November on the gardener’s calendar

November in the garden is mainly cleaning. The jokes are over, winter is coming soon. The gardener’s November calendar reminds that frosts occur at night and are not small at all. The sun is still shining during the day, but it doesn’t give much heat to us or our plants. This is really the last bell to protect our plants. Surrounding them with a warm blanket under which they will not get cold roots and in the spring they will grow beautifully enjoying our eyes in spring. In a word, November on the gardener’s calendar is the time to clean the garden.

Tidying up

If we have not done it so far, we dig up the last bulbs, rhizomes or tubers of plants that are not frost resistant. November is the last time for such work. It is true that until the first frosts garden dahlias bloom, enjoying the eye with a variety of flowers, colors and sizes. From small plants a few centimeters to tall, even over a meter. However, you must remember that they are extremely delicate. Other tubers that need to be protected are tuber begonias, canna, Asian glaucoma and gladiolus. We dig up bulbs of oriental lilies, eukomis – maned lilies. If we winter over geraniums, it’s also time to hide them.

Where to store flowers in the winter?

Let’s try to find a cool place for them in the winter. Now, when we build modern houses without basements, it’s hard to find such a place. It happens that some treat these plants as annuals, then there is no problem. We will power the composter with them. However, in my opinion, it is worth considering and finding a solution. We can try to contact the nearby farmer or neighbor who has a basement and give him a box of carp, tubers and bulbs for storage.

Garden cleaning before Christmas

Where to start autumn garden cleaning? Autumn gardening should be treated as a holiday cleaning. We do everything thoroughly. In the end, this next order madness is not until spring. We cut the last leaves from perennials so that they do not rot in the winter and clean them thoroughly. Hosts don’t look nice when they get cold. Not only the aesthetic element is important here, but also the issue of the possibility of spreading fungal diseases. We collect the last leaves from under trees and bushes. After frosts they should all fall. Of course, except for some varieties of oak or beech, whose leaves hang until spring. If someone is a pedant, they cut ornamental grasses. Because, unfortunately, in the wind in winter they can make a bit of a mess. However, I am in favor of leaving them in the gardens because of the extraordinary beauty even in winter. If we have compost, we can use all green waste. The only exception are walnut and chestnut leaves, which are best packed in bags for bio waste.

Irrigation systems, sprinklers, garden hoses

When performing autumn cleanups, it is very important to remember not only about flowers and shrubs. All garden hoses should be cleaned after draining them so that they do not freeze and can serve another year. We hide all freestanding sprinklers. We blow out the remaining water from the irrigation lines. We hide pots, especially those that are not frost resistant. All containers filled with water to protect against cracking during frost. We collect all gardening tools. Remember to check the mower basket so that it does not leave any grass residue that will rot.

Flower pots, terraces, balconies

On terraces in apartment buildings, if possible, we protect planters from frost. Alternatively, we move them under the building to give them a chance to spend the winter. In most cases, this protection is sufficient. November and autumn cleaning is a good time for planting onion plants that bloom in early spring, crocus and other tulips. Shops are selling so we can afford to buy more onions. In November we should start feeding the birds. Not only is this a good deed, some of them will also help us in the spring against pests. Another thing is that afterwards they will eat some fruit from the trees, but the bill is a plus. After the first frosts we collect chokeberry and quince fruit. Frozen, they are suitable for preserves. At the end of the gardening season, we can already think about the next one. Plan new plantings, investments related to the purchase of equipment, plants or employment of a gardener who can do all the work for us.