Plant
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Best month to dig and divide spring-blooming perennials including violets, oxalis, hardy glads, Shasta daisies, daylilies, iris, coneflowers, gloriosa daisies, ferns, hostas, hardy amaryllis, ornamental
grasses, loosestrife, mondograss and liriope. -
Transplants of winter and spring color can be set out after midmonth, including pansies, pinks, snapdragons and flowering cabbage and kale.
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Take cuttings of hard to find tropical annuals early in month to be sure they are rooted for over wintering indoors.
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Trees and shrubs planted now will establish well before next summer.
- For fall/winter vegetables plant beets, carrots, swiss chard, garlic, leaf lettuce, mustard, radish, and spinach early in the month.
Prune
- Remove all seed, leaf and stem stubble from perennial beds. You may have to cut plants back partially at first, then completely to ground as frost nears.
- Keep mowing lawn at recommended height; letting grass grow tall weakens it.
Remove dead or damaged limbs from shade trees, and cable any that are at risk of breaking in ice and wind. - Major pruning of tree limbs is better if held until winter.
Fertilize
- Feed cool season grasses as soon as they are growing. Warm season turf can also be fed, but early in month. For both, use a high quality fertilizer. Half of its nitrogen should be in a slow release form.
- Apply water soluble plant food to new winter color plantings.
- Water new perennial plantings deeply using a liquid root stimulator.