leave the leaves – Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

Was it really dry in October or was it my imagination? October is one of my favorite months, but I would rather have one during which I did not have to drag the hose all over the yard twice a week. I don’t water the Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG). It has to make it on its own. That was one of the considerations when I planted it. Darwinism is definitely at work here.

Close-up of a pink zinnia flower with a butterfly resting on it, surrounded by green foliage and other colorful flowers in the background.

Close-up of a vibrant orange and red blanket flower (Gaillardia) among green foliage, with wilted flowers and stems in the foreground.

(Left to right) Drought-resistant flowers keep showing up in the ACG like zinnias along with a stray gaillardia or two, commonly known as a blanket flower. With no frost to date, flowers are persisting late into the fall. And a few black-eyed Susans made a curtain call. (Image credit: Javin Griffin)

There are an astounding number of things still blooming. The African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) outnumber all the rest. They have been carrying the bulk of the load since mid-September. But they have friends. The zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are as foolproof an annual as you can get. Throw out the seeds and stand back. There are still some stray gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella), cosmos (C. sulfureus), purple cone flowers (Echinacea purpurea), and a solitary Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile).

Doing their Halloween best by coming back from the dead are several black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) all of which are interspersed with the ubiquitous hardy ageratum (Conoclinum coelestinum). Not a bad show for only 2” of rain. BTW, the pollinators really love the marigolds. I can usually expect to find three or four types of butterflies and an equal number of bee species on them.

Yeah, yeah. Shut up, Gary, and get to the real stuff. No worries. It’s all here.

Lawn Care

A person using a shovel to add leaves and garden debris into a metal bucket, with another bucket nearby. In the background, an outdoor composting structure is visible. — **YES, PLEASE**!

A row of large brown paper leaf bags on a suburban street beside a green recycling bin, surrounded by fallen leaves. — **YES, PLEASE**!

(Left to right) Do this, not that! If you have seen the “Leave the Leaves” signs around you neighborhood in the fall, this message matters. According to Keep Durham Beautiful, “Leaving your leaves is one way to change some of the forces at work behind the twin crises of climate change and loss of biodiversity. Some direct impact and benefits to leaving your leaves includes more beneficial insects including pollinators and fireflies, less stormwater runoff, healthier soil and trees, and less air and noise pollution.” (Image credit: Allie Mullin; Melinda Heigel)

Leaf removal is job #1. If your lawn consists of warm season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, centipede), and you have heavy leaf cover that might mat and smother your turf, that’s about all you need to know. These grasses will soon be going dormant not to be heard from until spring. But wait! The landfill doesn’t need the fallen leaves. Rake them into your beds or a few concentrated piles on the edges of the yard where they will decompose and provide vital organic matter and nutrients. Want more fireflies?

Leaves left to decompose also provide valuable habitat for fireflies and other beneficial insects. They keep their larvae warm, hidden, and protected as they hibernate through the winter. You can also put them in compost piles, not the trash.

Should you have cool season grass (tall fescue, bluegrass, perennial rye) you are still mowing (3”- 4”) and either bagging or mulching clippings and leaves (preferably the latter). Remember, the landfill doesn’t need it. If you overseeded or started a new lawn, be sure it gets ½” of water twice a week at a minimum.

Fertilizing

Pretty much zilch here. You can add lime to correct a low pH (<6.0) at the rate indicated on the SOIL TEST results you received from NCDOA. (Come on! They’re still free until the end of the month, y’all.) Lime is best incorporated into the soil as it doesn’t move through the soil to the root zone very well.

Planting

Have I ever mentioned, “FALL IS FOR PLANTING” before?

A variety of potted plants including leafy greens and flowers displayed against a wooden background.

Image credit: Melinda Heigel

Trees and shrubs can be transplanted this month. It is not too late to plant spring-flowering bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocuses, etc.) but try to complete this task before the end of the month. (Be on the lookout next week on the blog for tips on planting bulbs). One-year-old asparagus crowns can be transplanted now.

Pruning

Ahh, the perennial garden. Any day now, if it hasn’t happened already, Jack Frost or his insidious sibling Harriet Hardfreeze will drop in for a visit and finish any destruction not previously inflicted by Minerva Moisturestress. After that I plan to enjoy the deceased stalks until spring. There might be eggs of solitary bees or other beneficial insects in or on the stalk. You know, “Leave the Leaves.” How about a new saying? “Save the Stems.”

