November and December
Chores and Maintenance
- Prune and thin plants to enhance plant form
- Complete pruning of late-blooming trees and shrubs
- Mulch perennials, bulb beds after first freeze to protect from the soil thawing and refreezing - use salt hay, straw, pine needles, leaves, branches of Christmas trees
- Protect roses by mounding soil and adding organic mulch - straw or chopped leaves
- Mulch rhododendrons, azaleas, and laurel with oak leaves or leaf mold
- Water dogwood, broadleaf evergreens and newly planted trees until ground freezes
- Finish moving tender biennials and perennials to cold frame (pansies, English daisies, and campanulas)
- Rake leaves off lawn areas and start a compost pile
- Provide winter protection to newly planted shrubs to prevent desiccation
- Protect broadleaved evergreens by applying an anti-desiccant spray to the foliage and/or wrap in burlap
- Use a broom to knock off heavy snow from shrubs
Plant and Transplant
- Evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs until ground freezes
- Tulips and lily bulbs until ground freeze
- In early November, start forcing bulbs indoors for the holidays (amaryllis, paperwhites) they take several weeks to bloom
Pest Control
- Watch for vole activity; voles are most active October to March
- Monitor houseplants over the winter for spider mite and mealybug
Winter Project
- Think about last season's garden - how it evolved and matured.
- Begin planning improvements by adding new plantings to enhance the garden staples with a variety of colors, textures, and sizes.
- Also try to include some new and unusual plants as featured in the new seed/plant catalog