GARDEN TASKS
Watch for caterpillars
The caterpillars of the white butterfly will be out to cause you grief. Hand pick if you prefer not to spray, or cover up with netting.
Plant cucumbers
November has got to be one of the most enjoyable months for gardeners with prolific growth everywhere, lashings of colour and scents and plenty of tasks to keep busy!
House plants
Continue house plant fertiliser applications throughout November. Take note of water requirements of the house plants, as temperatures rise so does the need for increased watering. Flowering chrysanthemums are now available if you require a spectacular display of flowers indoors. Purchase them as their flowers are just beginning to open. Check plants regularly for any sign of insects or fungal diseases, if caught early these should not be a major problem.
Vegetable Garden
All summer vegetables should be in active growth by now including beans, beetroot, cabbage, celery, corn, cucumber, courgettes, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, radish, spring onions, spinach, tomatoes, silverbeet.
Ensure young, developing plants are wellwatered, but be weary of overwatering. Continue to remove laterals and tie up tomato plants. Stagger plantings to extend harvesting time. Apply side dressings of vegetable fertiliser, especially to those ‘gross-feeders’, eg. sweet corn. Mulch around plants with pea straw to improve soil water retention and help reduce infestations of weeds.
Summer Flowering Annuals
Flowering annuals will now be in vigorous growth and producing early flowers. These include alyssum, ageratum, arctotis, asters, cornflowers, cosmos, marigolds, nemesias, phlox, portulacas, and zinnias.
Water regularly, especially when young seedlings are first planted. Summer flowering annuals can also be very successfully grown in large pots or containers.
Herb Garden
As with vegetables and flowering annuals, all new season herbs should be growing vigorously by mid-november. It is now safe to plant basil as the chance of a very late frost is highly unlikely. Herbs thrive in a ‘fine’ welldrained soil, fully exposed to all day sun.
Lawns
November is the last ‘safe’ month to sow a new lawn or to patch up areas of an existing lawn before it becomes too hot and dry. Lawn fertiliser can be applied to encourage strong grass growth. Water immediately after spreading the fertiliser. Irrigate lawns when required to help maintain consistent grass growth.