October is kind of the end of the gardening season here in northern Utah. You may have experienced a frost in some of the higher mountain valleys. While in southern Utah things are still pretty good and you might have some time to enjoy the plants that are still there.
I pulled out all my beans and tomatoes and squash and peppers. I grabbed the last of the fruit and I'm enjoying them this week.
If you still have a few tomatoes, pick those that are coloring and store them in a warm area to ensure they ripen. You can also pick those mature green fruits. Look for the ones that have a whitish blossom and what looks like a star pattern radiating from that point. These will color but won't taste very good.
Get those winter squash out of the garden too. Leave a stem on the fruit, then store in a warm area in the basement. Keep the fruit stored at around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and watch for softening or rotting and use those first.
While the days are shortening, clean up the garden. Remove dead plant debris and compost that or recycle it. While you're at it, roll out those perennial weeds that give you trouble each year; bindweed, the mallows, some grasses. I like to treat the area with roundup first and that kills those tough weeds.
Also, let's think about soil sampling if your garden wasn't too productive in 2020. For information on soil sampling, sample prep, and where to get the sample analysis, go to the Extension website at extension.usu.edu. Periodic soil testing ensures you're getting the correct nutrients to the plants and you'll be ready for things next year.
