November Gardening Checklist
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Fellow Gardeners,
The information, dates, and techniques in this November gardening checklist are as accurate as I can currently offer. I have cared for, nurtured, and observed tens of thousands of plants across all seasons during the past three decades. With the help of many gardening friends, I have attempted to offer some useful information to help you with your own garden on these pages. Gardening is sharing. Any corrections, comments, or suggestions are appreciated and will improve future information.
Table of Contents:
General Gardening Info
November is a great time of year to add some soil care to your gardening checklist. Taking care of the soil is the best way to ensure your garden stays healthy and maintains a balance of nutrients for all of your plants. Be grateful for the birds and opossums you encounter this time of year, as they’re essential for controlling so many garden pests. Some birds will even feed on pests in the ground, helping you take care of the soil.
Annuals
While other parts of the country are finishing up their gardening season, here in SoCal, we’re just adjusting to the cool-season part of our growing year. November is a great time to embrace classically beautiful cool-season annuals and plant lots of them in your garden.
● The soil is still relatively warm, but the temperatures are cooling off, making this another perfect planting month.
● A few cool-season annuals to plant in November include pansy, viola, stock, Iceland poppy, Linaria, English daisy, Alyssum, Calendula, snapdragon, ornamental cabbage or kale, bedding cyclamen, Cineraria, and primrose.
● There is still a chance of some warm days and drying Santa Ana winds, so keep newly planted annuals well-watered until they are thoroughly rooted.
● Because of their rapid growth and heavy flowering potential, annuals need more frequent fertilizing than most other plants in the garden.
● One of the top November gardening tips is to stay on top of deadheading (removing spent flowers) annuals to help them continue blooming abundantly.
Geraniums:
● This group includes ivy geraniums, zonal geraniums (also called “common” geraniums), Martha geraniums, and the various scented geraniums, but does not include true geraniums (sometimes called “hardy” geraniums), which are discussed under perennials.
● Ivy and zonal types will usually continue to bloom throughout the fall and winter. Periodically remove spent flowers to encourage more bloom.
● Continue fertilizing, except most scented types, with a balanced fertilizer. The dosage, however, can be reduced by half through the next several cool months.
● Continue a progressive pruning back of Martha types now. Don’t cut them all at once. One-third of the plants should have been pruned back last month. Prune back the second third this month.
Sweet Peas:
● Sweet Pea seeds are in good supply now. This is a perfect time to plant seeds of all varieties, so make sure to add them to your shopping checklist for November gardening. Mix in a few of the early-blooming (also called “short-day”) varieties that will bloom earlier than the others. These early varieties include Winter Elegance (our favorite) and Early Multiflora.
Learn and grow by watching: How to Grow Sweet Peas with Steve Hampson + World Class Sweet Peas with Steve Hampson
Wildflowers:
● This may be the best month to broadcast wildflower seeds. Spread them just before a rainy period, shaken with a couple of cups of clean, coarse river sand (not from the beach). If possible, check the weather forecasts and wait for an approaching storm that will last for several days. Broadcast the seeds just before the rains begin. Be sure that the area is well prepared before sowing the seeds. After spreading the seeds, rake the area lightly.
● Weeds will easily overwhelm a wildflower garden if not kept under control. Within a couple of weeks, the wildflowers (and the weeds) begin sprouting, so start weeding. Pull or hoe them early and regularly to keep them under control.
Fruiting Plants
November is a month to do maintenance of fruiting plants. It’s important to prune cane berries now, and it’s the best time of year to plant strawberries.
Learn and grow by watching: Edible Gardening Series with David: Strawberries, Peppers, Beans, & Squash
Cane Berries:
● This is the first month in which you can prune cane berries. These include blackberries, boysenberries, loganberry, and some raspberries (see the exception below). Cut the canes that bore fruit earlier this year to the ground, they will not bear fruit again. Do not prune the new canes that sprouted from the soil this spring; they will produce next season’s crop.
● Next month, you should prune the new low-chill, subtropical raspberries (including the famous “Bababerry”).
Strawberries:
● This is one of the best months for planting strawberries (if you can find them). This early, you can start from six packs. Next month look for pre-chilled bare-root.
● If you can find bare-root plants, these are great. If you find them, wrap them in a couple of moist paper towels and put them into the refrigerator for three to four weeks. Then plant them right away.
● Pinch out the first two or three sets of flowers that your young plants will produce to encourage better root development and a stronger overall plant.
Learn and grow by watching: How to Grow the Best Strawberries with Sarah Smith
Grapes:
● Do not fertilize anymore until next year.
● Many varieties (especially one called ‘Fantasy’) can offer terrific fall color to the garden. This may be more noticeable in colder inland gardens.
● Reduce or eliminate irrigations, especially along the coast, to help the vines enter their dormant winter period.
● Powdery mildew may be on the foliage now. However, treatment this late in the season is rarely of any value.
● Sometime around Thanksgiving should be your first application of dormant disease control (assuming the foliage has dropped or completely dried). This should be an organic Copper Sulfate product. Applying these products is an annual chore to prevent some very common fungal diseases. The timing of this application is the most important of them all. Apply this at the “pink-bud-stage.” This is the point in which the buds have swollen and may even be “pink”, but have not yet opened.
Shrubs:
November is an excellent time to plant shrubs in the garden. Go easy on the pruning for now, though. Be cautious when pruning hedges. At this time of the year, hard pruning on many varieties will leave the plant scarred for most of the winter. Plant a few shrubs with fall interest in the garden. Plants with abundant, colorful berries or fruit now include cotoneaster, heavenly bamboo, hollies, persimmon, pomegranate, pyracantha, and toyon.
Learn and grow by watching: California Native Plants for Your Garden with James Maxwell + Hardy Flowering Shrubs with Dalia Brunner
Camellias:
● Most Sasanqua camellias are beginning their full bloom period now. Feed Sasanqua varieties after their bloom cycle has finished, never before.
● Japanese Camellias are done with their “growth” cycle for this year. They have now set their flower buds for next spring. Most of the plant’s energy for the remainder of the year is going toward next year’s flowers. There is no need to apply any general fertilizer to camellias until they finish their blooms next year.
Learn and grow by watching: Gardening 101 Series | How to Plant & Maintain a Camellia
Gardenias:
● These are getting ready to withdraw through the winter months. Don’t be surprised if several yellow leaves are developing. This is quite normal.
● Gardenias do not like hot, dry winds. If these occur, do what you can to shield the plant. A light misting and syringe of the leaves also helps.
Learn and grow by watching:How to Successfully Grow Gardenias with Sarah Smith
Hydrangeas:
● Contrary to some references, do not prune hydrangeas this late in the year. Many hydrangeas, especially older varieties, bloom on one-year-old stems. Pruning now will eliminate most of next year’s flowers.
● Many newer hydrangea varieties are repeat-blooming and unlike the older cousins, bloom on new growth. Those varieties can be pruned now, if necessary.
● If you want to try to get blue or lavender flowers on your otherwise pink flowering plant, you can start applying Aluminum Sulfate to the soil now. White-flowered varieties will not be affected, and not all pinks will be affected the same.
Learn and Grow by watching: Blooming Hydrangeas with Sarah Smith
Roses:
● Many roses are still blooming very well this time of the year in Southern California, especially if you did a “summer pruning” in early August.
● Consider leaving the faded flowers on the plant after the last big bloom of the season rather than cutting them off as you usually would. They will often set attractive seed heads, called rose hips, especially old-fashioned varieties. These hips can be quite colorful and are an attractive addition to the fall garden.
● Powdery mildew may begin appearing again on some varieties. If practical, remove infested leaves by hand. If the infestation is minor, it may be best to let it go at this time of year.
