November is the month in the South of mid-America when the killing frost puts a stop to all flowering activity in our gardens. By the middle of the month, practically all of the area has been subjected to a killing frost. In some isolated spots there are gardens that escape damage until December. One of the weather phenomena of this area seems to be that if a garden escapes this first surge of winter, it may remain in active growth until after the first of the year.

Then there is the occasional plant that, because of its location in a tiny “climate” that favors it, or because of its physiological condition, will withstand frost and keep growing and blooming during most of the winter. November is a rather busy garden month. Fall weather here is always wonderful, and it is a genuine pleasure to be outside.

Bulbs – Planting of spring flowering bulbs may be continued this month even though the largest planting was probably made last month. These bulbs can be planted as late as the last of December, therefore it is possible to give bulbs for Christmas. Some of the best tulips I ever had were planted on Thanksgiving Day!

In planting, a cushion of sand under the bulbs will insure good drainage and prevent rotting. In many city gardens in new areas of development, field mice will come in and may destroy many bulbs in their search for food. Mice often use the runs made by moles in their search for the bulbs. So be on guard against moles for this reason.

In planting bulbs, remember the rule on depth of planting like what i did with my philodendron xanadu plant: cover the growing points of each bulb to a depth twice the greatest dimension of the bulb. For example, a daffodil bulb two inches long by one and one-half inches wide would be covered to a depth of four inches. If you are forcing bulbs in pots for indoor bloom, perhaps you will want to pot some more to continue the succession of bloom. Many were probably potted last month, and these should be checked for moisture and possible damage by mice. Bulbs for forcing should always be thoroughly soaked before storing for good root development.

To stimulate the children’s interest, try growing a few paper white narcissus in bowls of water and clean gravel or rocks. Another fascinating project is growing hyacinths in hyacinth glasses. These special glasses will hold one large bulb and the roots develop into the lower part where they are easily seen through the clear glass. A small piece of charcoal will sweeten the water and prevent contamination.

Keith Markensen frequently contributes to http://www.plant-care.com. Ready to roll back the confusion philodendron xanadu plant. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

categories: garden,gardening,home improvement,plant care