By Emmy Ulmschneider
and Debbie Roland
Master Gardeners
A gardener’s work is never done! No matter the season, your location, or how you garden, there are four main categories of chores throughout the year: Soil, Propagate-Plant, Maintain, and Prune. Garden chores vary from month to month and define the passing of each season. In November, I always think of putting my gardens to bed for the winter. We are halfway through fall: temperatures are starting to moderate and there is still plenty of daylight to get out and work on November chores or finish your October tasks such as planting spring bulbs. Whether you are growing for beauty or food, get out there and enjoy your past labors, reflect, and plan for next year. And here are the chores for November’s categories:
Soil: Fall is the time to compost! Add disease and chemical free leaves and plant residues that have accumulated on your lawn or in gardens. Keep your compost pile moist and turn periodically. You will reap the fruits of your labor when you add your compost to your spring garden. Have more material than you can compost? Try a soil sponge under next year’s vegetable garden.
Propagate-Plant: Plant trees and shrubs now so root systems can establish by spring. Don’t forget to water your new transplants over the winter. Plant your winter garden root vegetables such as beets or turnips, and winter greens such as chard or mustard. If you did not start your own, most are available locally. Start vegetable seeds indoors for transplanting in the spring. Fall is the time for planting natives. And if you missed the Master Gardener Fall Plant Sale, there are plants and seeds available locally and online.
Maintain: Water is precious in West Texas, so water gardens only as needed. Take advantage of the seasonal cutback on your irrigation system. Mulch trees and shrubs as needed. Deadhead natives after they have bloomed, unless you are going to collect seeds. Manually control the weeds and plants in your garden. Rake heavy accumulations of leaves and plant debris from your gardens or lawn. After blooming, think about transplanting natives such as goldenrods or the beautiful fall aster, Symphotrichum oblongifolium. See: https://www.westtexasgardening.org/post/fall-aster
Winter is fast approaching, so locate your garden winter protection and bring tender perennials inside before the first killing frost, hopefully not until mid-November.
Pruning: We should prune a plant to shape, rejuvenate, remove dead and damaged foliage, or improve bloom and fruit quality. However, we often just prune when something is in the way. Plants benefit from proper pruning, but pruning is not a one size fits all technique. This past year has been very hard on our deciduous trees, and it shows by the number of dead or damaged limbs in our urban forest. To familiarize yourself with pruning, check out: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/proper-pruning-techniques
Go outside now while the days are perfect for working in your gardens. You will reap the benefits of your work outside now and in the future by improving your physical and mental wellness!
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on “Resources.”