● Feed either at half strength or not at all. Also, reduce irrigation as much as possible. Allow the plants to slow down and “harden-off” before the annual pruning in January.
Learn and Grow by watching:How to Plant a Rose + How to Maintain and Care for Roses + How to Prune Your Roses With Laura Weaver
Wisterias:
● You don’t need to do any pruning now. You’ll make your final pruning of the year next month.
● The foliage of wisterias will be looking a bit dry and even showing some tip burn: no need to worry, this is typical for right now.
● Watering needs are minimal, and there is no need to fertilize.
● If you are in a cool, inland location, your plant may show a bit of golden-yellow autumn color before it begins to drop its foliage next month.
Trees:
November is a beautiful time for deciduous trees as the leaves start to color and fall. There’s some maintenance to be done for trees this month, so don’t forget to add these tasks to your November gardening checklist. November is also a great time to plant trees, and towards the end of the month, you can do some pruning.
● Late this month is an excellent time to prune most trees (except for tender sub-tropical trees like Ficus, Coral Tree, Avocado, Citrus, etc.). Few birds are nesting in trees during this season, the sap flow is reduced, and the pruning will help strong Santa Ana winds pass through the tree’s canopy with minor damage.
● Certain deciduous trees are now showing their fall colors. If you are shopping for this sort of tree, it’s an excellent time to purchase or take notes on the varieties you like. Trees with excellent fall color in our climate include hybrid Liquidambars, Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo), Modesto Ash (Fraxinus) and Chinese Pistache (Pistachia).
● This is a good time to prune coniferous trees like pines and cypress since their pests (various bark beetles) are not active this time of the year.
● Stake, or re-stake, small and newly planted trees now to prevent wind damage in the next few months.
Deciduous Fruit Trees:
● You can reduce watering now. Continue monitoring the soil moisture, but the trees are using less water this time of the year. Mature trees very likely will not need any irrigation.
● Most varieties will begin showing a lot of yellow or drying leaves by now. Leaf drop will be most noticeable after a rain shower or a windy period. Depending upon the weather, trees may have no leaves left or still a moderate amount by the end of the month.
● Late-producing apple and pear varieties may still have some fruit on the branches.
● Around Thanksgiving, apply the first of three applications of dormant disease control. This is a liquid spray product containing either Copper Sulfate or Lime-sulfur (but do not use Lime-sulfur on Apricots). Both of these are organic. Applying these products are an annual chore to avoid infestations of such diseases as Peach Leaf Curl, Shothole Fungus, Apple Scab, Brown Rot, and many others.
Citrus:
● Many tangerines (also called mandarins) will be ready for harvest this month. Check the flavor of one or two first. If the sugar level is high, pick some more. If not, wait a bit longer.
● Citrus may already have a few yellow leaves, especially in inland gardens. Don’t worry; they are warm-weather plants and suffer a bit during the next few months of cool temperatures.
● Only feed potted citrus. Give them a very light application to keep the plants a bit greener into the fall months.
● Be careful with irrigating now. Warm, dry weather may require irrigation; otherwise, the cooler temperatures at this time of year suggest less.
Learn and Grow by watching:How to Successfully Grow Citrus in Southern California + Growing Citrus in Containers with Kathleen
Avocados:
● Don’t be alarmed by a lot of leaf drop on mature plants. Avocados produce a lot of leaf litter nearly year-round; this is a normal condition.
● Irrigate as needed to keep the soil moist but not wet.
● It’s too late to plant an avocado successfully this year. Being sub-tropical plants, avocados prefer to be planted during the long, warm part of the year.
● The fall avocado fruit season is upon us now. Some late-season fruiting varieties, like Fuerte, Pinkerton, and Zutano, may be ready to harvest. Remember that avocado fruit does not ripen on the tree; it must be removed and should ripen indoors at room temperature.
● Avocados are done putting on any new growth this year.
● Do not feed at all this month.
● Be sure to keep a very thick blanket of mulch, compost, or fallen leaves under mature avocados at all times; they need a cool root-run for good health.
Learn and Grow by watching: Edible Gardening: How to Grow Avocados in Southern California with Sarah Smith
Subtropical Fruits:
● Some of these will still be blooming and looking good, although others will be declining.
● The temperatures are beginning to drop, and the days are getting shorter, so it is time to stop fertilizing altogether. Let these plants harden off before late fall and winter. Eliminating fertilizer and cutting back on water helps the plants get ready for the months ahead.
● It is definitely too late to plant for this year. Although “fall is for planting” in Southern California, these plants are an exception. Wait until late spring or early summer of next year.
● Except for the Beaumont variety, keep checking for fallen Macadamia nuts. Pick them off the ground weekly, which may continue for up to three months. The Beaumont variety will be picked directly off the tree in March.
Perennials:
November is an important month on the perennial gardening calendar, so start making yourself a checklist if you’re hoping to establish a beautiful perennial garden. There is plenty of planting to be done as it’s perfect weather for perennials to establish strong root systems. Your garden overall will be consuming less water this month, but don’t forget about perennial plants in full sun; they may still dry out rather quickly, especially during windy weather.
● Like October, this is one of the most important months for plants in a perennial garden.
● Plant perennials right away this fall to help them establish and gear up for great spring bloom.
● This is a great month to plant most perennials. The only exceptions are a couple of frost tender sub-tropicals like Pentas and Scaevola.
● Your perennials will not need much, if any, fertilizing during these cool months. Exceptions might be a few container plants and the cool-season perennials mentioned below.
● Like October, this is a great month to review your perennials for potential replacements or upgrades. Many perennials are short-term plants and lose either their vigor or their form quickly and should be re-planted now. Examples of short-lived perennial plants include (with an approximate useful lifespan) Columbine (2-3 years), Delphinium (1-2 years), Euryops daisy (2-3 years), Felicia daisy (2-3 years), foxglove (1-2 years), lavender (3-5 years), Marguerite daisy (2-3 years), Nemesia (1 year), oriental poppy (1-3 years), Pelargonium (2-3 years), Penstemon (3 years), Phygelius (3-5 years), Scabiosa (2-3 years) and Verbena (varies).
● Several perennials are now slowing down or going to sleep for the cool months ahead. You can cut back these varieties pretty hard right now to help the garden looking tidier. These include Achillea (yarrow), aster (perennial types, if they have finished blooming), baby’s breath (Gypsophila), most campanula, columbine (Aquilegia), coral bells (Heuchera), coreopsis, daylily (Hemerocallis), dianthus (perennial types including carnation), gaillardia, most geraniums (true geranium), goldenrod (Solidago), Japanese anemone (when they finish blooming), lamb’s ears (Stachys), lions tail (Leonotis), matilija poppy (Rhomneya), monkshood (Aconitum), oregano (ornamental types), oriental poppy, penstemon, phlomis, phygelius, rudbeckia, Russian sage (Perovskia), most salvia (sage), Scabiosa (pincushion flower), shasta daisy, Stokesia (stokes aster), valerian (Centranthus), verbena (perennial types), and veronica (perennial types).
● Some other perennials don’t like a hard cutting-back, at least not now, and should only be trimmed only lightly to shape them and remove any old or dead growth. These include Agastache, Gaura, Lamium, lavender (Lavandula), Nemesia (perennial types), oriental poppy, Pelargonium (ivy, zonal, and Martha), Penstemon, and thyme.
