In
November, you still want to watch for dry periods and water your plants if
the soil dries out, especially for new plantings. Roots of plants grow in
winter months and need moisture before the ground freezes. You can plant trees
and shrubs anytime the ground is not frozen. This will give the plant more time
to become established before the next hot summer. Add a fire pit to your
outdoor living space and enjoy cool evenings around a crackling fire. Remember
to turn your clocks back the first weekend in November. There are many things to
do in the yard and garden before the season ends. So, dig in to the tasks
listed below and enjoy the outdoors as much as you can!- Now is a good time to collect soil samples and test the pH and nutritional levels. Lime will increase the pH level if it is low. Sulfur will lower the pH level if it is high. The product labels and the staff at your local Garden Center can help you determine the rate to use for your situation.
- Till the vegetable garden to expose many insect pests to winter cold and reduce their numbers in next year’s garden.
- Continue mowing lawn grasses as long as they keep growing, 2-3” high is good.
- Apply Winterizer fertilizer to lawns to strengthen plant stems and roots for winter growth and early spring green up.
- Plant tulips and other spring bulbs now through December.
- Start paperwhite, narcissus, and amaryllis bulbs indoors now through January.
- After the first hard freeze, mulch rose bushes heavily to a depth of 12” to cover the plant graph area properly using bark, compost, or straw with rose collars. Prune back longer canes to 24-36” to prevent whipping from wind in the winter. Hold off on heavy pruning until April of next year.
- Roll up and store garden hoses on a warm, sunny day.
- Towards the end of the month, be sure to shut off and drain any outdoor water pipes or irrigation systems that may freeze during cold weather.
- Cover garden ponds with bird or pond netting to prevent leaves from fouling the water. Oxygen depletion from rotting organic matter can cause a winterkill of pond fish.
- Take steps to prevent garden ponds from freezing solid in winter. Using a floating garden heater in the pond will lessen the chance of ice damage.
- Set up bird feeders. Birds also appreciate a source of unfrozen drinking water during the winter. Use one of the many styles of birdbath heaters or heated birdbaths available at garden centers.
- When feeding the birds, set up a variety of feeder types to get the best assortment of birds to come to your yard. Tube feeders are good for songbirds, platform feeders are good for cardinals and larger birds, and suet is a great source of fat and energy for woodpeckers and all bird types.
- Winter houseplant care: reduce or eliminate fertilizer until spring, shorter days mean slower growth, slower growth means less frequent watering. Plants in plastic pots need less water than those in clay pots. Plants in cooler rooms need less water and will have slower growth than those in warm rooms. Creating additional humidity is always beneficial. An easy way to increase humidity is to use trays filled with water and large pebbles. Place the plants on the pebbles so they will not sit in the water, but they can get the benefit of a higher humidity level as the water evaporates.
The fall
season is ending, but outdoor enjoyment can continue especially with the new
outdoor living trends of today. Can you believe that it is November already?
Wow, from November 1, there are only 22 more days until Thanksgiving, 51 days
until the first day of winter, 55 more days until Christmas and 62 more days
until January 1, 2013! And you know how fast the next 62 days are going to fly
by! So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the outdoors as you prepare for winter….Enjoy
your yard and garden in every season!
Time to go….See you in the Garden....
Sandi Hillermann McDonald
