October Gardening Tips: How to Prepare Now for a Successful May Planting (Malabar & Okra)

October is more than just harvest season—it's also the time to plan for next year's garden. By saving seeds and preparing your soil now, you’ll set yourself up for success in May. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get started:

  1. Save Your Okra Seeds: Let your okra grow until the pods are at their largest. These will provide the strongest seeds for next year. By harvesting mature okra pods now, you’ll have high-quality seeds ready to plant in the spring.

  2. Collect Malabar Spinach Seeds: Malabar spinach is known for reseeding itself if left alone. Whether you’re in zone 5 or zone 10, these seeds will often come back on their own. To manage this growth, thin out the plants or transplant them to new locations to ensure healthy crop rotation.

  3. Plan for Crop Rotation: Rotation is key to maintaining healthy soil. Consider where your okra and Malabar spinach will go next year. Moving them to different areas of your garden will help prevent soil depletion and reduce the risk of disease.

By following these simple steps now, you’ll have a head start on a thriving garden when May rolls around. Happy gardening!

I garden in Zone 8, using extensive compost, year-round cover crops, and 95% no-till methods. I also connect with my plants by talking and singing with them. Feel free to adapt these practices to your own growing zone!

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October Gardening Tips: How to Harvest and Store Cosmos Seeds for Next Spring

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Worms, Strawberries and Confirmation: Niamke Shropshire-Boykin