Garden To Do List

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We are having some relatively balmy weather today for late November.

There are plenty of reasons to get outside in the garden!

- Make compost to improve next year's soil. Pile up faded plants, raked leaves, coffee grounds, etc. and let the rain (and snow) break it down into nutrient rich topsoil for next spring.

- Dump out flower pots that held annuals. In the photo you'll see that we pour ours directly onto the vegetable bed where they can compost in place.

- Prune any diseased or damaged branches, limbs and twigs. Diseased plant parts should be put in the trash. The rest can be composted.

- Pull out weeds that have grown among your perennials, fruit, and ornamental trees.

- Deeply water newly planted trees. Do not fertilize.

- Remove any remaining seed heads of plants you want to re-plant next spring. Zinnias in particular still have viable seeds.

- There is still time to plant garlic, daffodils, tulips and other bulbs that need months of chill.

- Protect young roses by piling 6 inches of soil around the crown. Add mulch late-Jan after we have had a hard freeze.

- If you know where you want to add a vegetable or flower bed next spring, put several layers of newspaper on it and anchor the newspaper with pots or rocks. By spring the weeds will be weak and the earthworms will have tilled the soil for you.

Enjoy being out in this almost-warm weather while it lasts!




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