A close-up of a green, textured leaf or plant structure hanging from a brown stem, indicating seasonal changes in a garden.

Leaving a more “natural” fall-to-spring garden (read: untidy) is important for wildlife. Just like leaving leaves, leaving stems like those of the purple cone flower mean more habitat for over-wintering insects such as the black swallowtail chrysalis. (Image credit: Debbie Roos)

Dead or diseased wood can be trimmed from trees and shrubs. When removing entire branches make the pruning cuts at the outer edge of the branch collar (the flair at the base of the branch) to promote quicker healing. It is a good time to clean up the rest of the garden and landscape in general. You can yank weeds and other undesirable plants (the definition of a weed) and toss ‘em in the compost pile.

Spraying

If you’ve been doing battle with lace bugs all summer hit ‘em with a good dose of horticultural oil and put the sprayer away…well, clean it first, of course. (Might I suggest moving the offending azaleas to a less sunny location in the yard. They are an understory plant and are stressed when in full sun thereby inviting the lace bugs which prefer stressed plants. That’s your cause-and-effect lesson for this month.)

OTHER ENTERTAINING, ENLIGHTENING, AND ENCHANTING ENDEAVORS TO ENJOY IN PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA IN AUTUMN…

Three illustrated leaves in a row, each with a distinct outline and vein pattern.

Take a leaf hike in your neighborhood or local park.
Make a leaf pile for your kids or grandkids to play in.
Invite the neighbors over for an evening around the firepit. Hot cider and donuts required.
Enjoy the last few user-friendly days of 2025. They are numbered at this point.

May you have a wondrous Thanksgiving shared with people you love (and maybe some strangers).

Resources and Additional Information

More details on leaving the leaves: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/2023/09/08/leave-the-leaves-to-rake-or-not-to-rake/

Secret signals of fireflies: https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/07/how-fireflies-glow-and-what-signals-theyre-sending/

How to prune like a pro: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/general-pruning-techniques

On our blog, information about more fall blooming plants:

Hardy ageratum: (Conoclinium coelestinum) https://wp.me/p2nIr1-2sj

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) https://wp.me/p2nIr1-4OY

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-6F7

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

(Left to right) The October surprise, or should we say November surprise, of the ACG is the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Do you still have pumpkins and gourds hanging around through Thanksgiving? Each year an estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins and gourds end up in landfills. Consider adding them to your compost or find a local participating municipality accepting them for donation. See below for more on Earth-friendly ways to deal with your organic decorations post-holiday.¹ (Image credit: Dan Mullem CC BY-NC-ND 2.0; Melinda Heigel)

How ‘bout that October? Except for precipitation of any sort, there was something for almost everyone—a little hot, a little cool, and some stereotypical October Piedmont North Carolina, NC State Fair weather. There haven’t been very many State Fairs in my memory without some honest to goodness rain. We’ve been blessed unless, of course, you were trying to grow plants which is sort of what we’re all about here. So, mixed blessings? I mean, as fantastic as this area is, it still ain’t Camelot, Guinevere.

(Left to right) The ACG is still providing blooms this November. The drought-resistant African marigolds prove their hardiness. When planting for fall color, you can count on the New England aster and pink muhly grass to provide late-season interest. (Image credit: Gary Crispell; Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) is too stubborn to give in to the crazy droughty up and down weather. There are some tough characters out there. The toughest of which must be the gallardia (G. pulchella). It doesn’t know quit. The African marigold (Tagetes erecta) and the zinnias (Z. elegans) are also heat and drought tolerant along with the false vervain (Glandularia bipinnatatifida). (Somebody stayed up late naming that one!)

A delightful surprise this year is a lovely New England aster (Symphotrichum novae-angliae). It isn’t as erect as I might be as it was crowded in amongst some other things, and I didn’t become aware of its existence until recently. Next year. Most of the hardy ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) have succumbed to the drought and the shorter days. There are a couple of late-to-the-party purple cone flowers (Echinacea purpurea) and a stray black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). The muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) are looking a little thin and wispy, but I attribute that to it being the first year in the ground for them. Enough about my garden, let’s talk about what we can do in yours in November.