October always feels like a second spring here in zone 8. The oppressive summer heat finally breaks, the mosquitoes calm down, and I can work outside without melting. Finally, all those cool-season crops that I’ve been watching northern gardeners plant since August are ready to thrive down here in Georgia and I can start my October garden.
This October, I’m saying goodbye to summer’s stragglers, rescuing tender herbs before the first frost sneaks up on us, and getting those fall and winter crops in the ground (or in my case, in containers). If you’re growing in pots, grow bags, and raised beds like I am, October is one of the busiest and most rewarding months of the year.
Out with the Old: Clearing Summer Crops
My last round of garden beans are officially done. They gave me a decent spring harvest before they succumbed to the summer heat, but now they’re looking ratty and tired. Time to show them some gratitude and pull them out to make room for new plantings.
When you’re clearing out spent crops from containers, don’t just toss that soil. I like to refresh it by mixing in some compost and checking the drainage. Container soil compacts over time, especially after supporting heavy feeders all season. Breaking it up, amending it, and giving it some new life means your fall crops will have the best possible start.
At the same time, I’ll go ahead and yank out any weeds that have crept up in my containers.
Protecting My Herbs
Here’s the thing about growing herbs in zone 8: our winters are mild enough that some herbs will survive outside, but unpredictable enough that you can’t really count on it. Basil is definitely not going to make it through a frost, and while rosemary might survive in a sheltered spot, I’ve learned not to gamble with my favorite plants. Especially since I just finally got a couple new rosemary plants to germinate.
October is when I start moving my herbs indoors. I’ll probably wait until mid-to-late October, watching the forecast like a hawk for that first cold snap.
Most will get moved in to our workshop, but I’d love to get a tent greenhouse to move my herbs into since space is already limited in the workshop.
Before bringing anything inside, give each plant a good inspection. Check under leaves for pests. Aphids and spider mites love to hitchhike indoors where they’ll thrive in your warm house all winter. A gentle spray-down with the hose and a week of observation before they come inside saves a lot of headaches later.
Some herbs, like parsley, cilantro, and chives, are perfectly happy outside all winter in our zone. They might slow down during the coldest weeks, but they’ll keep producing. These are the ones I leave in their outdoor containers or move to a spot where I can easily access them for cooking. If it gets really cold, I might move them indoors for a few days, but for the most part, they’ll stay in place outside.
Fall Planting: The Main Event
This is where October really shines. The soil is still warm enough for good germination, but the air is cool enough that plants won’t bolt or stress out. For container gardening, this is prime time.
Leafy Greens: Spinach and Lettuce
Spinach and lettuce are absolute workhorses in the fall container garden. They love cool weather, grow quickly, and you can harvest them as baby greens or let them mature fully.
For spinach, I prefer containers at least 6 to 8 inches deep. You can plant it pretty densely if you’re planning to harvest baby spinach. I usually scatter seeds about an inch apart and thin as needed. Spinach can handle our winter temperatures like a champ, and it actually tastes better after a light frost.
Arugula grows so fast and so reliably in fall that I’m always surprised more people don’t plant it. It goes from seed to salad in about 30 to 40 days, and the peppery flavor is perfect for cutting through rich fall meals. Shallow containers are fine, and you can plant it densely for baby greens or give it more space to mature. Fair warning: it can get spicy-hot if we have a warm spell, but that’s part of its charm.
Lettuce is even easier. Shallow containers work fine. Six inches is plenty. I like to plant a mix of varieties: some butterhead for tenderness, some romaine for crunch, and maybe some colorful loose-leaf types because why not make the garden pretty while we’re at it?
Succession planting is your friend here. Plant some now, plant some more in two weeks, and you’ll have fresh salad greens well into winter instead of a glut all at once.
Carrots
For carrots, deep containers are essential. At least 12 inches, preferably more. I used deep grow bags, but they also do well in five-gallon buckets with holes drilled in them for drainage. Short or round carrot varieties like ‘Thumbelina’ or ‘Paris Market’ work if you only have shallow containers, but I prefer full-sized varieties like ‘Nantes’ or ‘Danvers’ when I have the depth.
Carrot seeds are tiny and take their sweet time germinating. Sometimes up to two weeks. Keep the soil consistently moist during germination. I like to cover newly planted carrot containers with a thin layer of straw or a piece of burlap to keep the soil from drying out.
