How to garden this month

Plant, plant, plant. November offers the optimal combination of cool moist air, warm soil and, hopefully, rain for planting. This is the ideal time to plant ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials and so on. For 18 more planting tips, go online to lat.ms/novembergarden.

1 Plant at least two trees this fall and winter, and encourage your friends to do the same. Trees are critical in the battle against global warming. They cool the air, filter out particulates, generate oxygen, shade our homes in summer, create habitat for birds and other animals and do so much more.

2 Before you select a tree, measure the space available, make note of the sun exposure, consider the irrigation schedule for that bed, then choose a tree that fits the space.

3 How to prepare a planting hole: Dig a hole 1 or 2 inches deeper and slightly wider than the plant’s rootball; make it slightly square and rough up the sides of the hole. This helps encourage plant roots to grow out beyond the hole. Fill the hole with water and let the water drain out. Toss a handful (for a one-gallon plant) or two or three (for a five-gallon plant; more for larger plants) of worm castings into the hole.

4 How to plant a shrub or perennial: Water the plant in its container and let it drain. Turn the container on its side and gently press on it to loosen the rootball. Carefully slide the rootball out of the container, then loosen the roots so they no longer wrap around the rootball (skip loosening with Bougainvillea or Matilija poppies). Place the plant into the hole and refill with the soil you dug out. Don’t amend the soil. Do wet the soil as you refill the hole and tamp the soil around the base of the plant. Soak the soil after you plant, then add drip irrigation and a thick layer of mulch, but leave bare dirt immediately around the base of the stem or trunk.

5 Clean rain gutters before rains begin. If the stuff you pull out of the gutter looks like compost, add it to your compost pile or use it as mulch in the garden.