We have had lots of rain the last few weeks, and then look what happened on Sunday afternoon we got snow.  October 14, 2018 and we had snow on April 14, 2018 so this is a year....Our farmers are having a struggle with their crops getting them out with all of the rain and now with the snow.  BUT....looks like this week no moisture and warming up till the 60's later this week.  So hope is here and we wish all the best for harvest season.  I got this phone call this last week about if they could transplant raspberries this fall...this is what I thought but found the information anyway.  Here is what I found....
 
Transplanting raspberries in the fall
Although some gardeners with a very green thumb have success in transplanting raspberries in the fall, most of us need to wait until spring. To preserve your raspberry plants through the winter, cover their roots with moist soil, sand, or wood shavings and store them in a cool place, away from the danger of freezing.
Taken from homeguides.sfgate.com
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

  Hope this answers your question Dyanne and Margaret....thanks for asking.  Makes for easier blog pages when the gardeners ask....

      Winter Care for Dipladenia  Written by Jenny Harrington;
Tropical dipladenia vines (Mandevilla spp.) can grow up to 10 feet tall in warm, U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 11. Dipladenia is the former name of the plant, with most cultivars now properly labeled and sold as mandevilla vines. They can survive in USDA zone 8, although they may die back each year and grow as shorter plants. The tall vines produce 4-inch-diameter pink, red, white or yellow flowers and lush foliage that remains evergreen in warm climates. Proper winter care ensures that the dipladenia will survive to bloom again each summer.
 
Root Protection
Dipladenia vines usually survive winter with little preparation in USDA zones 9 through 11, but they do benefit from some insulation in zone 8. If light frost sometimes occurs in your area, water the plant to help conserve heat to the roots, mulch over the roots with a two- to three-inch layer of straw, bark or other insulating mulch. Frost or extended cold may still kill back the aboveground portion of the vine, but the roots will survive and send up new shoots in spring.
 
Cultural Care
The vines remain evergreen in frost-free areas, but they do go semidormant so they don't need fertilizer in winter until they begin to send out new growth in spring. Dipladenias do benefit from light winter watering. Provide enough water so the soil doesn't dry out completely, but avoid overwatering and constantly wet soil. The soil dries out more slowly during the cool, damp winter days, so check the soil moisture near the base of the dipladenia before you water. If the top few inches feels moist, the plant doesn't need watering.
 
Spring Cleanup
Light pruning in late winter or spring cleans up the dipladenia before it begins filling out again in spring. In mild areas where little dieback occurs, prune out any dead or bare stems. You can cut out any old, crowded stems and shorten the entire plant to the desired height. If winter dieback does occur, cut back the entire vine to the ground. It will send up new shoots if the roots survived. It will still flower that summer, even if you have to remove the entire vine to ground level. Always used sterilized pruning tools so you don't transfer disease to the plant.
 
Overwintering Indoors
Potted dipladenia may not survive in USDA zone 8, or in other areas where temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Bring these plants indoors in fall for safe overwintering. Rinse the entire plant with a sharp spray of water to dislodge any pests before bringing the vine inside to dislodge any insects hiding in the foliage. Keep the plant near a window that receives all-day sunlight where temperatures remain above 45 degrees F. The dipladenia only needs watering when the top two inches of soil begins to dry. The foliage may die, but the plant should produce new foliage in spring
taken from https://homeguides.sfgate.com/winter-care-dipladenia-
Gardening Know How - https://www.gardeningknowhow.com 
 
Growing Mandevilla Vine Indoors: Caring For Mandevilla As A Houseplant
Mandevilla  is a native tropical vine. It produces masses of bright, usually pink, trumpet-shaped flowers which may grow 4 inches across. The plants are not winter hardy in most zones of the United States and have a temperature minimum of 45-50 F. (7-10 C.). Unless you are in the tropical south, you will need to grow mandevilla as a houseplant. This plant has particular needs and growing mandevilla vine indoors can take some space.
Mandevilla Growing Conditions
The vine is hardy to USDA zone  9, which means you need to grow mandevilla as a houseplant during the fall and winter in cooler climes. In nature the vines twine around any available edifice or support and can grow up to 30 feet in length.
 
They prefer partial sun in rich moist soil with plenty of organic matter. As outdoor plants, they need water frequently and fertilizer every two weeks in spring and summer with a high phosphorus food.
 
The plant will go dormant in winter and may even lose some of its leaves but will regrow when spring warms up the air. The best temperatures for mandevilla are above 60 F. (15 C.) at night.
 
Mandevilla as a Houseplant
Moving the plant to the interior provides different growing conditions for it. Therefore, it is important to know how to care for mandevilla indoors. Mandevilla houseplants should not be moved inside until you are sure there are no bug hitchhikers.
 
Mandevilla houseplants are a bit fussy and require special growing conditions. In its habitat it can grow 7 to 10 feet per season, so this isn’t a little counter top or window box houseplant. Trim the plant as needed to keep it in the confines of the room in which it is growing.
 
A greenhouse environment is ideal or you can grow the plant near a sunny window with some protection from scorching midday sun. If you are growing mandevilla vine indoors, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t flower. You would need excess high artificial light to force buds and blooms. The plant will not bloom when overwintering mandevilla inside and goes dormant until brighter spring light arrives.
 
