October is one of the busiest gardening months in Saint John. The growing season is winding down, but it’s an excellent time to prepare your garden for winter and get a head start on next spring.

🍂 What to Do in October

Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs

October is ideal for planting:

• Tulips
• Daffodils
• Crocuses
• Hyacinths

Plant them before the ground freezes so they can establish roots before winter.

Plant Garlic

Garlic is one of the best crops to plant in October in southern New Brunswick.

• Plant individual cloves 2–3 inches deep.
• Cover with mulch after the ground cools.
• Harvest next summer.

Clean Up Vegetable Gardens

• Remove dead tomato, bean, and squash plants.
• Pull weeds before they go to seed.
• Add healthy plant material to your compost pile.

Protect Perennials

After several hard frosts:

• Cut back diseased foliage.
• Leave some seed heads for birds.
• Apply mulch around sensitive plants.

Improve the Soil

Fall is an excellent time to:

• Add compost
• Spread aged manure
• Mulch garden beds

Winter weather helps work organic matter into the soil.

🐦 Support Wildlife

Consider leaving:

• Coneflower seed heads
• Sunflower heads
• Ornamental grasses

These provide food and shelter for birds throughout the winter.

🌡️ Typical October Weather in Saint John

Typical conditions include:

• Average highs: 10–14°C
• Average lows: 2–6°C
• First hard frost often occurs during October
• Increasing rainfall and occasional early snow flurries late in the month

Garden Planning for Next Year

October is also a great time to:

• Record what grew well this year.
• Sketch next year’s vegetable garden.
• Order seed catalogues.
• Divide overcrowded perennials.

For Saint John gardeners, October is less about harvesting and more about setting up a healthy, productive garden for spring 2027. 🌷🧄🍁

Tips for Buying Fall Mums

Fall mums are one of the easiest ways to add colour to your porch, garden or entrance as summer fades. But not all mums are equal. A little care when choosing them can mean weeks of extra colour.

1. Look for lots of unopened buds

Choose a plant with many buds that are just beginning to show colour rather than one that is already in full bloom. It will usually give you a longer display.

2. Check the foliage

Leaves should be deep green, full and healthy-looking. Avoid mums with:

• Yellow or brown leaves
• Wilting foliage
• Large bare areas
• Spots or signs of disease

3. Inspect underneath the leaves

Turn the plant over and look for aphids, spider mites or other insects. Also check for sticky residue or webbing.

4. Choose a compact, full plant

A good mum should look bushy and well-filled, not tall, thin or stretched. The stems should be strong enough to support the flowers.

5. Check the soil

The soil should be slightly moist, not soaking wet and not bone dry. Avoid plants sitting in containers full of stagnant water.

6. Consider your location

For Saint John and coastal New Brunswick, look for hardy garden mums if you want to try planting them in the ground. However, even hardy mums can have difficulty surviving winter if planted late in the season because their roots may not have enough time to establish.

7. Think about where you’ll put them

Mums generally perform best with several hours of sunlight. A sunny porch, step or garden bed will usually produce better colour than a heavily shaded location.

8. Don’t be afraid of smaller plants

A smaller mum covered in unopened buds can actually provide more value over time than a large plant already at peak bloom.

9. Pick colours that work together

Traditional fall combinations include:

• Orange and yellow
• Burgundy and red
• Purple and white
• Bronze and gold

For a classic Atlantic Canadian autumn look, bronze, burgundy, yellow and orange work particularly well with pumpkins and fall foliage.

10. Protect them from an early frost

Mums can tolerate cool fall weather, but a hard frost can damage open flowers. If you’re keeping potted mums outside, moving them into a sheltered area overnight during an unusually cold spell can extend their display.

My simple buying rule: Lots of buds + healthy green leaves + compact growth + moist soil = a good mum to take home.

For Saint John, I would also pay attention to the weather forecast before buying a large number of mums, because a sudden frost can arrive quickly in late September or October.

 

Gardening in Saint John, New Brunswick in September

September is one of the best gardening months in Saint John. Days are still mild, the soil is warm, and the average first frost typically doesn’t arrive until early October, giving gardeners several productive weeks to harvest and prepare for fall.

What to Harvest

September is peak harvest season for:

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Beans
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini and squash
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Herbs

Many gardeners also continue harvesting kale, lettuce, spinach, and other cool-season greens.

What You Can Still Plant

For quick fall crops, try:

• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Turnips
• Beets (baby beets)
• Green onions

These cool-weather crops often grow well in Saint John’s maritime climate and can tolerate light frosts.

Flower Gardening

September is an excellent time to:

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses)
• Divide and transplant perennials
• Plant new trees and shrubs
• Add fall colour with mums and ornamental kale

The warm soil helps roots establish before winter arrives.

Garden Maintenance

September jobs include:

• Removing diseased plant material
• Collecting seeds from annual flowers
• Adding compost to beds
• Mulching around perennials
• Beginning to cure onions and garlic for storage
• Watching weather forecasts for early frost warnings

Saint John’s coastal climate can delay frost compared with inland New Brunswick, but it’s wise to keep row covers handy by late September.

Looking Ahead to October

Early October is the traditional time in Saint John to plant hardneck garlic for next year’s harvest. Many local gardeners consider garlic one of the most reliable crops in the region.

Typical September Weather in Saint John

• Average daytime highs: 16–20°C
• Cool nights: 7–11°C
• Increasing chance of fog and rain
• Usually frost-free through most of the month

These conditions are ideal for cool-season vegetables and for establishing perennials before winter.

A well-planned September garden in Saint John can keep producing fresh vegetables right into October and sometimes November with simple frost protection.

Gardening in Saint John, NB in August

August is a transition month in Saint John. With average first frost arriving around early October, you still have time to plant several fast-growing vegetables for a fall harvest. Saint John’s relatively long growing season for New Brunswick (about 150 frost-free days) makes late-summer gardening quite productive.

What to Plant in August

Leafy Greens

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale
• Arugula
• Mesclun salad mixes

These crops thrive as temperatures begin to cool and can often be harvested into October.

Root Crops

• Radishes
• Turnips
• Beets
• Baby carrots

Radishes are especially rewarding because some varieties mature in as little as 3–5 weeks.

Brassicas

• Bok choy
• Chinese cabbage
• Kohlrabi
• Broccoli transplants
• Cauliflower transplants

These cool-weather crops often perform better in fall than during the heat of summer.

August Garden Tasks

• Harvest tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and herbs regularly.
• Water deeply during dry periods.
• Add compost to beds where summer crops have finished.
• Remove diseased foliage from tomatoes and potatoes.
• Continue weeding before weeds set seed.
• Collect seeds from flowers and vegetables you want to grow next year.

Flowers for Late Summer Colour

August is peak bloom time for:

• Marigolds
• Zinnias
• Black-eyed Susans
• Coneflowers
• Phlox
• Asters (late August into fall)

Deadheading spent flowers will encourage continued blooming.

Looking Ahead to September

By late August, start planning for:

• Garlic planting in October
• Spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils
• Dividing overcrowded perennials
• Fall lawn overseeding and aeration

For Saint John gardeners, August is often the perfect month for a second crop of lettuce, spinach, kale, and radishes, giving fresh harvests right up until Thanksgiving.