Last updated on October 29th, 2015
MY MANTRA FOR NOVEMBER: “Leave the garden in autumn the way you wish to find it in spring.” Every weed pulled and every clean-up operation completed before snow counts against the inevitable April bedlam (and April, at least for me, is always pure bedlam). What to do first? I follow this list of chores:
Leaves. Gather, shred, and compost these, and you won’t have to buy expensive soil amendments in the spring. I can tell you that shredded leaves turned the hard, dead soil on my property into rich, worm-filled loam.
Tulips & Other Dutch Bulbs. It’s not quite too late to plant these out. I set mine at least 8 inches deep, and then water them well to hasten root development before the soil freezes solidly. If squirrels are inclined to dig up your tulip bulbs, outwit them. Or, just focus on daffodils, which are (generally) not bothered by pests.
Garlic. Be sure to plant this bulb, too. I plant individual cloves 3 inches deep and about 6 inches apart. For more details, visit my Garlic Sowing & Growing Guide.
Iris. Lightly mulch first year plantings after a hard freeze. Mature plantings don’t require protection.
Hellebores. Dig in a little cottonseed- or alfalfa-meal around the plants. Also, give them a top dressing of compost or shredded leaves.
Hostas. Cut the faded foliage back to the ground. Refrain, however, from dividing or transplanting at this time; you’ll have better success if you wait until spring.
Hoses, Faucets and Gutters. Store hoses in cellar or garage; drain faucets and clean out leaves from gutters. I hire out the gutter-job.
Driveways and Parking Areas. Insert markers while you can still pound them into the ground. Sturdy stakes with reflectors make good guides for snow removal, and keep most though not all thoughtless guests from parking on lawns and beds.
Boxwood. If new plantings are of dubious hardiness, either cover them with burlap or spray them with WiltPruf. WiltPruf, an anti-transpirant, protects against both sun- and wind-burn. Hardy varieties like ‘Winter Gem’ (pictured above, in my rose garden) need no protection at all. How I and care for and propagate this great shrub.
Roses. If you live in zone 5 or colder, like I do, be prepared to work. Once the top two or three inches of soil has frozen, mound shredded leaves (aren’t you glad you have these?) up a foot or more around plants. Cut only the most exuberant canes back to keep them from whipping around in the wind. Otherwise, do not attempt any pruning until spring.
Veggie Garden. If soil has settled in raised beds, replenish now with compost, shredded leaves, or a mixture of equal parts manure, top soil and sand. Don’t dig the new material in; just leave it on top for further composting over winter.
Winter-Sowing. Want to plant your summer garden at the wrong time of the year? Better start collecting gallon-size milk and water jugs now. These will become the miniature greenhouses you’ll use for seed sowing in the snow. Proceed this way.
Houseplants:
African Violets. Give plants in windows a quarter turn every other day to keep them shapely. Plants under fluorescent lights do not require turning, but they do need more food and water. Be sure to read my always-in-bloom program for African violets.
Amaryllis. Why not treat yourself to some of the gorgeous, big-flowered King’s Court varieties? Pink-brushed white ‘Appleblossom,’ above, is just one of several Hippeastrum that bloomed in my parlor last Christmas. Start bulbs out in a warm, dim spot, and water sparingly until growth is about 6 inches along. Then move to a cool, sunny place. Be sure to read my Amaryllis Growing Guide.
Boston Fern. If your plant is too large, or if its leaves are withering, simply divide it into several smaller plants. These youngsters will be easy to manage, and they won’t shed foliage all over the floor. As you can see in the photo above, I display them on glass shelves in my music room window garden. My profile of this graceful Nephrolepsis exaltata .
Dutch Bulbs. Placed in cold storage (this means the spare refrigerator for me, at least until temperatures in my cellar drop appreciably) these potted bulbs need weekly checking for water. Don’t let roots dry out!
Thanksgiving Cacti.Mine decided they were Halloween cacti this year, for they are now fully in flower. Water and feed this Schlumbergera truncate weekly while it blooms. More cultural details here.