● Some perennials disappear entirely from sight during the cool winter months and then reappear in spring. They are often called herbaceous perennials. Don’t cut these back until the foliage is nearly completely dehydrated; then, you can cut the tops off completely near the soil level. Be sure to mark where these are in the garden to avoid accidentally damaging them when cultivating or digging in the area. Some of these completely herbaceous perennials include Asclepias – some varieties (butterfly weed), bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis), caladium, calla (colored types), coneflower (Echinacea), dahlia (tuberous perennial types), chocolate cosmos, Kniphofia (red hot poker), Liatris, true lilies (Lilium), monkshood (Aconitum), obedient plant (Physostegia) and Thalictrum (meadow rue).
● A few perennials are cool-season plants in our climate and are now beginning to bloom and grow actively. If you didn’t do it last month, prune and shape these now. Feed them, and they’ll be even better. These include Alstroemeria (except in cold inland gardens), Armeria, Euryops daisy, forget-me-not (myosotis), Hellebore, Marguerite daisy, and viola (perennial types).
● A few perennials are sub-tropical and frost tender. These should not be trimmed now, or winter damage may occur. Wait until early spring to prune these: begonias, heliotrope, impatiens, lamium, pentas (starflower), and Plectranthus.
● Some perennials don’t need any annual cutting back. Just groom these now by removing any dead leaves, dead stems, old foliage, etc., and let them keep going. These include Armeria, oriental poppy, and statice (Limonium).
● Removing spent or old flowers regularly, especially from cool-season plants, will help them produce more flowers.
● Some perennials are actually biennials (or at least behave as such in our climate). For loads of spring flowers, set out transplants quickly, and with some luck, you may still get spring flowers. These include Canterbury bells (Campanula medium), hollyhock (Alcea), Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus), most foxglove (Digitalis), and most delphiniums. Don’t wait until next spring, which beginners do. These must be fall-planted to ensure spring blooms, and this is your last chance.
● Cool-season weeds are germinating and growing quickly. Control them now.
Learn and Grow by watching: Gardening 101 Series | How to Use Annuals vs. Perennials with Lynn Hillman
Clematis:
● Clematis can offer a heavy second bloom spike during the late summer or early fall. Yours may be finishing this second bloom cycle now.
● The foliage of your plants may look a bit ragged and be showing some dryness at their bases. The canes are often tangled at this late date in the year. Resist the temptation to prune now. Wait until about January for most varieties.
● No need to apply any more fertilizer this year.
● Reduce irrigation significantly or even completely to help them enter into a brief dormant period.
Poinsettias:
● If you are attempting to “color” your poinsettia for Christmas, keep up the regimen of fourteen hours of complete darkness per day, five to six hours of direct light, indirect light, and high phosphorus fertilizer.
● If outdoors, protect the plant from high winds to avoid breaking the stems.
● No need to fertilize anymore this year.
California Native Plants:
● Plant now through February. Many California natives go into a summer dormant or slow-down period (an adaptation to our dry summers). To establish these plants, they should be planted in the fall or early winter, at the onset of cool weather and rains.
● Cut back and divide Matilija poppies, if necessary.
Learn and Grow with us by watching:
California Native Plants for Your Garden with James Maxwell
Fuchsias:
● Do not fertilize this month.
● If you are in a coastal garden with minimal frost, this is the time to cut your fuchsias back. Fuchsias bloom on their new growth tips; therefore, pruning is critical to a well-shaped plant and many blooms. Generally, fuchsias are cut back about 1/2 to 2/3 of their size. Gardeners in cooler inland locations will wait until mid-February to perform their annual cut-back.
● If repotting is needed, the best time to do this is at the same time as the annual cut-back.
Groundcovers:
● Cool-season groundcovers are growing and blooming well. Common examples of these are African daisy (Osteospermum) and South African daisy (Gazania). If you didn’t do it last month, feed these varieties now. A granular fertilizer works especially well for groundcovers, particularly on slopes.
● If you didn’t do it last month and want to do a heavy cutting-back of your cool-season groundcover, do it soon. This will reduce the thatch and renew their vigor. Fertilize after the cut-back to ensure a quick recovery.
● Warm-season groundcovers are settling down for the winter now. No fertilizing, minimal irrigations, and no pruning at this time of the year.
● California native groundcover plants, like Ceanothus and Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) are also beginning to grow nicely. This is also a good month to plant these natives.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: How to Plant & Grow Groundcover with Dalia Brunner
Bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, etc:
● A few fall-blooming bulbs that will likely be in flower in Orange County include, fall-blooming crocus, Nerine, Oxalis hirta, Sternbergia, and Zepheranthes.
● Buy Hippeastrum bulbs (usually mistakenly called “Amaryllis”) from our outdoor garden store now while they are in good supply.
● Although not usually considered along with bulbs, bedding cyclamen are excellent for planting now as small plants. They will provide continuous blooms from now through March or April of next year.
● Lift tuberose tubers now. Store them in a cool, dark location in barely moist peat moss or planter mix until re-planting time next May.
● Plant most spring-flowering bulbs now, except for tulips, hyacinth, crocus, and some alliums, which are planted next month when the soil is even cooler. Those that you should plant now include Anemones, Dutch iris, Ranunculus, freesia, Narcissus, daffodil, Muscari, Iphieon, Babiana, and Chasmanthe. Certain, but not all, varieties of the following bulbs are also planted now: lilies, Gladiolus, Hippeastrum, and Amaryllis.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Fall Planted Bulbs for Southern California Gardens with Sarah Smith
Bearded Iris:
● Bearded iris is essentially evergreen in our climate. Ignore what most national gardening books may say about them being cut back and going dormant in the winter.
● You may be able to see the beginnings of new growth slowly pushing up while last year’s growth begins to fade away.
● If you are growing any of the new “repeat-blooming” varieties, they may be blooming again. Keep feeding these re-bloomers, but reduce the dose to about half of what you gave them in spring and summer. Older “once-blooming” varieties can have their feeding eliminated for the rest of the year.
Dahlias (tuberous types):
● Dahlias should now be allowed to go to sleep for the winter. Withhold all fertilizing and drastically cut back the watering.
● Along the immediate coast, they may be reluctant to go dormant. Force the issue by withholding all irrigation now.
● Don’t worry about any powdery mildew at this late date in the season.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Lew Whitney's Secrets to Growing and Maintaining Dahlias + How to Grow & Maintain Dahlias with Steve Hampson
● Cannas:
● It would not be unusual for your cannas to have a few flowers still. Enjoy them. Cannas are one of the longest blooming plants in a garden.
Tuberous Begonias:
● Plants are done for the year. They may want to keep growing, especially if the weather has been mild, but if you want to grow the same tubers again next year, don’t let them - stop watering.
● If you were drying the plants off over the past month, they would look pretty sad now. Gently lift the entire plant out of the soil, tuber and all. Lay it in a sunny spot to dry off for a couple of days. After the soil is thoroughly dry, remove the stem (it should almost fall off) and pull off most of the roots.
● Store the tubers, not touching each other, in an open box with dry peat moss, perlite, or sawdust. Place the box in a cool, dark location until it’s time to sprout them again next March.
Tropicals & Subtropicals:
● Some of these will still be blooming and looking good, although others will be declining. It is not unusual for many of these to have a big fall flower burst now. Look for lots of colors now on Plumerias, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, and ginger.
● The temperatures are beginning to drop, and the days are getting shorter, so it is time to stop fertilizing entirely. Let these plants harden off now, before winter. Reducing water also helps them get ready for the cool months ahead.
● It is definitely too late to plant tropicals this year. Although “fall is for planting,” these are the exceptions. Wait until late spring or early summer of next year.
Foliage Plants
Ferns and other foliage plants may require less watering this time of year, but don’t forget about them on windy days. Your ornamental grasses will be starting to dry and turn beautiful shades of gold and yellow and developing seedheads. Enjoy the beauty as long as you want before cutting them back.
