Southeast Gardener's November Checklist
Fall is an excellent time to be in the garden. Soon enough there will be a killing frost; after that happens, it is time to re examine your garden into bed for the winter. Our first frost date is inconsistent concerning regions and microclimates. The first frost date for Raleigh, North Carolina, as calculated by NC State University, is November 5. I live about 4 kilometers from NC State, and my backyard’s average frost date is October 31. If you’re cutting it close with chores, then see the local weather attentively to have them completed before the first killing frost strikes.
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Camellias. Camellias are a beautiful plant all year long, but autumn and winter starts their flowering seasons — they blossom at a time when little else is in bloom.
Mulch your camellia plants well with a material which will allow air to flow, like pine needles or pine bark. Prevent flat leaves, as they have a tendency to mat, get soggy and protect against air from reaching the top of the main region. The mulch will function as a blanket, keeping the soil temperature above 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Camellias must be guarded from cold, drying winds. If possible, website young plants within a place with a natural windbreak on the north and south sides. If this isn’t possible, some type of artificial windbreak may be necessary, like a wooden fence.
If your plants are in containers, then group them together within a protected region and mulch deeply around the container. For extra insulating material, add pine needles across the top of almost any plants which may remain unprotected in chilly weather.
Camellia plants become dormant after three or four days when temperatures hit below 40 degrees. Let them sleep. While they are dormant, the roots are still growing and the buds further grow into blooms.
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Bulb time. November is the ideal time to plant many spring-flowering bulbs. Mix in a few lime and a balanced fertilizer, like 10-10-10 or a special bulb mix (9-9-6), at planting time.
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Lawns. After this month following the last mowing, service your mower prior to putting it off.
Drain the gasoline tank (or in my caseI give the lawn one last cut to operate the gas out and clean up), or use a gas stabilizer — untreated gas can become thick and gummy. Remove the spark plug and put in a few drops of oil to help lubricate the cylinder. You can then replace the spark plug or wait till the spring.
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Rose disease avoidance. To help stop rose diseases, rake the beds of any fallen leaves. Eliminating some of the mulch exposed to the rose foliage is a good idea as well. These leaves and exposed mulch can harbor blackspot spores which can overwinter in the leaves. Top-dress the garden with fresh minichip mulch.
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Transplant roses. It isn’t time to plant bare-root roses or container roses, but it is a good time to transplant them.
If you’ve got a rose that’s outgrown its place or needs greater light, or you just want it in a place that’s more easily viewable and enjoyable, November is a good month to maneuver roses.
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Delay pruning trees and shrubs. Delay pruning until late winter, except for minor shaping and also to remove dead and diseased wood.
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Split perennials. Most summer and spring perennials may nevertheless be divided through early winter. Water well before and after dividing.
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Cut back perennials — or not. Perennials can be cut back after the frostnonetheless, many perennials give the garden an interesting look in the winter and provide food and cover for wildlife. Consider waiting until spring to cut them back.
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Pests. Watch for cool-season fleas on junipers, conifers, azaleas, hollies and camellias. Infested leaves turn gray or brown and may fall prematurely. Heavily infested shrubs and conifers may perish.
Utilize the white-paper evaluation: Put a piece of white paper below the stem and shake a stem of the plant, then see whether any mites show up on the paper. They are smaller than a period in a sentence.