How to Care for Mandevilla Indoors
You can just grow it like a regular plant inside or you can cut it back to just 8 to 10 inches and pot it up. Move the pot to a cool, dim area where temperatures average 55 to 60 F. (13 to 15 C.).
 
Cut watering in half during the dormant period and remove spent leaves and dead plant material in spring. The indoor mandevilla plant needs to remain fairly dry to prevent rot.
 
Keep the indoor mandevilla plant moderately dry over the winter and with a little luck you will see sprouts in spring. Move the pot to a sunny location and pinch the shoots to force bushier growth. Start fertilizing every two weeks with a high phosphorus  plant food.
taken from Article printed from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
 

      Gardening To Do List: October in the Garden Regional Gardening Guide for October
  By  Marie Iannotti
 
Gardening in October is entirely dependent on the weather. If there's an Indian Summer, there is no better time of year to be out in the garden. While gardeners in warm areas will have more to do than their northern counterparts, there are plenty of garden tasks to keep everyone busy in October.
 
 General October Garden Chores 
■ Get your soil tested and add amendments as needed.
■ Amend your soil with a dressing of compost
■ Turn your compost pile.
■ Use your garden debris and leaves to start a new compost pile.
■ Plant trees and shrubs. Be sure to keep them well-watered, even through the winter (snow permitting).
■ Make sure all vacationing houseplants are brought back inside.
■ Continue planting garlic.
■ Plant cool season annuals. Covering mums and asters on nights when a frost is expected, will lengthen their blooming.
■ Clear away dead foliage.
■ Dry and save seed.
■ Take cuttings of tender perennials.
■ Harvest and dry or freeze herbs for winter use.
■ Remove green tomatoes from the plants. Either ripen in a brown paper bag or lift the entire plant and hang upside down in a warm spot, to ripen.
■ Harvest winter squash once the vines die back, but definitely before a hard freeze.
■ Continue harvesting fall crops like beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale and leeks.
■ Clean and put away empty containers and garden ornaments.
■ Clean and sharpen gardening tools.
 ■ Continue winterizing your water garden
■ Clean bird feeders.
■ Think about a de-icer for the birdbath. If you're in an area that freezes and you don't have a de-icer, turn your birdbath over to keep it from cracking.
■ Enjoy the season. Show off your harvest with a fall display.
■ Then start thinking about putting your garden to bed.
 
California Garden Chores 
 ■ Prune Oleander in October, before next season's flower buds have formed.
■ Plant cool season annuals such as African daisy, foxglove, Iceland poppy, larkspur, lobelia, pansy, petunia, phlox, snapdragon, stock, sweet alyssum, sweet pea, and viola. Keep them well watered, especially if the temperature warms.
■ Feed and water roses, but don't prune now.
■ Plant warm climate bulbs, like those from South Africa (ixia, ornithogalum, sparaxis, tritonia), for early blooms.
■ Pre-chill cool climate bulbs (daffodils, crocus, hyacinth and tulips) before planting. You can also purchase already chilled bulbs.
■ Sow cool season vegetables like beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, spinach and turnips.
■ Feed azaleas, camellias, hydrangea and rhododendrons with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants.
 
Pacific NW Garden Chores 
 ■ Protect winter greens from this season's heavy rain and wind with row covers.
■ Take advantage of upcoming rains to re-seed bare patches in the lawn.
 
North Central Garden Chores 
 ■ After the first killing frost, dig your tender bulbs, let dry and package for storage.
■ Winterize your roses.
■ Divide and/or transplant peonies.
■ Plant spring blooming bulbs this month.
■ Keep mowing, as long as the grass is growing. But set your mower to its highest level and let the grass go into winter with at least 3" of growth.
 
Northeast Garden Chores 
 ■ Start raking. Shred or compost this fall gold.
■ Cut back and remove diseased perennial foliage.
■ Finish planting bulbs.
■ Keep transplants watered.
 
Midwest Garden Chores 
 ■ Clean up and remove dying foliage.
■ Continue planting spring blooming bulbs.
■ Harvest winter squash when the rind is too hard to poke a finger nail into.
 
Southwest Garden Chores 
 ■ Plant strawberries now for spring harvesting.
■ Plant cool weather herbs, like cilantro, dill, fennel and parsley.
■ Seed quick growing cool season vegetable, like carrots, lettuce, radishes and spinach. Set out transplants of broccoli and cabbage.
■ Dig and store tender summer blooming bulbs and plant spring bloomers.
 
Southeast Garden Chores 
 ■ Keep planting perennials.
■ Make sure plants receive enough water, especially transplants and winter and spring bloomers.
■ Plant a cover crop in the vegetable garden.
■ Harvest sweet potatoes before a frost.
 
Hawaii Garden Chores 
 ■ Prune avocado, mango and plumeria trees.
 Indoor Plants Garden Chores 
 ■ House plants start to slow down as the days get shorter. Cut back on watering and feeding until next spring. Winter feeding will result in weak growth.
■ Plan for Christmas blooms on your poinsettia and Christmas cacti. Move both plants so that they are in temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees F. Make sure the Christmas cacti get at least 13 hours of complete darkness at night. Poinsettia will need about 15 hours in the dark. For most of us, this will mean covering the plants themselves. When uncovered, place in bright light. Provide them with water and a general purpose fertilizer.
  
taken from      https://www.thespruce.com/gardening-to-do-list-october-in-the-garden-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net