October To-Do List

October is the month we can usually expect our first frost. Most of the planting should have been done by now, but with so little rain last month, the soil is either powder or hard as a rock. It’s also the month in which we tend to some seasonal chores. So what’s on the to-do list?

Garden Planting

Most of the fall garden should have been planted in August and September, but I keep waiting on rain that doesn’t come. Still to plant:

• Greens in the hoop house: lettuce, kale, claytonia, arugula
• Root vegetables (these should have been planted already but better late than never I suppose): mangles, beets, turnips, carrots, and radishes

Winter Wheat

I mentioned in this year’s Master Plan post that we are changing where we grow field crops to a different paddock.

The new location will need a fence (maybe electric) and ground preparation to plant,

but with the ground so hard from so little rain we’re behind on soil preparation here.

Winter Pasture

I like to sow pasture seed right before it rains, because I don’t like to leave it sitting on the ground, even mulched (see “A Modified Fukuoka Method of Planting Winter Pasture“) because of the chickens. Usually I hand broadcast to fill in bare spots, but it will take more this year because we lost most of our pasture due to the hot, dry weather.

Confining the Seed-Eating Culprits 

Given the opportunity, the chickens will consume every last pasture and crop seed we plant! That means they will have to stay confined until the seed is sprouted and growing. On the to-do list are wing clipping and checking the chicken yard fence for any escape points that need to be mended.

Meat Harvest

We can start this when the days are too cool for flies. This year it will be mostly ducks and maybe a few chickens.

Firewood

We have a good start but there is still quite a bit to split

Woodstove Chimneys

These need to be cleaned of soot and buildup inside the pipes.

Finishing the Little Barn
Seasonal chores put projects on hold, but we’ll still work on finishing the Little Barn as we can.

What about you? What’s on your October to-do list?