-Use in the convenient, ready-to-use form contains SmartTrack red dye, which shows you exactly which weeds you’ve already sprayed before it naturally fades away. To treat larger areas, purchase the concentrated formulation. Now you can control all the weeds in your lawn at one time – saving you money and time! One application in fall will kill many weeds when they are small and easier to control than they will be next spring.

Fertilize –In most areas, there is still time to feed cool-season lawns like Kentucky bluegrass and fescues. But don’t wait any longer. Fall is the very best time to feed your lawn.

Fertilize –Fall is an ideal time to fertilize with Bayer Advanced Triple Action Garden Fertilizers. Even though growth of many plants is slowing, roots can still absorb nutrients. Any fertilizer can green your plants immediately, but Bayer Advanced Fertilizers provide balanced plant nutrition for 3 months, feeding the plant and the roots. Choose a fertilizer with prescription-balanced feeding for your plants (Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Landscape, Tree & Shrub Food Granules, Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Rose Food Granules, Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Azalea, Camellia, & Rhododendron Food Granules) or use a multi-purpose premium food (Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action All Purpose Plant Food Granules), and you’ll get healthier growth next spring!

Mow –Lawns are growing slowly. Mow as needed but don’t let fallen leaves accumulate for too long. Your lawn needs the sunlight. Rake leaves regularly and often.

Plant –In milder areas, there may still be time to start cool-season lawns like Kentucky bluegrass and fescues. For more on lawn planting and overseeding, click here.

Plant flowers –Nurseries are full of beautifully colored mums. Use them to enliven your fall garden. And don’t forget hardy perennials like penstemon, gaillardia, phlox and iberis. Sow wildflower seeds. It's also a great time (you have until mid-November) to plant spring bulbs, such as crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. Protect new plantings from insect pests with Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Concentrate. It kills pests immediately on contact and keeps killing by systemic action for a month. One thorough spray saves you time and money.

Plant trees and shrubs –Autumn is the best time of year for new landscaping. Cooler weather will ease establishment and make sure plants get off to a strong start next spring. Plant new trees, vines and shrubs, including roses. Protect new plantings from insects (borers, aphids, soft scale and many others) with Bayer Advanced™ Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate. Mulch new planting to prevent heaving from alternate freezing and thawing.

Rake –Raking our lawns to make our property neat is a good idea, but we need to keep our grass raked of dead leaves for a much more important reason. All plants, including grass, get energy via photosynthesis. If the grass is covered, it cannot make energy. Strong grass overwinters much better and gets off to a faster start next spring.

Water –Before the soil freezes, deeply water trees and shrubs thoroughly to prevent winter drying. Drain irrigation systems to prevent freezing. Be sure to follow all local watering guidelines.