Emily's Gardening Almanac Timely Tips from a Professional Gardening Expert

November Gardening Tips

• Your houseplants should be inside the house by now. Check them for insects. Develop a watering schedule for the winter. Do not overwater.
• Plant your amaryllis now for Christmas bloom. It will take about 4 to 6 weeks to grow and bloom.

• You can still plant bulbs during November.

• November is a good month to clean all of your gardening tools. Wash all dirt and grime off your tools and store them in a dry place.

• Clean all your power equipment and prepare it for winter storage.

• Make sure pesticides are properly stored for winter. Keep them from freezing. Make sure bottle lids are tightly closed. Label your pesticides with the month and year purchase dates, so you can properly destroy old pesticides.

• Disconnect your garden hose from faucets to protect them from freezing. Also remove and store sprinklers and irrigation timers to protect them from freezing.

• Remove dead vegetable plants from the garden to prevent insects and diseases from overwintering.

• If needed, apply new mulch to your landscape beds. Remember, you only need a 2-4 inch layer of mulch. New mulch will make your landscape look better during the holidays.

• If your roses have stopped blooming, now is a good time to top prune them for the winter. Late winter is when you do heavy pruning on roses.

• Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs.

Visit the following web site for more gardening information and helpful tips:

Extension's Successful Gardener^sm

For informaton concerning this or other publications please contact Emily Revels, Extension Agent, Horticulture, at (910) 321-6870.

Created by Susan Johnson, System Administrator, July 2005