Zone 5 - What to Plant in October

Zone 5 - What to Plant in October

Zone 5 growers typically have their first frost in mid-October. So going into October there isn't much that can be planted going into decreasing temperatures. There are still a few items that can be planted with success. Garlic, turnips and cover crops can still be successfully planted. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 5 in October.

Red Toch is a certified, beautiful garlic with stripes of red and pink! The Red Toch is also know as “Tochliavri” in the small Republic of Georgia village from which it hails. This garlic variety is another vigorous member of the Artichoke family and produces 12 to 18 cloves in a typical bulb. The widely celebrated flavor of the Red Toch has been described by famed garlic symposium organizer Darrell Merrell as “not too mild, not too hot”, and having “a mellow spicy tang with a fragrant aroma.”

The Purple Italian Garlic is a classic hardneck variety that is a favorite among chefs, as its large cloves are easy to peel! This variety is perfect for planting in northern climates for a delicious summer harvest. This garlic has a sweet and delicate mild flavor that tastes great in salsas and Mediterranean dishes. The Purple Italian is a deep purple-skinned variety that produces 8-12 cloves per bulb.

Mattchi is considered by garlic experts to be an improved version of the California Early garlic. This popular soft-neck garlic is a gourmet garlic that is an all purpose garlic. Mattchi garlic's bulbs and cloves are a uniform cream white with the occasional pink hint. This garlic is a great variety for roasting and spreading onto your favorite meals. Mattchi is very easy to grow and cloves are easy to peel.

The Rosewood Garlic is an outstanding, vigorous hardneck Porcelain variety with a pungent flavor that packs a lot of heat! This spicy variety is more tolerant to the wet spring soil and is resistant to common allium diseases, like rust. The Rosewood has a mid to late harvest and produces 4-6 cloves per bulb.