Breaking ground
NOVEMBER
Thank goodness we finally got some rain. It was unbelievably dry, and the lack of humidity coupled with bright sunlight and higher temperatures stressed our plants in October.
Leaves are falling in earnest, and trees are beginning their fall show. We can hope that the rain has saved the day for fall color. We get the best array of colors when we have warm days and cool nights coupled with ample moisture. Some trees have shed without changing color, but we are seeing a good display on others, and there is still time for more.
As leaves fall, rake them up and, if you can, shred and add them to a compost pile or use them as mulch. Shredded leaves will break down much more easily than whole leaves.
Even though many summer annuals are still blooming, it is time to make way for fall and winter annuals. Pansies, violas, dianthus, flowering kale and cabbage all need to be planted soon.
You can intersperse edibles with your annuals, adding edible kale and cabbage, Swiss chard, purple and cut-leaf mustards and parsley and cilantro. Just be a tad judicious when harvesting for the kitchen. If you cut around the plant, taking a few leaves here and there, you can eat your garden and still leave enough behind for winter color.
Tomatoes and peppers that were tended to during the drought are still producing, but we are closer and closer to a killing frost. When you hear the prediction, harvest all tomatoes from the vines, green and red. Put them in a single layer in a cardboard box or breathable
container, and they will gradually ripen indoors. Peppers have been producing off the charts, so consider chopping and freezing some for use this winter.
If you have loads of basil, it is not long for this world — a frost will take it, so harvest it all. Hang it up to dry or chop it, mix in a little water and freeze the slurry in ice cube trays for use in soups and stews this winter. Or make pesto and freeze that.
Don’t be too severe in pruning perennial evergreen herbs this late in the season, but you can still use them.
Now is the time to plant spring-blooming bulbs. You have from now through mid-January to get them planted, but as you buy them, start the chilling process. I store mine in the garage closest to the open door. As long as they are exposed to temperatures between 34 and 55 degrees, they will be accumulating chilling hours. Don’t allow them to freeze. The longer they chill, the taller and showier their blooms. Plant the bulbs roughly 2 to 2 ½ times as deep as they are large, then sit back and wait for spring.
Fall cleanup is in order. As perennials play out, cut them back. Harvest seed heads and share them with friends or give them as gifts. Annuals that have seen better days should also be replaced. Rake up leaves under your hydrangeas as they fall, since many have disease spots after our weird growing season. Add a fresh layer of mulch around your plants if what is there is wearing thin.
Mulch is important yearround. If you have tender perennials and you worry about their winter hardiness, wait for a killing frost to make sure they are dormant and then add an extra layer of mulch for winter protection.
Houseplants that spent the summer outside should be inside now along with any tropical, summer-flowering plants. The longer you leave them outside, the harder the transition is once they move indoors. Remember, once inside, they need much less water than they did outdoors. Check them for insects and diseases, as both multiply quickly inside.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Elaeagnus pungens, commonly called thorny elaeagnus or silverleaf, is a great evergreen shrub that can be used as a hedge or a specimen plant.
It will grow easily in full sun to partial shade, but tends to have better flowering if you give it some sunlight.
The plant is in full bloom now, but you rarely notice the actual blooms, since they tend to be somewhat hidden inside the plant. But you do notice their fragrance. It’s as sweet-smelling as a gardenia.
There are green and variegated varieties, with the green being more vigorous. The plant will grow up to 12 feet with a spread slightly more than that.
Once or twice a year it has a bad hair day, sending up tall sprouts that need a light haircut.
Once established, it is fairly drought-tolerant. The stems and leaves are covered in tiny brown scales, which many confuse for an insect, but these are a natural part of the plant. The upper surface of the leaf is a grayish green with the underside a beautiful silvery white with brown specks.
After flowering, the plant produces small, edible fruits, but most people leave them for the birds’ enjoyment. Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.