Giving Thanks

 

November 2024

 

Pickaway to Garden

Giving Thanks

By Paul J. Hang

 

 

November is one of those transition months. It is not fall and yet not winter.

I feel the year and time is fleeting. The green has gone, hurried by a frost in mid-October. Plant life has either died or gone dormant or underground. With the exception of the oaks and beeches, the trees have shed their leaves accelerated by the gale winds of the Witch of November. The nuts have fallen from the trees and some have run for election. The shorter days, the loss of light as the Sun approaches its nadir, adds to the gloom.

 

November brings elections and voting, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. It brings lots of tasks in the garden and yard. There are leaves to take care of, bulbs to plant and some to dig up and store, vegetable gardens to clean up, and all the things to do in the so-named list at the end of this article. Sometimes I feel like I have so many things to do I can’t get anything done.

 

When I focus on such things that November is not; no bird song, no butterflies, no hummingbirds, no flowers, no ripe tomatoes or corn, I am full of regret and just a little depressed. I regret that I have not accomplished all the tasks in the garden that I should have.

 

Then, I remember that at the end of the month is Thanksgiving. I can focus on the things that November is; birds at the feeder, the smell of wood smoke, a crackling fire, apples and cider, a turkey dinner with family and friends. There are still a few perennials and bulbs and a tree or two to plant. I can still find a few more days to work out doors. Digging in the dirt, physical exercises, admiring the subtle beauty of nature and the light this time of year, all affect my mood.

 

And finally there is this; a microbe found in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, has been found to increase brain serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant in humans. This happens when people are working in the soil. Just another reason why gardening makes us feel good. Dr. Christopher Lowry of the University of Colorado Boulder is studying these bacteria. You can see his TED Talk on YouTube.

 

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. Peonies can be cut to the ground to control the fungi and disease for which they are prone to develop. Dispose of the stems and leaves in the trash.

 

A light 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 after it freezes. 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 when they turn yellow or brown and mulch the strawberries with straw. You can still plant garlic. 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 or cover with mulch, leave no bare ground..

 

Consider leaving the stems and seed heads of perennials, Rose of Sharon is an exception. 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.