Undecember

 

November 2025

 

Pickaway to Garden

Undecimber

By Paul J. Hang

 

The numbers game of months continues. The number nine in Latin is novem. Just as in October, they added January and February to the calendar. This made November the eleventh month. The Latin for eleven is undecim. So why not call it Undecimber? With all the confusion they finally did get our calendar to coincide with the workings of our solar system. Undecember might be a better name for the month. It is not December. It is the last full month of fall, not yet December. The weather is very predictably unpredictable. Folklore of November reflects the changing weather, encouraging us to learn to go with the flow, accept change and turn it to our advantage.

 

A profound change I have noticed is in our attitude towards plants, especially trees. In a previous column I related evidence that some plants hear. This was reported by Zoe Schlanger in her book “The Light Eaters.” She goes further to present evidence that plants share other senses, traits and behaviors with us. Some plants have a memory. Right now trees are remembering to shed their leaves to preserve their energy and get through the coming winter. Let’s hope they remember to leaf out come spring. They always have.

 

We recognize that much of animal behavior is similar to our own. We accord them some respect and kindness. We have societies devoted to treat them humanely. Thoughtlessly using them for our own purposes upsets some of us and, I believe, gives all of us pause. Pet owners eventually learn that their pets have some level of agency. They can act to obtain a particular result.

 

Plants are also becoming more to us than just decorations or something to eat. I am not claiming that animals and plants are just like us and claim the same responsibility from us as our fellow human beings. But they both can claim some responsibility from us. We share the planet. We depend on them and they depend on us. Trees provide environmental benefits for us like clean air, mitigate flooding, carbon sequestration, and cooling the planet.  As Harriet Rix writes in her book “The Genius of Trees,” “…our interests are aligned. Our existence, just like theirs, depends on it.” She goes on to say “Does our aesthetic appreciation of trees incline us to preserve them? “ “The greatest wisdom is understanding that appreciation and conservation are two sides of the same coin.”

 

Things to do in the Garden:

 

Now is a good time to do soil tests. There is time to amend your soil if required. You will avoid the spring rush. To obtain soil sampling instructions 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. A wire cage filled with leaves surrounding them 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 them 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.

 

This 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. Bring the mulch a few inches away from the trunks of all trees. You may want to stake newly planted trees from the winds of winter 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 notes and map your garden, marking where the plants were. This is particularly important for the vegetable garden. Remove stalks from asparagus 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. Disconnect garden hoses from the outdoor spigots and drain. Make sure underground irrigation lines are drained or blown dry with a compressor.

 

Remove 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. Most plastic containers can be left outdoors. Stop or reduce fertilizing indoor plants. 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. Now your beds are tucked in and settled down for a long winter’s nap.