November in South Texas is all about spending time outdoors and gathering with family & friends. Cool weather, crisp evenings, outdoor fires & a beautiful garden… a welcome invitation. Here are our tips to help.
Check out our November Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures and wind!
1. Spruce Up With Fall Flowers
Here’s our list of Fall/Winter flowers – tons of choices for outdoor color to redo pots & inground plantings. Flowers take a little time to grow and bloom. Plant early this month so they can be WOW for the holidays! Once they’re all planted, give them a good meal of organic Plant Tone or Hasta Gro.
2. Plant Trees and Shrubs
Now is the best time to plant cold-hardy shrubs and trees. They grow & develop a good root system for better success next Spring and Summer. They will need water & care, just not as much as during warmer seasons. Always fertilize when you plant and follow our watering instructions.
3. Last Chance to Feed Your Lawn!
Fertilize now if you have not done so this Fall. Our top choices: Medina Growin’ Green or Gill Lawn & GardenFood. Apply pre-emergent for winter weed control & treat brown spots in lawns with peat moss or Nature’s Blend Compost to help with fungus control. You can also lay new sod or overseed with winter rye grass in lawn areas that are unsightly.
4. Freshen Up Inside and Out
Time to freshen up before the guests arrive! If you have houseplants that aren’t looking their best, take them to a shady spot outside on a warm day to get some fresh air. Some fresh air + a shot of liquid Hasta Gro works wonders for houseplants. There’s plenty to do outside too: pull weeds, trim shrubs a little to shape, rake beds, then feed your plants with a good organic fertilizer such as Plant Tone or Rose Glo. Finally, add new mulch to give everything a polished look! Water once a week if we don’t get rain.
5. Fall Herbs For Holiday Cooking
Cooking without herbs would be such a waste of thyme! Sage, Rosemary, Cilantro, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, (and Thyme) are just a few herbs that thrive in our Fall & Winter months. Limited space? A sunny spot, container & a few favorite herbs is all you need. We can even pot them up for you.
10 Comments on “Top 5 Must-Do’s for November!”
I have some tiger lilies in a pot that I FINALLY got to bloom last spring (after 5 years effort!). They probably need to be repotted in fresh soil, but still have lots of greenery on their tops & some bulbils. Do I dare take them out, replace the dirt & replant them? Do I leave the green tops or remove them? Thanks for the input.
Congratulations Elizabeth!
That is a real accomplishment as tiger lilies are suited best in other areas of the country. Keeping them in the container is a good idea especially with our heavy clay soils. Based on what I am reading, it is best to keep the healthy foliage on the plant until it dies down in the Fall or maybe Winter in South Texas. Once the foliage dies back, you can remove most all of it leaving a stubble of the foliage sticking out of the soil-3-4″. Be careful with watering as they will not need as much water during their dormant stage, but some. Repotting is up to you, if the pot is overcrowded, then divide and repot in late winter- early spring before they begin to grow again. Top dressing with organic mulch is recommended as well.
Hope this helps …Happy Gardening!
I have 2 Lavender plants that have never bloomed, pretty shrubs but no flowers what can I do.
Hi Becky – that depends on the variety. English and French lavender don’t bloom a lot. Fernleaf and Spanish lavender are the best for our area and do bloom some. Try fertilizing with liquid Hasta Gro to promote blooming. Most lavenders bloom in the early Spring.
Hi there,
I planted my purple Echinacea plants from seed last year in a large pot. This is the first time they are flowering. Is it a ok time to transplant them to my ingrown garden space? Or do I wait? And I was wondering if you guys carry pine needle mulch?
Thanks for the help,
Jessica
Hi Jessica – that’s quite an accomplishment! But don’t plant them in the ground here in South Texas. They do not like our soil. Best to continue to enjoy them in a large pot. And yes, we carry pine straw mulch.
Excellent thank you so much.
Jessica
What should I do with caladiums and their bulbs to save them for next Spring? I have some that are still pretty vigorous but some that are drooping and look like they won’t come back until Spring.
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth – if you leave them in the ground, some will come back up next Spring, and some will rot in the ground. If you’d like to save more, dig them up, let them dry out for a few days, and store in a cardboard box. Then plant them again around late April when temps warm back up.
Thank you for the timely post. The five things you mentioned are all important. I like this topic “Last Chance to Feed Your Lawn!”