November Garden Chores by David Barkley (September 2005)
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- Continue to plant trees and shrubs in the landscape. Keep them watered and use winter protection if necessary. Keep them in a barn or garage for a few days to protect the root ball from freezing if cold weather is expected around planting time.
- Clean up the water garden. Remove floating leaves and algae from the water and discard any dead plant material. If there are any tender plants needing protection from freezing temperatures (tropical lilies, etc.) remove them to a heated structure. If there are fish in the pool, be sure to maintain at least 18 20 inches of water all winter long.
- Recycle mums into the perennial border. Keep them watered and fertilized. Cut back next year and you should have a good display next fall.
- Seeds that mature and are shed from trees in the fall should be collected and sown immediately into prepared beds or containers. They generally will germinate the following spring. Acorns usually require removing the caps from the acorn. Dogwoods and magnolia seed should have the outer red covering soften by soaking the seed in water. Red maple seeds ripen in the spring and should be collected and sown immediately after harvesting.
- Pinch tops of pansies and snapdragons to remove stocky growth.
- Prune lantana to 1/3 its height and spread.
- Check camellias and azaleas for spider mites and treat with insecticidal soap if mites are found.
- Remove older canes of raspberries and blackberries.
- Remove dead vegetable plants from the garden to prevent insects and diseases from over-wintering.
- Treat scales with a dormant oil spray applied to the branches and stems where scales are attached.
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