November gardening days are ‘getting ready days ‘…preparing for winter’s cold, spading
for winter planting and planning for anticipated spring. November is the time to put to rest, to watch nature slip into dormancy for winter’s silence and to dream by the fireside of an
awakening spring.
- Continue to plant spring bulbs. Complete planting of daffodil, Dutch hyacinth and Dutch iris during November if possible. Choose healthy, sound bulbs and plant in well
prepared soil. Mass bulbs for a big splash of color. - Select tulip bulbs. Select tulip bulbs and refrigerate for 45-60 days in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator prior to a late December or January planting, do not freeze the
bulbs. - Plant pansies. These winter and spring annuals are a delight to the garden, providing abundant and colorful blooms. Combine with spring bulbs and along informal borders.
Provide the plants with a well prepared , fertile soil. The F1 hybrids tend to bloom longer into late spring due to their heat tolerance. - Camellia time – Enjoy the blooms now of sasanqua and the popular camellia japonica. Select new varieties for a winter planting while in flower. Take advantage of local
camellia shows. Consider time of bloom and cold resistance when selecting camellias. Camellias prefer a semi=shaded location in organic, acid, well-drained soil. Check for
camellia tea-scale on the underside of foliage on existing camellia. Control with or Orthene. - Lime soils if necessary, the early winter is an ideal time to adjust overly acid soils by liming with agricultural lime. Lawn grasses and vegetable gardens prefer a neutral soil
pH or slightly acid. Our East Texas soils are oftentimes too acid for best lawn and vegetable production. The only certain way to know one’s Ph is to soil test. however,
if soil is know to be acid, an application of approximately 40-70 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet of soil area is recommended. Liming should hot be necessary except
every three to four years. - Prepare Christmas Cactus. Prepare Christmas cactus for Christmas blooms by placing the popular houseplant in a cool location with night temperatures below 65 degrees, if possible. Do not allow the plant to have more than 10-12 hours of light per day, particularly if you are growing the cactus under artificial lights. Keep soil on the dry
side. - Select mums. Check your favorite nursery for a supply of colorful mums for the patio and garden. Plant mum plants in a sunny location in the garden. Cut back dead blooms
and stems and prune back dead foliage after the first killing freeze. - Clean the vegetable garden area of dead vegetation which may harbor insects and diseases. Preparation now will be a beginning for very early spring gardening. Late
winter will be planting time for winter vegetables. - Mulch plantings to protect against winter cold. pine needles and dried leaves make an excellent insulation against cold.
- Keep wet leaves raked from lawn grasses which may block aeration and sunlight.
- Begin selecting fruit and pecan trees for winter planting.
- Dig and store caladium tubers
- For the Birds – Prepare feed and winter shelter for our feathered friends of the garden. food, water and shelter encourage birds in the garden and may be supplied in attractive and effective ways. Place bird feeding stations in protected areas if possible, yet visible from indoor areas.
- Plant trees and shrubs. Late November through February is the ideal time to plant and transplant trees had shrubs during their dormant, non-growing period. Before planting any tree or shrub, become aware of how the plant grows in regard to its potential size and growth habits.
- Preparing planting soils. Every plant deserves a well drained, well prepared soil. Proposed planting areas should be prepared in advance of planting, adding organic
material in the form of peatmoss, perlite, compost, fine bark, or leaf mold to insure good soil aeration, water retention and drainage. Dig the hole at least 12 inches winder and
6 to 8 inches deeper than the new plant’s immediate root area. A good soil surrounding the plant’s roots will stimulate good root development and plant establishment, never
fertilize a newly planted plant. - Prepare soils for January and February rose planting.
- Plant Annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass to cover bare soil areas if needed, or overseed over existing lawngrass for a winter green lawn. Sow 5 pounds of seed per
1,000 sq. ft. of lawn area. - Yellowing leaves on fruiting hollies may be expected now, due to the taxation of the plant to support its crop of berries. An application of a complete and balanced fertilizer will help to keep the foliage green.
- Be Thankful!