By Phil Thornburg
•
26 Oct, 2023
The rains have returned with gusto. Since they started earlier in October this year, even the freeway grass is beautifully green! Here are November's tips and tricks. Mulching: I like to look around for bare soil exposed spots in my planting beds and cover them with an organic mulch (such as medium dark hemlock). Of course, I make sure to weed that space first! This action will insulate my plants from the potential cold to come, prevent erosion, and, as the mulch breaks down, this material feeds the soil fauna and flora, giving the plant's roots their valuable nutrients. Some plants, such as Fuchsias, Dahlias, and Cannas, always need an extra blanket of mulch around their base to stave off the cold. It is good to remember that this same mulch in the summer protects the ground from drying out as quickly and from overheating on hot days! I seek to provide winter protection to built-in irrigation systems by #1. turning off the automatic controller and then #2. Turn off the water to the system at the street or backflow prevention device #3. If your system has a drain, remember to drain it! I prune my roses back about 1/3 in height to prevent winter wind damage. I do this, however, only on tall roses that could blow over or break off without this step. They are not yet dormant in our climate, so I prefer to wait to do all the major pruning until February. If moss appears in my lawn, it probably tells me I have too much shade, poor drainage, low fertility, soil compaction, or all of the above. I use a lawn moss killer as a first step. However, sometimes, I have decided to shrink the size of my lawn, which is next to the trees or structures, because they may be causing too much shade. Fertilizing and liming my lawn also encourages the grass but discourages the moss. The rainy season is a great time to ponder and process what shrinking the size of the lawn might look like during the window of time when I do not have to mow it! This is the time for me to repair the lawnmower and other garden equipment before storing them for winter. I intend to clean and sharpen the blades, oil the tools and tend equipment before storing them. I store my hoses carefully to avoid damage from freezing. Do not leave them attached to the hose bib because in freezing weather, I have found that if they have not been turned off and appropriately drained, they burst! Now is the best time to lime my lawn: 50-80 lb. per thousand square feet. I Fertilize the lawn with a fall/winter fertilizer. Often, I purchase Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs from the nursery for the holidays. They are available now and can be easily forced for indoor bloom. They will bloom in approximately five weeks from when one starts them in an indoor container. Usually, the nursery will answer any questions that you have about this. Their fragrance is truly amazing December and January! I use this season to plant new landscape trees and shrubs or transplant them. I also use this time to begin pruning the plants that just bloomed in late summer and October. There is still time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, but I have learned the hard way…. Don't delay! The nurseries run out of the best bulbs fast! I watch for wet soil and drainage problems in my yard during heavy rains. I have used dry wells/French drains and ditches as possible solutions. If you have a question about this in your yard, you can call us, and we would be happy to take a look. I sometimes lightly fertilize Rhododendrons and Azaleas, which now may have yellow leaves, for better spring green-up. It is essential to Never lime these plants as they like acidic soil. So, I ensure the soil is moist when I fertilize, and I try not to over-fertilize! Magnesium sulfate is a good choice this time of the year to encourage plants in pots and the ground if the leaves are yellow. If green, I leave them alone and allow the organic debris to fertilize them. I bait garden and flower beds for slugs during the rainy periods. I always remove leaves off the lawn as soon as I can. Leaves left on my lawns can quickly damage the grass! If the leaves are quickly moved into the beds, there is a positive reaction in that they will act as free mulch, and they will NOT hurt the plants. Advanced Gardening tips: Consider planting Crocus sativus (Saffron Crocus) now to harvest NEXT fall. Reduce fertilizer applications to houseplants water less frequently and change to Oxygen Plus rather than giving any nitrogen. Consider supplying food and shelter to attract wild birds to the garden. Store your potato crop at about 40 degrees in a dark area like a garage. We still have time to plant garlic for a harvest next summer. Fruit tree sanitation: to prevent the possible spread of leaf diseases, rake and destroy leaves from around the base of fruit trees. Use other leaves or bark instead. Tie raspberry canes to wires; prune to one foot above the top wire (around four feet tall). Place a layer of composted manure or compost over the dormant vegetable garden area. A three to four-inch layer of raked leaves spread over the garden plot prevents soil compaction during the rainy season. Cover rhubarb and asparagus beds with composted manure and or compost. If you have a hedge of Arborvitae, consider tying up the limbs to prevent breakage by snow or ice if they are tall, or cut them down by 1/3 or so. You might want to plant a window garden of lettuce, chives, or flowers for the dark rainy season ahead