Ferns:
● Reduce irrigation, but be alert to unseasonably hot, dry, or windy weather.
● Other than potted plants, which you can continue to fertilize at half strength, there is no need to fertilize again until next year.
● Although perhaps tempting, don’t do any extensive cutting back, transplanting, or dividing. Most ferns enjoy warm weather, and these tasks are better performed at the beginning of their growth period next year.
Ornamental Grasses:
● Many grasses have now developed seed heads. These seed heads can be quite ornamental and are one of the most aesthetic aspects of these plants.
● The foliage of many species of grasses are beginning to dry back quite a bit now. This drying foliage, especially when combined with the seed heads waving overhead, are an important part of many garden designs at this time of year. Do not cut these drying grasses back until you have thoroughly enjoyed the “fall” show.
● A few grasses may want to re-seed either in your garden or even into an adjacent wild area. If this is an issue, prune these seed heads off before they are fully ripe.
● You can use the dry flowers of some of these grasses in fall arrangements. Consider these as a “fall” version of a spring flower bouquet.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Low Water Ornamental Grasses with James Maxwell
Vegetables and Herbs
Warm-season veggies are done now, so remove them and add them to your compost bin to make room for cool-season vegetables. Cool-season vegetables are ones that thrive in the cooler seasons of the gardening year. They include many plants in the Brassica family. Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are examples of common Brassica vegetables to plant in November.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: The Best Vegetables to Grow in the Cool Fall Season with Sarah Smith + Edible Gardening Series Cool Season Vegetable Gardening with Suzanne Hetrick + Edible Gardening: How to Prep Your Garden for Fall Vegetable Plantings
Vegetables:
● This is another perfect month for cool-season vegetable planting. Definitely give up on warm-season plants that are hanging on and give this valuable space to the large array of cool-season vegetables available now.
● This is still a good time to plant garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks from sets (little bulbs). Get garlic and bulbing onions in the ground no later than the middle of the month for larger bulbs and cloves.
● You can plant transplants or seeds for cool-season vegetables like arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mesclun mix, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, and spinach in November. From seed, plant beets, carrots, favas, parsnips, radishes, rutabaga, and turnips.
● You can sow seed of vegetables like beets, carrots, chard, radish, and turnips, in November and just about year-round. All but chard are planted from seed only.
● One of the best vegetable planting tips for November is to put in successive plantings of many vegetables a couple of weeks apart from each other. This will ensure a constant, uninterrupted supply for the kitchen.
● Crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., are often attacked by caterpillars at this time. Handpicking may be enough, otherwise, use BT, a safe, effective, and organic solution.
● Horseradish root, if harvested now, will have its best flavor.
● Mound any potatoes that you planted last month.
● Weeds are sprouting prolifically now. Keep them under control.
● During warm or dry spells keep the garden well watered.
● Since most annual vegetables are shallow-rooted and quick growing, feed them regularly with a well-balanced organic fertilizer.
● Harvest jicama in November, if it’s ready.
Herbs:
● This is still a perfect time to plant many herbs.
● Cool-season and some other herbs that can be fall-planted include anise, arugula, borage, chervil, chives, cilantro, comfrey, dill, fennel, feverfew, garlic chives, lavender, lemongrass, lovage, parsley, rosemary, salad burnet, sorrel, tansy.
● Basil (except African Blue basil) is done for this year. Give up the struggle to keep it going. It is a warm season annual.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Unique and Unusual Herb Plants with Sarah Smith
Beneficial Insects:
● Encourage opossums.
Many migrating birds are now moving into or through the area. Encourage these by providing cover, berries, and water. Birds can be especially helpful in the garden. Many birds, like Warblers and Bushtits, will help control foliage pests and caterpillars. Flycatchers and Phoebe will catch dozens, maybe hundreds, of flying insects every day. Mockingbirds, Robins, and Scrub Jays will feed on soil insects like grubs and cutworms
Pests & Diseases:
● Ants can be particularly troublesome this time of year. Use tanglefoot on trees, and keep your eyes out for any aphids they might be farming.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: How to Identify & Eliminate Common Garden Pests
Places to Visit:
● Gardens that look terrific almost any time of the year include Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona del Mar), The Fullerton Arboretum (Fullerton), Los Angeles Arboretum (Arcadia), Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens (San Marino), and San Diego Botanical Gardens (Encinitas).
Records, Catalogs, Books, and Organizations:
● It’s time to search for a new gardening wall calendar.
● This is the time to drop gentle hints about what kind of a garden gift you might like this Christmas. Easy ones are a subscription to a gardening magazine, a favorite gardening book, a gift certificate to our plant nursery, or a mail-order catalog. For the more practical gardener, ideas could be new pruning shears, a nice pair of goatskin gloves, a redwood potting table, a fancy garden composter, or a quality English digging spade.
● Keep making notes in your journal, especially about what you planted, cut, divided, pruned, fertilized, sprayed, and enjoyed during the busy fall gardening season.
Soil Care:
● We have included this section, because as you know, or will discover with more experience, a good garden begins with the soil. Investing in the soil, managing the soil, and protecting the soil are not afterthoughts in a successful garden, but the foundation. The best soil for your vegetable and flower gardens is healthy soil. A healthy soil biome is living and breathing, teaming with earthworms, microorganisms, beneficial fungi, bacteria, microbes, and other invisible life. This section, possibly the most important topic of all, provides helpful guidance for good soil care.
● A thick layer of organic mulch, averaging about two inches, should be maintained on top of the soil just about year-round and is one of the easiest ways to improve the soil for gardening. Add additional mulch as needed to maintain this level. This is a great month to apply this mulch.
● Applied now, a thick layer of mulch will moderate the soil temperatures, reduce weed germination, and significantly improve soil life and soil quality. Mulch is one of the best organic soil amendments.
● There are many different ways to amend your garden soil, whether to balance nutrients or improve drainage. If your plants seem to be struggling, visit Roger’s and have a chat with our team. We can recommend different garden soil amendments for soil improvement.
● If you have been considering inoculating your soil with beneficial mycorrhizae, this is a good month of the year to do so. The soil temperatures are just right for quick establishment. Inoculation can be done quickly and easily in established areas by using mycorrhizae tablets. In moist soil, poke a hole near the plant with a ½” or ¾” rod or stick. Drop a tablet into the hole and push it in with a stick.
● We do not suggest the use of very high-analysis fertilizers in a garden, especially phosphorus. Examples of fertilizers to avoid are synthetic versions with formulations like 10-55-10, 10-30-10, etc. We don’t even suggest the popular 15-30-15 formula. These formulations will inhibit or even destroy much of the soil life that is so vital to healthy, sustainable soil.
● We also suggest that you not use soil-applied systemic fertilizer/insecticide combinations (especially popular with roses). These are very damaging to soil life.
● Use insecticides only when necessary, and even then, use the least damaging product available. Many of these products move into the soil and interfere with the invisible soil life.
● Organic fertilizers are generally better because they contribute many important microorganisms and trace minerals to the soil.
● If you can, begin a compost pile or purchase a compost bin or compost tumbler. Home compost is one of the very best ingredients you can add to your soil. Home compost helps significantly in disease suppression, increases beneficial microorganisms, improves soil structure and texture, aids nutrient retention, and helps with nematode suppression.
● Learning how to compost is pretty simple, and fall is a great time of year since there’s lots of brown matter to add. There are many fallen leaves from deciduous trees; these are excellent additions to a compost bin.
