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Last chance
and reminders
- Contemplate
and dream. Think about what you might want to add or subtract and
make a few notes.
- It has been
a relatively dry summer. Be sure that the ground beneath trees and
shrubs is well watered before the ground freezes. This will greatly
help in their survival.
- Cut the lawn
for the very last time at a two inch setting. Remove the last of the
fallen leaves before the snow. Leaves make excellent compost. All
you have to do is put them in a contained area and in one year they
will turn to soil.
- Protect hybrid
tea and floribunda roses by mounding soil or compost around their
bases. The graft union is here and cannot handle our winter temperatures.
- Finish planting
spring flowering bulbs. If we are hit with an early snow, just brush
it aside.
- Keep an eye
on evergreens likely to be damaged by heavy snow and ice. Leland Cypresses
and Arborvitae should be shaped at this time of year to protect them
from winter damage. Lightly truss with twine to keep them from being
bent apart.
- This is the
time to prune most of your shrubbery, but not the spring blooming
plants that bloom on old wood like Azaleas and Rhododendrons. Pruning
is an art that requires a knowledge of the growing and blooming characteristics
of each plant.
- It is important
to protect your smaller evergreens this month from winter grazing
by deer. Cover your Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Yews, and Hollies with
black plastic netting.
- November is
the best month to plant deciduous trees. Since they have lost their
leaves they can be dug without damage. The trees will put out roots
during the winter, and be much stronger next year.
- After the first
hard frost dig out your annual bulbs like Dahlias, Cannas and tuberous
Begonias. Store by wrapping in burlap and placing in big pots or cardboard
boxes. Moisten them occasionally. This will prevent them from drying
out completely during the winter.
- Also after the
hard frost pull out your spent annuals and summer vegetables. Cut
back any brown stemmed perennials you do not wish to leave for winter
interest or that have seedheads which feed birds.
- Turn off your
faucets on the inside and drain the water out by opening the drain
valve on the inside. Leave the outside faucet open for the winter.
- At the end of
the month, sand and oil all your garden tools and sharpen your mower
blades for next year. Put a few drops of engine protector in the gas
tank of any small machine or mower you will not be using during the
winter. Then run the machine for a few minutes to work the protectant
around the cylinders.
Relish the fall
as another interesting cycle of life
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Fresh Dirt for November