November Gardening Tips

Task Calendar For Local Gardeners (November)
(Source: Almanac.com, NYTimes)

• PRUNING

• Prune deciduous trees, but only for structural and safety purposes. Do not prune fruit trees until February or March.
• Get ready for winter frosts. Protect citrus trees if needed.
• Bring in any tender houseplants and place them in a sunny spot. Cut back on the fertilizer and remember to water them.
• Remember to continue watering your plants, even as the temperature decreases; dry plants are more easily damaged by freezing temperatures.
• Harvest all warm-season vegetables before the first freeze arrives.

• PLANTING

• Continue to plant cool-season transplants such as: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, onion, parsnips, radishes, spinach, and turnips.
• Continue to plant cool-season transplants such as: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, garlic, and lettuce.
• Now is the ideal time to landscape with trees and shrubs; dig and transplant trees and shrubs because their roots will continue to grow even though the rest of the plant is dormant.
• Replace summer flowers with winter-hardy flowers, such as pansies, snapdragons, or dianthus.
• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage flowering.
• Continue to overseed Bermuda lawns to keep the grass green through winter.

• MAINTENANCE

• If you have highly acidic lawns or garden soil, now is the ideal time to fix them. Test your lawn or soil to determine how much agricultural lime is necessary.
• Once leaves begin to fall, be sure to remove them from your lawn; wet leaves can block sunlight and increase the chance of disease.
• Leave the foliage on your perennials to help insulate them from the harsh winter conditions.
• Store any remaining garden seeds in airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer until the next planting season.
• Complete fertilization of established roses this month.