Plant them now in early October, and you’ll be harvesting sweet, crunchy carrots from January through March. Fall-planted carrots that mature in cool weather are noticeably sweeter than summer carrots. The cold converts their starches to sugars.
Garlic
Garlic is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it crop, and October is exactly when you want to plant it. You’re planting individual cloves now that will grow slowly all winter, then bulk up into full heads next spring and early summer.
Each garlic clove needs space, so choose your containers accordingly. I use 5-gallon containers and plant 4 to 6 cloves per container, spaced about 4 to 6 inches apart. They need at least 6 to 8 inches of soil depth.
Softneck varieties tend to do better in our relatively mild winters, though hardneck varieties can work too. Plant cloves pointy-end up, about 2 inches deep. Water them in, and then mostly forget about them. They’ll send up green shoots in a few weeks, grow slowly all winter, and really take off in spring.
The green shoots are edible, by the way. You can snip them like chives all winter without harming the bulb development.
Don’t Forget the Flowers
October is also a great time to think about flowers that’ll keep pollinators happy and support next year’s garden. Plus, there are plenty of flowers with other functional purposes.
Calendula is my absolute favorite for fall planting. It’s edible (the petals add color to salads and can be used as a poor man’s saffron), medicinal (amazing for skin salves), and a natural dye plant. It laughs at frost and will bloom straight through winter in our zone. Six-inch deep containers are plenty.
Nasturtiums are another winner. Edible flowers and leaves with a peppery kick, and they grow like weeds in cool weather. Plus, aphids love them, which means they’ll attract aphids away from your other plants. Companion planting for the win.
Borage is worth mentioning if you can find seeds or starts. The blue star-shaped flowers are edible (they taste like cucumber) and bees absolutely lose their minds over them. It’s technically an herb, self-seeds readily, and while it can get large, even one plant in a container will support your pollinator population. The young leaves are edible too, though they get fuzzy and less palatable as they age.
Native asters and goldenrods deserve a special mention here. These are fall-blooming natives that are absolute powerhouses for supporting local pollinators and wildlife. Georgia aster has gorgeous purple flowers and pairs beautifully with the bright yellow blooms of goldenrod. Both grow well in containers (aim for at least 12 inches deep) and are what ecologists call “keystone” plants. They support more species of insects, butterflies, and birds than most other plants you could grow.
October is actually a great time to plant them since they’ll establish roots over winter and really take off next year. Their ecological value is immense, and watching the bees and butterflies work them in fall is pretty magical.
Finally, if you want early spring blooms, this is also your last chance to plant bulbs. Tulips and daffodils need to be in containers by the end of October to get enough chill hours. While they’re not edible, they’re crucial for early season pollinators emerging hungry in March.
Container-Specific Considerations
Growing in containers in October has some unique advantages and challenges compared to in-ground gardening.
Your soil warms up faster in containers than it does in the ground, which can extend your growing season on both ends. On chilly mornings, those black grow bags absorb sun and keep roots warmer. You also have incredible flexibility. If we get a surprise cold snap, you can move smaller containers into a protected spot or even a garage for the night.
On the other hand, containers (especially grow bags) dry out faster than garden beds, even in cooler weather. October often brings gorgeous weather but less rainfall, so don’t assume your plants are getting enough water. Check soil moisture regularly. Stick your finger in about an inch deep. If it’s dry, water thoroughly until it drains out the bottom.
Fall is also when containers can get waterlogged if we do get rain. Make absolutely sure every container has adequate drainage holes. I’ve killed more plants with soggy roots than I care to admit.
By October, container soil has been feeding plants for months and is probably depleted. Before planting fall crops, I like to mix in fresh compost and maybe a balanced organic fertilizer. Cool-season crops aren’t as heavy feeders as summer tomatoes and peppers, but they still need nutrients to thrive. A light side-dressing of compost midway through the growing season keeps them happy.
Final Thoughts
October in the garden is about optimism. We’re planting seeds that won’t mature for weeks or months, moving herbs indoors with hope they’ll survive until spring, and generally betting on the future. There’s something deeply satisfying about working in the cool air, knowing that everything you plant now is an investment in fresh food during the lean months of winter.
Whether you’re growing in a small collection of pots on a patio or running a full container garden operation like mine, October is your moment. The work you put in now will pay dividends when you’re harvesting fresh spinach for Christmas dinner or pulling sweet carrots in February.
So get out there, pull those spent beans, rescue your herbs, and get some fall crops in the ground (well, containers). Future you will be very grateful.
