By November, most gardens have probably had at least one frost. Whether it was a light frost with the temperature dropping to 32 degrees or slightly below, or more of a severe frost with temperatures dipping into the 20’s or below, tender plants are most likely history! However, there is still time to plant bulbs, I often wait until mid-November because it gives me time to pull up my summer annuals and cut back some of my perennials.
· Rake & compost leaves
· Bring the outdoors in
· Apply lime to lawns
· Prune roses waist high
· Lawn mower maintenance
I try to rake and compost leaves, although if you live in an area with lots of deciduous trees, it can almost be overwhelming. Having a compost bin is considered as a ‘must-have’ item for many gardeners and it does not need to be fancy, I have two compost bins and they are just a four-sided square wire ‘fence-like’ material that has the sole purpose of confining the leaves. There is no top and no bottom. Some leaves decompose faster than others and I tend to go with those that are fast. My favorite is the large leave maple, but alder, fruit trees, and deciduous magnolias also work well. I avoid needles from conifers and leaves from rhododendron, evergreen magnolia and laurel because it takes them too long to decompose.
This is a wonderful time of year to walk through the garden and look at those plants that have dried flowers, berries, interesting bark, seed pods, etc and bring the outdoors in. Cut branches of dried flowers, hydrangea flowers, ornamental grass plumes, plants with berries and seed pods, branches with attractive bark, etc. In my own garden, Callicarpa (Beautyberry), is loaded with clusters of purple berries.
True Temper Poly Leaf Rake, Clog Free, 48 in.
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True Value Paper Lawn & Leaf Bags, 30 gal., 5 pk.
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Green Thumb, 2 Wheel Garden Cart, 5 cu. ft Poly Tray
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November is an excellent month to apply lime to lawns if it needs it. Soils in western Oregon and Washington often are acidic in nature and sometime the concentration can be detrimental to lawns. It is best to have a professional soil test taken to give an exacting reading as to whether lime is needed and, if so, how much. If the lawn has lots of moss, fertilizer does not seem to be working and the grass is yellow, this can be an indication that an application of lime would be beneficial. Adding lime does not kill moss but can change the acidity level so that moss is less likely to thrive. Most lawns will benefit from an application every couple of years and a general rate is 50 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Apply lime with a lawn spreader and let the fall rains wash it into the soil. Once again, having a soil test prior to applying lime is a wise investment.
Calpril Lime, 50 lb.
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luster leaf Rapitest 1601 Soil Test Kit
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Prune roses waist high and give them some general maintenance such as removing any diseased leaves or canes. Many modern hybrid tea roses grow to heights of 6 feet or more and by doing some pruning now will make the pruning easier in February when the pruning is more drastic. Tall roses can also suffer some root damage by strong winds that may tend to rock the bush back and forth and reducing the height can help eliminate this. Roses should not be fertilized at this time.
Zenport, 1" Classic Pruner
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Corona Folding Pruning Razor-Tooth Saw, 7 in.
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Since most of us are not going to be mowing our lawn for the next few months, this is the time for lawn mower maintenance.
Clean and oil your lawnmower as well as other garden tools which includes garden trowels, shovels, hoes, etc., that probably have dirt on them from past usage. If your lawnmower has not been serviced for several years, it would be a good time to have that done and then it will be ready for the first spring mowing.
ARNOLD BAF-112 Replacement Air Filter, Foam Filter Media
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Another task is to go out to the garden after a rain and observe areas where the water seems to puddle and not drain. This might be a case where some soil amending would be beneficial. Or perhaps a narrow trench to divert the water to another location. There is lots to do in November in preparation for the spring season and a new year of gardening.
Razorback Trenching Shovel, 48 in.
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