● Since this is a big planting month, be sure that before you put a plant into the ground, you have considered the soil and are doing all you can to improve it and protect its health.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Gardening 101 Series | What Kind of Soil Should You Use? + Preparing the Soil for Your Tomato and Vegetable Garden with Steve Goto
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Fellow Gardeners,
The information, dates, and techniques in this November gardening checklist are as accurate as I can currently offer. I have cared for, nurtured, and observed tens of thousands of plants across all seasons during the past three decades. With the help of many gardening friends, I have attempted to offer some useful information to help you with your own garden on these pages. Gardening is sharing. Any corrections, comments, or suggestions are appreciated and will improve future information.
Table of Contents:
General Gardening Info
November is a great time of year to add some soil care to your gardening checklist. Taking care of the soil is the best way to ensure your garden stays healthy and maintains a balance of nutrients for all of your plants. Be grateful for the birds and opossums you encounter this time of year, as they’re essential for controlling so many garden pests. Some birds will even feed on pests in the ground, helping you take care of the soil.
Annuals
While other parts of the country are finishing up their gardening season, here in SoCal, we’re just adjusting to the cool-season part of our growing year. November is a great time to embrace classically beautiful cool-season annuals and plant lots of them in your garden.
● The soil is still relatively warm, but the temperatures are cooling off, making this another perfect planting month.
● A few cool-season annuals to plant in November include pansy, viola, stock, Iceland poppy, Linaria, English daisy, Alyssum, Calendula, snapdragon, ornamental cabbage or kale, bedding cyclamen, Cineraria, and primrose.
● There is still a chance of some warm days and drying Santa Ana winds, so keep newly planted annuals well-watered until they are thoroughly rooted.
● Because of their rapid growth and heavy flowering potential, annuals need more frequent fertilizing than most other plants in the garden.
● One of the top November gardening tips is to stay on top of deadheading (removing spent flowers) annuals to help them continue blooming abundantly.
Geraniums:
● This group includes ivy geraniums, zonal geraniums (also called “common” geraniums), Martha geraniums, and the various scented geraniums, but does not include true geraniums (sometimes called “hardy” geraniums), which are discussed under perennials.
● Ivy and zonal types will usually continue to bloom throughout the fall and winter. Periodically remove spent flowers to encourage more bloom.
● Continue fertilizing, except most scented types, with a balanced fertilizer. The dosage, however, can be reduced by half through the next several cool months.
● Continue a progressive pruning back of Martha types now. Don’t cut them all at once. One-third of the plants should have been pruned back last month. Prune back the second third this month.
Sweet Peas:
● Sweet Pea seeds are in good supply now. This is a perfect time to plant seeds of all varieties, so make sure to add them to your shopping checklist for November gardening. Mix in a few of the early-blooming (also called “short-day”) varieties that will bloom earlier than the others. These early varieties include Winter Elegance (our favorite) and Early Multiflora.
Learn and grow by watching: How to Grow Sweet Peas with Steve Hampson + World Class Sweet Peas with Steve Hampson
Wildflowers:
● This may be the best month to broadcast wildflower seeds. Spread them just before a rainy period, shaken with a couple of cups of clean, coarse river sand (not from the beach). If possible, check the weather forecasts and wait for an approaching storm that will last for several days. Broadcast the seeds just before the rains begin. Be sure that the area is well prepared before sowing the seeds. After spreading the seeds, rake the area lightly.
● Weeds will easily overwhelm a wildflower garden if not kept under control. Within a couple of weeks, the wildflowers (and the weeds) begin sprouting, so start weeding. Pull or hoe them early and regularly to keep them under control.
Fruiting Plants
November is a month to do maintenance of fruiting plants. It’s important to prune cane berries now, and it’s the best time of year to plant strawberries.
Learn and grow by watching: Edible Gardening Series with David: Strawberries, Peppers, Beans, & Squash
Cane Berries:
● This is the first month in which you can prune cane berries. These include blackberries, boysenberries, loganberry, and some raspberries (see the exception below). Cut the canes that bore fruit earlier this year to the ground, they will not bear fruit again. Do not prune the new canes that sprouted from the soil this spring; they will produce next season’s crop.
● Next month, you should prune the new low-chill, subtropical raspberries (including the famous “Bababerry”).
Strawberries:
● This is one of the best months for planting strawberries (if you can find them). This early, you can start from six packs. Next month look for pre-chilled bare-root.
● If you can find bare-root plants, these are great. If you find them, wrap them in a couple of moist paper towels and put them into the refrigerator for three to four weeks. Then plant them right away.
● Pinch out the first two or three sets of flowers that your young plants will produce to encourage better root development and a stronger overall plant.
Learn and grow by watching: How to Grow the Best Strawberries with Sarah Smith
Grapes:
● Do not fertilize anymore until next year.
● Many varieties (especially one called ‘Fantasy’) can offer terrific fall color to the garden. This may be more noticeable in colder inland gardens.
● Reduce or eliminate irrigations, especially along the coast, to help the vines enter their dormant winter period.
● Powdery mildew may be on the foliage now. However, treatment this late in the season is rarely of any value.
● Sometime around Thanksgiving should be your first application of dormant disease control (assuming the foliage has dropped or completely dried). This should be an organic Copper Sulfate product. Applying these products is an annual chore to prevent some very common fungal diseases. The timing of this application is the most important of them all. Apply this at the “pink-bud-stage.” This is the point in which the buds have swollen and may even be “pink”, but have not yet opened.
Shrubs:
November is an excellent time to plant shrubs in the garden. Go easy on the pruning for now, though. Be cautious when pruning hedges. At this time of the year, hard pruning on many varieties will leave the plant scarred for most of the winter. Plant a few shrubs with fall interest in the garden. Plants with abundant, colorful berries or fruit now include cotoneaster, heavenly bamboo, hollies, persimmon, pomegranate, pyracantha, and toyon.
Learn and grow by watching: California Native Plants for Your Garden with James Maxwell + Hardy Flowering Shrubs with Dalia Brunner
Camellias:
● Most Sasanqua camellias are beginning their full bloom period now. Feed Sasanqua varieties after their bloom cycle has finished, never before.
● Japanese Camellias are done with their “growth” cycle for this year. They have now set their flower buds for next spring. Most of the plant’s energy for the remainder of the year is going toward next year’s flowers. There is no need to apply any general fertilizer to camellias until they finish their blooms next year.
Learn and grow by watching: Gardening 101 Series | How to Plant & Maintain a Camellia
Gardenias:
● These are getting ready to withdraw through the winter months. Don’t be surprised if several yellow leaves are developing. This is quite normal.
● Gardenias do not like hot, dry winds. If these occur, do what you can to shield the plant. A light misting and syringe of the leaves also helps.
Learn and grow by watching:How to Successfully Grow Gardenias with Sarah Smith
Hydrangeas:
● Contrary to some references, do not prune hydrangeas this late in the year. Many hydrangeas, especially older varieties, bloom on one-year-old stems. Pruning now will eliminate most of next year’s flowers.
● Many newer hydrangea varieties are repeat-blooming and unlike the older cousins, bloom on new growth. Those varieties can be pruned now, if necessary.
● If you want to try to get blue or lavender flowers on your otherwise pink flowering plant, you can start applying Aluminum Sulfate to the soil now. White-flowered varieties will not be affected, and not all pinks will be affected the same.
Learn and Grow by watching: Blooming Hydrangeas with Sarah Smith
Roses:
● Many roses are still blooming very well this time of the year in Southern California, especially if you did a “summer pruning” in early August.
● Consider leaving the faded flowers on the plant after the last big bloom of the season rather than cutting them off as you usually would. They will often set attractive seed heads, called rose hips, especially old-fashioned varieties. These hips can be quite colorful and are an attractive addition to the fall garden.
● Powdery mildew may begin appearing again on some varieties. If practical, remove infested leaves by hand. If the infestation is minor, it may be best to let it go at this time of year.
