Fall is officially here! Even though the weather is still warm in many places in California, leaves are beginning to drop and things are starting to slow down in our gardens. It’s time to prepare for garden and landscape pest problems that could come with the changing season.
Did you know that UC IPM has the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist for regional, month-by-month lists of pest management practices?
Here are some general tips for keeping your landscape healthy in October:
- Adjust irrigation schedules according to the weather and plants' changing need for water.
- Prevent root rot by not overwatering and improving drainage.
- Clean up old fruit and nuts in and under trees to avoid harboring pests. Remove fallen leaves from beneath deciduous fruit trees and roses.
- Monitor citrus plants for damage and pests such as Asian citrus psyllid, brown rot, leafminer, root rots, and snails.
- Apply a preventive spray for peach leaf curl once or more during late fall through bud break if leaf curl has been a problem on nectarine or peach.
- If pine tree branches need removal, prune October through January to avoid attracting pine bark beetles, pitch moths, western gall rust, and wood borers.
- Create a fire safe landscape by following the motto “lean, clean and green.” LEAN: Thin out thick vegetation. CLEAN: Mow dry grass, remove dead plants, and trim back dead branches on trees and shrubs. GREEN: Landscape using fire-resilient plants.
- Prevent mosquitoes by removing clutter that could accumulate standing water before the rainy season. Place Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in birdbaths and ponds to selectively kill mosquito larvae.
Find more tips for your region in the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist and subscribe to receive monthly reminders delivered to your inbox.
