My November 2019 Garden Chores

Last updated on December 1st, 2019

My mantra for November: Leave the garden in autumn the way you wish to find it in spring. Every weed pulled, every tool put away, and every clean-up operation completed before snow counts against the inevitable April bedlam. Where to begin? Maybe my list of November 2019 garden chores will be helpful to you:

First, take a walk around your yard, and observe the awesome autumn color. Certain perennials fade with utter grace.

My November 2019 Garden Chores: Leaves!

Autumn Leaves. Gather and shred these, and trust me — you won’t have to buy expensive soil amendments in spring. Shredded leaves transformed the horrid soil on my property into rich, worm-filled loam. There are lots of ways to shred leaves. Several years ago, I purchased the Flowtron Ultimate Leaf Shredder from this online source. The gadget turns whole leaves into finely-shredded, instantly-usable mulch.

To suck up and shred leaves that collect on my porch steps and garden paths, I rely on a light-weight leaf vacuum. Click here to see the vacuum in action.  

Alternatively, you can stuff leaves into a big bin (such as a garbage can) and attack them with a weed-whacker. Or, if you have a lawn mower equipped with a bag, you can mow the leaves to shred them. As you work, either dump the contents of the bag into a pile, or empty it directly onto garden beds.

Bulbs, Perennials, and More

Plant Dutch Bulbs. If you haven’t yet planted your tulips, hyacinths, crocus, and other cold-hardy “Dutch” bulbs, you’d better get hopping. Bulbs always perform better when they are allowed to make roots before the ground freezes solidly.

Plant Garlic. I plant individual cloves 3 inches deep and about 6 inches apart. For more details, check out my garlic-growing tutorial.

Iris. Lightly mulch first year plantings after a hard freeze. Mature plantings don’t require protection. (Pictured above, in my Serpentine Garden: pale blue irises, and pinkish-red Weigela ‘Wine and Roses.’)

Hellebores. Dig in a little cottonseed meal or alfalfa meal around the plants. Also, give them a top dressing of compost or shredded leaves. Wait until flower buds emerge in late winter to remove old foliage.
Hostas. Cut 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. (Pictured above: Hosta ‘Wide Brim’ in my Woodland Garden.)

Hoses, Faucets and Gutters. Store hoses in cellar or garage; drain faucets, and clean out leaves from gutters. I hire out the gutter-job.

Boxwood. If new plantings are of dubious hardiness, either cover them with burlap or spray them with WiltPruf. WiltPruf  is an anti-transpirant that protects against wind-burn. Hardy varieties like ‘Winter Gem’ (pictured above, in my backyard) need no protection whatsoever. Click here to watch me propagate and grow boxwood.

Roses. If you live in zone 5 or colder, as 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.

Raised Beds. If soil is low, replenish now with compost, shredded leaves, or a mixture of equal parts manure, top soil, and sand. This way, your beds will be ready for springtime planting.

Winter-Sow! Wanna start your summer garden at the wrong time of the year? Then do what I do, and gather some gallon-size milk and water jugs. These “miniature greenhouses” are perfect for seed sowing in the snow. The details.

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. More details here.

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 small Boston ferns 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! Click here for more details.

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.

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 lots of new Rabbits-foot ferns! Proceed this way.

Narcissus Paperwhites. Plant at mid-month for Christmas flowers. I plant mine in pebbles and water. And to avoid overly-tall flowering stalks, I give them a nip of vodka or gin. More details in this fun post.

Cook Something!

Red Bell Pepper Soup. This soup was inspired by late-summer produce from my garden. It’s a healthful puree of ripe, Vitamin C-rich bell peppers, plus zingy garlic, fragrant thyme, and creamy russet potatoes. And Lawd A-Mighty — it’s delicious! Here’s the recipe.

Turkey-Carrot-Bacon Loaf. This tastes like a dream. Besides the usual eggs and bread crumbs, I added shredded carrots, chopped parsley, sharp cheddar cheese, and fragrant Worcestershire sauce to the ground poultry. Then I topped the loaf with rich tomato paste and ribbons of sweet, smokey bacon. Here’s the recipe.

Rustic Apple Cake. Don’t pretend you don’t want to try this simple dessert. It’s rich, fragrant, and perfect for devouring after a leaf-raking session. Here’s the step-by-step.

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