Things To Do For November:

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.

Remove heavy accumulations of leaves from lawn areas. Minor amounts can be shredded and allowed to filter through the grass to the ground. These leaf fragments have been found to be a good source of organic matter and minor nutrients for lawns.

Bring in all the hoses and to drain outdoor pipes and irrigations systems. Continue to water newly planted shrubs and trees if we do have a prolonged period without rain.

For Roses, Peonies, Lilacs, Dogwoods and other plants that may have had 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.

Shred and mulch your beds with newly fallen leaves. Why send your leaves to the dump? They can be shredded and serve as a great mulch for annuals perennial and shrub beds.

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.

For those with Fig trees, November is the time to wrap your plants or bring them into a cool basement or garage if they are in a container.

Finish planting bulbs. Remember, the need to be planted to a depth of 3x the diameter of the bulb. It always takes longer than we think, and some garden centers may offer sales towards the end of the month.

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.

At the end of the month, pot up Paperwhite Daffodils and Amaryllis for Holiday displays. Save some interesting seed capsules from perennials (such as Blackberry Lily) and combine them with Holly or Beautyberry for a wonderful Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Things to do in the flower garden for October

In the flower garden:

• Finish planting spring-flowering bulbs except tulips.
• Wait another two wees to begin planting tulips.
• Shred fallen hardwood leaves and use for mulch.
• Finish planting, transplanting spring and summer-fowering perennials.
• Order dormant roses, lily bulbs for November planting.

In the food garden:

• Harvest Brussels sprouts from the bottom up.
• Plant radishes for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Leave leeks, carrots, beets, spinach in the garden for harvest as needed.
• Wait until after frost sweetens kale, parsnips to begin harvest.
• Bundle spent corn stalks for Halloween decoration.

In the house:

• Deprive poinsettias, holiday cactus of all light from sundown to sunup.
• Make succession plantings of paper white narcissus.
• Allow amaryllis to go dormant.
• Water succulents only every three to four weeks, just enough to keep them from shriveling.
• Pinch back leggy vines for fuller grownth.

On the lawn:

• Keep leaves raked from grass.
• Continue mowing until growth stops.
• Treat germinating checkweed with a selective herbicide.
• Lime any time between now and spring.
• Fertilize if none has been spread since September.

Planting Tulips

Tulips prefer part to full sun. Soil should be well aerated and well drained, sightly acidic., and cultivated to a depth of 8-12 inches. These spring favorites require a cool period of dormancy before they'll bloom. In colder Northern climates, plant bulbs in October and let Mother Nature take care of the cooling. In the South, provide the cooling period by placing bulbs in a refrigerator at 40-45 F for 6-8 weeks (or up to 16 weeks if necessary) and plant them by early January. When planting tulip bulbs, make the job easier by digging trenches. Space bulbs 3-6" apart, depending on the desired effect.

Its time to do some chores for the Fall Season

In the flower garden-

• Plant minor bulbs without delay.
• Dig gladiolas with brown foliage. Dry, clean and store in brown paper bags.
• Transplant peionies in full sun no deeper than 2 inches deep from growing points.
• Order lily bulbs, dormant roses for November planting.
• Compost spent plant parts that are free from insects and disease.

In the house-

• Be sure potted plants are pest free beflore retuning them inside.
• Pot herbs for the winter windowsill.
• Give poinsettias full south sun.
• Withhold water from amaryllis, store in a cool, dark place for the winter.
• Keep leaves clean with a weekly bath in tepid water.

for more flower garden tips