November 2006 Landscape Calendar


* = Web-Exclusive Tips

There is still time to plant spring flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils.  You can plant right up until the ground freezes.  Use any leftover bulbs for forcing and create some fabulous displays for the upcoming holidays.

Also, plant your amaryllis bulbs now for blooming during the holiday season.

* Finish cleaning perennial beds.  Cut garden mums and iris to 6 inches.

Our recent winters have not provided adequate snowfall to protect our herbaceous plants. After the first hard frost, apply a protective mulch cover of at least 6-8 inches to perennials that were planted in the past three years.  Mulches of straw, hay, pine needles, compost or shredded leaves are best. Remember to apply only after the ground freezes, since the purpose is to keep frozen ground frozen and prevent the freezing/thawing cycle that can heave plant crowns above the soil line.

* Protect newly planted shrubs, arborvitaes and other winter burn-prone plants by creating a wall of burlap on the south side of the plant. This will help protect the plant from damage caused by frigid winds.

Don’t cover roses too early.  Let the temperatures hang around freezing for about a week, and then go out and cover your roses with a rose cone.  Too much heat in the cone can leave your rose prone to disease, or worse.  Venting your cone on hot, sunny days in the winter and early spring will help you with the heat problem.  

* Give your lawn a good raking to lift away accumulations of debris. Keep leaves raked from the lawn; they should be composted. Alternatively, you can just mow over them and turn them to mulch, which adds important nutrients back to the lawn.

* Before the ground freezes, this is a perfect time to amend your vegetable garden with organic matter, like compost, and till it so it’s ready for planting in spring.

At the beginning of November, spread a second application of lawn fertilizer if you have not already done so. This is critical if you did not fertilize in September or October. This late season application encourages good root development and helps improve the color of the lawn, resulting in thicker lawns that green up earlier in spring.  It’s safe to fertilize until the ground freezes, as long as it is clear of snow. Water well after applying if no rain is expected. Lime may also be applied if needed.

* In a season of limited rainfall, continue to water trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.

* Clean and prepare garden and lawn tools for winter storage. Place some sand and a little oil in a large bucket (3 gallon), then slide your garden tools in and out of the sand. This will do an excellent job of cleaning them, as well as applying a light coat of oil to prevent rusting. This is also a great time to service the snow blower and prepare it for winter use.

* To ready your containers for next spring, remove the soil and wash the pots with soap and water and rinse well. Then dip them in a 10 percent bleach solution and rinse well. Dry and store until spring, when you’re ready to plant your annuals.

* Avoid next year’s hose kinks by disconnecting hoses from outside water outlets, draining them of water, and storing them in a dry location.

* Be sure to place all liquid insecticides and fertilizers left over from summer in a heated garage or basement for the winter so they do not freeze.

As has been publicized, we can expect heavy populations of box elder bugs, and probably Asian ladybeetles, that will begin to enter our homes as temperatures cool. The best preventative is to make sure any entry points to your home—like door and window frames—are well caulked.

* Wrapping the trunks of young trees to prevent sunscald and rodent damage can be done now, but you must make a commitment to unwrap them when temperatures begin to warm in late April or early May.  Leaving the wrap on too long can trap moisture creating a host environment for insects and disease.

* You may begin to notice that the inner needles on your pine trees are turning yellow.  This is a normal process whereby the tree is shedding its oldest needles.  As long as there are green, healthy needles on the outer part of the branch, there is nothing to worry about.

* Trying to control buckthorn in your woods? Buckthorn is easy to spot in the fall because it retains its green leaves long after most plants have dropped theirs.  You will be able to spray any of the small buckthorn seedlings, but trees will need to be cut down and a type of brush and stump killer applied on the fresh cuts.

Decorate window boxes or pots by placing spruce tips in them, before the ground freezes and makes it more difficult.

* Before those cold, blustery winter days arrive, why not spend a sunny day in early November putting up holiday lights around the house? Think sweatshirt, rather than parka and mittens. Be sure to check the lights to see that they are working properly before putting them up.

Hold off on some of your pruning to add winter interest to your landscape.  Dogwoods have beautiful stems that will look striking against the snow.  Trim a few branches for your winter decorative pots and keep the rest for the beauty that will last all season.

* Feed the birds and other small creatures, which may not be able to find food due to snow on the ground. Their natural food sources have pretty much dried up by this time of the year. For only a few dollars, you can feed an enormous number of birds.


Contributors:

Wagner Greenhouses
612-922-6901 or 612-922-1262

Noble Landscape and Garden Center
763-862-7218

Linder's Garden Center
651-488-1927

Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery
763-420-4400

Gertens Greenhouse and Garden Center
651-450-1501

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