1. Empty the water from your fountain and remove the pump so the moisture remaining doesn't freeze. Cover your fountain with burlap and plastic keeping the plastic from direct contact with the concrete. Moisture can accumulate where plastic touches the fountain and that moisture will freeze and thaw during the winter months which can cause flaking or even breaks. Cover your statuary in the same way you've covered your fountain.
If you can, empty your containers and pots of soil and store your containers in the basement or garage. If you can't move your containers into a shelter, cover them in the same way you've covered your fountains and statuary.
2. Take notes of what worked and what didn't work in your garden and landscape. You'll be able to use those notes when you are planning for the next growing season's projects.
3. Roses are going dormant now but wait to winterize them until temperatures are consistently cold. The reason to winterize isn't to try to keep the plants warm, rather it is done to keep the soil temperature as consistent as possible. Your roses might think it is time to grow if you winterize too early.
Hard pruning should be done in the spring so you can easily see and remove any winter dieback. Roses die from the top down so, when you do prune, cut back only as far as you need to save as much top as possible.
If you have climbing roses or old fashioned garden roses wait until after the first flush of new growth in the spring to prune.
Remove and discard any diseased foliage. Composting with diseased plant material can cause disease to re-infect your plants the following year. Use a late-season application of fungicide to help reduce overwintering of fungus diseases. Spray your plants and include an area around your plants out to about one foot.
Rose cones and burlap hold in place the protective mulch you've put around your roses. Some rose cones have a small hole at the top to let heat escape while others have removable lids for the same purpose. If there are periods of warm weather after you've put the rose cones in place, remove the cones during the day and replace them for the over night hours.
Fertilize your roses in November with: 1 cup of non-steamed bone meal, ½ cup of potash and 5 pounds of composted cow manure.
4. Winterizing your garden now will get you off on the right foot next spring. The most important step of this process is keeping your plants watered until the ground freezes which usually happens around Thanksgiving.
For a healthy and productive perennial flower garden next year, use the following recipe.
Mix well in a ½ bushel container:
10 pounds of composted cow manure
1 cup of non-steamed bone meal
5 cups of Plant Tone
Add Mycorrhizae beneficial fungi to the above mixture. Mycorrhizae beneficial fungi mixed into your garden plant food will create an explosion of roots on most annual and perennial flowers and vegetable plants and stimulates plant growth. Mycorrhizae is sold in two formulas at Wedel's Garden Center: Annual/Perennial & Vegetable
and Tree and Shrub
This mixture will contain all the necessary natural major and minor plant foods for all perennial flower plants including mycorrhizae, humates and bacteria.
Use 3 cups of this plant food mix around each perennial plant and dig in 1 to 2 inches deep. This same mix will do wonders for annual flower beds, container plantings and vegetable gardens.
5. Continue to water trees and shrubs through November. Even though soil freezes during the winter, plants can access water from below the freeze line. Remember to remove your hose from the faucet after each watering in case there is a hard freeze.
Needled and broadleaf evergreens lose moisture in the winter due to drying winds. Apply Cloud Cover to keep them from drying out. Apply as late as possible when the temperatures remain above 40 degrees. It is especially important to use Cloud Cover on broadleaf evergreens because of Michigan's severe winter winds. A burlap tent will help also to reduce or prevent damage caused by harsh winter winds. If your plants are on the south or west side of a structure, consider using both Cloud Cover and burlap.
Apply the first application of Repellex Deer, Rabbit and Mouse repellent to susceptible trees and shrubs now. A second application should be sprayed in early February.
2012 was a severe drought year. As of November 11 our rainfall is down at least 6 inches from average. Help your trees and shrubs recover with a generous feeding of Tree Tone in November. Irrigate thoroughly after feeding to activate the Tree Tone.
6. Finally, winterize your garden tools so they are ready to go in the spring when you are. Clean them well, sharpen and oil them. Apply a coat of linseed oil to the wood handles to prevent them from drying. Don't forget your mower blade! Have it sharpened now to avoid the long wait next spring.
George Wedel
