November’s Southern California Gardening Tips
November is "clean-up" month in the garden, but it is also a great time to plants
some trees, shrubs and spring bulbs. Winter does not need to be bleak, get your hardy
winter annuals out if you want some quick color over the holidays. It is also time
to think "protection" from sudden freezes.
General Clean-up & Protection
Remove all spent plants and debris from both your flower
and vegetable gardens to prevent the spread of diseases. Also, it is wise to remove
old mulch.
Put packets of unused seed inside screw-top glass jars with a small tissue packet
of powdered milk to soak up any moisture from the air inside the jar. Moisture would
reduce the longevity of the seeds. Store the jars in a refrigerator or cool place.
Clean and service garden tools (oil shovels and other tools to prevent rust) and
drain gas tanks of garden equipment to prevent water buildup.
A light mulch of shredded leaves or straw on your root vegetables will help protect
against freezing. Also mulch perennials, tender shrubs and newly planted trees.
Perennials
Some woody perennials such as heathers, butterfly bush, lavender, and thyme,
can be damaged or killed if you prune in fall. Protect them with mulch over the winter,
and prune in spring.
Trees & Shrubs
Now is a great time to transplant and plant trees and shrubs. Do not
plant too deep -- dig your hole the size of the plant’s root ball, and about twice
as wide. Loosen the roots gently with your fingers, and make sure the root ball is
planted a couple inches higher than the soil around it. If you are planting a plant
where the root ball is burlap covered, leave the burlap on the root ball. Once the
plant is in the hole, untie the burlap and pull it back from the trunk, still leaving
it around the root ball. Fill in the dirt and be sure to firm the soil up to prevent
air pockets that lead to rot. Water deeply then apply about 4 inches of mulch, keeping
the mulch away from the trunk. Do no fertilize until spring.
Bulbs
Continue planting spring-flowering bulbs--remember plant bulbs to a depth approximately
four times that of the bulb’s height and to water well after planting.
Annuals
Set out forget-me-nots, pansies, snapdragons, violas, sweet William, pinks,
ornamental kale and other hardy plants for flowering for winter and early spring.
You can use a time-released fertilizer for better bloom.
Lawns
Rake up all the fallen leaves from your lawn areas and mow over-seeded rye grass
lawns to a height of 1 to 2 1/2 inches. Be sure to drain gas from the gas tanks of
any gas powered garden equipment. If you lawn is pest and weed free, you can use
the clippings as mulch in other areas of your garden,
Roses
Since roses are prone to diseases and pest, rake up all the old mulch and fallen
leaves in rose beds, and replace with a fresh layer--this will go a long way towards
preventing problems in the spring.
Indoor Plants
Now is the time to help your amaryllis into flower by removing the top
inch of soil and replacing it with a fresh potting soil mix. Trim away any withered
leaves and resume watering. Place in a south-facing window and remember Amaryllis
bulbs like to feel crowded--there should be no more than 1 inch of space between
each side of the bulb and the pot and at least 1/3 of the bulb should be above the
soil line.
If you are moving plants indoors, remember to empty the soil out of pots left outside.
Soil left in pots outside can expand if frozen, breaking your pots.
Myrtle Creek Nursery