November Episode 4 Weekly Tips

 

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Lawn
If you haven’t applied a fall or winter type of lawn fertilizer, do it now. Use a slow release fertilizer this should last all winter into early spring. A slow release fertilizer will encourage good root development and keep the color of your lawn green. Lime can also be applied, if needed. Have you done a soil test?

Rake your lawn to remove accumulations of leaves that have fallen this fall. The leaves should be deposited in your compost pile. You can mulch a small amount of the leaves into your lawn this will add important nutrients. Don’t try to mulch too many or it will smother your grass.

Annuals
Pansies are one of our favorite winter annual flowers. They are cold tolerant and able to withstand freezes. Pansies provide color all winter long and last well into late spring

House Plants
Heating your home in the winter dries the air out considerably. Mist your house plants regularly to keep them hydrated.

Pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor color during the winter. Store the pots in a cool, dark place, until new growth emerges from the soil, and then move them to a bright window.

Odds and ends

Tools
Clean, sharpen, and oil your garden tools before putting them away for the winter. Pour sand into a large bucket and add some oil, then slide your garden tools in and out of the sand. This will clean them and apply a light coating of oil to prevent rusting. This is a good month to make a list of tools that need to be restocked. The prices should be lower now and garden tools make good Christmas gifts.

After you finish your last mowing of the year, make sure you store your mower properly. Empty the fuel tank of gas. Gas can turn to varnish in the fuel tank of your mower and other gas powered equipment, when sitting idle for long periods of time, and severely damage the engine.

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