November brings its own set of specific garden tasks to consider, for a healthier garden and bountiful yield in the spring and summer.
CLEAN UP with a focus on prevention–of pests, weeds, and general chaos in the coming year. First hit things that show signs of disease, weed or insect infestation, in case weather curtails your cleanup before you get to everything. More tips:
- WEED WAR: Minimize weed woes for next year by committing to an all season focus on weed control, including the current time. Some weeds are actually easier to thwart in late summer and fall, and I’m still pulling what I see and deadheading seed-laden ones, at least.
- Clear turf or weeds from around the trunks of fruit trees and ornamental plants to reduce winter damage by rodents and rabbits. Hardware cloth collars should be in place year-round, sunk an inch or so into the soil, and standing 18 inches high. Use half-inch mesh or smaller.
- GARLIC IN YET? Ideally it should be about a month before frost is in the ground, but it’s pretty cooperative with slightly later planting. To plant garlic, Prepare a sunny spot, and plant each clove 2 or so inches deep and 6 inches apart in the row, with about 12 inches between rows, then mulch. Green growth may appear this fall; no worry.
- IT’S BEST TO PLAN what seeds you’ll save, starting at planting time in spring. But even this late, some garden harvest—including the last beans, or winter squash—may hold hidden treasure so don't forget to check.
- PREVENTING PESTS:Here are some ways to control pests in your garden in November:
- Plant herbs: Herbs like basil, mint, sage, thyme, and rosemary can repel pests with their strong scents. Basil repels flies, mosquitoes, and hornworms, while mint deters ants, spiders, and mice. Sage repels carrot flies, cabbage moths, and slugs.
- Add flowers: Flowers like marigolds, chrysanthemums, nasturtiums, lavender, petunias, alliums, calendulas, borage, and geraniums can deter pests.
-
Clean up: Remove fallen leaves, fruits, and other debris. You can also remove annual plants that have finished their growing season.
-
Mulch: Apply organic mulch to bare soil or areas with thin soil.
-
Water: Make sure trees and shrubs are well-watered going into winter.
- Take a soil test: A soil test can help you prepare your garden for spring planting.
-
Rotate crops: Keep records of when pests arrived, where they were most active, and which varieties performed best.