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...because all the best garden advice is local

November 1, 2012

Before the Snow Flies

Greetings! Veronica in front of Korean spice viburnum

     

That's my mantra right now, as I cut back perennials, drain hoses, rake leaves, and mound roses. I remind myself that we've had snow on jack-o-lanterns before, so it could be any day now. It spurs me on to hurry up and get it done!

   Click here for a fall checklist of garden chores to finish up, well, before the snow flies!

 

Happy Chilly Gardening,  

Veronica Lorson Fowler

 

So Many Leaves, So Little Time 

 

rake in leves Every year, it's the same. Tons of leaves and lots of cut-back perennials to deal with. Plus, this year I'm pruning to mere stubs the giant bittersweet vine trained up the front of my garage. Lots of yard waste!

   Through the growing season, I love the yard waste dumpster I use through my garbage service: $7 a month for no more  bags, no more overwhelmed compost heaps. Since I have to pay for it even if I don't set it out once a week, it's good incentive to fill with trimmings from the garden and keep up on those tasks.

   I've filled it with leaves a couple of times already. More next week! For other suggestions on how to cope with all these autumn leaves, click here. 

   With all my other yard waste, I've been piling in my driveway for a landscape service to haul away. It costs me a good $100 or so, but for me it's worth it.

   We're knocking around ideas on other ways to dispose of leaves and yard waste on The Iowa Gardener Facebook page. Click here to Facebook and join in!   

 

Seed Savers seed packets in ziploc bags

 

Seeds are best if used within one year, but many will still germinate well enough the second and even third year if you store them carefully. Ideally, store them in airtight jars or ziploc bags in your fridge.
   I'm bad and let them hang out on the back porch during the growing season, exposing them to heat and humidity. But each fall I'm a model gardener and I stash them in the fridge until spring.
 They like the cool, dark, and dry conditions. 
 

Bulb Basics  

daffodills The most pleasant task of fall, for me, is planting bulbs. Such an act of faith that spring will be back, though in its own sweet time.

   Some friends have been struggling with squirrels digging up their bulbs. If you have squirrels, just lay a piece of wire over the bulb planting. Once the soil settles and compacts in a few weeks, they should leave it alone.

   For other bulb-planting tips, click here.

Garden Quote  

 

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower"  

 

-- French author and philosopher Albert Camus

 
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Issue: 73

November  

To-Do List 

 

 If you haven't already, pull up all annuals and cut back perennials. Pitch them in your compost heap..

   

 Dig up and store indoors any tender bulbs, such as gladiolus, cannas, dahlias, and caladiums, that you want to store over the winter.

 

 Empty all pots and store indoors for the winter. In Iowa's harsh winters, even plastic containers will crack and clay pots will definitely shatter.   

  

 If you have any newly planted trees, especially fruit trees, wrap them with a protective tree wrap now. It prevents sun scald and also prevents rabbits and rodents from nibbling the tasty bark. Remove in spring. 

 

 If you want to be safe, wrap boxwood and any other borderline-hardy evergreens to Iowa in burlap. It's a good idea also to wrap any new evergreens that you planted earlier this year. This will prevent winter burn, which can disfigure the plant badly enough you have to dig it up or cut it down.   

 

 Perennials and strawberries do best with 1 to 4 inches of a loose, removable mulch over and/or around them. Leaves chopped by running a mower over them are perfect.   

 

 Protect roses. Mound all but rugosa roses around the base with 8 to 12 inches of compost or rich, dark soil to protect the bud union (right above the roots) from winter cold. Hybrid teas, grandiflora, and floribunda roses--the least cold hardy types--are more likely to survive the winter if you also wrap their stems in burlap and twine. Click here for more into on types of roses for Iowa.

 

 Plant spring-blooming bulbs as long as the soil isn't frozen. Water well after planting.

 

 Force bulbs now, as desired.

 

 Rake leaves as needed. Keep them off the grass--they can suffocate it. Running the mower over leaves to chop them reduces their volume and makes perfect compost material.

 

 After the frost, do one final mowing. Then run the mower until the gas tank is empty to store it for winter.

 

 Maintain your mower and sharpen the blade.

 

Detach garden hoses or your faucet may freeze and damage pipes. Drain the hoses and store in the garage or other sheltered place.   

 

For our printable monthly to-do lists and handy garden references, click here.