November Garden Checklist

NOVEMBER GARDEN CHECKLIST

• Sometime after a hard freeze, cleanup your perennials by cutting back dead stalks leaving 2 to 3 inch stalks and replenish the beds’ mulch. Remove old mulch in areas where you had a severe disease problem or an insect infestation. Diseases and insects can certainly overwinter in the old mulch.
• The easiest method to have more perennials from one plant, is division. Dividing perennials is not difficult and can be done as the plant begins to decline this fall. A general rule, plants that bloom in the spring, should be divided in the fall, with fall bloomers divided in the spring. Summer performers can be done either season, but many choose fall for a stronger plant next season. As the plants enter dormancy, the plant will spend its energy establishing roots, and not foliage, thus giving you a stronger plant next growing season. Lift the plants that need division, and divide them using a sharp knife or spade, being careful to have a crown for each division.
  
• If you have been needing to move some established plants around in the landscape, fall is the time to do so. Transplant deciduous plants after the leaves have dropped and evergreen plants can be transplanted after the first hard freeze.
  
• It’s time to replenish compost heaps with the ample supply of leaves. Remember to add some nitrogen to your layers of leaves for faster decomposition. You can use animal manure or commercial fertilizer for your nitrogen source. If you don’t have good directions on composting, call the Extension office and we will be glad to mail you a composting fact sheet with easy to follow directions.
  
• When planting pansies, be sure to use a fertilizer high in phosphorous. Superphosphate will work. This will stimulate root development which is needed to survive a cold winter. Pansies planted several weeks ago could use one more shot of nitrogen before winter sets in.
• Spring flowering bulbs need to be planted by early December. Later planted bulbs run the risk of not getting enough chilling hours to bloom properly especially if we have a mild winter. As a general rule, bulbs should be planted three times deeper than the diameter of the bulb.
• Don’t prune roses now. Fall pruning will encourage winter die back. Mulch roses up past graft union for winter protection.
• It’s not unusual to start seeing some spring flowering bulbs foliage starting to appear in the fall or early winter. Whatever you do, don’t cut off the foliage or you won’t have a flower next spring. Each bulb only contains one set of leaves, flowers and roots, and damaging these can damage your bulb. Simply ignore them, lightly mulch and wait for a bloom next spring.
• Recycle disease-free annual potted plants and potting medium by adding them to the compost pile or directly into the garden. Be sure to break up root balls from the plants.
• Clean up emptied pots with a 10 percent bleach solution to get rid of any plant pathogens.
• Empty and wash and dry sprayers before storing.
• Drain water out of hoses before storing. Water expands as it freezes and can burst hoses.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus induce flower-buds this time of year when subjected to the cooler night temperatures. Pulling back on water will help initiate buds also. Do remember that they are frost sensitive, so bring plants indoors for the night when a frost is expected. Plants don’t require the cool night temperatures once you see flower buds.
• You can reduce the number of pests next year on fruit trees by picking up and destroying all fallen leaves, fruits and branches. Many diseases and insects overwinter in this debris. Make sure that no fruit is left hanging on the trees which mummifies and is loaded with disease spores. You can also spray with a dormant oil on a nice day after the leaves have fallen off. Be sure to follow label directions.

Mark Keaton - County extension Agent
Telephone: 425-2335
For more information on any of the above points, contact the U of A Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension office at 425-2335.