Monthly Gardening Calendar
Sharon Morrisey, Consumer Horticulture Agent
Milwaukee County UW-Extension

November, 2008

Gardening is not the primary thought on the minds of most people in November. There are still a few things to do in the yard and garden, however. Such as that final fertilizer application around Halloween and the final mowing whenever the grass truly stops growing. Just hope it doesn’t snow before the fall leaves are raked or while the grass still needs mowing. It did last year and we paid in the spring with lots of snow mold circles especially in the shady parts of the lawn.

There are some tasks that should not be rushed and can be harmful if done too early. Winter mulching of tender perennials, roses and strawberries, for example should be left until the soil has frozen at least an inch or so deep. That will probably be more like Christmas week than Thanksgiving thanks to global warming and climate change.

Enjoy the beauty of fall and all of the gourds, cornstalks, pumpkins and mums that go along with it. Many of your garden plants provide interesting dried pods and seedheads and vines that make natural homegrown decorations as well as momentos of this year’s garden.

Visit the UW-Extension's gardening website at wihort.uwex.edu. There are gardening tips, factsheets and articles as well as links to many other reliable sites for us northern gardeners.

The numbers that follow entries in the calendar are the topic numbers to use view a message on that topic through the University of Wisconsin-Extension's InfoSource, an on-line educational message system. There are over 200 messages on gardening and related topics that are searchable by message number. Messages may be viewed or downloaded and printed from the website infosource.uwex.edu.

 

First Week

The most important fertilizer application of the year for your lawn is the one in late October or early November. Apply 1/2 to 1 lb. of nitrogen per thousand square feet. Select a product that has more slow-release nitrogen than fast release nitrogen.


Take soil samples for testing by the UW Soils Lab or other State approved lab. Separate samples should be taken from areas that are used differently or have different light and moisture conditions. Combine several individual samples from a single area to make a composite sample. More information at uwlab.soils.wisc.edu.  

Fertilize trees and shrubs that showed signs of stress this year such as early fall color or smaller, paler or fewer leaves. Using a fertilizer with 12 - 20 percent nitrogen, deciduous trees need 1 - 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of area over the root zone. Evergreen trees only need one pound. Give shrubs growing alone 4 oz. per foot of height or spread, whichever is greater. Shrubs grouped in beds need 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area.


Cole crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and kale are made sweeter by frost so harvest them as long as possible.

Spring flowering bulbs can still be planted as long as the ground is not frozen. For something different, try the 'minor bulbs' like Serbian Squill, Glory of the Snow, Snowdrops, and Puschkinia.


Pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor forcing. Crocus and hyacinth bulbs stored for 8 weeks in the back of your refrigerator will produce blooms three weeks after they are brought into a warmer room. Narcissus (daffodils) and tulips require 12 - 14 weeks of cold treatment and should be potted up before chilling.


Check houseplants for insects that may have come indoors as you brought the plants inside. Pick pests off by hand or use insecticidal soap or Sunspray (ultrafine) oil to control. Give foliage a sponge bath or shower regularly to keep leaf pores clear.

Outdoor planters, hanging baskets, and window boxes should be emptied and washed thoroughly with soap and a mild bleach solution before storing for next year. Store plastic, clay and concrete containers where they will not get wet or freeze.

 

Second Week

Lawns left too tall over the winter encourage disease problems like snow mold and tunneling of meadow mice. Mow one final time at 2 - 2 1/2 inches.

Mark or make a mental note of lawn areas infested with crabgrass this year so you can spot treat with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Crabgrass is easy to see now since it turns purple and then brown when killed by frost.

Prune everbearing raspberries if you did not do so after this fall's harvest. If you cut or mow all canes to the ground now there will be no spring harvest but a much larger fall harvest next year. It also reduces insect and disease problems.

Water all needle and broadleaf evergreens one last time before the ground freezes since winter wind and sun will continue to demand water from these plants through their leaves all winter. Excess water loss can lead to "winter burn" or death.

Amaryllis bulbs that have rested for at least 10 weeks can be repotted, watered and brought into a bright room to produce flowers for the holidays.


Keep checking tomatoes and other produce in storage discarding the rotting fruits and using those that are mature

 

Third Week

Wrap the trunks of young and tender trees to prevent sunscald. Paper tree wrap can prevent the rapid temperature changes in the bark that cause frost cracking and sunscald. They do not provide protection from the chewing of mice, voles, rabbits and other pests. For this use plastic or wire applied at least 1 - 2 feet higher up the trunk than the expected snow level. Clear away weeds, tall grass and leaves from the trunk area to reduce nesting sites for these pests, too.
         

Move pesticides and plastic equipment to a place where they will not freeze. Always store pesticides in locked cabinets or up out of reach of children. Keep them in their original containers. Cover labels with clear plastic tape to keep them clean and legible. File supplemental label information where it can be easily found and referred to before application next season.
      

Stop fertilizing indoor plants now since they will use less water and nutrients due to the lower light levels.

Keep flowering Thanksgiving cactuses well watered and out of drafts. Avoid moving them while in flower since this may cause them to drop flower buds.
    

Cut down and discard asparagus stems and leaves as soon as they have yellowed completely. Removing these from the garden reduces disease and insect problems next year.

 

Fourth Week

Mulch layers can be applied to perennial vegetables and flowers as soon as the top 1 - 2 inches of the ground are frozen. This includes leeks, carrots and potatoes. Roses, chrysanthemums and other tender perennials, too. Apply at least 2 - 4 inches of mulch to help moderate temperature fluctuations that can heave plant crowns out of the ground as it freezes and thaws during late winter and early spring.

Tender hybrid roses can be caged in chicken wire and mounded with soil now. Allow soil to freeze then stuff the cages with dry fallen leaves. Stems do not need to be cut back until next spring .


Root crops are insulated from frost by the ground so they can be left in the garden and dug as needed. A thick layer of mulch will prolong the harvest. You may even find yourself shoveling off the snow to gather a few last carrots, potatoes, leeks, Brussels spouts and parsnips.

Delay all unnecessary pruning until late winter or early spring just before budbreak since wounds will heal most quickly when the tree or shrub is growing most vigorously. Elms, maples, birches and black walnut can be pruned after the sap has stopped "rising". Sap running from wounds does not harm the tree.

This is a good time to clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools and equipment. Oil and store gas powered equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Repair shops are in a slow period (at least until the snow flies and snowblowers need repair) so arrange for a tune-up and blade sharpening now.