November

November

garden

tips

By BIRGITT THORNHILL

Extension Agent, Agriculture

•Dead leaf stalks of perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb should be cut to the ground after their tops are killed by frost.

•When time or weather conditions prohibit plowing or cover cropping, you may wish to let your garden lie under a mulch of compost, plant wastes or leaves all winter to be plowed or tilled under in the spring. However, if you want to plant early the next spring, a mulch of heavy materials such as whole leaves may become matted and keep the soil cold long enough to delay planting. In this case, chop organic matter fine enough that it will break down over winter.

•Many perennials and rock garden plants may be planted or divided and replanted during the fall. Set them out early enough to establish their roots before the ground freezes.

•Peonies can be planted now in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Dig holes 18” and fill halfway with a mixture of soil, compost and a handful of 5-1010 fertilizer. Add a few more inches of soil and set the tubers so the buds are 1-2” below the soil surface. Backfill, firm the soil and water thoroughly. Peonies resent being moved and will not bloom for several years. So, disturb only if necessary.

•Reduce peony botrytis blight and hollyhock rust by removing and burning all old stems this fall. This will reduce the carry-over of the diseases during the winter and you will have less trouble next year.

•Avoid transplanting shrubs and trees on sunny or windy days. On these days, the roots are exposed to too much light or drying winds that puts undue stress on the plant.

•After the ground freezes, mulch small fruit plants such as strawberries. One inch of straw or leaves is ideal for strawberries. Small branches may be used to keep mulch in place.

•After chrysanthemums have stopped blooming, cut stems back close to the ground and dispose of stems and all dropped and dried leaves and branches.

•Protect the roots of azaleas and rhododendrons with a heavy mulch of acidic materials such as oak leaves, sawdust or peat moss.

•Broadleaf evergreens may need to be protected to prevent drying out during the winter. Branches of pines or other evergreens thrust into the ground around the plants work well. Where boughs are not plentiful, a screen of wooden boards, com stalks or burlap tacked to wooden frames will serve the purpose.

•If you are planning on having a live, balled and burlapped Christmas tree, dig a planting hole now before the ground freezes. Pill the hole with straw or hay to keep it from freezing. Storing the soil in a garage or shed will give you workable soil when you need it.

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Germanna hosts

speaker series

Members of the faculty and staff of Germanna Community College in Locust Grove are presenting a series of lectures on Friday afternoons.

On Nov. 15, Gayle Wolfe will speak on “Life in a War Zone — Beirut Today.”

Each lecture is set to begin at 12:15 p.m. in the college lecture hall (room 56). Each presentation is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Germanna Community College Faculty Senate.