● Feed either at half strength or not at all. Also, reduce irrigation as much as possible. Allow the plants to slow down and “harden-off” before the annual pruning in January.
Learn and Grow by watching:How to Plant a Rose + How to Maintain and Care for Roses + How to Prune Your Roses With Laura Weaver
Wisterias:
● You don’t need to do any pruning now. You’ll make your final pruning of the year next month.
● The foliage of wisterias will be looking a bit dry and even showing some tip burn: no need to worry, this is typical for right now.
● Watering needs are minimal, and there is no need to fertilize.
● If you are in a cool, inland location, your plant may show a bit of golden-yellow autumn color before it begins to drop its foliage next month.
Trees:
November is a beautiful time for deciduous trees as the leaves start to color and fall. There’s some maintenance to be done for trees this month, so don’t forget to add these tasks to your November gardening checklist. November is also a great time to plant trees, and towards the end of the month, you can do some pruning.
● Late this month is an excellent time to prune most trees (except for tender sub-tropical trees like Ficus, Coral Tree, Avocado, Citrus, etc.). Few birds are nesting in trees during this season, the sap flow is reduced, and the pruning will help strong Santa Ana winds pass through the tree’s canopy with minor damage.
● Certain deciduous trees are now showing their fall colors. If you are shopping for this sort of tree, it’s an excellent time to purchase or take notes on the varieties you like. Trees with excellent fall color in our climate include hybrid Liquidambars, Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo), Modesto Ash (Fraxinus) and Chinese Pistache (Pistachia).
● This is a good time to prune coniferous trees like pines and cypress since their pests (various bark beetles) are not active this time of the year.
● Stake, or re-stake, small and newly planted trees now to prevent wind damage in the next few months.
Deciduous Fruit Trees:
● You can reduce watering now. Continue monitoring the soil moisture, but the trees are using less water this time of the year. Mature trees very likely will not need any irrigation.
● Most varieties will begin showing a lot of yellow or drying leaves by now. Leaf drop will be most noticeable after a rain shower or a windy period. Depending upon the weather, trees may have no leaves left or still a moderate amount by the end of the month.
● Late-producing apple and pear varieties may still have some fruit on the branches.
● Around Thanksgiving, apply the first of three applications of dormant disease control. This is a liquid spray product containing either Copper Sulfate or Lime-sulfur (but do not use Lime-sulfur on Apricots). Both of these are organic. Applying these products are an annual chore to avoid infestations of such diseases as Peach Leaf Curl, Shothole Fungus, Apple Scab, Brown Rot, and many others.
Citrus:
● Many tangerines (also called mandarins) will be ready for harvest this month. Check the flavor of one or two first. If the sugar level is high, pick some more. If not, wait a bit longer.
● Citrus may already have a few yellow leaves, especially in inland gardens. Don’t worry; they are warm-weather plants and suffer a bit during the next few months of cool temperatures.
● Only feed potted citrus. Give them a very light application to keep the plants a bit greener into the fall months.
● Be careful with irrigating now. Warm, dry weather may require irrigation; otherwise, the cooler temperatures at this time of year suggest less.
Learn and Grow by watching:How to Successfully Grow Citrus in Southern California + Growing Citrus in Containers with Kathleen
Avocados:
● Don’t be alarmed by a lot of leaf drop on mature plants. Avocados produce a lot of leaf litter nearly year-round; this is a normal condition.
● Irrigate as needed to keep the soil moist but not wet.
● It’s too late to plant an avocado successfully this year. Being sub-tropical plants, avocados prefer to be planted during the long, warm part of the year.
● The fall avocado fruit season is upon us now. Some late-season fruiting varieties, like Fuerte, Pinkerton, and Zutano, may be ready to harvest. Remember that avocado fruit does not ripen on the tree; it must be removed and should ripen indoors at room temperature.
● Avocados are done putting on any new growth this year.
● Do not feed at all this month.
● Be sure to keep a very thick blanket of mulch, compost, or fallen leaves under mature avocados at all times; they need a cool root-run for good health.
Learn and Grow by watching: Edible Gardening: How to Grow Avocados in Southern California with Sarah Smith
Subtropical Fruits:
● Some of these will still be blooming and looking good, although others will be declining.
● The temperatures are beginning to drop, and the days are getting shorter, so it is time to stop fertilizing altogether. Let these plants harden off before late fall and winter. Eliminating fertilizer and cutting back on water helps the plants get ready for the months ahead.
● It is definitely too late to plant for this year. Although “fall is for planting” in Southern California, these plants are an exception. Wait until late spring or early summer of next year.
● Except for the Beaumont variety, keep checking for fallen Macadamia nuts. Pick them off the ground weekly, which may continue for up to three months. The Beaumont variety will be picked directly off the tree in March.
Perennials:
November is an important month on the perennial gardening calendar, so start making yourself a checklist if you’re hoping to establish a beautiful perennial garden. There is plenty of planting to be done as it’s perfect weather for perennials to establish strong root systems. Your garden overall will be consuming less water this month, but don’t forget about perennial plants in full sun; they may still dry out rather quickly, especially during windy weather.
● Like October, this is one of the most important months for plants in a perennial garden.
● Plant perennials right away this fall to help them establish and gear up for great spring bloom.
● This is a great month to plant most perennials. The only exceptions are a couple of frost tender sub-tropicals like Pentas and Scaevola.
● Your perennials will not need much, if any, fertilizing during these cool months. Exceptions might be a few container plants and the cool-season perennials mentioned below.
● Like October, this is a great month to review your perennials for potential replacements or upgrades. Many perennials are short-term plants and lose either their vigor or their form quickly and should be re-planted now. Examples of short-lived perennial plants include (with an approximate useful lifespan) Columbine (2-3 years), Delphinium (1-2 years), Euryops daisy (2-3 years), Felicia daisy (2-3 years), foxglove (1-2 years), lavender (3-5 years), Marguerite daisy (2-3 years), Nemesia (1 year), oriental poppy (1-3 years), Pelargonium (2-3 years), Penstemon (3 years), Phygelius (3-5 years), Scabiosa (2-3 years) and Verbena (varies).
● Several perennials are now slowing down or going to sleep for the cool months ahead. You can cut back these varieties pretty hard right now to help the garden looking tidier. These include Achillea (yarrow), aster (perennial types, if they have finished blooming), baby’s breath (Gypsophila), most campanula, columbine (Aquilegia), coral bells (Heuchera), coreopsis, daylily (Hemerocallis), dianthus (perennial types including carnation), gaillardia, most geraniums (true geranium), goldenrod (Solidago), Japanese anemone (when they finish blooming), lamb’s ears (Stachys), lions tail (Leonotis), matilija poppy (Rhomneya), monkshood (Aconitum), oregano (ornamental types), oriental poppy, penstemon, phlomis, phygelius, rudbeckia, Russian sage (Perovskia), most salvia (sage), Scabiosa (pincushion flower), shasta daisy, Stokesia (stokes aster), valerian (Centranthus), verbena (perennial types), and veronica (perennial types).
● Some other perennials don’t like a hard cutting-back, at least not now, and should only be trimmed only lightly to shape them and remove any old or dead growth. These include Agastache, Gaura, Lamium, lavender (Lavandula), Nemesia (perennial types), oriental poppy, Pelargonium (ivy, zonal, and Martha), Penstemon, and thyme.
