Apophatic

 

November 2022

 

Pickaway to Garden

Apophatic

By Paul J. Hang

 

I am borrowing a term from theology to describe November. Apophatic is a way of describing something by stating which characteristics it doesn’t have. Although it’s negative, I think you will find it positive. One knows November in much the same way that the literary, fictitious horse-trader David Harum knew he had bought a horse, “…the only thing to determine that fact was that it wa’nt nothin’ else.”

 

What can I say about November? November seems merely a transition from October to December. November is not December with its winterberries and holly leaves, brown seed heads frosted by the snow and oak and beech clinging to their remaining leaves, unwilling to face reality. There is no green like the pines, spruces and hemlocks against a snowy background in January. No Snow Drops or Maple syrup like February. No swelling of buds and a hopeful hunt for green, as in March. No greening of grass, speckled with dandelions and crocus, like April.  No flowery month like May with its blossoms, new leaves and an epidemic of chlorophyll.

 

It isn’t a leafy month with grass and maple, iris and columbine, strawberries and asparagus, like June. It isn’t a hot month like July with its milkweed, day lilies, bees, sunflowers and too many roots, shoots and fruits to mention. It’s not August, a corny month when we eat so much of it we are “corn walking.” Not to mention tomatoes. No autumn abundance of asters, apples and acorns like September. November is no changing leaf color like October when nature is going to seed in preparation for another cycle of growth. No, we know November with its burs and brrrrrs.

 

Things to do in the Garden:

 

Now is a good time to do soil tests. You have time (3 to 6 months) to amend your soil if required. You will avoid the spring rush. To obtain soil sampling instructions and kits along with specific recommendations contact the local Cooperative Extension Office 740-474-7534.The Helpline is also available at the same number. 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 single holes. Lift tender bulbs (caladiums, dahlias, glads etc.) and store for the winter. 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 protection can be added. Final pruning should be done in the spring, but long spindly canes can be trimmed off now. Climbing roses or ramblers should be tied to prevent injury from being whipped around by harsh winter winds. Do not fertilize. Clean up all dead and diseased rose leaves and put in the trash.

 

A fall fertilization of your lawn can be done now. Do not allow leaves to form a matted layer on the lawn. Rake and compost heavy layers of leaves. Running the mower over the rows of leaves 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. Run the gas out of your lawn and garden machinery or add gas stabilizer for storage.

 

November is a good month to plant most trees. For two short informative videos, go to; http://bit.ly/PlantATreeCbus. When your trees go dormant you can view; http://bit.ly/PruneATreeCbus and see how to prune them properly.

Make sure leaves and mulch are not heaped against the trunks of trees. Bring the mulch a few inches to 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 dormant to do any normal pruning. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs (lilac, forsythia, spirea etc.) if you want them to bloom this spring.

 

Take stock by taking notes and map your garden while you can still remember where the plants were. This is particularly important for the vegetable garden. Remove the stalks from asparagus and mulch the strawberries with straw. 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 by freezing. The same goes for fragile garden ornaments. Synthetic containers can be left outdoors. Stop or reduce fertilizing indoor plants. Weed the vegetable garden and compost non-diseased debris. Place diseased materials in the trash. Remove stakes and cages, clean and store. Plant a cover crop.

 

Consider leaving the stems and seed heads of perennials. Nature is not compelled to neatness. She leaves cover for pollinators and butterflies to overwinter themselves or their pupae and eggs. You can clean up in the spring. Cut off dead annuals and, if not diseased, compost them. Now your beds are tucked in and settled down for a long winter’s nap.