The Witch of November

November 2017

 

Pickaway to Garden

The Witch of November

By Paul J. Hang

 

No, not that witch, that was last month. This witch is scarier. The Witch of November is a term some weathermen have used to describe the winds of November. November is the most feared month for shipwrecks on the Great Lakes due to seasonal weather changes. Cold northern air begins to blow down from Canada picking up moisture from the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. Most famously, the Edmund Fitzgerald was sunk in November of 1975 in Lake Superior.

 

Gardeners don’t have as much to fear as mariners on the Great Lakes but we do need to be aware and prepare for the winds of November and those of the next few months. Winter winds can dry out plants. Desiccate them. Strong winds can blow over newly planted trees and injure roses and other shrubs by whipping around their canes and stems. Whether or not to stake a tree or shrub, whether or not to protect trees or shrubs from drying winds or snow or ice loads depends on the plant, the site, and the weather. Research is required and well worth it if you have invested a large amount of money and/or labor in your plantings. The answer my friend is not, as Bob Dylan sang, “blowin’ in the wind.”

 

The wind is not all bad. It will blow the newly fallen leaves into eddies and out of the way places where various insects and small invertebrates (and some vertebrates) will spend the winter. Wind will blow the standing stalks of grasses and other plants creating swaying waves of winter interest. The sound of the wind through the pines and other trees can be a soothing lullaby when dropping off to sleep.

 

Wind in November can be the reminder that winter is coming. It, as the month itself, helps to transition from fall to winter. The wind, the dark, the cold, the gloom and (yes it’s possible) the snow, all get us ready for what is coming. Is your garden ready? Are you ready?

 

TREE LOVERS, or huggers, there is a newly created Tree Commission for the city instituted to protect and encourage the growth of our urban forest. If you are interested in serving on this commission you can apply at: http://www.ci.circleville.oh.us/DocumentCenter/View/133.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Now is a good time to do soil tests. You will have time to amend your soil if required (3 to 6 months). And, you will avoid the spring rush when more people are sending their samples to the lab. To obtain soil sampling instructions and kits along with specific recommendations contact the local Cooperative Extension Office.

 

It’s not too late to plant spring flowering bulbs. Spring bulbs look best in a cluster. Try excavating an area rather than planting them in a single small hole, one bulb per hole. Lift tender bulbs (caladiums, dahlias, glads etc.). Sow seeds of hardy annuals (calendula, bachelor’s buttons). Mums can be “tidied up” but don’t trim back until spring.

 

Tender roses should be “hilled up,” mound the soil a foot deep around the base to protect the crowns. Also a wire cage filled with leaves surrounding them as mulch can add protection. Final pruning should be done in the spring but long spindly branches can be trimmed off. Climbing roses or ramblers should be tied to prevent injury from being whipped around by harsh winter winds. Do not feed. Clean up all dead and diseased rose leaves and put in the trash.

 

If you haven’t done a fall fertilization of your lawn, do it now. Do not allow leaves to form a matted layer. Rake and compost heavy layers of leaves, otherwise chop them up with passes of the mower to return to the soil as nutrients. Running the mower over the rows at right angles a couple times will reduce them to half inch pieces which earth worms will pull into the soil. The latest recommendation is to continue to cut your lawn at 2.5-3 inches as long as it continues to grow.  This seems to work better than cutting it short for the “last time” of the season.

 

Make sure leaves and mulch are not heaped against the trunks of trees. Bring the mulch a foot away from the trunks of all trees. You may also want to stake newly planted trees from the winds of winter and early spring storms. Generally new trees more than 2” diameter don’t need staking. Consult ohioline.osu.edu for staking and other gardening information. Evergreens and shrubs should be watered deeply. Apply an anti-desiccant to broadleaf evergreens. Wait until late winter to do any normal pruning. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs (lilac, forsythia, spirea etc.) if you want them to bloom.

 

Take stock by taking notes and map your garden while you can still see the plants or remember where they were. This is particularly important for the vegetable garden. Clean your gardening tools and put them away. A coat of oil can prevent rust. A light coating of linseed oil on wooden handles prevents splitting due to weathering and drying. Drain garden hoses and store. At the very least disconnect from the outdoor spigots. Make sure underground irrigation lines are drained or blown dry with a compressor.

 

Remove the dead plants from containers and, if not diseased, compost. Unglazed terracotta pots must be stored indoors or they will be destroyed. No procrastinating here. Synthetic containers can be left outdoors. Stop or reduce fertilizing indoor plants. Weed the vegetable garden and compost debris. Remove stakes and cages, clean and store. Place diseased materials in the trash. Plant a cover crop. Consider leaving the stems and seed heads of perennials. Nature is not compelled to neatness. Rather she leaves cover for pollinators and butterflies to overwinter themselves, their pupae and eggs. You can clean up in the spring. Pull out dead annuals and, if not diseased, compost them. Now your beds are tucked in and settled down for a long winter’s nap.