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October Newsletter

October is here, and with it comes crisp mornings, golden leaves, and plenty of fall garden tasks. As the season shifts, it’s the perfect time to take in all the beauty of your landscape and enjoy the harvest. In this issue, we’ll help you make the most of autumn in your backyard: learn about the beneficial (and sometimes spooky) spiders you may find around your home, discover why and how to wrap young trees before winter, and get the most out of your fall crops. We’ll also show you how low tunnels can extend your growing season well into the cooler months, learn about ornamental pearl millet, and share essential fall turf tips to keep your lawn healthy through winter and ready to wake up in the spring.

Meet the Panel Spotlight: Amy Timmerman

Web Article:

Sweet Autumn Clematis: Beware the Look-Alike

That sweet autumn clematis in bloom may be pretty—but it’s invasive in Nebraska. Choose the native woodbine instead,

jagged leaves = safe, smooth leaves = invasive. 

Short Spotlight: Low Tunnels

Want fresh veggies on your Thanksgiving table? 🥦🍂 Use low tunnels to protect cool-season crops and extend your garden into November! Order a kit online, or make your own with PVC, rebar, clips, and fabric. Simple, affordable, and perfect for raised beds.

🕷️Spiders: Scary or Beneficial? 

• Spooky but beneficial: Most spiders you see in and around your home are harmless. They help control pests like flies, mosquitoes, and moths.

• Common house spiders: You may spot cobweb spiders in corners, cellar spiders (“daddy longlegs”) in basements, or wolf spiders wandering across floors and patios.

• Outdoor helpers: Orb-weaver spiders spin large, beautiful webs in gardens and trees, catching many insects that damage plants.

• Few dangerous species: In Nebraska, the two spiders of concern are the black widow and the brown recluse, but they are rare and avoid people when possible.

• Seasonal sightings: Fall is when many spiders are most visible, since they’re fully grown and searching for mates.

Fall Garden Cleanup Tips

Nebraska Extension Urban Entomologist Kait Chapman talks about how a little fall cleanup can really help reduce insect problems next spring. Fall cleanup is about more than just tidying up — it’s about protecting your plants from pests and supporting beneficial insects through the winter.

Fall Lawn Care Tips | Broadleaf Weed Control

UNL Turfgrass Research Manager Matt Sousek says good broadleaf weed control in turf means fall control. It’s fall lawn care season, and that means it’s the best time to tackle broadleaf weeds and prepare your yard for next spring.

Autumn is one of the best times to care for your lawn. Cooler temperatures and increased moisture create ideal conditions for grass to recover from summer stress and prepare for winter. Core aeration, overseeding thin areas, and applying a balanced fertilizer can strengthen turf roots and improve density. Regular mowing until growth slows, along with keeping leaves from matting on the surface, will help your lawn stay healthy and green, setting the stage for a strong start next spring.

Have you tried Ornamental Pearl Millet? 🌾 It's Pollinator friendly + Drought & Pest Resistant

Discover why Ornamental Pearl Millet is quickly becoming a must-have plant for every garden and landscape! 🌱 UNL Professor Keenan Amundsen explains how this unique plant was bred for beauty and versatility. With its striking bright green and deep purple foliage options and showstopping seed heads, pearl millet is perfect as a centerpiece, along a border, or even in container gardening. Whether you’re designing a home landscape, adding color to your garden, or looking for a hardy ornamental with big visual impact, pearl millet is a stunning choice for any gardener.

Fall Watering Advice

UNL Director of Landscape Services Jeff Culbertson reminds gardeners to keep their landscape plants well watered heading into fall. As summer heat fades and fall arrives, it’s easy to forget about watering. But young and newly planted landscape trees, shrubs, and perennials still need regular moisture going into fall and even into winter.

Wrapping Young Trees

Wrapping young trees in late fall helps protect their thin bark from winter injury. Rapid temperature swings between sunny days and freezing nights can cause cracking, known as sunscald, while hungry rabbits and rodents may chew on unprotected trunks. A light-colored tree wrap reflects sunlight, moderates temperature changes, and provides a physical barrier against pests—giving your trees a strong, healthy start come spring.

Preparing Your Landscape for Fall and Winter

As the seasons change, a little preparation goes a long way in protecting your trees and shrubs. Applying a thick layer of mulch around the base of plants helps insulate roots, conserve moisture, and reduce soil temperature swings through the winter months. On warmer days when the ground isn’t frozen, give your trees and shrubs a deep watering to prevent winter drought stress. These simple steps will help your landscape weather the cold and emerge healthier in spring.

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