English Ivy. Shower foliage weekly to avoid attacks of red spider and aphids. More beautiful vines you can grow in your window garden.
Kalanchoe. For Christmas bloom, provide twelve to fourteen hours of darkness for three weeks before Christmas. I put this short-day plant in the dark guestroom closet from 8PM until 8AM. My kalanchoe growing guide.
Rabbits-foot Fern. If leaves are turning brown at an alarming rate, I’m afraid that surgery is the only cure. But here’s the good news: you’ll obtain many, many new Rabbits-foot ferns! Proceed this way.
Narcissus Paperwhites. Plant at mid-month for Christmas flowers. To avoid overly-tall flowering stalks, I give mine a shot of gin.
Chinese Sacred Lily. For a yellow and white New Year’s bouquet, plant bulbs at mid-month. Like all tropical Narcissi, this “good luck” flower does not require chilling.
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Tammy says
Hi, Kevin! I’ve seen differing advice out there about whether or not to cut back iris foliage after it’s been killed by frost. Some sites say to do so in order to protect the iris from the dreaded iris borer. What’s your take on this?
Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Tammy – The eggs of the iris borer overwinter on faded iris foliage. Consequently my advice (and my practice!) is to get rid of that foliage.
Tammy says
Thank you, Kevin! It’s now on my weekend to-do list.
Robin says
Great list! I always feel so virtuous when my garden clean up is done for the year.
Louise Brouillette says
Kevin, I found the cottonseed meal that you suggested. This is the second year I’m following your advice about topping my raised beds with shredded leaves. But this year, I’ll sprinkle a handful of CM (is that all it takes?) on top to hasten their decomposition. I have often heard your good advice: “Put your garden to bed in November the way you want to find it in April.”
Sue Wein says
Thanks for the excellent chore list, Kevin. BTW, the deer have already taken care of the hostas…aren’t they helpful!!!
Jingles says
OOOH what a wonderful respite from the super-saturation of political hoo-ha everywhere. I love your To-do list – it’s being printed out now and will be clipped to the top of my garden journal. Thank you, Kevin for a wonderful site I visit here often just for R & R.
Peace
Jingles
P.S. My Thanksgiving cactus plants will be Christmas Cactus this year as they are just now setting flower buds. Independent rascals arent they?
Sandra van den Brink says
Hello, Kevin
Even though I don’t know you, I enjoy your blog very much. I’ve never written to you before, but found myself thinking of you and your partner, your sweet dog and beautiful home this morning, hoping that you all weathered Hurricane Sandy. I was happy to see your posting this morning, makes me think you came through this devastation intact. Cheers!
Michele says
Kevin can you compost leaves that may have diseases like powdery mildew or black spot? I have a home in Sierra Vista, Arizona zone three per Arizona University Extension, or zone 8 b US Hardiness zone? My compost pile consists of us just burying kitchen scraps and other gardening greens throughout the year but I don’t think it is what one would say a hot compost pile. We do it this way because this is our 2nd home that we only go to monthly. We live in So. California full time. This will be our reyirement home hopefully next year or so. We have yet to use any of the pile we have created and we have been throwing scrapes and greens down for the last five years. Also I have a Pink flowering Jasmine Vine that has only bloomed once and I believe it is because we have not only dry air but horrible winds so my poor jasmine pretty much gets all dried out in the winter and has to start from scratch every year. I was wondering if I could put burlap around it for the whole winter or use that Wiltpruf you spoke about in your article or do both? Any info on these two concerns would be greatly appreciated. I really love your Home and Garden newsletter Kevin. It is wonderful.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Michelle – Since your compost pile is not a hot one, it’s best to keep diseased leaves out. I’m sure you are right about your jasmine — the winter winds are drying the vine out. By all means cover the plant with burlap. But…be sure to secure the burlap so that heavy winds won’t blow it away!
Carole says
Hope you will consider not shredding all your leaves. So many of the beneficial insects, in the form of egg, larvae, pupa or adult, overwinter in those leaves.
María says
I also will recommend you to please do not to shred your leaves as the poster Carole from Nov 4 at 11:02 pm said. The beneficial insects need them !