Payne County Master Gardeners

10/13/2026

Tonight's the night!!

Be there early to get your worm kit!

Are you ready for tomorrow's Tuesday Gardening Series session?

Date: Tuesday, Oct 13th at 6pm

It's gonna be awesome! The 1st 20 people who register at the door & who are interested can make their own vermiculture or worm kit! If you just want to learn that's cool too!!

If we have more than 20 people who want to make worm kits, they can get a "worm kit" coupon & pick one up from the Payne County OSU Extension office at a later date!

Registration starts at 5:30pm.

Location: Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University

Come on out to this fun & creepy event!!

10/12/2026

Are you ready for tomorrow's Tuesday Gardening Series session?

Date: Tuesday, Oct 13th at 6pm

It's gonna be awesome! The 1st 20 people who register at the door & who are interested can make their own vermiculture or worm kit! If you just want to learn that's cool too!!

If we have more than 20 people who want to make worm kits, they can get a "worm kit" coupon & pick one up from the Payne County OSU Extension office at a later date!

Registration starts at 5:30pm.

Location: Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University

Come on out to this fun & creepy event!!

10/10/2026

This is happening Tuesday, October 13th.

Be there early to claim your worm kit!

Program starts at 6pm!!

October is finally here!!! And THAT means it's time for another Tuesday Gardening Series session: the last one for 2026!

And this one is going to be creepy.😬🪱

Kathryn Ross, a Payne County Master Gardener, is going to talk about vermiculture.

During this hands-on session, attendees will first learn about vermiculture (worm composting) and then create their own bin to take home.

You will walk away with a small worm bin, complete with a few red wiggler worms, and information needed to keep your worms happy through the winter. Conventional outside compost tend to slow down through the cold moths, but worms, kept inside, continue to create garden-friendly compost through the cold months.

The worm bin you will create is small enough to fit in many places such as below a sink, under a shelf, or in the corner of a room. If treated properly it will not smell or attract insects, and will generate nutrients for your houseplants or garden.

We have enough supplies for 20 kits! So its first-come, first-served. BUT we will provide "coupons" so interested attendees can pick up kit supplies at the Payne County OSU Extension office at a later date.

Details:

Doors open at 5:30 pm so get there early if you are interested in making your own worm kit.

When: 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 13th

Where: Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University

Hope to see you there! Remember, supplies are limited but we will provide coupons after the 20 kits are claimed.

10/07/2026

**UPDATE: POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER**
We will make a post once with the new date once we have rescheduled.

Seniors 60+, we are partnering with the OSU Extension to bring you a wonderful morning of learning and community gardening.

Here are the details for the day:
Date: October 15th, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: 120 S. Center, Shawnee, OK 74801

Schedule of Events:
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Winter gardening lesson with the OSU Extension.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Help us plant and prep the Community Market for winter.

Whether you're looking to pick up expert winter gardening tips or want to help us get our garden ready for the cooler months, we would love to see you there!

What is your favorite crop to grow during the fall and winter seasons?

10/07/2026

What a great idea! Go check it our!

10/06/2026

Y'all ready to learn about vermiculture? Make your plans NOW!

October is finally here!!! And THAT means it's time for another Tuesday Gardening Series session: the last one for 2026!

And this one is going to be creepy.😬🪱

Kathryn Ross, a Payne County Master Gardener, is going to talk about vermiculture.

During this hands-on session, attendees will first learn about vermiculture (worm composting) and then create their own bin to take home.

You will walk away with a small worm bin, complete with a few red wiggler worms, and information needed to keep your worms happy through the winter. Conventional outside compost tend to slow down through the cold moths, but worms, kept inside, continue to create garden-friendly compost through the cold months.

The worm bin you will create is small enough to fit in many places such as below a sink, under a shelf, or in the corner of a room. If treated properly it will not smell or attract insects, and will generate nutrients for your houseplants or garden.

We have enough supplies for 20 kits! So its first-come, first-served. BUT we will provide "coupons" so interested attendees can pick up kit supplies at the Payne County OSU Extension office at a later date.

Details:

Doors open at 5:30 pm so get there early if you are interested in making your own worm kit.

When: 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 13th

Where: Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University

Hope to see you there! Remember, supplies are limited but we will provide coupons after the 20 kits are claimed.

10/05/2026

October is finally here!!! And THAT means it's time for another Tuesday Gardening Series session: the last one for 2026!

And this one is going to be creepy.😬🪱

Kathryn Ross, a Payne County Master Gardener, is going to talk about vermiculture.

During this hands-on session, attendees will first learn about vermiculture (worm composting) and then create their own bin to take home.

You will walk away with a small worm bin, complete with a few red wiggler worms, and information needed to keep your worms happy through the winter. Conventional outside compost tend to slow down through the cold moths, but worms, kept inside, continue to create garden-friendly compost through the cold months.

The worm bin you will create is small enough to fit in many places such as below a sink, under a shelf, or in the corner of a room. If treated properly it will not smell or attract insects, and will generate nutrients for your houseplants or garden.

We have enough supplies for 20 kits! So its first-come, first-served. BUT we will provide "coupons" so interested attendees can pick up kit supplies at the Payne County OSU Extension office at a later date.

Details:

Doors open at 5:30 pm so get there early if you are interested in making your own worm kit.

When: 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 13th

Where: Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University

Hope to see you there! Remember, supplies are limited but we will provide coupons after the 20 kits are claimed.

10/03/2026

Home Grown
Horticulture Tips for October
September 30, 2026
Laura Payne

Finally, some cooler weather to make gardening bearable again. Going into October, consider these following landscape/garden tasks as we finally transition into fall:

 If you use an automatic irrigation system, make sure it’s adjusted properly for this time of year. If it is not equipped with a rain shut off sensor, please consider adding one before next season.

 Continue planting cool season ornamentals like pansies, kale, snapdragons, asters and mums.

 Spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths, crocus, and daffodils can also be planted beginning late this month.

 October is also a great month to plant trees. Purchase quality plants that have proven themselves in this part of the world.

 Cool season lawn seeding can still be done in October, although the earlier in the month, the better to take advantage of ideal growing conditions.

 Some fall leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce can still be planted assuming some frost protection is available for early cold snaps. Frost protection can be as simple as a bed sheet tossed over the crop for a few hours.

 Consider planting a cover crop for vegetable gardens to improve the soil and increase the organic matter content. Crops like Austrian winter peas, wheat, clover and rye are all good choices for our area. If you have heavy clay soils, add turnips to the mix. Note: a good cover crop planting is considered a gourmet dinner table for deer.

 Begin preparing sensitive potted plants for their move indoors by slowly reducing light levels. It is also a good idea to inspect the pot and plant closely for signs of rodents or insects before making the indoor move.

Photo credit: OSU Extension