Gardening Notes for November - Things to do


For those growing carrots, beets, turnips or Jerusalem artichokes and wishing to extend the harvest into winter, apply a heavy mulch of straw to the crops to prevent the soil from freezing deep and ruining the crop. Parsley will continue to grow well into December, especially if covered by a basket on particularly cold nights.

Fertilize the lawn - after a soil test. November is the ideal time to develop a proper root system to get your lawn through next summer's droughts and the soil test will tell you what formulation of fertilizer is best.

This is the prime transplanting time for deciduous trees and shrubs as they go into dormancy. You can also add fall and winter-interest plants to the landscape, as long as the ground is not frozen. Many nurseries have end-of-season sales. Bring in all hoses and drain outdoor pipes and irrigations systems.

Clean areas around peonies, roses, irises and other flowers that are prone to fungal diseases, including black spot, powdery mildew, or other foliar diseases. Make certain that all the leaves, which could overwinter disease organisms, are removed from the base of the plants. Do not place in compost bin.

Cut back Asters as soon as they finish flowering to prevent self-sowing. As the frosts become more severe, more perennials will require cutting to the ground to keep the border neat and tidy.

Mulch and remove heavy accumulations of leaves from lawn areas and place in garden beds. Minor amounts can be shredded and allowed to filter through the grass to the ground. These leaf fragments are a good source of organic matter and minor nutrients for lawns.

Finish emptying clay containers that can crack over the winter and store in a protected area or upside down under a tarp if left out doors.

If you had areas where something didn't fare well—an unproductive vegetable or fruit crop, an unwillingness of some shrub to flower for no apparent reason-quickly gather a soil sample before the ground freezes and take it in for analysis to your local Cooperative Extension service. Some amendments can be spread or tilled in before heavy frost to start to mellow over the coming months.

Last chance to plant spring bulbs and garlic (ideally it should be in about a month before frost is in the ground). Remember, plant to a depth of 3x the diameter of the bulb.

Don't deadhead perennials, biennials and annuals if you want self-sowns, or make sure to shake pods around before removing plant carcasses. Nicotiana, poppies, larkspur, clary sage and many others fall into this leave-alone group. So do plants with showy or bird-friendly seedheads, like grasses and coneflowers.

Take the mower in for service after the final mowing, rather than in the spring rush, then store without gas in the tank. Run it dry.

At the end of the month, pot up Paperwhite Daffodils and Amaryllis for Holiday displays.