Seasonal Gardening Calendar
November
For all of those with new fescue lawns, it is time to fertilize again, and make sure there are no leaves or acorns smothering the new sprouts. Even though it’s chilly, the soil is still warm enough to plant shrubs and trees.
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NOVEMBER Week 1
November Shopping List
Rake fallen leaves
Blow or rake fallen leaves regularly from newly planted fescue lawns. Remove as many acorns as possible from all lawns.
see Removing Leaves from New Lawn
Plant Spring bulbs
This is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs now that the soil is cooler. Add fertilizer as you dig the bed.
Dig up elephant ear bulbs
Dig caladium, elephant ear and dahlia bulbs now while you can still find them. Store in boxes of peat moss.
see Winter Care for Elephant Ear
Fertilize fescue
Fertilize fescue lawns for a second time (and again in February and April). Use any turf fertilizer that’s on sale.
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NOVEMBER Week 2
Bring camellia blooms indoors
Enjoy sasanqua camellia blooms. Cut a few to bring indoors and float in a crystal saucer for a dining table centerpiece.
See Sasanqua Camellia and Japanese Camellia Identification
Trim chrysanthemums
Shear chrysanthemums and asters down to four inches once the flowers fade.
See Fall and Summer Care for Chrysanthemum
Replace mulch under trees
Rake out fallen leaves and replace the mulch under crabapples and dogwoods to prevent disease next year.
Neaten perennial flower beds. Remove dry stems and dead leaves. Put fresh mulch under shrubs, trees and perennials.
See Mulching Tips
Fill bird feeders
Fill bird feeders with black oil sunflower seeds. Birds will find and eat each seed and you won’t accidentally feed chipmunks and rats on the ground.
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NOVEMBER Week 3
Fertilize recent plantings
Fertilize again the pansies, snapdragons, cabbage and dianthus you planted a few weeks ago. Use a powdered, water-soluble fertilizer now but switch to a product containing “nitrate nitrogen” December thru March.
See Success With Pansies
Prepare a composting area
Prepare your composting area for fall leaves. You can make a cheap bin from 4 foot wide fence wire 10 feet long. Bend it into a circle and join the ends together. Pile in leaves as you rake them. Spray each layer with water.
See How to Build a Simple Compost Bin
Clean up old vines
Clean all of the old vines from tomato cages before putting them in storage. Pull up okra stalks plus squash and bean vines.
Bring herbs in for winter use
Bring some rosemary inside to dry for winter use. Freeze basil in water-filled plastic containers.
See Preserving Basil
Water fresh bermuda sod
Regularly water bermudagrass sod installed within the last two months. One-half inch per week will suffice.
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NOVEMBER Week 4
Divide ferns
Divide your hanging basket of Boston fern into thirds and plant into three new baskets. Hang in a sunny window; by spring they’ll be big enough to put outside.
see Winter Care of Boston Fern
Plant shrubs and trees
Continue to plant shrubs and trees. Even though its chilly outdoors, the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth. Remove all of the twine, wire or paper trunk cover on each one.
Tie up roses
Tie up loose canes of climbing roses so they don’t slap against the arbor or each other on windy days.
Water recent plantings
Water weekly the pansies and other cool-season flowers you planted earlier.
Spray or dig out weeds
Spot-spray or dig out chickweed, violets and wild onions you find in your lawn.
Root Confederate rose before hard frost