Is gardening the furthest thought from your mind right now? For us, we’re in “hygge”-mode, so I get it. Maybe, though, these November Garden Tips will leave you feeling inspired!
November Garden Tips
1- If you haven’t already, and the ground can still be worked, plant garlic, onions, and/or ornamental alliums.
If you saved some of this year’s harvest for your seed garlic, I hope you are planting the largest, heartiest, bulbs. (Well, you actually plant the individual cloves) The bigger and stronger your seed garlic, the bigger and stronger your plants will be!
We did this in the early part of the month, and I’m so glad, because it snowed early on!
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
2- Mulch around fruit trees, assuming you’ve cleaned up the overgrown grass and weeds. Keep it no thicker than 3-4 inches. I only put around 2 inches of mulch around mine in the fall.
Seriously, though, don’t overdo it. One mistake many people make is piling the mulch up too high around trees. This is not a healthy choice for the poor tree. Sometimes, the roots can grow up into the mulch. This can cause stem girdling roots, which can, ultimately, kill the tree.
Compost as Mulch
3- Mulch your vegetable and flower beds, at the very least, with a layer of compost. Compost will continue to break down over the winter and become wonderful, rich, fluffy growing medium.
4- Build up your compost. Add manure, food scraps, chopped up leaves, grass clippings, and other organic matter.
If you have severe winters, as we do here, you may be getting your last kitchen-scrap-type of compost outside. We find that the snow piles up on our compost bins, making them impossible to open. If the snow isn’t piled atop them, then ice and freezing temperatures “lock” them shut.
To Prune or Not to Prune
5- Prune your evergreens if necessary.
In our case, we don’t do a whole lot of this. Our evergreens are far enough apart and away from the house and barn that they are usually fine. Occasionally, we prune a couple of them that happen to be growing near power lines, though, for obvious reasons.
Putting Away
6- Drain your water hoses and place in storage. This goes for your drip irrigation hoses as well.
This will protect them and keep them from damage over the winter.
Get Cozy This Winter
7- Gather up twigs and pine cones for kindling and winter decor projects.
This is so much fun! If you aren’t interested in making things for your decor, at the very least, the twigs and pine cones can be used as fire starters.
Having a cozy fire going is all part of the HYGGE!
Here is the Oxford definition of “Hygge”- a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).
I love Hygge! (I’m actually half Danish 🙂
We light the fire in the woodstove, snuggle under blankets, light a candle here and there, and drink hot tea. But these things are only part of hygge – much of it has to come from our hearts.
I wish for you to have a blessed season of Hygge with much love, warmth, comfort, and especially good health.
What are your November Garden Tips?
♥
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