Are there even things you can do in the garden in November?!? There sure are! While it’s pretty chilly in most areas of Utah there are little things you can do to make next season the best yet.
Outside-
As long as the ground hasn’t frozen it’s not to late to plant bulbs like tulips, crocus, daffodils, and alliums. If the weather has been dry make sure to give them a good drink of water to settle them in.
If you haven’t yet, clear out any diseased foliage from any perennials. Powdery Mildew spores will hang out all winter on infected plant material. Removing this debris will help you get a head of it next year. Trash the foliage, do not compost it.
Make sure you’ve cleaned up any peony foliage. Even if they look good, peony foliage should always be cleaned up in the fall. They are especially susceptible to a lot of disease like botrytis and those diseases will over winter and affect your plants next year if not removed. Again trash the plant material, don’t compost it.
Sow some cold hardy seeds. They’ll emerge when they are ready with almost no work from you. See below for some suggestions.
Feel free to leave your healthy perennials and grasses, and even fallen leaves. You’ll provide habitat for beneficial insects and even food sources for birds.
Forage in your yard for any evergreens that would look fabulous in holiday trimmings. Spruce, pine, fir, holly, boxwood, juniper, Oregon grape, and arborvitae are good options for wreaths and swags.
Inside-
Take some time to write down how things went this season. What flowers bloomed their heads off? Which tomatoes were your family’s favorite? What disease always seems to strike your zinnias? Later in the winter you can take some to do some planning and research.
Take inventory of your seeds. Toss any that are too old, just keep in mind that different varieties last longer than others. You can find a great seed storage guideline here. You could even organize a holiday seed swap!
Take an inventory of your tools too. Are there too many of some and not enough of others? (I have about 28 pairs of snips, but desperately need a new 2nd digging fork). What needs to be sharpened, fixed or replaced? Plan to work on them after the holidays and put any needs on your Christmas list.
Order your seedlings for next spring. Locally you can get cut flower starts at Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove. It’s a program I run during my winter downtime.
Divide your dahlias and get them tucked away for winter. Dahlias like to be stored between 40-50 degrees and do well packed in vermiculite or wood shavings.
Seeds to start-
Direct sow any of the following, even if there is snow on the ground. A lot of cold hardy plants need some cold temps to germinate, it’s called cold stratification. Bells of Ireland, nigella, bupleurum, larkspur, Agrostemma, Ammi, chocolate lace flower, and Icelandic poppies all do well direct sown in most northern Utah climates.
Happy November! I hope you enjoy a little cozy indoor weather with a seed catalog or two.