Gardening Chores & Tips for November
Fall Garden Cleanup
Do a complete garden cleanup, removing spent annuals, cutting down stems of perennials and adding winter mulch as needed. Dried, bristled seed heads of ornamental grasses add winter interest and provide food for winter wildlife.
Vegetables
There is still time to set out transplants of lettuce and sow seeds of fast-maturing crops such as radishes and cress. Keep harvesting earlier plantings. You can still set out transplants of shallots, garlic, kale, and brussel sprouts, and seeds of carrots and turnips. Contact your parish agent for availability of hotbed and cold frame construction plans. These could extend the growing season of your vegetable garden.
Winter Color
Available now in garden centers are pansies, violas and snapdragons. Avoid plants that are leggy and yellowed. These plants will not grow into big plants like summer annuals. Consider buying 4 inch pots, rather than the smaller cell packs. Set out transplants in a sunny well-drained location before the weather turns too cold.
Lawns
Get your lawn in shape before the holiday visitors arrive. Rake regularly and use fallen leaves for natural mulch or add them to your compost pile for use in the garden later. Raking helps with controlling over-wintering insects and diseases.
Bulbs
Of course, plant spring-flowering bulbs now. Single plants in thin straight lines don't get the most beauty that the bulbs can provide. Plant in large groups and winding drifts for greatest effect. Add bone meal and bulb booster to your soils as recommended on the label.
Frost Dates
Be on the alert for an unexpected drop in temperature. Keep a supply of old blankets or sheets on hand to cover plants. November 10 through November 20 is our average first killing frost. A killing frost is something in the 20-32 degree range.
Do a complete garden cleanup, removing spent annuals, cutting down stems of perennials and adding winter mulch as needed. Dried, bristled seed heads of ornamental grasses add winter interest and provide food for winter wildlife.
Vegetables
There is still time to set out transplants of lettuce and sow seeds of fast-maturing crops such as radishes and cress. Keep harvesting earlier plantings. You can still set out transplants of shallots, garlic, kale, and brussel sprouts, and seeds of carrots and turnips. Contact your parish agent for availability of hotbed and cold frame construction plans. These could extend the growing season of your vegetable garden.
Winter Color
Available now in garden centers are pansies, violas and snapdragons. Avoid plants that are leggy and yellowed. These plants will not grow into big plants like summer annuals. Consider buying 4 inch pots, rather than the smaller cell packs. Set out transplants in a sunny well-drained location before the weather turns too cold.
Lawns
Get your lawn in shape before the holiday visitors arrive. Rake regularly and use fallen leaves for natural mulch or add them to your compost pile for use in the garden later. Raking helps with controlling over-wintering insects and diseases.
Bulbs
Of course, plant spring-flowering bulbs now. Single plants in thin straight lines don't get the most beauty that the bulbs can provide. Plant in large groups and winding drifts for greatest effect. Add bone meal and bulb booster to your soils as recommended on the label.
Frost Dates
Be on the alert for an unexpected drop in temperature. Keep a supply of old blankets or sheets on hand to cover plants. November 10 through November 20 is our average first killing frost. A killing frost is something in the 20-32 degree range.
