Joyful November! True, most tender annuals are executed by now, and a few tender perennials are displaying indicators of chilly injury. However even when the extra joyful features of gardening are previous, there may be nonetheless work to be executed within the backyard.
The chores for November fall into 4 classes, which handily all begin with “p”: pruning (neatening up), defending, propagating (and planting), and planning.
Featured picture above by Frank Heijligers, from Knowledgeable Recommendation: 9 Suggestions for a Moody Winter Backyard.
Pruning (and Neatening)
As soon as the leaves have dropped out of your timber and shrubs and so they’ve entered dormancy, it’s time to take away diseased or broken branches (with timber, you must take into account hiring an arborist) and consider their constructions. That mentioned, ensure the plant isn’t amongst those who shouldn’t be pruned till after they flower in spring. (See Your First Backyard: What You Must Know Earlier than You Prune Shrubs and Timber.) Different vegetation that have to be reduce embrace sure berries (pruning out previous canes will assist the plant rejuvenate subsequent yr) and annual vegetation, which will be snipped right down to the soil line, permitting the decaying roots to complement the soil. However don’t get too hung up on neatness: Take into account leaving perennials as they’re, withered and brown, for overwintering bugs and birds. And mulched leaves needs to be left in beds to return vitamins to the soil, maintain moisture, and supply cowl to useful bugs. (For extra on this subject, see Fall Gardening: 15 Concepts For What to Do With All These Leaves.)
Defending