● Some perennials disappear entirely from sight during the cool winter months and then reappear in spring. They are often called herbaceous perennials. Don’t cut these back until the foliage is nearly completely dehydrated; then, you can cut the tops off completely near the soil level. Be sure to mark where these are in the garden to avoid accidentally damaging them when cultivating or digging in the area. Some of these completely herbaceous perennials include Asclepias – some varieties (butterfly weed), bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis), caladium, calla (colored types), coneflower (Echinacea), dahlia (tuberous perennial types), chocolate cosmos, Kniphofia (red hot poker), Liatris, true lilies (Lilium), monkshood (Aconitum), obedient plant (Physostegia) and Thalictrum (meadow rue).
● A few perennials are cool-season plants in our climate and are now beginning to bloom and grow actively. If you didn’t do it last month, prune and shape these now. Feed them, and they’ll be even better. These include Alstroemeria (except in cold inland gardens), Armeria, Euryops daisy, forget-me-not (myosotis), Hellebore, Marguerite daisy, and viola (perennial types).
● A few perennials are sub-tropical and frost tender. These should not be trimmed now, or winter damage may occur. Wait until early spring to prune these: begonias, heliotrope, impatiens, lamium, pentas (starflower), and Plectranthus.
● Some perennials don’t need any annual cutting back. Just groom these now by removing any dead leaves, dead stems, old foliage, etc., and let them keep going. These include Armeria, oriental poppy, and statice (Limonium).
● Removing spent or old flowers regularly, especially from cool-season plants, will help them produce more flowers.
● Some perennials are actually biennials (or at least behave as such in our climate). For loads of spring flowers, set out transplants quickly, and with some luck, you may still get spring flowers. These include Canterbury bells (Campanula medium), hollyhock (Alcea), Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus), most foxglove (Digitalis), and most delphiniums. Don’t wait until next spring, which beginners do. These must be fall-planted to ensure spring blooms, and this is your last chance.
● Cool-season weeds are germinating and growing quickly. Control them now.
Learn and Grow by watching: Gardening 101 Series | How to Use Annuals vs. Perennials with Lynn Hillman
Clematis:
● Clematis can offer a heavy second bloom spike during the late summer or early fall. Yours may be finishing this second bloom cycle now.
● The foliage of your plants may look a bit ragged and be showing some dryness at their bases. The canes are often tangled at this late date in the year. Resist the temptation to prune now. Wait until about January for most varieties.
● No need to apply any more fertilizer this year.
● Reduce irrigation significantly or even completely to help them enter into a brief dormant period.
Poinsettias:
● If you are attempting to “color” your poinsettia for Christmas, keep up the regimen of fourteen hours of complete darkness per day, five to six hours of direct light, indirect light, and high phosphorus fertilizer.
● If outdoors, protect the plant from high winds to avoid breaking the stems.
● No need to fertilize anymore this year.
California Native Plants:
● Plant now through February. Many California natives go into a summer dormant or slow-down period (an adaptation to our dry summers). To establish these plants, they should be planted in the fall or early winter, at the onset of cool weather and rains.
● Cut back and divide Matilija poppies, if necessary.
Learn and Grow with us by watching:
California Native Plants for Your Garden with James Maxwell
Fuchsias:
● Do not fertilize this month.
● If you are in a coastal garden with minimal frost, this is the time to cut your fuchsias back. Fuchsias bloom on their new growth tips; therefore, pruning is critical to a well-shaped plant and many blooms. Generally, fuchsias are cut back about 1/2 to 2/3 of their size. Gardeners in cooler inland locations will wait until mid-February to perform their annual cut-back.
● If repotting is needed, the best time to do this is at the same time as the annual cut-back.
Groundcovers:
● Cool-season groundcovers are growing and blooming well. Common examples of these are African daisy (Osteospermum) and South African daisy (Gazania). If you didn’t do it last month, feed these varieties now. A granular fertilizer works especially well for groundcovers, particularly on slopes.
● If you didn’t do it last month and want to do a heavy cutting-back of your cool-season groundcover, do it soon. This will reduce the thatch and renew their vigor. Fertilize after the cut-back to ensure a quick recovery.
● Warm-season groundcovers are settling down for the winter now. No fertilizing, minimal irrigations, and no pruning at this time of the year.
● California native groundcover plants, like Ceanothus and Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) are also beginning to grow nicely. This is also a good month to plant these natives.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: How to Plant & Grow Groundcover with Dalia Brunner
Bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, etc:
● A few fall-blooming bulbs that will likely be in flower in Orange County include, fall-blooming crocus, Nerine, Oxalis hirta, Sternbergia, and Zepheranthes.
● Buy Hippeastrum bulbs (usually mistakenly called “Amaryllis”) from our outdoor garden store now while they are in good supply.
● Although not usually considered along with bulbs, bedding cyclamen are excellent for planting now as small plants. They will provide continuous blooms from now through March or April of next year.
● Lift tuberose tubers now. Store them in a cool, dark location in barely moist peat moss or planter mix until re-planting time next May.
● Plant most spring-flowering bulbs now, except for tulips, hyacinth, crocus, and some alliums, which are planted next month when the soil is even cooler. Those that you should plant now include Anemones, Dutch iris, Ranunculus, freesia, Narcissus, daffodil, Muscari, Iphieon, Babiana, and Chasmanthe. Certain, but not all, varieties of the following bulbs are also planted now: lilies, Gladiolus, Hippeastrum, and Amaryllis.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Fall Planted Bulbs for Southern California Gardens with Sarah Smith
Bearded Iris:
● Bearded iris is essentially evergreen in our climate. Ignore what most national gardening books may say about them being cut back and going dormant in the winter.
● You may be able to see the beginnings of new growth slowly pushing up while last year’s growth begins to fade away.
● If you are growing any of the new “repeat-blooming” varieties, they may be blooming again. Keep feeding these re-bloomers, but reduce the dose to about half of what you gave them in spring and summer. Older “once-blooming” varieties can have their feeding eliminated for the rest of the year.
Dahlias (tuberous types):
● Dahlias should now be allowed to go to sleep for the winter. Withhold all fertilizing and drastically cut back the watering.
● Along the immediate coast, they may be reluctant to go dormant. Force the issue by withholding all irrigation now.
● Don’t worry about any powdery mildew at this late date in the season.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Lew Whitney's Secrets to Growing and Maintaining Dahlias + How to Grow & Maintain Dahlias with Steve Hampson
● Cannas:
● It would not be unusual for your cannas to have a few flowers still. Enjoy them. Cannas are one of the longest blooming plants in a garden.
Tuberous Begonias:
● Plants are done for the year. They may want to keep growing, especially if the weather has been mild, but if you want to grow the same tubers again next year, don’t let them - stop watering.
● If you were drying the plants off over the past month, they would look pretty sad now. Gently lift the entire plant out of the soil, tuber and all. Lay it in a sunny spot to dry off for a couple of days. After the soil is thoroughly dry, remove the stem (it should almost fall off) and pull off most of the roots.
● Store the tubers, not touching each other, in an open box with dry peat moss, perlite, or sawdust. Place the box in a cool, dark location until it’s time to sprout them again next March.
Tropicals & Subtropicals:
● Some of these will still be blooming and looking good, although others will be declining. It is not unusual for many of these to have a big fall flower burst now. Look for lots of colors now on Plumerias, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, and ginger.
● The temperatures are beginning to drop, and the days are getting shorter, so it is time to stop fertilizing entirely. Let these plants harden off now, before winter. Reducing water also helps them get ready for the cool months ahead.
● It is definitely too late to plant tropicals this year. Although “fall is for planting,” these are the exceptions. Wait until late spring or early summer of next year.
Foliage Plants
Ferns and other foliage plants may require less watering this time of year, but don’t forget about them on windy days. Your ornamental grasses will be starting to dry and turn beautiful shades of gold and yellow and developing seedheads. Enjoy the beauty as long as you want before cutting them back.
Ferns:
● Reduce irrigation, but be alert to unseasonably hot, dry, or windy weather.
