The Garvey's Gardens Podcast · Sydney Garvey + Audrey Estrada

#94 - October on our Flower Farm!

·51 min·3 clips

The fall project is to dig, divide, and store dahlia tubers instead of overwintering them all.

1. The Garvey's Gardens Podcast episode #94 focuses on October work at Garvey's Gardens and the flower-farm checklist for fall. 2. Sydney and Audrey lead the conversation, with Audrey described as the person who has been on the farm behind the scenes all season. 3. The episode asks what October on the flower farm actually requires, from cleanup to planning for next year. 4. Sydney names a May hailstorm that hit right after seedlings were planted, and Audrey adds that a flood followed from all the rain in a short period of time. 5. Audrey says weeds were the biggest challenge of the season, and Sydney says the farm tried to keep up with weeding while still harvesting. 6. The hosts explain that they are not overwintering annuals this year, which is the first time Sydney has skipped that step. 7. Instead, the farm ordered lisianthus plugs for early March and plans to keep them alive only from March through April. 8. Sydney says the farm still has daffodils in the ground and lots of perennials, and she notes that bulb plants bloom first in spring. 9. Because of pest pressure, the farm no longer grows outdoor tulips and instead does indoor hydro tulips, which the show covered in episode eight. 10. The biggest fall project is digging, dividing, and storing dahlia tubers, with Audrey still learning flower-farm work after years of vegetable farming. 11. Audrey says the farm has spent about four or five weeks labeling dahlias, using flagging tape and garden markers so Sharpie does not fade. 12. Sydney explains that they cataloged almost all of the dahlias in an Excel spreadsheet and found distinct holes where certain varieties no longer grew. 13. The hosts say the dahlia beds will be reorganized so the whole side becomes dahlias, with the annual beds and irrigation torn out first. 14. Audrey describes the hedge trimmer as a key tool because it cuts the plants down so the tractor mower can work more easily. 15. Sydney says some varieties overwinter well, naming Bridezilla, Creamy, Golden Scepter, Valley Rust Bucket, Valley Porcupine, Cafe au Lait, Breakout, and Love and Life. 16. The discussion also notes that some varieties, including Hercules, did better in a previous year, which shows that overwintering results vary by variety. 17. Audrey walks through her storage method for dug dahlias in clay soil: dig, wash the same day, divide sooner rather than later, and store in labeled bags. 18. The tone stays practical and conversational, with a lot of tool talk, crop lists, and back-and-forth explanations rather than a formal interview format. 19. Listeners who grow cut flowers, dahlias, or seasonal garden beds will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners who want a story-driven episode with little farm logistics may skip it.

As heard by us

A plainspoken October update on frost, dahlias, weeds, and holiday timing.

This episode reads like a field note from October at Garvey's Gardens. Weeds are still in play, frost has turned the dahlias black and mushy, and the work shifts into dig-and-divide mode.

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Why you'd press play

You want the real October checklist for a flower farm.

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