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October is a time of change in the garden and brings the end of another growing season. The air is cool and crisp and sadly, the last cherry tomato will be plucked from the vine.

Typically, by mid-October just about everyone in the Pikes Peak region has experienced a reminder that cold weather is on its way.

A light freeze of 29 degrees to 32 degrees will kill very tender plants. To extend the season you can cover the most tender plants with an old bed sheet or other lightweight protective material.

Be sure to remove the covering if temperatures rise. You may even successfully protect plants with a moderate freeze of 25-28 degrees.

The first hard frost of 24 degrees or below signals the end for most herbaceous perennials as they will not be able to tolerate these cold temperatures.

• Early October, stop deadheading roses and reduce water to encourage them to go into dormancy.

If you had “black spot” on your roses, clean up all leaves and dispose of them in your trash. Do not compost, as the problem will return next year.

• Before a freeze, pick and ripen green tomatoes indoors.

• Save seeds from your favorite annuals and vegetables. If it’s a hybrid, don’t expect an exact replication of your current plant. All saved seeds should be stored in a cool dry location.

• Flowers like snapdragons, marigolds, violas, and cosmos are excellent reseeders. Don’t cultivate the soil around these plants if you want more of them next season.

• Pick pumpkins and winter squash by mid-October.

• Fertilize the lawn mid-to-late October. Many experts consider this the most important fertilization of the year.

• Core aeration in October will benefit lawns that have thatch build up or show signs of soil compaction.

• Plant garlic for harvesting next summer.

• Cover asparagus and rhubarb beds with 3 to 4 inches of mulch.

• Dig up and store in a dry location; tender bulbs such as cannas, dahlias and gladiolus.

• Parsley can be dug, divided and potted to grow in a sunny window to clip sprigs from all winter.

• After fall harvest, “Heritage” raspberry stalks can be cut back to the ground.

• At the end of November plant amaryllis in pots indoors for Christmas bloom.

• Clean, sharpen and oil tools and equipment before storing them for winter.

• Water trees and shrubs thoroughly to make sure they receive adequate moisture before going into dormancy and the ground freezes.

• Late October, after leaves fall, cover young, thin-barked trees with tree wrap to prevent winter sunscald.

• Drain or blow out your irrigation system and winterize all water features.

• During the coming months, keep watering using a garden hose until the ground freezes.

Keep in mind winter watering is crucial for our perennial plantings to include trees, shrubs and lawn.

Choose a day that has a predicted temperature of at least 40 degrees.

Irrigate during the daylight hours, before dark, and don’t water if ice or snow are present.

Submit gardening questions to csumg2@ elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The in- person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners-El Paso County.