November is perfect time for garden clean up, prep
November is a busy month for gardeners. We prepare our plants for harsh winter weather, clean up fallen leaves and anticipate a restful winter.
However, it's important to create a checklist, keep track of your final garden chores and plan for next season.
Take a walk around your property and study your garden layout and landscape. Without the plants' foliage, you can easily evaluate the architecture in the landscape.
Based on your evaluation, consider changes you want to make to your existing design and layout. Think about the use of foundation trees or shrub plantings. This grouping or single planting considers the empty space that can be used as an aspect of the design you choose.
Use the winter months to read seed and nursery catalogs in preparation for the spring makeover or enhancement.
If your landscape is in need of an evergreen tree, consider purchasing a live holiday tree, such as a Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) or Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Dig the hole now before the ground freezes. Simply cover the removed soil so it does not freeze and be sure to cover the hole with a board or tarp so no one falls into it!Identify your garden plants with signs, photographs or video before cutting them back or dividing them. Leave seeded perennials, such as Echinacea and Sedum, for birds and wildlife to enjoy.Continue to weed garden beds as they are easier to identify because plants have died back. Remove all dead, infested and diseased foliage as well.Continue to water perennials, shrubs and trees until the ground freezes, with a focus on recently planted nursery stock. It's not too late to plant spring flower bulbs, shrubs and trees as well.Often, nurseries and garden centers offer reduced prices on these items. Now may be a good time to make your final purchases and get them into the ground before the frost.
Apply compost or mulch to garden beds and shrubs. Avoid vole damage by not mulching too close to the plants. Mound soil around rose crowns and cover their bud unions. Secure climbing rose canes and other climbing perennials to protect them from winter winds.Young tree branches and trunks are at risk for deer damage. Make sure to protect them with wire fencing or commercially available trunk guards.Shrubs can be protected from exposure to road salt by using burlap and stake fencing.Lastly, take time from your November garden chores to embrace the beauty of your fall garden. Congratulate yourself on a successful 2019 growing season and anticipate an equally successful 2020!Lisa Marie Bernardo, PhD, RN, is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener of Butler County.
