November Zone 3
What to do in the garden in November in zone 3
- Mulch Cover perennial beds for winter after the ground freezes, hopefully you didn’t do this already if October was warm. This will prevent cycles of freeze and thaw between now and spring. Apply a thick layer of shredded leaves, bark mulch, evergreen boughs or seed free straw. Be cautious about using hay bales widely available this time of year, they are usually full of weed seeds.
- Mulch trees If you haven’t done it yet, apply a thick layer of mulch in a large area around trees. Do not allow the mulch to contact the trunks.
- Turn the compost Early in the month before it gets too cold, turn the compost pile one last time.
- Secure climbing roses Climbing roses that are hardy enough to remain on their supports through winter need to be securely tied to the support to prevent wind damage.
- Protect trunks Young tree trunks and shrubs can be protected from damage by mice, rabbits and deer by installing a barrier. For trees, slit plastic sleeves are available at garden centers. Or wrap with hardware cloth. A chicken wire fence installed around shrubs with stakes works well for young shrubs.
- Store garden hoses If you haven’t done it yet, drain and store garden hoses and sprinklers. And turn the water to the outside faucets of before it freezes.
- Store containers If you haven’t stored your clay and ceramic containers yet, get them in the garage before it freezes so they don’t crack. Remove crusted minerals from clay pots by soaking in water for several hours. Scrub with steel wool and dish soap if needed.
- Buy yourself a treat Pick up a big pot of mums for Thanksgiving.
- Protect tender roses Prepare your winter rose protection to put in place when the ground freezes. If you winter tip, bury them before the ground freezes. Hopefully you didn’t do this already either if October was warm.
- Protect evergreens Small to medium evergreens can be protected from desiccating wind and sunscald with anti-desiccants and/or with burlap wrap or wind screens. They can also be protected from heavy snowfall that may break and damage limbs by tying or wrapping them.
- Prune trees and shrubs If it is not too cold and snowing yet, you can still get out and prune.
- Leave snow on the evergreens alone Do not try to remove wet heavy snow from evergreens, you could do more harm than good. Evergreen limbs remain supple through winter and will bend under the weight, but hopefully will not crack.