● Other than potted plants, which you can continue to fertilize at half strength, there is no need to fertilize again until next year.
● Although perhaps tempting, don’t do any extensive cutting back, transplanting, or dividing. Most ferns enjoy warm weather, and these tasks are better performed at the beginning of their growth period next year.
Ornamental Grasses:
● Many grasses have now developed seed heads. These seed heads can be quite ornamental and are one of the most aesthetic aspects of these plants.
● The foliage of many species of grasses are beginning to dry back quite a bit now. This drying foliage, especially when combined with the seed heads waving overhead, are an important part of many garden designs at this time of year. Do not cut these drying grasses back until you have thoroughly enjoyed the “fall” show.
● A few grasses may want to re-seed either in your garden or even into an adjacent wild area. If this is an issue, prune these seed heads off before they are fully ripe.
● You can use the dry flowers of some of these grasses in fall arrangements. Consider these as a “fall” version of a spring flower bouquet.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Low Water Ornamental Grasses with James Maxwell
Vegetables and Herbs
Warm-season veggies are done now, so remove them and add them to your compost bin to make room for cool-season vegetables. Cool-season vegetables are ones that thrive in the cooler seasons of the gardening year. They include many plants in the Brassica family. Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are examples of common Brassica vegetables to plant in November.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: The Best Vegetables to Grow in the Cool Fall Season with Sarah Smith + Edible Gardening Series Cool Season Vegetable Gardening with Suzanne Hetrick + Edible Gardening: How to Prep Your Garden for Fall Vegetable Plantings
Vegetables:
● This is another perfect month for cool-season vegetable planting. Definitely give up on warm-season plants that are hanging on and give this valuable space to the large array of cool-season vegetables available now.
● This is still a good time to plant garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks from sets (little bulbs). Get garlic and bulbing onions in the ground no later than the middle of the month for larger bulbs and cloves.
● You can plant transplants or seeds for cool-season vegetables like arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mesclun mix, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, and spinach in November. From seed, plant beets, carrots, favas, parsnips, radishes, rutabaga, and turnips.
● You can sow seed of vegetables like beets, carrots, chard, radish, and turnips, in November and just about year-round. All but chard are planted from seed only.
● One of the best vegetable planting tips for November is to put in successive plantings of many vegetables a couple of weeks apart from each other. This will ensure a constant, uninterrupted supply for the kitchen.
● Crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., are often attacked by caterpillars at this time. Handpicking may be enough, otherwise, use BT, a safe, effective, and organic solution.
● Horseradish root, if harvested now, will have its best flavor.
● Mound any potatoes that you planted last month.
● Weeds are sprouting prolifically now. Keep them under control.
● During warm or dry spells keep the garden well watered.
● Since most annual vegetables are shallow-rooted and quick growing, feed them regularly with a well-balanced organic fertilizer.
● Harvest jicama in November, if it’s ready.
Herbs:
● This is still a perfect time to plant many herbs.
● Cool-season and some other herbs that can be fall-planted include anise, arugula, borage, chervil, chives, cilantro, comfrey, dill, fennel, feverfew, garlic chives, lavender, lemongrass, lovage, parsley, rosemary, salad burnet, sorrel, tansy.
● Basil (except African Blue basil) is done for this year. Give up the struggle to keep it going. It is a warm season annual.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Unique and Unusual Herb Plants with Sarah Smith
Beneficial Insects:
● Encourage opossums.
Many migrating birds are now moving into or through the area. Encourage these by providing cover, berries, and water. Birds can be especially helpful in the garden. Many birds, like Warblers and Bushtits, will help control foliage pests and caterpillars. Flycatchers and Phoebe will catch dozens, maybe hundreds, of flying insects every day. Mockingbirds, Robins, and Scrub Jays will feed on soil insects like grubs and cutworms
Pests & Diseases:
● Ants can be particularly troublesome this time of year. Use tanglefoot on trees, and keep your eyes out for any aphids they might be farming.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: How to Identify & Eliminate Common Garden Pests
Places to Visit:
● Gardens that look terrific almost any time of the year include Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona del Mar), The Fullerton Arboretum (Fullerton), Los Angeles Arboretum (Arcadia), Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens (San Marino), and San Diego Botanical Gardens (Encinitas).
Records, Catalogs, Books, and Organizations:
● It’s time to search for a new gardening wall calendar.
● This is the time to drop gentle hints about what kind of a garden gift you might like this Christmas. Easy ones are a subscription to a gardening magazine, a favorite gardening book, a gift certificate to our plant nursery, or a mail-order catalog. For the more practical gardener, ideas could be new pruning shears, a nice pair of goatskin gloves, a redwood potting table, a fancy garden composter, or a quality English digging spade.
● Keep making notes in your journal, especially about what you planted, cut, divided, pruned, fertilized, sprayed, and enjoyed during the busy fall gardening season.
Soil Care:
● We have included this section, because as you know, or will discover with more experience, a good garden begins with the soil. Investing in the soil, managing the soil, and protecting the soil are not afterthoughts in a successful garden, but the foundation. The best soil for your vegetable and flower gardens is healthy soil. A healthy soil biome is living and breathing, teaming with earthworms, microorganisms, beneficial fungi, bacteria, microbes, and other invisible life. This section, possibly the most important topic of all, provides helpful guidance for good soil care.
● A thick layer of organic mulch, averaging about two inches, should be maintained on top of the soil just about year-round and is one of the easiest ways to improve the soil for gardening. Add additional mulch as needed to maintain this level. This is a great month to apply this mulch.
● Applied now, a thick layer of mulch will moderate the soil temperatures, reduce weed germination, and significantly improve soil life and soil quality. Mulch is one of the best organic soil amendments.
● There are many different ways to amend your garden soil, whether to balance nutrients or improve drainage. If your plants seem to be struggling, visit Roger’s and have a chat with our team. We can recommend different garden soil amendments for soil improvement.
● If you have been considering inoculating your soil with beneficial mycorrhizae, this is a good month of the year to do so. The soil temperatures are just right for quick establishment. Inoculation can be done quickly and easily in established areas by using mycorrhizae tablets. In moist soil, poke a hole near the plant with a ½” or ¾” rod or stick. Drop a tablet into the hole and push it in with a stick.
● We do not suggest the use of very high-analysis fertilizers in a garden, especially phosphorus. Examples of fertilizers to avoid are synthetic versions with formulations like 10-55-10, 10-30-10, etc. We don’t even suggest the popular 15-30-15 formula. These formulations will inhibit or even destroy much of the soil life that is so vital to healthy, sustainable soil.
● We also suggest that you not use soil-applied systemic fertilizer/insecticide combinations (especially popular with roses). These are very damaging to soil life.
● Use insecticides only when necessary, and even then, use the least damaging product available. Many of these products move into the soil and interfere with the invisible soil life.
● Organic fertilizers are generally better because they contribute many important microorganisms and trace minerals to the soil.
● If you can, begin a compost pile or purchase a compost bin or compost tumbler. Home compost is one of the very best ingredients you can add to your soil. Home compost helps significantly in disease suppression, increases beneficial microorganisms, improves soil structure and texture, aids nutrient retention, and helps with nematode suppression.
● Learning how to compost is pretty simple, and fall is a great time of year since there’s lots of brown matter to add. There are many fallen leaves from deciduous trees; these are excellent additions to a compost bin.
● Since this is a big planting month, be sure that before you put a plant into the ground, you have considered the soil and are doing all you can to improve it and protect its health.
Learn and Grow with us by watching: Gardening 101 Series | What Kind of Soil Should You Use? + Preparing the Soil for Your Tomato and Vegetable Garden with Steve Goto