November Reflection but Keep Gardening

November is a good month to sit back and reflect on the garden season. Be thankful. The weather challenges this past growing season reminded us to be ready with plant covers for shade or hail protection. We persevered. We were grateful for the harvest small or large. It was a very good season for spring blooming ornamental and fruit trees which brought on a delicious harvest. Be thankful.
 

Indoors –

• Take a few minutes to take photos and jot down notes about this past garden season. What worked, what didn’t and ideas for next year.
• Keep track of where, what and how many outdoor bulbs were planted. You can still plant until the ground freezes.
• Store left over seed packets in a dry place like glass jars or plastic boxes. Some seeds are viable for several years if properly stored.
• Forcing bulbs indoors including tulips, crocus, narcissus, hyacinths and iris requires potting and then storing the planted pots for 10 to 16 weeks in cold storage at 35 to 50 degrees (tricking them like they are growing in the ground outdoors). They can be placed in an unheated garage or shed that won’t freeze, or outside in the ground buried at soil level. After the chilling period bring them inside the house. Plants will bloom in two to three weeks. 
• The three common indoor seasonal cacti explode with color usually around Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Cool temperatures (60 degrees at night) and nine hours of sunlight cue these plants to bloom after six or more weeks. Reduce watering when the flower buds form, then weekly as the buds swells. Flower color deepens when the plant is allowed to dry out between watering (too dry and the flowers will drop). 
  
• Houseplants enhance your indoor spaces with warmth, fullness and interest. Plants need us most in the winter with our dry air, fluctuating temperatures and light conditions. 
• Know your plant and what kind of moisture it prefers, too much or too little watering are common problems. The general rule is to water when the top third of the soil is dry, water until it drains from the bottom of the container (if it doesn’t drain, make drainage holes, even in foil gift wrapped plants). 
• Rotate plants so they get light evenly around them. Move them away from heater vents and open windows. Groom regularly, cut off yellow or withered leaves. Watch for whiteflies, mealybugs or scale insects, many pests can be treated with insecticidal soaps. 
• Most houseplants don’t need fertilizing this time of year unless they are getting ready to bloom.
• When purchasing plants from the garden center or grocery store before heading to your car cover them with bags or cloths to prevent cold exposure. Isolate plants for a few days to make sure they aren’t carrying hitchhiker insects. 
• The easiest indoor plants to grow have thicker leaves like the ZZ plant, Chinese evergreens, and philodendrons. Don’t overlook gorgeous bloomers like orchids, cyclamen, and bromeliads. For fragrance try gardenia, jasmine and lavender.

In the Landscape –

• Finish up, clean up and put away is the general landscape theme this month.
• Rake fallen leaves and use as plant insulating mulch throughout the landscape or vegetable beds. You don’t want the leaves to mat, so mow over them first or shred using a mulching machine. 
• Don’t like to rake? Leave the leaves to improve your turf and soil life below by mowing over them several times in different directions (leaves should be dry). These small pieces of leaves are organic gold to your lawn. 
  
• Check wiring, straps and stakes on newly planted trees to make sure they aren’t pinching or girdling the trunk or nearby branches. These supports are only necessary for a short while on new trees (one to two growing seasons). 
• Fall is a great time to soil test your lawn, planting beds or vegetable garden, especially if you suspect nutrition or soil quality issues. The results will tell you how to correct these areas. A soil test makes a wonderful gift for any gardener. For soil testing, click here. Click on horticultural applications.
• Turf grass appreciates a final fertilization before it goes dormant for the season. Nitrogen benefits the root system and greening up in the spring. It doesn’t have to be a “winterizer” labeled product, just make sure it has nitrogen. The lawn should still be green when fertilized and moist so there’s good absorption. If it’s been dry, water a day or two before application. Bonus for turf roots is aerating first, then fertilization. 
• Lawn mower - prevent damage to the carburetor by using up all the gas in the lawn mower. Disconnect the spark plug, clean the underside with a putty knife or wire brush and sharpen the blade before storing for the winter. The oil can be drained and changed now or early next spring. 
• After several hard freezes mulch newly planted or tender roses like hybrid teas with a mound of well-draining compost or shredded bark. 
• Drain outdoor hoses after use, but keep them handy in case you need to winter water trees or new plantings. Homes without insulated hose bibs or connections may need covering to prevent freezing. 
• Why wait? Clean and sharpen your garden tools before they are forgotten until next spring. Many hardware and garden centers offer tool cleaning and sharpening services.