Wednesday, November 5, 2008

What To Do In Your Garden In November


November is time for your plants to wind down and take a rest for the winter months. Many plants are going dormant for the season. There are, however, plants that do well in the winter months in the warmer areas of the country. Here in Southern California, pansies and sweet peas are wonderful additions to any winter garden and grow well in our climate.

There are a few things you should do this month:

1. Finish cleaning up your garden. Take out the annuals that have died and put them in your compost bin. They’ll return to your garden in a few months as nutritious mulch and your garden will thank you for it.
2. Keep your container gardens watered. Although the weather has cooled, that does not mean they don’t get very thirsty. Remember, being in containers means they dry out quicker. And just because it’s rained, don’t think you can ignore it for a week or so!
3. Keep your yard looking sharp by raking the leaves that are strewn across it. Put them in the compost bin..
4. If you haven’t already done so, fertilize your lawn and do it now! October is the perfect time to fertilize, so while in November it’s a bit late, it’s not too late. Wait much longer though and you won’t get the full benefit of fertilizing.
5. Identify any plants that a frost could harm and make a plan of action so that when the first frost comes, you’re ready. Be sure to cover them for warmth if need be.

Doing just a few things like this in your November garden will help you to have a healthy, beautiful garden come March and April.

Happy Gardening!

Lauri
Independent Garden Consultant
The Happy Gardener
www.thehappygardener.info
loresgardens@yahoo.com

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