November Notes: Garden Gratitude

November Notes: Garden Gratitude

The seasons are ever changing, with time marching on. Daylight Savings ends, the clock falls back an hour on Sunday, November 7th. Evenings have been creeping in a little earlier and earlier over the last month or so. This means less time in the yard now unless you are starting earlier in the day.

Are you motivated to have more time in the garden or greenhouse?  How about showing gratitude for the abundance your garden provided you this past growing season? If so, how do you plan on doing that this November? Maybe you will be clearing it out, cleaning it up, or maybe you'll be amending the soil. There are so many ways to show your garden and yard the gratitude you feel for a season of abundance. Tell us, by commenting below, how you plan on showing your appreciation for your garden.

Here are your gardening tips for November, broken down by zones. Remember to check here, The National Gardening Association, http://garden.org/nga/zipzone/, to find out what your zone is. You can find your location on the map or just enter your zip code.

Zone 3 - 5

  • Inspect all garden tools before cleaning and winterizing them.
  • Store all tools that can be used next year
  • Discard any broken tools or tools that need to be replaced in the Spring.
  • Keep a list of tools that need to be replaced or fixed next Spring.
  • Cut lawn short to keep mold from growing under snow.
  • Mulch perennials to keep them protected during winter months.
  • If ground is still soft enough, get last minute bulbs in for beautiful flowers in the Spring.
  • Harvest cool weather crops.
  • Check stored and overwintering tubers and bulbs for spoiled or soft ones. Discard all that are no longer healthy.
  • Clean and fill bird feeders.
*Make sure you clean your gardening tools before they have their long winter's nap.

Zone 6 - 7

  • Finish clean up of leaves. Compost leaves or use loosely as mulch around the garden.
  • Prune perennials, vines and evergreens.
  • Harvest lettuces, spinach, kale, carrots if you have any left in your raised beds.
  • If your crops are young, you can cover with a greenhouse and continue to grow well into winter.
  • Protect your tender plants from hard frost with light fabric cover.
  • Clean and winterize your lawnmower before storing.
  • Add a raised bed to your garden while the ground is still soft enough to dig down into.

Zone 8 - 10

  • Place barrels in your yard or garden to catch rain this winter for watering later when water is less abundant.
  • Check your area to see if you get a hard frost.
  • Protect your plants from a hard frost with a greenhouse.
  • Plant appropriate winter crops for your area.
  • Make sure when planting your winter crops that the soil isn't too wet for seeds.
  • If you have tomatoes plants still growing and a frost is imminent, pull it up and hang indoors or in an area protected from frost. Harvest as fruit ripens.

Remember that each zone has suggestions. Each gardener knows their area and land best. If you see a suggestion or tip for another zone and you feel that it would help you and your garden, please go ahead and follow that tip as well.

*Enjoy a warm fire and a good gardening book this winter while planning for next Spring.

Enjoy the cooler weather and snuggle up indoors by the fire with your favorite gardening book. Begin dreaming of the changes that you might make in your garden next Spring! Have an abundant November and always remember to be grateful for your yard and your garden.

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