November 2001

Edible Garden

Prepare a trench early in November and sow sweet peas seeds to lie dormant for spring germination.

Till the vegetable garden. This exposes insect pests to winter cold, reducing their numbers in next year's garden.

Store root crops such as carrots and turnips outdoors in the ground. Bury these crops under a deep layer of leaves or straw.

Seal fertilizer bags tightly with tape and keep off the garage floor. This will reduce moisture getting into the bags.

Store all garden chemicals where they will not freeze. Keep out of reach of children.

Ornamental Garden

Plan an after Thanksgiving visit to a local Christmas tree farm to cut your own tree. List of farms available by calling 773-233-0476 or check out the web site: Christmas Trees & More at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees

Mow grass to a final height of 2 to 2 1/2 inches once grass has stopped growing.

Make a final cleanup of leaves and debris on your lawn to avoid snow mold.

Shred leaves with your lawn mower. Rake and spread over garden beds and till in.

Fill bags with leaves and use them as insulation around overwintering plants in containers. Use leaves in compost pile in spring.

Cover roses after most of their leaves have fallen and until temperatures have dropped into the teens for a few nights. A common type of winter protection is to "hill up" a loose, well drained soil/compost mix around and over the plant to a depth of 10-12 inches. Soil used in hilling should not be scraped from around the plant. This practice can cause root injury.

Still holding bulbs for outdoor planting when a cold spell is predicted? Cover the planting area with a thick layer of leaves or straw secured with boards or branches. This will keep the ground from freezing until it warms enough to get bulbs in the ground.

Not cutting back dead perennials until spring may help protect the crown of the plant. This practice provides food resources for birds and a place for them to hide during the cold winter.

Choosing to cut back perennials is a good practice if you had problems with foliage diseases. Cut back after they have gone dormant to within 2-3 inches of the crown. Apply mulch after ground is frozen.

Leave ornamental grasses standing for their interesting foliage effects and protection for the crown. Cut back the foliage to about 4-6 inches in spring before new growth starts.

Dig up crowns of lily-of-the-valley and pot them for indoor, scented display.

Repot African violets once a year. Remove all lateral crowns and leave the center crown. Remove one or two rows of leaves, leaving a wheel of leaves around the crown. Scrape away brown material from the neck. Cut off the bottom half of the root, pot up in a 4 inch pot and water well.